Ascaron
Encyclopedia
Ascaron Entertainment was a video game developer
based in Germany
. Founded as Ascon and later renamed in October 1996 due to the possible confusion with the Swiss company Ascom AG
, the company produced titles primarily for the PC until it was made insolvent in 2009.
, a town in western Germany. It had a development studio in Aachen
and an international office in Birmingham
, in the United Kingdom
.
Ascaron had a particular focus on strategy and management games. Among its early successes were the Patrician
series (a trading simulation) and the On the Ball series (a soccer team management simulation). More recently, the company had developed games such as Port Royale
(a pirate/trading simulation game), Sacred (an RPG) and Darkstar One
(a space combat simulation).
Ascaron was also known for publishing or distributing many games from smaller developers and publishers. Examples of games distributed by Ascaron in the UK include King's Bounty: The Legend
, Audiosurf
and several games in the TrackMania
-series. The company distributed games from other European publishers, such as Nobilis
and Focus Home Interactive
.
In April 2009, the company was unable to pay its debts and went into administration
citing the extended development time of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel as the reason. The company continued trading in the hope that a solution could be found, but the company was ultimately dissolved in July 2009, with Kalypso Media
purchasing many of the licenses and assets from Ascaron Entertainment, with the notable exception of the licence for Sacred, which was acquired by Deep Silver (Germany). Gaming Minds Studios was then launched by Kalypso and former Ascaron employees. 15 former Ascaron developers joined the Gaming Minds Studios.
As of April 2010, Ascaron UK was still in operation, acting as a distributor for other publishers. Clients include Paradox Interactive
.
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
based in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Founded as Ascon and later renamed in October 1996 due to the possible confusion with the Swiss company Ascom AG
Ascom (company)
Ascom Holding AG is a Telecommunications company specializing in "Mission-Critical Communication". The company focuses on the areas of Wireless Solutions , Network Testing as well as Security Communication Ascom Holding AG is a Telecommunications company specializing in "Mission-Critical...
, the company produced titles primarily for the PC until it was made insolvent in 2009.
Background and history
Ascaron had its headquarters in GüterslohGütersloh
Gütersloh is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name and has a population of 96,320 people.- Geography :...
, a town in western Germany. It had a development studio in Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
and an international office in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Ascaron had a particular focus on strategy and management games. Among its early successes were the Patrician
The Patrician (game)
The Patrician is the title of a series of historical trading simulation computer games for the PC, Amiga and Atari ST published by Ascaron Entertainment...
series (a trading simulation) and the On the Ball series (a soccer team management simulation). More recently, the company had developed games such as Port Royale
Port Royale: Gold, Power and Pirates
Port Royale is a business simulation game set in the Caribbean and partly the Atlantic during the 16th and 17th centuries. Created by Ascaron Entertainment in 2003, it combines business–economic simulation with real-time battles and towns that can be visited for trade and other purposes. The sequel...
(a pirate/trading simulation game), Sacred (an RPG) and Darkstar One
Darkstar One
DarkStar One is a space simulation computer game developed by Ascaron and published by CDV.The PC version of the game was officially released on June 16, 2006 in the European Union, August 14, 2006 in North America and subsequently digitally via on December 17, 2008 , and on May 19, 2011...
(a space combat simulation).
Ascaron was also known for publishing or distributing many games from smaller developers and publishers. Examples of games distributed by Ascaron in the UK include King's Bounty: The Legend
King's Bounty: The Legend
King's Bounty: The Legend is a 2008 video game, based on the King's Bounty property that was developed 18 years earlier by New World Computing...
, Audiosurf
Audiosurf
Audiosurf is a puzzle/rhythm hybrid game created by Invisible Handlebar, a personal company created by Dylan Fitterer. Its track-like stages visually mimic the music the player chooses, while the player races across several lanes collecting colored blocks that appear in sync with the music...
and several games in the TrackMania
TrackMania
TrackMania is a series of racing games for the Windows PC, Nintendo DS and Wii platforms, originally developed by the French team Nadéo for the PC...
-series. The company distributed games from other European publishers, such as Nobilis
Nobilis
Nobilis is a contemporary fantasy role-playing game created by Jenna K. Moran, writing under the name R. Sean Borgstrom. The player characters are "Sovereign Powers" called the Nobilis; each Noble is the personification of an abstract concept or class of things such as Time, Death, cars, or...
and Focus Home Interactive
Focus Home Interactive
Focus Home Interactive is an independent publisher of computer games based near Paris, France. Founded in 1996, Focus has published and distributed original titles such as Blood Bowl, Sherlock Holmes, TrackMania and Runaway and sports games like Cycling Manager and Virtual Skipper.On June 25, 2010...
.
In April 2009, the company was unable to pay its debts and went into administration
Administration (insolvency)
As a legal concept, administration is a procedure under the insolvency laws of a number of common law jurisdictions. It functions as a rescue mechanism for insolvent entities and allows them to carry on running their business. The process – an alternative to liquidation – is often known as going...
citing the extended development time of Sacred 2: Fallen Angel as the reason. The company continued trading in the hope that a solution could be found, but the company was ultimately dissolved in July 2009, with Kalypso Media
Kalypso Media
Kalypso Media is a German video game developer and publisher. Founded in summer 2006 by industry veterans Simon Hellwig and Stefan Marcinek, the company has published and/or developed a number of successful titles such as Sins of a Solar Empire, Ceville, Dungeons, Patrician IV, Tropico 3 and...
purchasing many of the licenses and assets from Ascaron Entertainment, with the notable exception of the licence for Sacred, which was acquired by Deep Silver (Germany). Gaming Minds Studios was then launched by Kalypso and former Ascaron employees. 15 former Ascaron developers joined the Gaming Minds Studios.
As of April 2010, Ascaron UK was still in operation, acting as a distributor for other publishers. Clients include Paradox Interactive
Paradox Interactive
-External links:*...
.
Games
- The PatricianThe Patrician (game)The Patrician is the title of a series of historical trading simulation computer games for the PC, Amiga and Atari ST published by Ascaron Entertainment...
(1992) - On the Ball (video game) (Original title: Anstoss) (1993)
- Hanse - Die Expedition (1994)
- Elisabeth I (1995)
- Pole Position (1996)
- On the Ball 2 (1997)
- Extreme 500 (1998)
- On the Ball 3 (2000)
- Patrician II (2000)
- On the Ball Action (2001)
- BallerburgBallerburgBallerburg is a turnbased artillery game from 1987, written in C by Eckhard Kruse for the Atari ST. Being a public domain program, it was distributed free of charge....
(2001) - Big Scale Racing (2002)
- Patrician III: Rise of the Hanse (2002)
- Port Royale: Gold, Power and PiratesPort Royale: Gold, Power and PiratesPort Royale is a business simulation game set in the Caribbean and partly the Atlantic during the 16th and 17th centuries. Created by Ascaron Entertainment in 2003, it combines business–economic simulation with real-time battles and towns that can be visited for trade and other purposes. The sequel...
(2002) - Sacred (2004)
- Arena WarsArena WarsArena Wars is an action and real-time strategy game released by Tri Synergy and Ascaron Entertainment in 2004, notable for combining strategy and shooter elements in gameplay. The limited unit choices and specials make the game extremely balanced. There are no resources needed to build units, as...
(2004) - Port Royale 2Port Royale 2Port Royale 2 is the sequel to the business simulation game Port Royale: Gold, Power and Pirates. It is set in the Caribbean during the 16th and 17th centuries. Created by Ascaron Entertainment in 2004, it combines a business simulator with real-time battles and towns that can be owned, built,...
(2004) - Tortuga (US title: Pirate Hunter) (2004)
- The Great Art Race (Original title: Vermeer 2)(2004)
- Sacred UnderworldSacred UnderworldSacred Underworld is an expansion pack for the 2004 action role-playing game Sacred. It was developed for Windows by Studio II Software and Ascaron Entertainment, and released in 2005.-Characters:...
(2005) - Darkstar OneDarkstar OneDarkStar One is a space simulation computer game developed by Ascaron and published by CDV.The PC version of the game was officially released on June 16, 2006 in the European Union, August 14, 2006 in North America and subsequently digitally via on December 17, 2008 , and on May 19, 2011...
(2006) - Sacred 2: Fallen Angel (2008)
- World War OneWorld War One (video game)World War One is a 2008 strategy video game, published by Ascaron Entertainment for Windows.-Reception:Games Radar awarded World War One 7 out of 10, highlighting the vast game map of Europe, and the depth of diplomatic, economic and political options. The text-based tutorial was criticised, as was...
(2008)
External links
- Official website
- Ascaron entry at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...