Eutechnyx
Encyclopedia
Eutechnyx is a computer and video games developer, founded in 1987 as Zeppelin Games and also briefly known as Merit Studios Europe. They are based in Dunston
, Gateshead
in the United Kingdom
. Since 1997 the company is focused on racing game
s.
and Commodore 64
personal computers at home in the early 1980s as a 14-year-old. With the money that he made, he started the company, Zeppelin Games, in November 1987 when he was 17.
Zeppelin Games produced a large number of games for various home computer systems including Atari 8-bit family
, Commodore 64
, ZX Spectrum
, Atari ST
and Amiga
and by the early 90s were also making games for PC
and consoles such as the Mega Drive/Genesis and SNES
. Popular games included Jocky Wilson's Darts Challenge
, International Tennis, Universal Warrior and Sink or Swim. They also worked with publisher Codemasters
to produce the first two Micro Machines
games and Pete Sampras Tennis
.
The company was acquired by American company Merit Studios, Inc. in 1994 and became known as Merit Studios Europe. As well as developing their own games, the company was also responsible for the marketing and distribution of Merit's US games in Europe.
The company became Eutechnyx in 1996. After gaining registered developer and publisher status for the Sony
PlayStation
, the Directors bought back the company from Merit with help from French publishers Infogrames
. This started a 3 year agreement with Eutechnyx developing exclusively for Infogrames on the PlayStation
and PC
platforms. The end of this agreement meant that as of 2000, the company has become a fully independent developer and currently releases games across many formats for publishing companies such as Electronic Arts
and Namco
. Since 1996, the company has specialised in driving and racing games of many types, including licensed titles such as James Bond 007, Max Power (magazine)
, Cartoon Network
and The Fast and the Furious
.
As of 2009, Eutechnyx has studios in Gateshead, England
, Hong Kong
, Chengdu
, and the United States
. It employs almost 200 people.
Dunston, Tyne and Wear
Dunston was originally an independent village on the south bank of the River Tyne. It has now been absorbed into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in the English county of Tyne and Wear...
, Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
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...
. Since 1997 the company is focused on racing game
Racing game
A racing video game is a genre of video games, either in the first-person or third-person perspective, in which the player partakes in a racing competition with any type of land, air, or sea vehicles. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to entirely fantastical settings...
s.
History
The company founder, Brian Jobling, started creating games for the ZX SpectrumZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
personal computers at home in the early 1980s as a 14-year-old. With the money that he made, he started the company, Zeppelin Games, in November 1987 when he was 17.
Zeppelin Games produced a large number of games for various home computer systems including Atari 8-bit family
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
and by the early 90s were also making games for PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
and consoles such as the Mega Drive/Genesis and SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. Popular games included Jocky Wilson's Darts Challenge
Jocky Wilson's Darts Challenge
Jocky Wilson's Darts Challenge, is a computer game of darts, created after famous darts champion Jocky Wilson. The game was published by Zeppelin Games and was released in 1989 for the Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum Amstrad CPC and Amiga. Music for the game was composed by Adam...
, International Tennis, Universal Warrior and Sink or Swim. They also worked with publisher Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
to produce the first two Micro Machines
Micro Machines (video games)
Micro Machines is a series of computer and video games featuring toy cars, developed by Codemasters and published on several platforms Micro Machines is a series of computer and video games featuring toy cars, developed by Codemasters and published on several platforms Micro Machines is a series of...
games and Pete Sampras Tennis
Pete Sampras Tennis
Pete Sampras Tennis was the first game of three of this celebrity-endorsed tennis video game series, released by British software house Codemasters...
.
The company was acquired by American company Merit Studios, Inc. in 1994 and became known as Merit Studios Europe. As well as developing their own games, the company was also responsible for the marketing and distribution of Merit's US games in Europe.
The company became Eutechnyx in 1996. After gaining registered developer and publisher status for the Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, the Directors bought back the company from Merit with help from French publishers Infogrames
Infogrames
Infogrames Entertainment SA was an international French holding company headquartered in Paris, France. It was the owner of Atari, Inc., headquartered in New York City, U.S. and Atari Europe. It was founded in 1983 by Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet using the proceeds from an introductory...
. This started a 3 year agreement with Eutechnyx developing exclusively for Infogrames on the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
platforms. The end of this agreement meant that as of 2000, the company has become a fully independent developer and currently releases games across many formats for publishing companies such as Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
and Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
. Since 1996, the company has specialised in driving and racing games of many types, including licensed titles such as James Bond 007, Max Power (magazine)
Max Power (magazine)
Max Power was a UK-based magazine, headquartered in Peterborough, which covered the performance-tuning car market, boy racers and softcore pornography....
, Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
and The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious (video game)
is a racing game for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. The game is based on the film series of the same name; particularly, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift...
.
As of 2009, Eutechnyx has studios in Gateshead, England
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It employs almost 200 people.
Games
- 1997 Total Drivin aka Grand Tour Racing 98Car & Driver Presents: Grand Tour Racing '98Grand Tour Racing 98 is a racing game developed by Eutechnyx....
(PS1PlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
) - 1997 Motor Mash (PS1, PCIBM PC compatibleIBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
) - 1999 Max Power Racing aka C3 Racing - Car Constructors ChampionshipC3 RacingC3 Racing is a racing game released in January 1999 by Infogrames. The game allows you to race in 11 locations around the world in a variety of sports cars. In each country there are three tracks to race on. The term C3 Racing stands for three C's; Car Constructors Championship...
(PS1) - 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours aka Test Drive Le Mans (PS1, PC)
- 1999 F1 World Grand Prix: 1999 Season (PS1, PC)
- 2000 007 Racing007 Racing007 Racing is a racing game based on the James Bond license. It was developed by Eutechnyx, published by Electronic Arts, and released in 2000 exclusively for the PlayStation console system...
(PS1) - 2000 TNN Hardcore TR (PS1) US only release
- 2000 F1 World Grand Prix (PS1, PC)
- 2002 Big Mutha TruckersBig Mutha TruckersBig Mutha Truckers is a racing video game developed by British studio Eutechnyx. Set in fictional Hick County, the game revolves around completing trips between cities, delivering goods, and competing in races while at the helm of an eighteen wheeler...
(PS2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, GCNintendo GameCubeThe , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, PC) - 2004 Street Racing SyndicateStreet Racing SyndicateStreet Racing Syndicate, often abbreviate SRS, is a multiplatform computer and video game produced by Eutechnyx, and released by Namco on August 31, 2004 for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox and Windows-based personal computers...
(PS2, Xbox, GC, PC) - 2005 Ford Mustang: The Legend Lives (PS2, Xbox)
- 2005 Ford vs. ChevyFord vs. ChevyFord vs. Chevy is a racing video game published by 2K Games and developed by Eutechnyx. It was on November 9, 2005 on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.-Information:...
(PS2, Xbox) - 2005 Big Mutha Truckers 2Big Mutha Truckers 2Big Mutha Truckers 2 is the sequel to the video game Big Mutha Truckers.-Outline:...
(PS2, Xbox, PC) - 2006 Cartoon Network RacingCartoon Network RacingCartoon Network Racing is a creation of Cartoon Network Interactive, Eutechnyx, Firebrand Games and The Game Factory. It is for the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo DS.-Gameplay:...
(PS2) also ported to Nintendo DSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
by DC Studios - 2006 Hummer BadlandsHummer BadlandsHummer Badlands is a racing game developed by Eutechnyx and published by Global Star Software. It was released in North America for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox on April 11, 2006.The game involves off-road racing in a Hummer vehicle.-Single Player:...
(PS2, Xbox) - 2006 The Fast and the Furious (PS2, PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
) - 2006 Pimp My RidePimp My Ride (video game)Pimp My Ride is a simulation/racing game published by Activision. This game is based on the popular MTV show. It was released in 2006 for the Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 consoles. In the game, players are challenged to pimp out their friends' cars by Xzibit, transforming...
(PS2, Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) - 2007 Hot Wheels: Beat That!Hot Wheels: Beat That!Hot Wheels: Beat That! is a video game released in September 2007 developed by Eutechnyx. The PSP version titled Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing was released in July 2007.-Gameplay:...
(PS2, PC, Xbox360, WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
) - 2008 Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli (PS2, PS3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Wii, DS, PSP) - 2009 Supercar ChallengeSupercar ChallengeSuperCar Challenge is a simulation racer developed by Eutechnyx, published System 3, the same company that produced 2008's Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, and released on PlayStation 3 in September 2009...
(PS3) - 2010 Ferrari: The Race Experience (PSN, Wii)
- 2011 NASCAR The Game: 2011 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
- 2011 Auto Club Revolution (PC)
- 2011 Ride To HellRide To HellRide to Hell is an Action-adventure video game. Published by Deep Silver, the game is set in the 1960s biker culture in the Western USA and will be available for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.-Premise:...
(PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
Zeppelin
- 1988 DraconusDraconus- Overview :The player assumes the role of the hero, Frognum, whose task it is to reclaim his kingdom from the Tyrant beast. The game style is principally a platformer which finds the player running and jumping through various screens...
(C64Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, ZXZX SpectrumThe ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Atari 8 BitAtari 8-bit familyThe Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
) - 1988 Las Vegas Casino (C64, ZX, CPCAmstrad CPCThe Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, Atari 8 Bit) - 1988 Speed Ace (Atari 8 Bit)
- 1988 ZybexZybexZybex is a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up game for the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit and ZX Spectrum home computers.-Plot:The player took the role of two convicts, Rinser and Cassalana, escaping from an execution in intergalactic prison. To buy their freedom, the convicts must collect tokens to...
(C64, ZX, Atari 8 bit) - 1989 Jocky Wilson's Darts ChallengeJocky Wilson's Darts ChallengeJocky Wilson's Darts Challenge, is a computer game of darts, created after famous darts champion Jocky Wilson. The game was published by Zeppelin Games and was released in 1989 for the Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum Amstrad CPC and Amiga. Music for the game was composed by Adam...
(C64, ZX, CPC, Atari 8 bit, AmigaAmigaThe Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
) - 1989 Kenny Dalglish Soccer ManagerKenny Dalglish Soccer ManagerKenny Dalglish Soccer Manager is a football computer game that was released exclusively to Europe in 1989.-Summary:This video game involves taking the role of Kenny Dalglish as he manages an English football team from the Football League Fourth Division right to the Football League First...
(C64, ZX, CPC, Atari 8 Bit, Amiga, Atari STAtari STThe Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
) - 1989 Mountain Bike Racer (C64, ZX, Atari 8 bit, MSXMSXMSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
) - 1989 Ninja Commando (C64, ZX, CPC, Atari 8 Bit)
- 1990 Fantastic Soccer (C64, Atari 8 Bit)
- 1990 Fantastic American Football (ZX)
- 1990 Edd The Duck! (C64, ZX, CPC, Amiga, Atari ST)
- 1990 World Soccer (C64, ZX, CPC, Atari 8 Bit)
- 1990 Arcade Fruit Machine (C64, ZX, CPC, Atari 8 bit, Amiga, Atari ST, PC)
- 1990 Blinky's Scary School (C64, ZX, Atari 8 bit, Amiga, Atari ST)
- 1990 Cavernia (Atari 8 Bit)
- 1990 Santa's Xmas Caper (C64, ZX, CPC, Amiga)
- 1991 Jocky Wilson's Compendium of Darts (C64, ZX, Atari 8 bit, Amiga, Atari ST)
- 1991 Stack Up (ZX, Atari 8 bit, Amiga, Atari ST, PC)
- 1991 Tai-Chi Tortoise (C64, ZX)
- 1991 Titanic Blinky (C64, ZX, CPC, Amiga, Atari ST)
- 1991 Sharkey's Moll (ZX, CPC, Amiga, Atari ST)
- 1991 Mission Shark (Atari 8 Bit)
- 1991 F1 Tornado (C64, ZX, CPC, Amiga, Atari ST)
- 1992 Arnie (C64, Amiga)
- 1992 Edd The Duck 2: Back with a Quack (Amiga)
- 1992 American Tag-Team Wrestling (ZX, CPC, Amiga)
- 1992 International 5-A-Side (C64, ZX)
- 1992 International Truck Racing (C64, Amiga, Atari ST)
- 1992 International Tennis (C64, ZX, Amiga, PC)
- 1992 International Athletics (PC)
- 1992 Match Of The Day (C64, ZX, Amiga, Atari ST)
- 1992 Graeme Souness Soccer Manager (C64, ZX, Amiga, Atari ST, PC)
- 1992 Carnage (C64, Amiga, Atari ST, DOS)
- 1993 Arnie 2 (C64, Amiga, PC)
- 1993 World RugbyWorld RugbyWorld Rugby is a sports management video game developed by Brendan O'Brien and David Taylor. It was published by Zeppelin Games in 1993 for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 This was Zeppelin's last release for the 8-bit home computer market....
(C64, ZX) - 1993 Universal Warrior (Amiga)
- 1993 Sink or Swim aka S.S. Lucifer: Man Overboard (Amiga, PC, SNESSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, MD) - 1994 International Soccer (Amiga, PC)
Merit
- 1994 The Machines (PC) A revised port of Universal Warrior
- 1994 Bud Tucker in Double Trouble (PC)
External links
- Eutechnyx website
- Eutechnyx on IGN.com
- Zeppelin Games at World of Spectrum