Frozen Codebase
Encyclopedia
Frozen Codebase is an independent video game developer
founded in 2006 by Ben Geisler. The company develops games for Microsoft's Xbox 360
, Microsoft Windows
, Sony's PlayStation 3
, Nintendo's Wii
and WiiWare
.
, PlayStation 3
's PSN, and WiiWare
. Although Frozen Codebase has created a variety of titles in many genres, the largest genre of emphasis is that of action games on the console space. Past clients of Frozen Codebase include GarageGames
, THQ
, Sierra Online and Konami
.
, formerly of Naughty Dog
and Ritual Entertainment
. Jay Balakrishnan, former Executive Producer of Radical Entertainment
(also Wild Tangent and Dynamix
serves in this same capacity remotely for Frozen Codebase. Ben Geisler, formerly of Radical Entertainment
and Raven Software
(Madison, WI) leads the development team and continues to focus on technology issues. Interestingly, although other game development studios exist in Wisconsin, the majority of the initial core team of Frozen Codebase was composed of out-of-state residents including a few former employees of Garage Games (e.g. Justin Kovac). Greg MacMartin, also of Radical Entertainment
has spent some time in residence at the studio, and continues to be a strong partner.
The company uses the principles of agile software development and Scrum
, although not strictly. In the early days of Frozen Codebase, the development model used was that of a Strike Team, and largely borrowed from Radical Entertainment
, which continues to be the largest single source of inspiration for development methodologies. Recent history has seen an evolution in the processes in which Frozen Codebase creates games. With the rising quality bar in downloadable distributable titles, the company has begun adding initiatives to the model and increased its efforts on all fronts.
. Sound Design and implementation is done by a famous entertainment export of Green Bay: Reverend Norb. Norb is the former front man of the punk rock band Boris the Sprinkler
.
Frozen Codebase and the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), announced an exclusive license agreement for Frozen Codebase to produce a video game based upon the sport of Roller Derby.
On July 22, 2009,
Konami and Adult Swim announced that Frozen Codebase is the developer of the Metalocalypse
game (Metalocalypse: Dethgame), a PS3 and Xbox 360 downloadable game. Dethgame was previewed at Comic Con 2009. But in July 2010, the game was confirmed to be cancelled by publisher Konami Digital Entertainment "in light of creative differences".
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...
founded in 2006 by Ben Geisler. The company develops games for Microsoft's Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The 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...
, Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Sony's PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The 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...
, Nintendo's Wii
Wii
The 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...
and WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
.
Teams
Frozen Codebase is broken up into two or three independent teams- each comprising 8 to 10 individuals. Traditionally, each of these teams has focused on downloadable distributable games such as Xbox Live ArcadeXbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The 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...
's PSN, and WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
. Although Frozen Codebase has created a variety of titles in many genres, the largest genre of emphasis is that of action games on the console space. Past clients of Frozen Codebase include GarageGames
GarageGames
GarageGames is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, where it was moved after being acquired by IAC in 2007. As the makers of Torque game development technology, they have provided cross-platform technology and tools since 2000...
, THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
, Sierra Online and Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
.
Frozen Codebase
At certain times, the various project teams of Frozen Codebase have merged to work on larger projects. Approximately half of the company is composed of industry veterans from other established studios. The company's Art Director is Andrew GilmourAndrew Gilmour
Andrew Gilmour was a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1917 to 1921.-Political career:...
, formerly of Naughty Dog
Naughty Dog
Naughty Dog, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin in 1986 as an independent developer, the studio was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2001...
and Ritual Entertainment
Ritual Entertainment
Ritual Entertainment was a computer game software developer established in 1996 by Robert Atkins, Mark Dochtermann, Jim Dosé, Richard 'Levelord' Gray, Michael Hadwin, Harry Miller and Tom Mustaine...
. Jay Balakrishnan, former Executive Producer of Radical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment is a video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1991 and previously developed games for game publishers such as THQ, Microsoft and Fox Interactive. It is now an entirely owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard after being acquired by...
(also Wild Tangent and Dynamix
Dynamix
Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of computer games from 1984 to 2001, best known for their flight simulator, Red Baron, the Front Page Sports series, Betrayal at Krondor, and their online multiplayer game, Tribes.-History:...
serves in this same capacity remotely for Frozen Codebase. Ben Geisler, formerly of Radical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment is a video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1991 and previously developed games for game publishers such as THQ, Microsoft and Fox Interactive. It is now an entirely owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard after being acquired by...
and Raven Software
Raven Software
Raven Software is an American video game developer. The company was founded in 1990 by brothers Brian and Steve Raffel. In 1997, Raven made an exclusive publishing deal with Activision and was subsequently acquired by them...
(Madison, WI) leads the development team and continues to focus on technology issues. Interestingly, although other game development studios exist in Wisconsin, the majority of the initial core team of Frozen Codebase was composed of out-of-state residents including a few former employees of Garage Games (e.g. Justin Kovac). Greg MacMartin, also of Radical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment is a video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1991 and previously developed games for game publishers such as THQ, Microsoft and Fox Interactive. It is now an entirely owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard after being acquired by...
has spent some time in residence at the studio, and continues to be a strong partner.
The company uses the principles of agile software development and Scrum
Scrum (development)
Scrum is an iterative, incremental framework for project management often seen in agile software development, a type of software engineering....
, although not strictly. In the early days of Frozen Codebase, the development model used was that of a Strike Team, and largely borrowed from Radical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment is a video game developer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1991 and previously developed games for game publishers such as THQ, Microsoft and Fox Interactive. It is now an entirely owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard after being acquired by...
, which continues to be the largest single source of inspiration for development methodologies. Recent history has seen an evolution in the processes in which Frozen Codebase creates games. With the rising quality bar in downloadable distributable titles, the company has begun adding initiatives to the model and increased its efforts on all fronts.
Green Bay
Frozen Codebase is located in downtown Green Bay, WisconsinGreen Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
. Sound Design and implementation is done by a famous entertainment export of Green Bay: Reverend Norb. Norb is the former front man of the punk rock band Boris the Sprinkler
Boris the Sprinkler
Boris the Sprinkler was a pop-punk band that formed in Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1992, known for their zaniness and abnormality. Their aesthetic seemed to borrow from Devo and The Dickies. They display a sci-fi bizarro style reminiscent of Buckaroo Banzai....
.
News
On May 16, 2008,Frozen Codebase and the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), announced an exclusive license agreement for Frozen Codebase to produce a video game based upon the sport of Roller Derby.
On July 22, 2009,
Konami and Adult Swim announced that Frozen Codebase is the developer of the Metalocalypse
Metalocalypse
Metalocalypse is an American animated television series, created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha, which premiered on August 6, 2006 on Adult Swim...
game (Metalocalypse: Dethgame), a PS3 and Xbox 360 downloadable game. Dethgame was previewed at Comic Con 2009. But in July 2010, the game was confirmed to be cancelled by publisher Konami Digital Entertainment "in light of creative differences".
Games
- Metalocalypse: DethgameMetalocalypse: DethgameMetalocalypse: Dethgame is a video game based on the Adult Swim animated TV series Metalocalypse. The game was being developed by Frozen Codebase and was to be released on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network....
- Xbox Live Arcade, PSN (Cancelled) - Sandy BeachSandy Beach (video game)Sandy Beach is a video game developed by Frozen Codebase and published by Konami for the Wii's WiiWare digital distribution service...
- WiiWare (2009) - Zombie WranglersZombie WranglersZombie Wranglers is a downloadable action game, developed by Frozen Codebase and published by Sierra Online for the Xbox Live Arcade. It was released on May 6th, 2009.-External links:* on Metacritic...
— Xbox Live Arcade (2009) - Elements of DestructionElements of DestructionElements of Destruction is a video game developed by Frozen Codebase for the PC and Nintendo DS and was released on Xbox Live Arcade on June 18, 2008 for 800 Microsoft Points.- DS Version :...
— Xbox Live Arcade, PC (2008) - Screwjumper!Screwjumper!Screwjumper! is an action video game for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade, developed by Frozen Codebase and published by THQ. The game was released on November 14, 2007 for 800 Microsoft Points....
— Xbox Live Arcade (2007) - Kick-Ass: The Video GameKick-Ass (video game)Kick-Ass: The Game is a beat 'em up developed by Frozen Codebase and published by WHA Entertainment in 2010. It is based on the movie and comic book Kick-Ass.- Development :...
— iPhone, PlayStation Network (2010) - BurgerTime World Tour — WiiWare, Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, Windows (2011)