Liquid Entertainment
Encyclopedia
Liquid Entertainment is a video game developer
based in Pasadena, California
. It was co-founded in February 1999 by Ed Del Castillo and Michael Grayford.
for the Command & Conquer
series. Michael Grayford's game credits include programming
for Legend of Kyrandia: Hand of Fate, Legend of Kyrandia: Malcom's Revenge, Monopoly: CD-ROM, Lands of Lore II, and Blade Runner.
Battle Realms
, released by Crave
and Ubisoft
in November, 2001, is a real-time strategy
PC game for Windows
that features an unconventional approach to resource management and unit development. It was well received by reviewers,
many of whom praised its at-the-time state of the art 3D engine and East Asia
n-inspired setting and aesthetics.
A stand-alone expansion pack, Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf, followed in April, 2002. Winter of the Wolf was received with less enthusiasm than Battle Realms by the gaming community; some reviewers compared it unfavorably to 2002's blockbuster real-time strategy titles such as Warcraft III and Age of Mythology
.
Since the release of Winter of the Wolf, Liquid has developed two real-time strategy PC games based on intellectual property
licenses. In November, 2003, Sierra
released The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring
, based on Vivendi Universal's license to Tolkien
's literary works. Atari
released the licensed Dungeons & Dragons
PC game Dragonshard
in October, 2005.
In October, 2006, Buena Vista Games
released Desperate Housewives: The Game
, Liquid's lifestyle simulation computer game adaptation of the popular television series
Desperate Housewives
.
Codemasters
released Rise of the Argonauts
, a Greek mythology
-themed action role-playing game
for Windows, PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
, in December 2008.
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 Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. It was co-founded in February 1999 by Ed Del Castillo and Michael Grayford.
Overview
Ed Del Castillo and Michael Grayford worked on a number of high profile computer games prior to founding Liquid Entertainment. Aside from his work with Liquid, Del Castillo is best known as the producerGame producer
A video game producer is the person in charge of overseeing development of a video game.The earliest documented use of the term producer in games was by Trip Hawkins, who established the position when he founded Electronic Arts in 1982...
for the Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer, abbreviated to C&C and also known as Tiberian Dawn, is a 1995 real-time strategy computer game developed by Westwood Studios for MS-DOS and published by Virgin Interactive. It was the first of twelve games to date to be released under the Command & Conquer label, including a...
series. Michael Grayford's game credits include programming
Game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
for Legend of Kyrandia: Hand of Fate, Legend of Kyrandia: Malcom's Revenge, Monopoly: CD-ROM, Lands of Lore II, and Blade Runner.
Battle Realms
Battle Realms
Battle Realms, released by Ubisoft in 2001, is a Japanese themed real-time strategy computer game and is the first game created by Liquid Entertainment. Ubisoft released the stand alone expansion pack Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf in 2002....
, released by Crave
Crave Entertainment
Crave Entertainment is an American video game company. It was founded in 1997 by Nima Taghavi. Its headquarters is in Newport Beach, California...
and Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
in November, 2001, is a real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
PC game for 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...
that features an unconventional approach to resource management and unit development. It was well received by reviewers,
many of whom praised its at-the-time state of the art 3D engine and East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n-inspired setting and aesthetics.
A stand-alone expansion pack, Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf, followed in April, 2002. Winter of the Wolf was received with less enthusiasm than Battle Realms by the gaming community; some reviewers compared it unfavorably to 2002's blockbuster real-time strategy titles such as Warcraft III and Age of Mythology
Age of Mythology
Age of Mythology , is a mythology-based, real-time strategy computer game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios...
.
Since the release of Winter of the Wolf, Liquid has developed two real-time strategy PC games based on intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
licenses. In November, 2003, Sierra
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
released The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring is a 2003 real-time strategy game developed by Liquid Entertainment, the makers of the previous Battle Realms and its expansion, Winter of the Wolf, and published by Sierra Entertainment. Set in J. R. R...
, based on Vivendi Universal's license to Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's literary works. Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
released the licensed Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
PC game Dragonshard
Dragonshard (computer game)
Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard is a real-time strategy computer game, developed by Liquid Entertainment. It takes place in Eberron, one of the official Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. The game combines elements of traditional real-time strategy gameplay with role-playing elements such as...
in October, 2005.
In October, 2006, Buena Vista Games
Buena Vista Games
Disney Interactive Studios, Inc. , is a Worldwide American video game company...
released Desperate Housewives: The Game
Desperate Housewives: The Game
Desperate Housewives: The Game is a life simulation adventure game developed by Liquid Entertainment and released by Buena Vista Games in October 2006. It is based on the television series Desperate Housewives. The player takes the part of a housewife with amnesia who has recently moved with her...
, Liquid's lifestyle simulation computer game adaptation of the popular television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
.
Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
released Rise of the Argonauts
Rise of the Argonauts
Rise of the Argonauts is a 2008 third-person action adventure video game developed by Liquid Entertainment and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
, a Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
-themed action role-playing game
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
for Windows, 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...
and 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...
, in December 2008.
Games developed
- Battle RealmsBattle RealmsBattle Realms, released by Ubisoft in 2001, is a Japanese themed real-time strategy computer game and is the first game created by Liquid Entertainment. Ubisoft released the stand alone expansion pack Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf in 2002....
(2001), published by Crave EntertainmentCrave EntertainmentCrave Entertainment is an American video game company. It was founded in 1997 by Nima Taghavi. Its headquarters is in Newport Beach, California...
and UbisoftUbisoftUbisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries.... - Battle Realms: Winter of the WolfBattle Realms: Winter of the WolfBattle Realms: Winter of the Wolf is the expansion pack of the real-time strategy computer game Battle Realms, developed by Liquid Entertainment and Crave Entertainment and published by Ubisoft...
(2002), published by Crave Entertainment and Ubisoft - The Lord of the Rings: War of the RingThe Lord of the Rings: War of the RingThe Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring is a 2003 real-time strategy game developed by Liquid Entertainment, the makers of the previous Battle Realms and its expansion, Winter of the Wolf, and published by Sierra Entertainment. Set in J. R. R...
(2003), published by Sierra EntertainmentSierra EntertainmentSierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams... - Dungeons & Dragons: DragonshardDragonshard (computer game)Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard is a real-time strategy computer game, developed by Liquid Entertainment. It takes place in Eberron, one of the official Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. The game combines elements of traditional real-time strategy gameplay with role-playing elements such as...
(2005), published by AtariAtariAtari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in... - Desperate Housewives: The GameDesperate Housewives: The GameDesperate Housewives: The Game is a life simulation adventure game developed by Liquid Entertainment and released by Buena Vista Games in October 2006. It is based on the television series Desperate Housewives. The player takes the part of a housewife with amnesia who has recently moved with her...
(2006), published by Buena Vista GamesBuena Vista GamesDisney Interactive Studios, Inc. , is a Worldwide American video game company... - Rise of the ArgonautsRise of the ArgonautsRise of the Argonauts is a 2008 third-person action adventure video game developed by Liquid Entertainment and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
(2008), published by CodemastersCodemastersThe Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986... - Thor: God of ThunderThor: God of ThunderThor: God of Thunder is a 2011 third person single-player video game based on the film Thor developed by Liquid Entertainment and co-written by Matt Fraction, the Eisner Award-winning writer of the comic book series...
(2011), published by SEGASega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
External links
- Liquid Entertainment's website
- Liquid Entertainment on 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...