Paradigm Entertainment
Encyclopedia
Paradigm Entertainment was an American video game development company
. Paradigm is perhaps best known for its vehicle simulation game
s. Founded as a 3D computer graphics
company in 1990, Paradigm primarily worked on realistic flight simulation technology for major space and aviation clients. The company got its start in game development when it was contacted by Nintendo
in 1994 to aid in the creation of one of the Nintendo 64
's launch titles, Pilotwings 64
. The game was a critical and commercial success for the developer, causing the simulation and entertainment divisions of Paradigm to separate and focus on their respective products. The newly independent Paradigm Entertainment continued to develop for Nintendo's 64-bit console. After a short partnership with Video System
, Paradigm was acquired as a wholly owned subsidiary of Atari
in 2000 and began developing games for sixth-generation
video game consoles. Paradigm was sold to THQ
in 2006 and was ultimately closed in 2008.
. It initially focused on creating commercial products for graphics developers, including military training simulations for pilots and ship captains and a lengthy client list that included the United States Department of Defense
, The Walt Disney Company
, NASA
, Lockheed Martin
, Boeing
, and McDonnell Douglas
. Paradigm acted as a proponent of 3D computer graphics
and virtual reality
in the mid-1990s with its applications including the IRIS GL
-based VisionWorks and the Performer
-based Vega, which were used on Silicon Graphics
workstations. Project sales for the company were $7 million in 1995, up from $3.5 million in 1994. During that time, the company frequented the annual Consumer Electronics Show
, SIGGRAPH
, and Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) conferences with its 3D technological demonstrations.
Nintendo
reportedly contacted Paradigm in 1994 after it co-developed a realistic flight simulator called "Hornet" with the entertainment company Magic Edge Inc. Through connections to Silicon Graphics, designers of the Nintendo 64
, Paradigm worked for nine months starting that same year on a technology base for its own Nintendo 64 software. At E3 in May of 1995, engineers from Paradigm aided Nintendo in polishing a demo of the Nintendo 64 shown for developers and distributors in a whisper suite. Paradigm partnered with Nintendo the following month to begin development on Pilotwings 64
, one of the first games available for the new console worldwide. The game was a success for the company, accounting for half of its revenues by the beginning of 1997 and had sold over one million copies worldwide by February of 1998. In May of 1996, one month prior to the console's Japanese launch, Paradigm released a turnkey development bundle titled "Fusion 64".
In March of 1997, the entertainment wing was spun off to concentrate solely on video game production. The simulation division completed a merger with Multigen Inc. in October of 1998 and was acquired by Computer Associates International Inc. in 2000. Multigen-Paradigm is now part of Presagis
. In the early years as an independent studio, Paradigm Entertainment had a short, three-game partnership with the Japanese publisher Video System
. The partnership ended with a lawsuit by the Texas-based developer against Video System regarding the latter's supposed breach of contract in the development and publishing of the flight simulator Harrier 2001.
At the start of 1999, Paradigm announced another 3D rendering and development tool called "VisKit", which was intended for use in creating next-generation console games being ported to multiple systems. On June 29, 2000, Paradigm Entertainment was acquired by Atari
and its parent company Infogrames Entertainment, SA for $19.5 million or up to 700,000 Infogrames shares. Paradigm began developing games for sixth-generation
consoles (PlayStation 2
, GameCube, Xbox
, and Dreamcast) after its final Nintendo 64 release Duck Dodgers Starring Daffy Duck
. Works released during this time include an enhanced remake of the classic arcade game Spy Hunter
, motocross
racing games, and games based on the Terminator
and Mission: Impossible
multimedia franchises. Following the stock market downturn, and in the light of poor game sales, Atari began to divest of its internal development studios in an effort to financially restructure. In spite of not having produced a profitable game in over six years, and a steady exodus of talent, Paradigm was sold in May of 2006 to THQ
. Although Paradigm's release Stuntman: Ignition and THQ's Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
were the parent company's top sellers in their release quarter, THQ reported overall financial losses of $16.3 million during the first half of its 2007 fiscal year. "While we have shipped more than 1 million units worldwide on each of these titles, this is significantly below our internal forecast", stated THQ's CEO Brian Farrell. "In both cases we did not receive our required game play mechanic and overall product quality targets. Quality matters and we missed the mark." On November 3, 2008, the company officially ceased operations. Paradigm's general manager Dave Gatchel went on to serve the same position at THQ's studio in Montreal.
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...
. Paradigm is perhaps best known for its vehicle simulation game
Vehicle simulation game
Vehicle simulation games are a genre of video games which attempt to provide the player with a realistic interpretation of operating various kinds of vehicles. This includes automobiles, aircraft, watercraft, spacecraft, military vehicles, and a variety of other vehicles...
s. Founded as a 3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
company in 1990, Paradigm primarily worked on realistic flight simulation technology for major space and aviation clients. The company got its start in game development when it was contacted by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
in 1994 to aid in the creation of one of the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
's launch titles, Pilotwings 64
Pilotwings 64
is a video game for the Nintendo 64, originally released in 1996 along with the debut of the console. The game was co-developed by Nintendo and the American visual technology group Paradigm Simulation. It was one of three launch titles for the Nintendo 64 in Japan as well as Europe and one of two...
. The game was a critical and commercial success for the developer, causing the simulation and entertainment divisions of Paradigm to separate and focus on their respective products. The newly independent Paradigm Entertainment continued to develop for Nintendo's 64-bit console. After a short partnership with Video System
Video System
was a software company that was founded and ran by software designer Koji Furukawa in Kyoto, Japan in December 1984. It was best known for making video game titles for the arcades and other different platforms, including the Super Nintendo, Neo-Geo and Nintendo 64.They released various types of...
, Paradigm was acquired as a wholly owned subsidiary of 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...
in 2000 and began developing games for sixth-generation
History of video game consoles (sixth generation)
The sixth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century. Platforms of the sixth generation include the Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox...
video game consoles. Paradigm was sold to 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...
in 2006 and was ultimately closed in 2008.
History
Paradigm Simulation was founded in 1990 as a company based in Addison, TexasAddison, Texas
Addison is a city in Dallas County, Texas . The population was 14,166 at the 2000 census, and 15,737 according to a 2009 estimate. Addison is a northern suburb of Dallas...
. It initially focused on creating commercial products for graphics developers, including military training simulations for pilots and ship captains and a lengthy client list that included the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
, Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, and McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas
McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...
. Paradigm acted as a proponent of 3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
and virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
in the mid-1990s with its applications including the IRIS GL
IRIS GL
IRIS GL was a proprietary graphics API created by Silicon Graphics for producing 2D and 3D computer graphics on their IRIX-based IRIS graphical workstations...
-based VisionWorks and the Performer
OpenGL Performer
OpenGL Performer, formerly known as IRIS Performer and commonly referred to simply as Performer, is a commercial library of utility code built on top of OpenGL for the purpose of enabling hard real-time visual simulation applications. OpenGL Performer was developed by SGI which continues to...
-based Vega, which were used on Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics
Silicon Graphics, Inc. was a manufacturer of high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and software, founded in 1981 by Jim Clark...
workstations. Project sales for the company were $7 million in 1995, up from $3.5 million in 1994. During that time, the company frequented the annual Consumer Electronics Show
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
, SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH is the name of the annual conference on computer graphics convened by the ACM SIGGRAPH organization. The first SIGGRAPH conference was in 1974. The conference is attended by tens of thousands of computer professionals...
, and Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) conferences with its 3D technological demonstrations.
Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
reportedly contacted Paradigm in 1994 after it co-developed a realistic flight simulator called "Hornet" with the entertainment company Magic Edge Inc. Through connections to Silicon Graphics, designers of the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
, Paradigm worked for nine months starting that same year on a technology base for its own Nintendo 64 software. At E3 in May of 1995, engineers from Paradigm aided Nintendo in polishing a demo of the Nintendo 64 shown for developers and distributors in a whisper suite. Paradigm partnered with Nintendo the following month to begin development on Pilotwings 64
Pilotwings 64
is a video game for the Nintendo 64, originally released in 1996 along with the debut of the console. The game was co-developed by Nintendo and the American visual technology group Paradigm Simulation. It was one of three launch titles for the Nintendo 64 in Japan as well as Europe and one of two...
, one of the first games available for the new console worldwide. The game was a success for the company, accounting for half of its revenues by the beginning of 1997 and had sold over one million copies worldwide by February of 1998. In May of 1996, one month prior to the console's Japanese launch, Paradigm released a turnkey development bundle titled "Fusion 64".
In March of 1997, the entertainment wing was spun off to concentrate solely on video game production. The simulation division completed a merger with Multigen Inc. in October of 1998 and was acquired by Computer Associates International Inc. in 2000. Multigen-Paradigm is now part of Presagis
Presagis
' is a provider of commercial off-the-shelf modeling, simulation, and embedded display graphics software. The company provides software solution to customers in the Aerospace, Defense, and Automotive industries.- History :...
. In the early years as an independent studio, Paradigm Entertainment had a short, three-game partnership with the Japanese publisher Video System
Video System
was a software company that was founded and ran by software designer Koji Furukawa in Kyoto, Japan in December 1984. It was best known for making video game titles for the arcades and other different platforms, including the Super Nintendo, Neo-Geo and Nintendo 64.They released various types of...
. The partnership ended with a lawsuit by the Texas-based developer against Video System regarding the latter's supposed breach of contract in the development and publishing of the flight simulator Harrier 2001.
At the start of 1999, Paradigm announced another 3D rendering and development tool called "VisKit", which was intended for use in creating next-generation console games being ported to multiple systems. On June 29, 2000, Paradigm Entertainment was acquired by 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...
and its parent company Infogrames Entertainment, SA for $19.5 million or up to 700,000 Infogrames shares. Paradigm began developing games for sixth-generation
History of video game consoles (sixth generation)
The sixth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century. Platforms of the sixth generation include the Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox...
consoles (PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The 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...
, GameCube, Xbox
Xbox
The 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...
, and Dreamcast) after its final Nintendo 64 release Duck Dodgers Starring Daffy Duck
Duck Dodgers Starring Daffy Duck
Duck Dodgers Starring Daffy Duck is an action game for the Nintendo 64 released in 2000. Heavily based on the cartoon, the player takes control of Daffy Duck and explores five fictional planets and save the Earth. The object is to collect energy atoms to unlock the boss areas and defeat the...
. Works released during this time include an enhanced remake of the classic arcade game Spy Hunter
Spy Hunter
Spy Hunter is a 1983 arcade game developed and released by Bally Midway. It has also been ported to various home computers and video game systems....
, motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
racing games, and games based on the Terminator
Terminator (franchise)
The Terminator series is a science fiction franchise encompassing a series of films and other media concerning battles between Skynet's artificially intelligent machine network, and John Connor's Resistance forces and the rest of the human race....
and Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
multimedia franchises. Following the stock market downturn, and in the light of poor game sales, Atari began to divest of its internal development studios in an effort to financially restructure. In spite of not having produced a profitable game in over six years, and a steady exodus of talent, Paradigm was sold in May of 2006 to 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...
. Although Paradigm's release Stuntman: Ignition and THQ's Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights is a racing video game for various platforms. The PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS versions were released on September 17, 2007. The PlayStation Portable version was released on October 8, 2007. The PlayStation 3 version was released on October 22, 2007. The...
were the parent company's top sellers in their release quarter, THQ reported overall financial losses of $16.3 million during the first half of its 2007 fiscal year. "While we have shipped more than 1 million units worldwide on each of these titles, this is significantly below our internal forecast", stated THQ's CEO Brian Farrell. "In both cases we did not receive our required game play mechanic and overall product quality targets. Quality matters and we missed the mark." On November 3, 2008, the company officially ceased operations. Paradigm's general manager Dave Gatchel went on to serve the same position at THQ's studio in Montreal.
Game titles
- 2007 — Stuntman: Ignition (Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 2)
- 2006 — Battlezone (PlayStation Portable)
- 2004 — Terminator 3: The RedemptionTerminator 3: The RedemptionTerminator 3: The Redemption is a video game based on the Terminator series, more specifically the film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. It was developed by Paradigm Entertainment and published by Atari in 2004 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.-Production:Terminator 3: The Redemption...
(PlayStation 2 / Xbox / GameCube) - 2003 — Mission: Impossible – Operation Surma (PlayStation 2 / Xbox / GameCube)
- 2002 — Big Air Freestyle (GameCube)
- 2002 — The Terminator: Dawn of FateThe Terminator: Dawn of FateThe Terminator: Dawn of Fate is a video game based on the Terminator film series.This game is based before and during the events that lead up to Kyle Reese being sent through the time displacement equipment, to protect Sarah Connor...
(PlayStation 2 / Xbox) - 2001 — MX Rider (PlayStation 2)
- 2001 — Spy Hunter (PlayStation 2)
- 2000 — Duck Dodgers Starring Daffy DuckDuck Dodgers Starring Daffy DuckDuck Dodgers Starring Daffy Duck is an action game for the Nintendo 64 released in 2000. Heavily based on the cartoon, the player takes control of Daffy Duck and explores five fictional planets and save the Earth. The object is to collect energy atoms to unlock the boss areas and defeat the...
(Nintendo 64) - 2000 — Indy Racing 2000Indy Racing 2000Indy Racing 2000 is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 it was released in 2000.The game is based on the 1999 season and the game races a 20 car field. The is a few mode of play. The is single race, Championship, Two player and Gold cup...
(Nintendo 64) - 1999 — Beetle Adventure Racing! (Nintendo 64, released in Australia as HSV Adventure Racing)
- 1999 — F-1 World Grand Prix IIF-1 World Grand Prix IIF-1 World Grand Prix II is a Formula One racing game for the Nintendo 64, Dreamcast and Game Boy Color. The Nintendo 64 version was released only in Europe in 2000...
(Nintendo 64, Europe only) - 1998 — F-1 World Grand PrixF-1 World Grand PrixF-1 World Grand Prix is a Formula One racing game/sim first released in 1998 for the Nintendo 64 game console and to later platforms including Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, PC and PlayStation...
(Nintendo 64) - 1997 — Aero Fighters Assault (Nintendo 64)
- 1996 — Pilotwings 64Pilotwings 64is a video game for the Nintendo 64, originally released in 1996 along with the debut of the console. The game was co-developed by Nintendo and the American visual technology group Paradigm Simulation. It was one of three launch titles for the Nintendo 64 in Japan as well as Europe and one of two...
(Nintendo 64)
- Cancelled — Unannounced first-person shooter (Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3 / PC)
- Cancelled — Magic Karts (PlayStation 2)
- Cancelled — Asteroids 3D (Xbox)
- Cancelled — Harrier 2001 (Nintendo 64)
- Cancelled — Skies (Heat.net)
- Cancelled — Pilotwings 64 sequel (Nintendo 64)