Planet Moon Studios
Encyclopedia
Planet Moon Studios is a game development studio based in San Francisco, California
founded by ex-Shiny Entertainment
developers Nick Bruty (President) and Bob Stevenson (CEO) in 1997. The name of the company is said to be invented by co-founder Scott Guest, who described the founding of the studio as a moment of intense overwhelming joy as "being on the planet "Moon"."
Planet Moon developed the games Giants: Citizen Kabuto
(Interplay
, 2000) , Armed and Dangerous (Lucasarts
, 2003) and Infected
(Majesco Games, 2005). The games are generally critically acclaimed for both game-play and graphics, and are often lauded for their humor in various reviews.
In January 2011, Bigpoint Games
acquired the Planet Moon Studios staff in San Francisco, California.
have contracted Planet Moon to revive a "vintage brand" for them: After Burner
for PlayStation Portable
. Called After Burner: Black Falcon
, it was released on March 20th, 2007 and has a single-player campaign along with competitive and co-operative Wi-Fi multiplayer modes. Planet Moon has injected the game with 19 officially licensed, customizable planes, as players embark on a story-rich campaign to discover the origins of the titular mercenary group Black Falcon, responsible for the theft of 13 top-secret planes.
The company recently released the trivia and party game Smarty Pants
for the Wii
, which was published by EA
. Planet Moon recently released Battle of the Bands
published by THQ
for the Wii and self-published Booty Blocks on the iPhone
.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
founded by ex-Shiny Entertainment
Shiny Entertainment
Shiny Entertainment was an American video game developer based in Laguna Beach, Southern California, and the creator of several popular titles such as Earthworm Jim, MDK, Sacrifice and The Matrix: Path of Neo. Shiny was founded by David Perry in October 1993...
developers Nick Bruty (President) and Bob Stevenson (CEO) in 1997. The name of the company is said to be invented by co-founder Scott Guest, who described the founding of the studio as a moment of intense overwhelming joy as "being on the planet "Moon"."
Planet Moon developed the games Giants: Citizen Kabuto
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
Giants: Citizen Kabuto is a third-person shooter video game with real-time strategy elements. It was the first project for Planet Moon Studios, which comprised former Shiny Entertainment employees who had worked on the game MDK...
(Interplay
Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
, 2000) , Armed and Dangerous (Lucasarts
LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
, 2003) and Infected
Infected (video game)
Infected is a third person shooter for the PlayStation Portable, developed by Planet Moon Studios.-Plot:Infected puts players in the role of a police officer in New York City, 3 weeks before Christmas while the entire city is rapidly being infected with a virus that turns people into ravaging,...
(Majesco Games, 2005). The games are generally critically acclaimed for both game-play and graphics, and are often lauded for their humor in various reviews.
In January 2011, Bigpoint Games
Bigpoint Games
Bigpoint GmbH is a German video game developer that has specializes in browser-based games. Bigpoint runs a gaming portal website with a number of browser-based massively multiplayer online role playing games it has produced and has over 200 million registered users...
acquired the Planet Moon Studios staff in San Francisco, California.
Recent work
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...
have contracted Planet Moon to revive a "vintage brand" for them: After Burner
After Burner
is a 1987 Japanese flight simulator arcade game by Sega. It is one of the first games designed by Yu Suzuki. The player flew an F-14 using a specialized joystick , and the game spawned several sequels.-Gameplay:...
for PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The 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...
. Called After Burner: Black Falcon
After Burner: Black Falcon
After Burner: Black Falcon is a flight combat simulation video game. Unlike previous games in the series, it is exclusive to the PlayStation Portable and not a port of an arcade game.-Overview:...
, it was released on March 20th, 2007 and has a single-player campaign along with competitive and co-operative Wi-Fi multiplayer modes. Planet Moon has injected the game with 19 officially licensed, customizable planes, as players embark on a story-rich campaign to discover the origins of the titular mercenary group Black Falcon, responsible for the theft of 13 top-secret planes.
The company recently released the trivia and party game Smarty Pants
Smarty Pants
Reactions to Smarty Pants were mixed, with reviewers being pleased with the actual trivia content but questioning the presentation and value. The GameSpot review summarized this sentiment as "It's bare-bones as far as console-based trivia games go, and at $50 it's a good $30 too expensive, but...
for the 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...
, which was published by EA
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...
. Planet Moon recently released Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bands (video game)
Battle of the Bands is a video game published by THQ and developed by Planet Moon Studios for the Wii console...
published by 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...
for the Wii and self-published Booty Blocks on the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
.
Games
- 2000 | Giants: Citizen KabutoGiants: Citizen KabutoGiants: Citizen Kabuto is a third-person shooter video game with real-time strategy elements. It was the first project for Planet Moon Studios, which comprised former Shiny Entertainment employees who had worked on the game MDK...
(Windows) - 2003 | Armed and DangerousArmed and Dangerous (video game)Armed and Dangerous, often shortened to AnD, is a video game created by Planet Moon Studios and released by LucasArts. It is a third-person Action/Adventure Comedy shooter which parodies both other games and several other media such as The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Monty Python and the Holy...
(Windows/Xbox) - 2005 | InfectedInfected (video game)Infected is a third person shooter for the PlayStation Portable, developed by Planet Moon Studios.-Plot:Infected puts players in the role of a police officer in New York City, 3 weeks before Christmas while the entire city is rapidly being infected with a virus that turns people into ravaging,...
(PSP) - 2007 | After Burner: Black FalconAfter Burner: Black FalconAfter Burner: Black Falcon is a flight combat simulation video game. Unlike previous games in the series, it is exclusive to the PlayStation Portable and not a port of an arcade game.-Overview:...
(PSP) - 2007 | Smarty PantsSmarty PantsReactions to Smarty Pants were mixed, with reviewers being pleased with the actual trivia content but questioning the presentation and value. The GameSpot review summarized this sentiment as "It's bare-bones as far as console-based trivia games go, and at $50 it's a good $30 too expensive, but...
(Wii) - 2008 | Battle of the BandsBattle of the Bands (video game)Battle of the Bands is a video game published by THQ and developed by Planet Moon Studios for the Wii console...
(Wii) - 2008 | Booty Blocks (iPhone/iPod Touch)
- 2008 | Brain Quest Grades 3 & 4Brain Quest Grades 3 & 4Brain Quest 3 & 4 is an educational video game released for Nintendo DS in North America on September 22, 2008. The game was released at the same time as Brain Quest Grades 5 & 6...
(DS) - 2008 | Brain Quest Grades 5 & 6Brain Quest Grades 5 & 6Brain Quest 5 & 6 is an educational video game released for Nintendo DS in North America on September 22, 2008. The game was released at the same time as Brain Quest Grades 3 & 4. Staying true to the curriculum-based card deck series Brain Quest, it contains over 6,000 unique questions, developed...
(DS) - 2009 | Drawn to Life: The Next ChapterDrawn to Life: The Next ChapterDrawn to Life: The Next Chapter is the title of two sequels of the video game Drawn to Life, published by THQ. One of the games was developed by 5th Cell for the Nintendo DS, while the other was created by Planet Moon Studios for the Wii....
(Wii) - 2010 | Tangled: The Video Game (DS/Wii)
See also
- LucasartsLucasArtsLucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
- Shiny EntertainmentShiny EntertainmentShiny Entertainment was an American video game developer based in Laguna Beach, Southern California, and the creator of several popular titles such as Earthworm Jim, MDK, Sacrifice and The Matrix: Path of Neo. Shiny was founded by David Perry in October 1993...
- InterplayInterplay EntertainmentInterplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
- 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...
- THQTHQTHQ 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...
- List of Wii games
- List of PlayStation Portable games
External links
- Planet Moon Studios official website
- Planet Moon Studios profile 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...