Q-Games
Encyclopedia
Q-Games is a video game developer
based in Nakagyō-ku
, Kyoto
, Japan
. It has a mixture of foreigners and Japanese nationals on staff and works closely with both Nintendo
and Sony
.
and Starglider 2
for Argonaut Software, then X
and the first Star Fox for Nintendo
. He also developed Star Fox 2
to completion before heading off to work at Sony
America to make Blasto
on the PlayStation
. After this, Dylan moved back to Japan to work at Sony Japan, where, in early 1999, he developed the Duck in a Bath technical demo (Ducks demo
) that showcased the PS2's power to early developers and publishers. Following that, he developed Pipo Saru 2001
and then left Sony to start Q-Games Ltd. in Kyoto in September 2001.
and Microsoft
. At E3 2004, they showed two graphic technology demos for the PlayStation Portable
and then internally began development on two games, one for the Game Boy Advance
and one for the Nintendo DS
. These titles have since been announced as Digidrive (part of the bit Generations
series of puzzle games for the Game Boy Advance) and Star Fox Command
respectively. Both have since been released.
Following these projects, Q-Games began to collaborate with Sony Computer Entertainment
, becoming a second-party studio partner, by developing the PixelJunk
series of downloadable games for the PlayStation 3
. They are available for download and purchase on the PlayStation Network Store worldwide. PixelJunk games are presented in 1080p full HD. PixelJunk made its worldwide debut on 11 July 2007 at E3 2007, held in Santa Monica, CA. At TGS 2009, Q-Games confirmed that it is extremely unlikely these games will ever appear on the Xbox 360. The concept behind the PixelJunk series was to take innovative ideas for games and create something fun and reasonably priced for PlayStation 3 users. Work on games developed under the PixelJunk label is carried out by small teams over a few months.
Q-Games have also worked with Nintendo
again, releasing several games for the Nintendo DSi
's DSiWare digital distribution service.
. The PS3
's XMB (Xross Media Bar) interface, background and music visualisers were developed by Q-Games and they are credited with 3D Graphics Technology in the About PS3 section of the PS3's OS.
in the PlayStation 3's online community-based service, PlayStation Home
to the Japanese version and on October 9, 2009 to the North American version. The "PixelJunk Museum" (Japan), or "PixelJunk Exhibition" (North America), features the games PixelJunk Eden
, PixelJunk Monsters
, and PixelJunk Racers
. For PixelJunk Eden there are glass wall art displays, for PixelJunk Monsters, there are displays of familiar characters from the game, and for PixelJunk Racers, there are displays of two different race cars. There is also a virtual shop in the space selling PixelJunk virtual items. In Japans version from September 24, 2009 to October 9, 2009, near the shop, there was a panel that took users to a virtual version of Q-Games TGS 2009 Booth. Called the "Q-Games virtual public TGS Booth", it was a virtual recreation of the Q-Games TGS 2009 Booth that had a free t-shirt and a video screen. On December 17, 2009, they released another exhibition room to the "PixelJunk Exhibition" space. This room is to display PixelJunk Shooter
and is called the "PixelJunk Shooter Mother Ship Hangar."
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 Nakagyō-ku
Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto
is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Its name means "central capital ward."As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 102,620 people. Tourism, shopping, and entertainment are the primary sources of income in the area. The Kamo River flows through the...
, Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It has a mixture of foreigners and Japanese nationals on staff and works closely with both 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....
and 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....
.
Foundation
Q-Games was founded by Dylan Cuthbert, who previously worked at Argonaut Software and helped create StargliderStarglider
Starglider is a 3D video game released in 1986 by Rainbird. It was developed by Argonaut Software, led by programmer Jez San. The game was inspired by Jez San's love of the 1983 Atari coin-op Star Wars, It was a fast-moving, first-person combat flight simulator, rendered with colourful wireframe...
and Starglider 2
Starglider 2
Starglider 2 was an early 3D space simulator/flight simulator video game released in 1988 by Argonaut Games and was the sequel to Starglider...
for Argonaut Software, then X
X (Game Boy game)
, is an early three-dimensional first-person shooter-type video game software released for the Game Boy only in Japan on May 29, 1992. The game was published by Nintendo and was developed by Argonaut Software .X was followed by an internationally released DSiWare exclusive sequel,...
and the first Star Fox for 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....
. He also developed Star Fox 2
Star Fox 2
was an unreleased video game for the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was to be the second of the Star Fox series and the direct sequel to Star Fox. Both Argonaut Games and Nintendo developed the game, with Nintendo planning to publish it. The Japanese version was completely...
to completion before heading off to work at 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....
America to make Blasto
Blasto (video game)
Blasto is a third-person shooter game developed by Sony Interactive and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America for the Sony PlayStation in 1998. Although heavily marketed the game proved too difficult for many gamers...
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...
. After this, Dylan moved back to Japan to work at Sony Japan, where, in early 1999, he developed the Duck in a Bath technical demo (Ducks demo
Ducks demo
The Ducks demo was a tech demo that demonstrated the capabilities of the PlayStation 2 at E3 2000 and the PlayStation 3 at E3 2005. In the PlayStation 2 demo, only one duck is shown interacting with the water in the bathtub. In the PlayStation 3 demo, there are many ducks interacting with each...
) that showcased the PS2's power to early developers and publishers. Following that, he developed Pipo Saru 2001
Pipo Saru 2001
Pipo Saru 2001 is an action video game developed and published by SCEI for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It has only been released in Japan. A demo was released through McDonald's named the "Happy Disc". The levels were slightly altered to contain Fries and Burgers as life's and the levels...
and then left Sony to start Q-Games Ltd. in Kyoto in September 2001.
History
The first few years were spent accumulating staff and developing behind-doors technology projects for a number of clients including SonySony
, 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....
and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
. At E3 2004, they showed two graphic technology demos for the 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...
and then internally began development on two games, one for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and one for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The 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...
. These titles have since been announced as Digidrive (part of the bit Generations
Bit Generations
bit Generations is a video game franchise for the Game Boy Advance, published by Nintendo. It was first announced under the name Digitylish at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2005. Each of the games in the series feature simple controls, gameplay and graphics...
series of puzzle games for the Game Boy Advance) and Star Fox Command
Star Fox Command
is the fifth game in Nintendo's Star Fox series which was published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS in 2006 and 2007. Released in Japan on August 3, 2006 and in North America on August 28, 2006, it was first announced at the E3 2005 conference, under the name Star Fox DS...
respectively. Both have since been released.
Following these projects, Q-Games began to collaborate with Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
, becoming a second-party studio partner, by developing the PixelJunk
PixelJunk
PixelJunk is a series of downloadable games developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. They are available for download and purchase on the PlayStation Store worldwide. The series made its debut on July 11, 2007 at E3 2007 with PixelJunk Racers....
series of downloadable games for the 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...
. They are available for download and purchase on the PlayStation Network Store worldwide. PixelJunk games are presented in 1080p full HD. PixelJunk made its worldwide debut on 11 July 2007 at E3 2007, held in Santa Monica, CA. At TGS 2009, Q-Games confirmed that it is extremely unlikely these games will ever appear on the Xbox 360. The concept behind the PixelJunk series was to take innovative ideas for games and create something fun and reasonably priced for PlayStation 3 users. Work on games developed under the PixelJunk label is carried out by small teams over a few months.
Q-Games have also worked with 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....
again, releasing several games for the Nintendo DSi
Nintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
's DSiWare digital distribution service.
Games developed
| Game Title | Release | Platform | Game Boy Advance Game Boy Advance The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China... | Part of the Bit Generations Bit Generations bit Generations is a video game franchise for the Game Boy Advance, published by Nintendo. It was first announced under the name Digitylish at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2005. Each of the games in the series feature simple controls, gameplay and graphics... series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Fox Command Star Fox Command is the fifth game in Nintendo's Star Fox series which was published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS in 2006 and 2007. Released in Japan on August 3, 2006 and in North America on August 28, 2006, it was first announced at the E3 2005 conference, under the name Star Fox DS... |
August 28, 2006 | Nintendo DS Nintendo DS The 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... |
|
| PixelJunk Racers PixelJunk Racers PixelJunk Racers is a puzzle, racing game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. It was released on the PlayStation Store on September 13, 2007 as the first title in the PixelJunk series... |
September 13, 2007 | PlayStation Network | |
| PixelJunk Monsters PixelJunk Monsters PixelJunk Monsters is a game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. It was released worldwide on the PlayStation Store on January 24, 2008... |
January 24, 2008 | PlayStation Network | |
| PixelJunk Monsters Encore | April 24, 2008 | PlayStation Network | Expansion pack/add-on to PixelJunk Monsters |
| PixelJunk Eden PixelJunk Eden PixelJunk Eden is a video game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. The third game in the PixelJunk series, it was released on the PlayStation Store on July 31, 2008 worldwide. A demo of the game was released on July 25, 2008... |
July 31, 2008 | PlayStation Network | |
| PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe | October 1, 2009 | 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... |
|
| Art Style: Intersect Intersect (video game) Intersect, known as Digidrive in North America and Japan, is a puzzle game for the Nintendo DSi's DSiWare service. It is a member of the Art Style line of video games, and was originally released for the Game Boy Advance in the bit Generations series.-Gameplay:The object of the game is to propel... |
October 2, 2009 | DSiWare | Port of Digidrive |
| Trajectile | November 24, 2009 | DSiWare | Known as Reflect Missile in PAL regions |
| PixelJunk Shooter PixelJunk Shooter PixelJunk Shooter is a video game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. It is the fourth major title in the PixelJunk series. It was released on the North American and European PlayStation Store on December 10, 2009.-Gameplay:... |
December 10, 2009 | PlayStation Network | |
| Starship Defence | December 18, 2009 | DSiWare | Known as Starship Patrol in PAL regions |
| X-Scape X-Scape X-Scape, known in Japan as and in PAL regions as 3D Space Tank, is a first-person combat simulation game developed by Q-Games and Nintendo released on the Nintendo DSi's DSiWare download service. It is a sequel to the Japan-exclusive Game Boy title, X.-Gameplay:Players control a commander who has... |
May 31, 2010 | DSiWare | Known as X Returns in Japan and as 3D Space Tank in PAL regions |
| PixelJunk Shooter 2 PixelJunk Shooter 2 PixelJunk Shooter 2 is a video game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. It is the sequel to PixelJunk Shooter and was released on the PlayStation Store in March 2011. PixelJunk Shooter 2 was formally announced by Q-Games on 18 May 2010. The title is the first full-fledged sequel to any... |
March 1, 2011 | PlayStation Network | Sequel to PixelJunk Shooter |
| Star Fox 64 3D Star Fox 64 3D is a video game for the Nintendo 3DS and is a remake of Star Fox 64. It was co-developed between Nintendo EAD and Q-Games, and was published by Nintendo... |
September 9, 2011 | Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 3DS The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software... |
Remake of Star Fox 64, co-developed with Nintendo EAD Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development , commonly abbreviated as EAD, is the largest division inside Nintendo. It was preceded by the , a team of designers with an art background responsible for many different tasks, which Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka originally belonged to... |
| PixelJunk SideScroller PixelJunk SideScroller PixelJunk SideScroller is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3 as part of the PixelJunk series. It was released on the PlayStation Store on 25 October 2011 in North America and 26 October 2011 in Europe... |
October 22, 2011 | PlayStation Network | |
| PixelJunk 4am | TBA 2011 | PlayStation Network | Currently in development |
Other projects
As well as games development, Q-Games still develops technology directly with Sony Japan for the PlayStation 3PlayStation 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...
. The PS3
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 XMB (Xross Media Bar) interface, background and music visualisers were developed by Q-Games and they are credited with 3D Graphics Technology in the About PS3 section of the PS3's OS.
PlayStation Home
On September 24, 2009, Q-Games released their own developer space for their hit series, PixelJunkPixelJunk
PixelJunk is a series of downloadable games developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. They are available for download and purchase on the PlayStation Store worldwide. The series made its debut on July 11, 2007 at E3 2007 with PixelJunk Racers....
in the PlayStation 3's online community-based service, PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN...
to the Japanese version and on October 9, 2009 to the North American version. The "PixelJunk Museum" (Japan), or "PixelJunk Exhibition" (North America), features the games PixelJunk Eden
PixelJunk Eden
PixelJunk Eden is a video game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. The third game in the PixelJunk series, it was released on the PlayStation Store on July 31, 2008 worldwide. A demo of the game was released on July 25, 2008...
, PixelJunk Monsters
PixelJunk Monsters
PixelJunk Monsters is a game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. It was released worldwide on the PlayStation Store on January 24, 2008...
, and PixelJunk Racers
PixelJunk Racers
PixelJunk Racers is a puzzle, racing game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. It was released on the PlayStation Store on September 13, 2007 as the first title in the PixelJunk series...
. For PixelJunk Eden there are glass wall art displays, for PixelJunk Monsters, there are displays of familiar characters from the game, and for PixelJunk Racers, there are displays of two different race cars. There is also a virtual shop in the space selling PixelJunk virtual items. In Japans version from September 24, 2009 to October 9, 2009, near the shop, there was a panel that took users to a virtual version of Q-Games TGS 2009 Booth. Called the "Q-Games virtual public TGS Booth", it was a virtual recreation of the Q-Games TGS 2009 Booth that had a free t-shirt and a video screen. On December 17, 2009, they released another exhibition room to the "PixelJunk Exhibition" space. This room is to display PixelJunk Shooter
PixelJunk Shooter
PixelJunk Shooter is a video game developed by Q-Games for the PlayStation 3. It is the fourth major title in the PixelJunk series. It was released on the North American and European PlayStation Store on December 10, 2009.-Gameplay:...
and is called the "PixelJunk Shooter Mother Ship Hangar."
Sources
- Chris Kohler's book Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra LifePower-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra LifePower-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life is a 2005 book by Chris Kohler. It explores the video game market in Japan and the history of video games in both Japan and North America. Kohler argues that Japan’s role in the history of video games in America is undervalued...
- Chapter 6. - An Interview on Gamasutra.com with Q-Games
- Dylan Cuthbert's profile on N-Sider.com
- Dylan Cuthbert video interview on the 1-UP Show