Zombie Studios
Encyclopedia
Zombie Studios is an American
independent video game developer
of console, PC, mobile and web-based games. It was formed in 1994
by Joanna Alexander and Mark Long, formerly of the Sarnoff Research Center. Alexander and Long founded Zombie after they completed the design of a virtual reality game console for Hasbro
at Sarnoff in 1993. Since then, Zombie has designed and produced over 30 original games for worldwide distribution on virtually every major platform - from SEGA 32X
to 64bit PC
s. They created a value label in 2005 - Direct Action Games - to design and produce value titles for both PC and consoles.
Their titles span a range of product genres including first-person shooter
, real-time strategy
, puzzle
, arcade
, adventure
, hunting
, and simulation
. Zombie develops for a wide variety of gaming platforms including Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, PSP
, PS2, Xbox
, PCs
, and mobile phones.
Their publishing and distribution relationships include: Bethesda Softworks
, Konami
, Ubisoft
, Activision
, Atari
, Microsoft
, Disney, Real Networks, Novalogic
, Take2, America's Army
, Zango
, Groove Games
, Encore Software, Panasonic
, Wild Tangent, Sony
, BAM
, Brash Entertainment
, Mobliss and Ignition Entertainment
.
Military
to co-develop a series of training and recruitment games. Some games were developed entirely by the developer, but some were co-developed with the U.S. Army Development Team, and others were made with other game developers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
independent video game developer
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...
of console, PC, mobile and web-based games. It was formed in 1994
1994 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 1994. For video and console games, see 1994 in video gaming.-Significant games-related events in 1994:...
by Joanna Alexander and Mark Long, formerly of the Sarnoff Research Center. Alexander and Long founded Zombie after they completed the design of a virtual reality game console for Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
at Sarnoff in 1993. Since then, Zombie has designed and produced over 30 original games for worldwide distribution on virtually every major platform - from SEGA 32X
Sega 32X
The Sega 32X, codenamed Project Mars, is an add-on for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game console by Sega. Its aim was to increase the lifespan of the aging Mega Drive/Genesis system, which was facing stiff competition from the SNES...
to 64bit PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s. They created a value label in 2005 - Direct Action Games - to design and produce value titles for both PC and consoles.
Their titles span a range of product genres including first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
, 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....
, puzzle
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
, arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
, adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
, hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, and simulation
Simulation
Simulation is the imitation of some real thing available, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system....
. Zombie develops for a wide variety of gaming platforms including 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...
, 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...
, PSP
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...
, PS2, 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...
, PCs
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, and mobile phones.
Their publishing and distribution relationships include: Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, LLC, is an American video game company. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland...
, 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...
, 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....
, Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
, 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...
, 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...
, Disney, Real Networks, Novalogic
NovaLogic
NovaLogic is a software developer and publisher established in 1985 and based in Calabasas, California. The company was founded by current CEO John A. Garcia....
, Take2, America's Army
America's Army
America's Army is a series of video games and other media developed by the United States Army and released as a global public relations initiative to help with recruitment. America's Army was conceived by Colonel Casey Wardynski and is managed by the U.S...
, Zango
Zango (company)
Zango, formerly ePIPO, 180solutions and Hotbar, was a software company that provided users access to its partners' videos, games, tools and utilities in exchange for viewing targeted advertising placed on their computers. Zango software is listed as adware by Symantec...
, Groove Games
Groove Games
Groove Games was a Canadian developer and publisher of computer and video games. Established in 2001, Groove Games had published more than 20 retail game titles on the PC, Xbox, and PlayStation 2 platforms....
, Encore Software, Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
, Wild Tangent, 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....
, BAM
BAM! Entertainment
BAM! Entertainment is a dormant video game publisher that published such titles as Carmen Sandiego: The Secret of the Stolen Drums, Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo, and various video game console adaptations of Cartoon Network programs. Threatened as early as 2002, NASDAQ eventually delisted their...
, Brash Entertainment
Brash Entertainment
Brash Entertainment was an American video game publisher focused on licensed games.The company was co-founded in 2007 by Thomas Tull, Bert Ellis, President and COO Nicholas Longano, and CEO and Chairman Mitch Davis....
, Mobliss and Ignition Entertainment
Ignition Entertainment
Ignition Entertainment Ltd. is a British video game publisher formed in April 2002. It was created from a selection of smaller developers and publishers, such as Archer MacLean's Awesome Studios.-History:...
.
Titles
- Ice & Fire (1995)
- Locus (1995)
- Zork Nemesis (1996)
- ZPCZPCZPC is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Zombie Studios in 1996 which uses the Marathon 2 engine. It was noted for its stylized look adapted from artwork by Aidan Hughes...
(1996) - Spearhead (1998)
- Spec Ops: Rangers Lead the WaySpec Ops: Rangers Lead the WaySpec Ops: Rangers Lead The Way is a first person tactical shooter video game with strategy elements. It was developed by Zombie Studios and was published by Ripcord Games. The game launched exclusively on the Microsoft Windows platform on April 30, 1998. It is the first game in the long-running...
(1998) - Spec Ops: Ranger Team BravoSpec Ops: Ranger Team BravoSpec Ops: Ranger Team Bravo is a first person tactical shooter video game with strategy elements. It was developed by Zombie Studios and was published by Ripcord Games. The game launched exclusively on the Microsoft Windows platform in 1998. It is the second game in the long-running Spec Ops...
(1998) - Body Glove's Bluewater Hunter (1999)
- Spec Ops II: Green BeretsSpec Ops II: Green BeretsSpec Ops II: Green Berets is a first person tactical shooter video game with strategy elements. It was developed by Zombie Studios and was published by Ripcord Games. The game launched exclusively on the Microsoft Windows platform in 1999. It is the third game in the long-running Spec Ops series...
(1999) - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Covert Operations Essentials (2000) (Rogue SpearTom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue SpearTom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear is a tactical first-person shooter computer game developed and published by Red Storm Entertainment. It is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Rainbow Six game based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name....
expansion) - Alcatraz: Prison EscapeAlcatraz: Prison EscapeAlcatraz: Prison Escape is a first-person survival video game with action elements. It was developed by Zombie Studios and was published by Activision Value. The game was released worldwide on November 23, 2001 exclusively for the Microsoft Windows platform.-See also:*Activision *Zombie...
(2001) - Atlantis The Lost Empire: Search for the Journal (2001)
- Atlantis The Lost Empire: Trial by Fire (2001)
- Delta Force: Task Force DaggerDelta Force: Task Force DaggerDelta Force: Task Force Dagger is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Zombie Studios and published by NovaLogic. It is a “stand-alone mission pack” to the previous installment in the series: Land Warrior....
(2002) - Super Bubble PopSuper Bubble PopSuper Bubble Pop is a video game of the puzzle genre released in 2002 by Runecraft.-Gameplay:The Player is able to choose from 5 DJ poppers, including 2 unlockable ones, along with 4 grooving soundtracks. They are faced with rows of advancing bubbles of different colors. They can launch bubbles of...
(2002) - Shadow Ops: Red MercuryShadow Ops: Red MercuryShadow Ops: Red Mercury is a 2004 video game that is available on the Xbox and Microsoft Windows platforms. It was released on the Xbox for the United States on June 15, 2004 and released on June 18, 2004 for parts of the world using the PAL system...
(2004) - Saw (2009)
- Blacklight: Tango Down (2010)
- Saw II: Flesh & BloodSaw II: Flesh & BloodSaw II: Flesh & Blood is a 2010 third person survival horror video game developed by Zombie Studios and published by Konami for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the sequel to 2009's Saw: The Video Game, both of which are based in the same fictional universe as the Saw films...
(2010) - Blacklight: RetributionBlacklight: RetributionBlacklight: Retribution is a first-person perspective action video game, scheduled for release on personal computer . On 14 January 2011, Zombie Inc. revealed that it would be developing the sequel to Blacklight: Tango Down with a free-to-play business model...
(2012) - Shrapnel (TBA)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Way of the Warrior (Plug and Play CMOS Camera Video Game)
Direct Action Games
- Combat: Task Force 121
- World War II Combat: Road to BerlinWorld War II Combat: Road to BerlinWorld War II Combat: Road to Berlin is a budget-priced first-person shooter, developed by Direct Action Games and published by Groove Games. Despite its low-budget price, it has been panned by users and reviewers as having shoddy control, and a rushed, unfinished feel...
- World War II Combat: Iwo JimaWorld War II Combat: Iwo JimaWorld War II Combat: Iwo Jima is a budget-priced first-person shooter developed by Direct Action Games and published by Groove Games. Like its predecessor, World War II Combat: Road to Berlin, it received extremely negative reviews from reviewers and users alike...
- CQC - Close Quarters Conflict
Serious Games
The developer was commissioned by the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
to co-develop a series of training and recruitment games. Some games were developed entirely by the developer, but some were co-developed with the U.S. Army Development Team, and others were made with other game developers.
- America's Army: Special Forces (2003)
- Future Force Company Commander (2006)
- Virtual Army ExperienceVirtual Army ExperienceThe Virtual Army Experience is a mobile US Army simulator created by the Army development team with the digital development handled by Zombie Studios. The interactive exhibit brings the Army’s popular computer game, America’s Army: Special Forces , to a life-size, networked environment to provide...
- AH-64D Apache Simulator
- Future Soldier Trainer
- Convoy Trainer
- JROTC First Aid Trainer