Big Huge Games
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|
| Former type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer and video games |
| Fate | Bankrupted |
| Founded | February 2000 |
| Defunct | May 2012 |
| Headquarters | Timonium, Maryland, United States |
| Key people |
|
| Products | Rise of Nations series |
| Parent |
|
Big Huge Games was a video game developer located in Timonium, Maryland. The company was founded in February 2000 by four veteran game industry developers: Tim Train, David Inscore, Jason Coleman and Brian Reynolds (lead designer of Alpha Centauri, et al.). Their first game, Rise of Nations, was a critical and commercial hit. The studio became defunct as of May 2012.
Contents |
History [edit]
Although Brian Reynolds was a founding member of Firaxis Games, he and the others left Firaxis to found a new company based on their desire to apply the complexity and concepts of the turn-based strategy genre to the real-time strategy genre.[2]
In February 2007, Big Huge Games announced that Ken Rolston, the lead designer behind The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, had come out of retirement to join the company as Lead Designer on an untitled role playing game (RPG).[3] Later that May it was announced that THQ would publish the title in 2009.[4] This marked the first title from Big Huge Games that was not distributed by Microsoft.
Acquisition by THQ [edit]
On January 15, 2008, THQ acquired the developer.[5]
On July 30, 2008, Grant Kirkhope joined the Big Huge Games team as an Audio Director. He had previously worked for Rare, composing for the Banjo-Kazooie and Perfect Dark games (among others).[6]
On March 18, 2009, THQ announced that due to declining economic conditions, it would close Big Huge Games unless an outside buyer could be found in the next 60 days.[7]
Acquisition by 38 Studios [edit]
On May 27, 2009, 38 Studios announced that they were acquiring Big Huge Games and retaining 70 employees out of approximately 120 who were at THQ.[8]
From mid-2009 to January 2012, Big Huge Games developed a single player role playing game titled Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, which was released in early February 2012 and published by Electronic Arts (EA) and 38 Studios for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The game is set in a fantasy world created with input from R A Salvatore and Todd McFarlane.
It was reported on May 24, 2012 that the studio and their parent company 38 Studios had laid off their entire staff.[9][10]
Formation of Epic Baltimore [edit]
In June 2012, Epic Games announced the opening of a new studio in Baltimore called Epic Baltimore. The studio consists of a significant portion of ex-Big Huge developers.[11] It was later renamed Impossible Studios. Impossible Studios was officially closed on February 8, 2013. [12]
Game engine [edit]
Big Huge Games made use of their internally developed game engine, the '"Big Huge Engine", in both Rise of Nations and Catan. The engine features support for a variety of applications and technologies, including physics, artificial intelligence, animation, and others.[13]
Games developed [edit]
| Release Date |
Title | Genre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Rise of Nations | Real-time strategy | |
| 2004 | Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots | Real-time strategy | Expansion pack |
| 2006 | Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends | Real-time strategy | |
| 2007 | Catan | German-style board game | Xbox Live Arcade |
| 2007 | Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties | Real-time strategy | Expansion pack |
| 2012 | Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning | Action RPG |
Unreleased [edit]
At the time of their move from THQ to 38 Studios, Big Huge Games was working on two large game projects, which are now canceled.[14]
- Ascendant (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows)[15][16]
- God: The Game (Wii)[16][17]
References [edit]
- ^ Fear, Ed (May 27, 2009). "38 Studios snaps up Big Huge Games". Develop. Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Brian Reynolds interview on GameSpy". GameSpy. 2002-05-02. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
- ^ "Acclaimed 'Oblivion' Designer Heads To Big Huge Games". Totalgaming.net. 2007-02-20. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
- ^ "Big Huge Games RPG Gets Publisher, Date". Totalgaming.net. 2007-05-03. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
- ^ Gamasutra: THQ Acquires BHG
- ^ Music 4 Games: Grant Kirkhope resigns from Rare, joins Big Huge Games as Audio Director
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (2009-03-18). "THQ Cuts Down Big Huge Games, Lets Go Two More". Kotaku.
- ^ Dance, Scott (2009-05-27). "Big Huge Games acquired by Curt Schilling's 38 Studios". Washington Business Journal.
- ^ Gilbert, Ben. "38 Studios and Big Huge Games lay off entire staffs [update]". Joystiq.
- ^ Narcisse, Evan. "38 Studios and Big Huge Games Shutting Down [UPDATE]".
- ^ Big Huge Games Resurrected as "Epic Games Baltimore"
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Big Huge Engine". Big Huge Games. Archived from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-07.[dead link]
- ^ "Big Huge Games Experiences Big Huge Media Leak, Oblivion Designer's Game Reportedly Canceled". Chris Fayler, Shack News. 2009-04-09. Retrieved 2009-10-06.
- ^ "BHG and THQ join hands". THQ Investor Relations. 2007-05-03. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
- ^ a b Plunkett, Luke (April 9, 2009). "What Were Big Huge Games Working On (And Have They Found A Buyer)?". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
- ^ "BHG Big Huge Games now working on Wii title". 2007-08-28. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
