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Sidhe (company)

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Sidhe
Company typePrivate
IndustryComputer and video game industry
Entertainment industry
FoundedMay 1997[1]
FounderMario Wynands
Tyrone McAuley
Stuart Middleton
HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
Key people
Mario Wynands, Managing Director
Tyrone McAuley, Technical Director
Andy Satterthwaite, Producer
Websitewww.sidhe.co.nz

Sidhe is a game development studio based in Wellington, New Zealand.

Sidhe is an officially licensed developer for Microsoft (Xbox, Xbox 360), Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (PlayStation, PS2, PSP, PS3, PS Vita), and Nintendo of America (GBA, DS, Wii). It is also a co-founding member of the New Zealand Game Developers Association. They are the largest game developer in New Zealand, currently employing approximately 115 people.[2] The company was formerly called Sidhe Interactive, but dropped the word Interactive in 2009 prior to the launch of the company's critically acclaimed game for PlayStation 3, Shatter. In 2011 Shatter went on to be listed by IGN as one of their top 25 PS3 games[3] and was their number one PSN game.[4]

For a number of years Sidhe created franchise based games, such as their Barbie, and Rugby League Video Game Series titles. They provided services to and have produced products for a number of partners and clients such as Sony Online Entertainment, Red Mile Entertainment, Ubisoft, eUniverse, Krome Studios, Adidas International, Vivendi Universal Games, and Midway Games. In 2005 Sidhe released their first game based on an original IP, GripShift, which was created completely in-house, from concept to final product.

Sidhe collaborated with Weta Digital to achieve the first motion capture of a horse at full gallop, for their horse racing game, Melbourne Cup Challenge / Frankie Dettori Racing.

Industry Awards

Shatter was nominated for the Best of E3 2009 award for Most Innovative Game and won the GDAA for Best Downloadable Title in the same year.

In 2007 Sidhe's Jackass: The Game was also awarded the TUANZ Business Internet Award for User Generated Content.

Sidhe received a number of awards at the Australian Game Developers Conference, 2005.

  • Award for Outstanding Industry Contribution
  • Award for Best Handheld Game for GripShift
  • Award for Best Level Design for GripShift
  • Award for Best Game Design for GripShift
  • Editor's Choice Award for Shatter
  • Nomination for Most Innovative from 1UP.com for Shatter

In 2004 Sidhe was awarded two The Dominion Post Wellington Region Gold Awards.

  • The Supreme Award for Business Enterprise and Excellence
  • Creative Gold

Sidhe also received awards at TUANZ, 2003.

PikPok received an honorable mention in the 2011 Independent Games Festival awards for Flick Kick Football, under Best Mobile Game,[5] and Bird Strike was a finalist in the 7th annual IMG Awards (2011).[6]

PikPok

The Sidhe brand has been superceded by what was a subsidiary brand, PikPok, which was an iDevice/Android development team. Notable PikPoktitles include Bird Strike and the Flick Kick sports arcade series of games. In September 2010 a publishing partnership between PikPok and Lexaloffle Games was announced,[7] and the first title from that collaboration, Zen Puzzle Garden, was released in December 2010. PikPok is now the primary brand of the studio.

Sidhe Scholarship

Sidhe supports the local New Zealand video game industry by offering a scholarship[8][9] for students who wish to study game development at a graduate level at the Media Design School in Auckland. At the end of 2010, Sidhe announced the Sidhe Elite financial scholarship for 2011 aiming to support young aspiring game developers. Many Media Design School graduates have gone on to work for Sidhe.[10]

Games Developed by Sidhe

Other Games Contributed to by Sidhe

Cancelled Games

  • Druid King (a.k.a. Dark Shores)
  • Dirty War
  • Chronicle

References

  1. ^ IGN: Sidhe Interactive
  2. ^ Joystiq - Shatter dev Sidhe increasing focus on download space in 2011
  3. ^ IGN - Top 25 PS3 Games
  4. ^ IGN - Top 25 PSN Games
  5. ^ IGF 2011 Awards
  6. ^ IMGA 2011
  7. ^ PikPok/Lexaloffle partnership announced
  8. ^ Sidhe Offers Scholarships For Media Design School Game Development Diploma - PC News[dead link]
  9. ^ tsumea - Sidhe continues scholarship support for Game Dev students
  10. ^ Elite Scholarship For Aspiring Game Developers Announced
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