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YoYo Games

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YoYo Games Inc.
IndustrySoftware
Games Development
GenreGame Engine IDE
Desktop, Mobile and Web
Founded2007 (2007)
Headquarters
Dundee
,
Scotland
Key people
Sandy Duncan
Mike Dailly
Russell Kay
ProductsGameMaker
Cross-platform Game development technology
Number of employees
25–50
Websitehttp://yoyogames.com

YoYo Games is a software and game publishing company based in Dundee, Scotland. It is best known for developing the free, cross-platform game development IDE, GameMaker, originally created by Mark Overmars.

History

On 26 January 2007, Mark Overmars announced his partnership with a company based in Dundee, Scotland called YoYo Games.[1] The company, headed by CEO Sandy Duncan (ex Vice President of Xbox Europe),[2] was founded to support the future development of GameMaker and to build a community for developers and casual gamers who could upload their games to the website. On 22 May 2012, YoYo Games announced the release of GameMaker: Studio – a product for a professional audience of developers by offering rapid cross-platform development across several native platforms: iPad and iPhone, Android smartphones and tablets, Ubuntu, Facebook and other HTML5 platforms, Mac OS X, all Windows 8 platforms and Windows Phone 8.[3] GameMaker: Studio also integrates advertising over several platforms, providing a way to monetize games.

Company Development

The company established its European office in Dundee in May 2010 by opening an office within Abertay University with two team members.[4] After three years, the company currently employs more than 25 employees.[5] YoYo Games has announced plans to create an additional 25 positions, over the next 18 months, in systems development, software engineering, sales and customer service.[6] The employees will be hired to help the company keep pace with the rapid evolution of the global games market and demand for Game Maker: Studio.[7] To accommodate this expansion, in June 2013, YoYo Games is set to move from its current location within Abertay University[7] into new office space on Dundee’s Waterfront redevelopment.[5]

Games

Many games published by the company use internal functions and features which are not available to customers.

Title Year Platform
They Need To Be Fed October 2010 iOS, HTML5, Android
Skydiver Mach II October 2010 iOS, HTML5, Android
Skydiver Mach II HD October 2010 iOS, HTML5, Android
Simply Solitaire November 2010 iOS, HTML5, Android
Simply Solitiare HD November 2010 iOS, HTML5, Android
Maddening November 2010 iOS, HTML5, Android
Maddening HD November 2010 iOS, HTML5, Android
Teka Teki November 2010 iOS, HTML5, Android
Karoshi January 2011 iOS, HTML5, Android
Prison Ball January 2011 iOS, Android
Green Tech Plus January 2011 iOS, HTML5, Android
Sync Simple March 2011 iOS, Android
Simply Poker Squares March 2011 iOS, Android
Skydiver Mach II Free March 2011 iOS, HTML5, Android
Skydiver Mach II HD Free March 2011 iOS, HTML5, Android
Prison Ball Free March 2011 iOS, HTML5, Android
Sync Simple Free March 2011 iOS, HTML5, Android
Simply Poker Squares Free March 2011 iOS, Android
Maddening Free March 2011 iOS, HTML5, Android
Maddening HD Free March 2011 iOS, HTML5, Android
Teka Teki Free March 2011 iOS, HTML5, Android
Skydiver Drop Zone April 2011 iOS, Android
Skydiver Drop Zone Free April 2011 iOS, Android
Super Snake HD June 2011 iOS, Android
Nimjammin Beat-jitsu June 2011 iOS, Android
Pollushot September 2011 iOS, HTML5, Android
Reflexions October 2011 iOS, HTML5, Android
Rick O'Shea November 2011 iOS, Android
They Need To Be Fed Lite January 2012 iOS, HTML5, Android
Karoshi Lite January 2012 iOS, HTML5, Android
Froad February 2012 iOS, HTML5, Android
Simply Solitaire Pro February 2012 iOS, HTML5, Android, Facebook
Simply Minesweeper March 2012 iOS, HTML5, Android, Facebook
Simply Word Search April 2012 iOS, HTML5, Android, Facebook
B.A.S.E Jumper September 2012 iOS, HTML5, Android, Facebook
Grave Maker October 2012 iOS, HTML5, Android, Facebook
Simply Sudoku Free January 2013 iOS, HTML5, Android, Facebook
Planet Descent February 2013 iOS, HTML5, Android
Lazy Mouse April 2013 iOS, HTML5, Android

[8]

Lawsuits

iOS Decompiler

A decompiler was written for Game Maker that could reverse engineer games and make them exportable to iOS before the company revealed officials plans. A lawsuit arising from a cease and desist order was the end result, though the decompiler continued to be developed.[9]

Forum Exploit

The company filed a lawsuit claiming damages to their primary server and other hardware and software they were hosting most of the main website and forums from in 2009 by a GMC user.[10]

Controversy

Digital rights management

File:Game Maker License Check.png
Game Maker 7 (Mac) DRM
File:Game Maker Studio DRM Misfire screenshot.jpg
Screenshot showing the DRM misfiring on a paid customer.

On 5 January 2011, YoYo Games posted their interpretation of a formal cease and desist letter to their blog. The post scolded the creators of a decompilation software which would allow users to bypass YoYo Games and independently publish their iOS apps, posing as a financial threat.[11]

In late 2012/early 2013, YoYo Games released a version of their new Studio IDE for cross-platform development that would import games and destroy all of the image type resources for some legitimate purchasers of the software by inserting a symbol of a pirate on top of the image. This was due to a fault in their Digital Rights Management software implementation which they use as a method of combating pirated copies of the software. The issue was addressed and fixed a few weeks later by removing the DRM.[12][13][14][15] There has also been controversy regarding the Steam method of DRM in which several consumers have not been able to get the program working.[citation needed] The DRM misfire was originally introduced by Mike Dailly as a pun on the movie Pirates of silicon valley[citation needed].

2013 April Fools' Day joke

On 30 March 2013, Mike Dailly announced that YoYo Games was being purchased by the Valve Corporation, the developers of Steam.[16] The joke drew much criticism from the community and lead to widespread arguments within the community and a large removal of several users from the Game Maker Community.[17] YoYo Games Chief Executive Officer, Sandy Duncan, later learned of the prank and promptly had it removed from the site, however several moderators continued reposting the topic. An apology was later given.[18]

Hacking scandals

It was discovered later[when?] that the Game Maker Community forum by YoYo Games had been hacked unknowningly for unknown period of time, allowing the hacker to steal members accounts and password information.[19][20] A person claiming to be the hacker contacted a moderator of the forum, True Valhalla, and requested an interview with himself about it to be uploaded to the Game Maker Blog. There the person claimed that he stole over 221,000 unencrypted passwords and sold them to email hackers and RuneScape users.[21] Trollsplatter was the administrator who was hacked through the GameMakerBlog, allowing the hacking possible. True Valhalla was removed from his moderating positions after the incident, which was only one of reasons behind the decision.[22] However, an apology or formal statement from YoYo Games has not been issued.

On May 9, 2013 it was revealed the same person was hacking the GMC again.[23] The hack involved a zero-day attack involving a Twitter feed an IRC chat link.[24] A formal apology was released by the company this time.[25]

Logo controversy

File:Gm8 Logo Previous.png
The controversial logo.

In 2009, YoYo Games conducted a competition for a new official Game Maker logo, encouraging members of the Game Maker Community to submit their own designs; the winner was Albert Zak. The decision received substantial criticism from the product's userbase, becoming in a sense an internet meme. After the negative response, CEO of YoYo Games Sandy Duncan blogged and posted on his Twitter feed making it clear that he was reconsidering the logo's design.

In response to the criticism, a topic was posted on the Game Maker Community where users could contribute a new logo,[26] and on 9 December, a new logo was chosen.

References

  1. ^ Public announcement from Mark Overmars, Game Maker Community
  2. ^ YoYo Games on CNNMoney.com
  3. ^ http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/business/yoyo-games-on-the-rise-with-plan-to-double-staff-1-2905142
  4. ^ http://www.dundeewaterfront.com/News+Article/1656/YOYO+GAMES+EXPANDS+INTO+DUNDEE+WATERFRONT/?nid=1290
  5. ^ a b http://www.thecourier.co.uk/business/news/dundee-s-yoyo-games-looks-to-next-level-1.86723
  6. ^ http://interactivetayside.com/news/yoyo-games-to-double-its-staff-to-50/
  7. ^ a b http://scottishgames.net/2013/04/23/yoyo-games-expanding-recruiting-new-staff-moving-to-new-office/
  8. ^ "Games Showcase".
  9. ^ http://gamemakerblog.com/2010/12/16/game-maker-ios-file-format-cracked/
  10. ^ http://www.gamemakergames.com/forum/index.php?topic=40922.45;wap2
  11. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXhSWH02FuY
  12. ^ http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121127/14455221158/game-maker-studio-drm-misfires-permanently-replaces-created-game-resources-with-pirate-symbols.shtml
  13. ^ http://www.develop-online.net/news/42651/GameMaker-fixes-anti-piracy-bug-afflicting-users
  14. ^ http://gamemakerblog.com/2012/11/26/skull-crossbones-vandalize-studio-games/
  15. ^ http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2012/11/27/game-maker-accidentally-brands-customers-as/
  16. ^ http://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/1bdtar/valve_is_buying_yoyogames_the_makers_of_game_maker/
  17. ^ http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=576257
  18. ^ http://coinarcade.org/2013/04/01/yoyo-games-april-fools-prank-angers-indie-game-community/
  19. ^ http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=574821
  20. ^ http://gamemakerblog.com/2013/03/19/gamemaker-community-forums-hacked-passwords-leaked/
  21. ^ http://gamemakerblog.com/2013/04/22/exclusive-interview-with-the-gamemaker-community-hacker/
  22. ^ (read comments by Nocturne)
  23. ^ http://gamemakerblog.com/2013/05/10/gamemaker-forums-hacked-again/
  24. ^ http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=580315&page=3#entry4282315
  25. ^ http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=580337#entry4282384
  26. ^ New Game Maker Logo Suggestions on GMC
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