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Danger Close Games

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Danger Close Games
Formerly
  • DreamWorks Interactive LLC
    (1995–2000)
  • EA Los Angeles
    (2000–2010)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
FoundedMarch 1995; 29 years ago (1995-03) in Los Angeles and Redmond, Washington
Founders
  • Alan Hartman
  • Glenn Entis
  • John A. S. Skeel
DefunctJanuary 30, 2013; 11 years ago (2013-01-30)
FateDissolved
SuccessorRipple Effect Studios
Headquarters
Playa Vista, Los Angeles
,
US
Key people
ProductsSee § Games developed
Number of employees
75 (1995)
Parent

Danger Close Games (formerly DreamWorks Interactive LLC and EA Los Angeles) was an American video game developer based in Los Angeles. The company was founded in March 1995 as joint venture between DreamWorks SKG and Microsoft (later moved to Microsoft Games) under the name DreamWorks Interactive, with studios in Redmond, Washington, and Los Angeles.[1]

In February 2000, the Los Angeles studio of DreamWorks Interactive was acquired by Electronic Arts and renamed EA Los Angeles, and to Danger Close Games in 2010. The studio's sole responsibility after 2010 was to develop games in the Medal of Honor franchise. When the series was put on hold in January 2013, Danger Close was shut down, with some staff moving on to DICE LA (now Ripple Effect Studios), a Los Angeles studio of DICE, another subsidiary of Electronic Arts.

History

[edit]

As DreamWorks Interactive (1995–2000)

[edit]

DreamWorks SKG and Microsoft announced on March 22, 1995, that they were establishing a videogame development company, DreamWorks Interactive LLC, as a joint venture following a Microsoft investment that acquired a minority stake in DreamWorks SKG as a whole. The studio's operations were to be set up in Los Angeles, California,[2] with a smaller group near Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington.[3] Both Microsoft and DreamWorks initially invested $30 million in the studio, which would soon be employing 75 people.[4]

Steven Spielberg was primarily responsible for negotiations with Microsoft to establish DreamWorks Interactive, which secured funding for the studio.[4] To manage DreamWorks Interactive, Microsoft relocated one of its executive game producers, Alan Hartman,[5] while film industry veteran Glenn Entis served as the studio's CEO following DreamWorks' acquisition of Pacific Data Images.[6][7] John A. S. Skeel, one of the founders of DreamWorks Interactive, led the Redmond studio, primarily responsible for publishing games developed by independent studios.[8]

On June 1, 1995, DreamWorks SKG and Silicon Graphics formed a $50 million agreement to create a new computer animation system using hardware and software.[9] Initially focused on the movie industry, the alliance between the companies was also connected with the creation of DreamWorks Interactive, which, adding to Microsoft's financing and technologies, would also be used in video games.[10] On March 25, 1997, the company signed a distribution deal with Electronic Arts.[11]

According to Leslie Helm of the Los Angeles Times, the company's initial computer game titles were relatively unsuccessful. Its biggest hit by August 1997 was Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland, with sales of 130,000 units, according to PC Data. Helm called this "a modest success".[12] In 1996, Microsoft moved DreamWorks SKG art director Matt Hall to DreamWorks Interactive with the goal of creating a new first-person shooter game franchise based on the Spielberg concept.[13]

In 1999, the studio saw its most successful release with first-person shooter video game Medal of Honor, published by Electronic Arts on October 31, 1999 for PlayStation. Medal of Honor laid the groundwork for historic war-based combat games, ultimately leading to Activision's Call of Duty series.[14] However, the studio's reputation had been hampered by the 1998 release of Trespasser, a game based on the Jurassic Park franchise. Trespasser had numerous technical flaws in attempting to create a realistic physics engine, and introduced mechanics that were considered awkward at the time of its release, such as the player having separate control of the player-character's limbs. The title sold only 50,000 units and is considered one of the worst video games of all time,[15] and left Steven Spielberg, one of the owners of DreamWorks, in doubt about continuing a video game company.[16]

Under Electronic Arts (2000–2013)

[edit]

With DreamWorks losing interest in maintaining a video game division, Electronic Arts acquired the Los Angeles studio of DreamWorks Interactive from DreamWorks and Microsoft on February 24, 2000, acquiring the intellectual property and rights of the acclaimed series Medal of Honor from Microsoft/DreamWorks.[17][18] Analysts at The Wall Street Journal estimate the purchase cost around $10 million.[19] The company was renamed EA Los Angeles and focused on developing titles in the Medal of Honor series, releasing Medal of Honor: Underground the same year.[20] On August 6, 2003, EA Los Angeles moved from their offices in Bel Air to a new campus in Playa Vista.[21] On that campus, the studio was merged with EA Pacific in 2003, and received some employees from previously closed Westwood Studios, leading EA Los Angeles to start working in the Command & Conquer series.[22]

The Redmond studio's operations were consolidated within Microsoft, which at the time was founding its own in-house video game division, Microsoft Games. As a result, DreamWorks Interactive head Alan Hartman became Digital Anvil's head of studio,[5] with remaining DWI Redmond employees moving to the newly founded Turn 10 Studios.[23]

In July 2010, EA Los Angeles was rebranded to Danger Close Games to focus on the development of Medal of Honor games.[24] With the rebranding referencing a term from the Medal of Honor series, the studio would exclusively focus on the Medal of Honor games.[25] Their first project was the 2010 Medal of Honor, which was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on October 12, 2010.[26] A follow-up, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, was released on October 23, 2012.[citation needed] In January 2013, Electronic Arts announced that the Medal of Honor series was taken 'out of rotation' and put on hold, following to the poor reception received by Warfighter.[27] With this move, Danger Close was effectively closed; some developers moved to other EA studios, while others left the Los Angeles area.[28][29] Some senior staff of Danger Close formed the groundwork for DICE LA, a sub-studio of EA DICE, which was formed in May 2013.[30]

Games developed

[edit]

As DreamWorks Interactive

[edit]
Year Title Platform(s)
1996 Someone's in the Kitchen! Microsoft Windows
Steven Spielberg's Director's Chair
Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland
The Neverhood
1997 Chaos Island: The Lost World
Goosebumps: Attack of the Mutant
Dilbert's Desktop Games
The Lost World: Jurassic Park PlayStation
1998 Skullmonkeys
Small Soldiers
Small Soldiers: Squad Commander Microsoft Windows
Trespasser
1999 BoomBots PlayStation
T'ai Fu: Wrath of the Tiger
Warpath: Jurassic Park
Medal of Honor
2000 Medal of Honor: Underground

As EA Los Angeles

[edit]
Year Title Platform(s)
2001 Clive Barker's Undying macOS, Microsoft Windows
2002 Medal of Honor: Frontline GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
2003 Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour macOS, Microsoft Windows
2003 Medal of Honor: Rising Sun GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
2004 GoldenEye: Rogue Agent GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault Microsoft Windows
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth
2005 Medal of Honor: European Assault GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
2006 The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
2007 Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars macOS, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
Medal of Honor: Vanguard PlayStation 2, Wii
Medal of Honor: Airborne Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 PlayStation Portable, Wii
2008 Boom Blox Wii
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2009 Boom Blox Bash Party Wii

As Danger Close Games

[edit]
Year Title Platform(s)
2010 Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight Microsoft Windows
Medal of Honor Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2012 Medal of Honor: Warfighter

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "EA buys Dreamworks Interactive". ZDNet. February 23, 2000. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  2. ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (March 23, 1995). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Dreamworks and Microsoft in Multimedia Venture". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "Microsoft subsidiaries in the 1996 financial report". Microsoft. 1996. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Microsoft, DreamWorks Studio Team Up : Business: Venture to create Hollywood-inspired interactive software". Los Angeles Times. March 23, 1995. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Wire, Xbox (May 25, 2006). "Turn 10 head 'Alan Hartman' bio". Xbox Wire. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  6. ^ "Gerry O.'s Interview with Glenn Entis, former CEO, DreamWorks Interactive". VoiceAmerica. April 3, 2020. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  7. ^ "Turning Dreams into Reality - Interview: Electronic Arts' Glenn Entis". N4G. February 6, 2008. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  8. ^ Johnson, Greg (August 10, 1995). "New Kid in Town : Artist Who Created Neverhood Is Playing With the Big Boys in Interactive Games". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "Dreamworks In Computer Animation Step". The New York Times. June 1, 1995. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  10. ^ "DreamWorks SKG and Silicon Graphics form a partnership for pictures and video games". Los Angeles Times. June 1, 1995. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  11. ^ "EA to Distribute DreamWorks Software". March 25, 1997.
  12. ^ Helm, Leslie (August 18, 1997). "Have CD-ROMances Run Their Course?". Los Angeles Times.
  13. ^ "Matt Hall biography". Aviation Art Hangar. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  14. ^ Peel, Jeremy (January 16, 2020). "Vince Zampella is right – DICE LA deserves better than to be a support studio". VG247. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  15. ^ McHardy, Mike (April 6, 2015). "The Roots of Microsoft's Xbox". Polygon. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  16. ^ Takahashi, Dean (March 7, 2010). "The making and unmaking of Infinity Ward". Venture Beat. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  17. ^ "Electronic Arts buys DreamWorks Interactive from Microsoft Games and DreamWorks". Los Angeles Times. February 25, 2000. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  18. ^ Kary, Tiffany (February 24, 2000). "EA buys Dreamworks Interactive". ZDNet.
  19. ^ "EA buys Dreamworks unit". CNN Business. February 24, 2000. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  20. ^ Farmer, Melanie Austria. "Electronic Arts to buy DreamWorks, Microsoft venture". CNET.
  21. ^ IGN Staff (August 6, 2003). "Electronic Arts Preps Massive LA Studio". IGN.
  22. ^ Parker, Sam (January 30, 2003). "EA consolidates studios, closes Westwood". GameSpot.
  23. ^ "Forza Dev: Third Series Possible as Franchise Evolves -- IGN First". IGN. June 6, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  24. ^ Gilbert, Ben (July 22, 2010). "'Danger Close' studio formed at EA by Medal of Honor team".
  25. ^ Gilbert, Ben (July 23, 2010). "Danger Close: The story behind EA LA's new name". Engadget.
  26. ^ Reilly, Jim (July 22, 2010). "Medal of Honor Team Forms New Studio". IGN.
  27. ^ Prescott, Shaun (January 31, 2013). "No more Medal of Honor: EA pulls from rotation due to poor reception". PC Gamer.
  28. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (June 13, 2013). "Star Wars: Battlefront is "DICE's interpretation of what Battlefront should be"". Eurogamer.
  29. ^ Chalk, Andy (June 14, 2013). "Electronic Arts Confirms Danger Close Closure". The Escapist. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  30. ^ Dyer, Mitch (May 16, 2013). "DICE LA: From the Ashes of Medal of Honor". IGN.
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