Ninja Theory
| Ninja Theory logo | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video game industry |
| Founded | March 2000 (as Just Add Monsters) |
| Headquarters | Cambridge, England, UK |
Key people | Mike Ball (chief technology) Nina Kristensen (chief development) Tameemi Antoniades (chief design) Jez San |
| Products | Heavenly Sword Kung Fu Chaos Enslaved: Odyssey to the West DmC: Devil May Cry Hellblade |
| Website | http://www.ninjatheory.com/ |
Ninja Theory, Ltd. is an independent video game developer based in Cambridge, England. Originally founded as Just Add Monsters in March 2000, the company was purchased by former Argonaut Games CEO Jez San in November 2004.[1]
At Gamescom 2014, the company announced a new IP "Hellblade". The game will make its console debut on PlayStation 4.
History
The team developed its first game, Kung Fu Chaos, in 2003 exclusively for the Xbox, which was published by Microsoft Game Studios. In May 2005, Ninja Theory were on the verge of becoming defunct due to the collapse of the gaming studio Argonaut Games; however, soon after the announcement was made, the BBC reported that Sony Computer Entertainment had signed them up to make an exclusive video game for the upcoming PlayStation 3.[2]
Ninja Theory's second game, Heavenly Sword, for the Sony PlayStation 3 was released in September 2007 and features a "free style" combat action system.[3] The developer was nominated for five Develop Industry Excellence Awards for the game, including best new IP, visual arts, audio accomplishment, technical innovation, and best independent developer.[4]
The teased Heavenly Sword 2 was cancelled[5] for the time being. In June 2010, Ninja Theory expressed their interest in making another title and commented that they would have made a sequel had Heavenly Sword performed better in sales.[6]
In June 2008, the company licensed NaturalMotion's morpheme animation system.[7] Ninja Theory's third game, titled Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, was released for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and was published by Namco Bandai Games. Previously, Enslaved was believed to be a sequel to Heavenly Sword until Ninja Theory confirmed otherwise; stating that such a game is "extremely unlikely".[8]
Before the multi-platform release of Enslaved: Odyssey to the West; there were rumours claiming that the quality of the PS3 version was poor compared to the Xbox 360 version, Ninja Theory addressed these concerns by stating, "All formats are developed simultaneously so it wouldn’t be possible for one format to be cared for more than the other."[9] In its technical analysis of the final release, Eurogamer's Digital Foundry team noted, "None of the disadvantages of either version are real game-breakers and overall either version is recommended, but if you own both consoles and have the choice of which version to buy, the Xbox 360 release is the one to get."[10]
At the Capcom Tokyo Games Show conference on September 15, 2010, it was announced that Ninja Theory were developing a reboot of the Devil May Cry franchise under the name of DmC: Devil May Cry.[11] The game was released on January 15, 2013 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
It was announced that Ninja Theory is collaborating with Chillingo and Electronic Arts on their first mobile game, Fightback, released in summer 2013.[12]
Games developed
as Just Add Monsters
| Year | Game | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Kung Fu Chaos | Xbox |
as Ninja Theory
| Year | Game | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Heavenly Sword | PlayStation 3 |
| 2010 | Enslaved: Odyssey to the West | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows[13] |
| 2013 | DmC: Devil May Cry | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows |
| 2013 | Fightback | iOS |
| 2014 | Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes | iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One |
| 2015 | DmC: Devil May Cry Definitive Edition | PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
| 2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | iOS, Android, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One |
| 2016 | Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice[14] | PlayStation 4, Windows |
References
- ^ Wilson, Andrew (2004-11-15). "Just Add Monsters Morphs Into Ninja Theory". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- ^ "British game makers saved by Sony".
- ^ "E3: Heavenly Sword PS3 Exclusive". Retrieved 2012-09-20.
- ^ "Develop Industry Excellence Awards 2008 finalists". Xbox Live Nation. 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2012-09-20.
- ^ "Heavenly Sword 2 Axed, Ninja Theory Moving".
- ^ "Ninja Theory wants Heavenly Sword 2".
- ^ "Ninja Theory Licenses NaturalMotion's morpheme Animation System". GameSpy. 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- ^ Steen, Patrick. "Heavenly Sword Sequel "Extremely Unlikely"". Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- ^ "Ninja Theory Addresses Screen Tearing Concerns With PS3 Enslaved".
- ^ "Face-Off: Enslaved: Odyssey to the West".
- ^ Grant, Christopher. "Interview: Katushiro Harada talks Tekken Tag Tournament 2".
- ^ "Chillingo and Ninja Theory reveals Fightback". Retrieved June 9, 2013.
- ^ Grayson, Nathan (11 October 2013). "Enslaved: Odyssey To The West Journeying To PC". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- ^ Cook, Dave (9 July 2013). "Ninja Theory hiring for new AAA game, Unreal Engine 4 suggested". VG 247. Retrieved 29 March 2015.