Kuju (company)
Parent Curve Games | | |
Subsidiaries | Headstrong Games (2000-2017) Vatra Games (2009-2012) Zoë Mode (2004-2016) | |
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Website | www |
Kuju Entertainment Ltd. is a British video game developer. The original company was Simis, formed in 1989 and purchased by Eidos Interactive in 1995. Kuju was formed in 1998 in Shalford, Surrey, England, after a management buyout of Simis from Eidos.
Kuju has released titles across different devices, ranging from Art Academy on the Nintendo DS, The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest and Battalion Wars 2 for the Wii, and an Xbox One title, Powerstar Golf,
History
Ian Baverstock and Jonathan Newth opened Simis in 1989 and produced a number of flight simulator programs like MiG-29 Fulcrum (1990 video game). In 1995, the company was purchased by Eidos and operated as an in-house development studio. In 1998, Baverstock and Newth led a management buyout of the studio from Eidos Interactive, forming Kuju Ltd.
The name "Kuju" originates from the initials of the founders’ first names: Ian Baverstock and Jonathan Newth. Jonathan was leafing through a Japanese dictionary when he found the numbers nine and ten – "ku" and "ju" – corresponding to the positions of "I" and "J" in the English alphabet. The combined result was Kuju. Their first game was Tank Racer,[1] a 3D action racer for PC, PlayStation and mobile.[citation needed]
By 2001, Kuju was employing a team of 80 developers, in three separate offices around the UK in London, Surrey and Brighton. Their most notable project at the time was
In 2007, Kuju Ltd. was acquired by a German media investment firm, Catalis SE. Soon after, Kuju Brighton was rebranded to
Studios
This section possibly contains original research. (June 2021) |
Kuju at one point had two UK studios: Headstrong Games[6] in London and Zoë Mode in Brighton. Both have since been amalgamated back into Kuju.[7]
Headstrong Games has developed versions of
Zoë Mode have worked on the EyeToy series, Zumba dance franchise and Powerstar Golf. They also developed games for Xbox's Kinect.
Previous Kuju Studios
- Doublesix
- Simis
- Kuju Surrey
- Kuju Sheffield (latterly rebranded as Chemistry)
- Nik Nak Games
- Kuju America
- Kuju Manila
- Vatra Games
Games
- Microsoft Train Simulator (2001)
- Lotus Challenge (2001)
- Reign of Fire (2002)
- Fire Blade (2002)
- SingStar (with London Studio) (2002)
- Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior (2003)
- EyeToy: Play (2003)
- GT-R 400(2004)
- Crash Twinsanity 3D(2004)
- PS2 and Xboxversions only) (2004)
- Battalion Wars (2005)
- Conspiracy: Weapons of Mass Destruction (2005)
- The Regimens (2006)
- Sensible Soccer 2006(2006)
- Pilot Academy (2006)
- Crush (2007)
- Geometry Wars: Galaxies (with Bizarre Creations) (2007)
- Battalion Wars 2 (2007)
- Nucleus (2007)
- Rail Simulator (2007)
- Dancing with the Stars (2007)
- M.A.C.H. Modified Air Combat Heroes (2007)
- Sensible World of Soccer (Xbox Live Arcade version) (2007)
- Rock Revolution (2008-2009)
- You're in the Movies (2008-2009)
- The House of the Dead: Overkill (2009)
- Disney Sing It (2008)
- Art Academy (2009–2010)
- The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (2010)
- Chime (2010)
- Disney Sing It: Family Hits (2010)
- Grease: The Game (2010)
- Chime: Super Deluxe (2011)
- Zumba Fitness 2 (2011)
- Rush 'N Attack: Ex-Patriot(2011)
- Silent Hill: Downpour (2012)
- Top Gun: Hard Lock(2012)
- Haunt (2012)
- Crush 3D (2012)
- New Art Academy(2012)
- Zumba Fitness Rush(2012)
- Zumba Fitness Core (2012)
- Rabbids Rumble (2012)
- Zumba Fitness: World Party (2013)
- Zumba Kids (2013)
- Powerstar Golf (2013)
- Pokémon Art Academy (2014)
- Guitar Hero Live (2015)
- Disney Art Academy (2016)
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2016)
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 (2016)
- Narcos: Rise of the Cartels (2019)
References
- ^ "The 50 Best Video games: A Legend In Your Own Living-Room". The Independent. 23 October 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ Alfred Barten. "MSTS: First of the Big Ones". Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ Yarwood, Jack (22 March 2023). "Remembering FightBox, BBC's Big-Budget Video Game Failure". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
- ^ "Kuju Entertainment - Art Academy". Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ "New CEO and commercial director for Kuju". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
- ^ "Published Games". Headstrong Games. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
- ^ "Kuju acquires Wide, opens new Brighton studio". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 6 January 2021.