Realtime Worlds
This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. (December 2011) |
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Video games |
Founded | 7 February 2000 |
Founder | David Jones |
Defunct | 17 August 2010[1] |
Fate | Administration |
Headquarters | , Scotland |
Products | |
Number of employees | 200[1] (2010) |
Realtime Worlds Ltd. (formerly Rage Games (Scotland) Limited and Real Time Worlds Ltd.) was a British video game developer based in Dundee. The studio was formed in February 2000 as Rage Software hired David Jones to lead its Scottish operations. In March 2002, a financially stricken Rage Software sold the studio to Jones, who renamed it Real Time Worlds. After developing Crackdown (2007) and APB: All Points Bulletin (2009), Realtime Worlds filed for administration in August 2010.[2]
Foundation
On 7 February 2000,
Development
On 11 December 2006, New Enterprise Associates announced an investment of US$30 million into Realtime Worlds.[8]
Their first release under the name Realtime Worlds was the critically acclaimed 2007 action-adventure third-person sandbox game
In 2007, at Develop magazine's Industry Excellence Awards, the company was nominated in a record-breaking seven categories, and took home the awards for Innovation and New UK/European Studio. Company chairman Ian Hetherington was also crowned Development Legend.[10] At the 2007 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Video Game Awards ceremony, Crackdown was nominated in five categories and won two, for Action and Adventure and Use of Audio.[11] In 2008, Crackdown was honored as Best Debut by the GDC's Game Developers Choice awards.[12]
On 14 February 2008, it was announced that Realtime Worlds had secured $50M in funding from a consortium led by
On 27 April 2009, Gary Dale left his COO position at Take-Two Interactive to become CEO of the company. Dave Jones stepped down as CEO of the company and took the title of creative director.[13]
On 1 May 2010, Realtime Worlds annual accounts revealed a further $21M investment was made in the company in January 2010.[14] This brings the total investment in Realtime Worlds since 2006 to $101M.
On 29 June 2010, after five years of development, with lengthy delays,
On 16 September 2010, Realtime Worlds announced that it will be shutting down APB's servers for good.[16]
Administration and closure
On 17 August 2010, six weeks after the release of
Dounis stated: "Our intention is to continue trading the company while we attempt to find a going concern buyer which will safeguard the future of the business."[21] The following day (18 August), Begbies Traynor announced that Realtime Worlds had attracted interest from potential buyers "from both sides of the Atlantic."[22] On 19 August, Begbies Traynor confirmed that a buyer needed to be found for the company as a going concern by the end of September.[23] If that deadline was not achieved, liquidation was the most likely option for Realtime Worlds.
On 16 September 2010, the remainder of the Realtime Worlds staff was laid off with a temporary skeleton crew left in place to close the offices in Dundee and Colorado.[24]
On 12 November 2010, bidding on thousands of Realtime Worlds lots ended, with industrial auctioneer Sweeney Kincaid managing the sales and collections. The lots included monitors, computers and games consoles.[25]
Games
Year | Game | Publisher | Genre | Platform(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
X360 | Win | ||||
2007 | Crackdown | Microsoft Game Studios
|
Third-person shooter | Yes | No |
2010 | APB: All Points Bulletin | Electronic Arts | Third-person shooter | No | Yes |
References
- ^ a b "Realtime games company collapses". BBC News. 17 August 2010.
- ^ Bradshaw, Tim (17 August 2010). "Game over as Realtime Worlds in administration". Financial Times.
- ^ Berghammer, Billy (7 February 2000). "Ragin' online GBA". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ Washington Post. Retrieved 15 April 2008.
- ^ a b Wallis, Alistair (21 December 2006). "Playing Catch Up: GTA/Lemmings' Dave Jones". Game Developer.
- The Free Library.
- ^ "Scottish Enterprise". Archived from the original on 11 September 2009.
- ^ "Realtime Worlds Receives Investment From NEA". Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
- ^ French, Michael (15 April 2008). "Dave Jones says APB could generate revenues in the hundred millions". Develop UK. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
- GamesIndustry.biz. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2008.
- BAFTA. 1 October 2007. Archived from the originalon 16 April 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2008.
- ^ "Portal BioShocks GDC Awards". GameSpot. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2008.
- ^ "Realtime Worlds Names Leading Video Game Industry Executive Gary Dale as new CEO". Realtime Worlds. 20 February 2008. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
- ^ Companies House - Company No. SC225628
- ^ "Realtime Worlds restructuring to provide "total support" for APB". AOL. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
- ^ "Realtime Worlds shutting down APB". Realtime Worlds. 16 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Alex Wiltshire (18 August 2010). "Realtime Worlds Has Entered Administration". Edge Magazine. Archived from the original on 19 September 2010.
- ^ Phil Elliott (17 August 2010). "Realtime Worlds enters administration". GamesIndustry.biz.
- ^ Ewan Aiton (17 August 2010). "Realtime Worlds goes into administration". Play.tm. Archived from the original on 20 August 2010.
- ^ Michael McWhertor (16 August 2010). "How APB 'Torpedoed' Developer Realtime Worlds". Kotaku.
- ^ a b c "Realtime Worlds games company goes into administration". BBC News. 17 August 2010.
- ^ Phil Elliott (18 August 2010). "RTW buyer interest "from both sides of the Atlantic"". GamesIndustry.biz.
- ^ Kieran Andrews (19 August 2010). "Six weeks to rescue Realtime Worlds". The Courier. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010.
- ^ Tom Curtis (17 September 2010). "Realtime Worlds Lays Off Final Staff In Dundee and U.S. Offices". Gamasutra.
- ^ Connor Beaton (12 December 2010). "The Legacy of Realtime Worlds". zConnection. Archived from the original on 15 December 2010.