American video game developer
Danger Close Games
Logo when the developer was known as DreamWorks Interactive
|
Formerly
| - DreamWorks Interactive LLC
(1995?2000)
- EA Los Angeles
(2000?2010)
|
---|
Company type
| Subsidiary
|
---|
Industry
| Video games
|
---|
Founded
| March 1995
; 29 years ago
(
1995-03
)
in
Los Angeles
and
Redmond, Washington
|
---|
Founders
| - Alan Hartman
- Glenn Entis
- John A. S. Skeel
|
---|
Defunct
| January 30, 2013
; 11 years ago
(
2013-01-30
)
|
---|
Fate
| Dissolved
|
---|
Successor
| Ripple Effect Studios
|
---|
Headquarters
| ,
US
|
---|
Key people
| |
---|
Products
| See
§ 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 in 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
]
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
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"EA buys Dreamworks Interactive"
.
ZDNet
. February 23, 2000
. Retrieved
October 29,
2021
.
- ^
Fabrikant, Geraldine (March 23, 1995).
"THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Dreamworks and Microsoft in Multimedia Venture"
.
The New York Times
.
- ^
"Microsoft subsidiaries in the 1996 financial report"
.
Microsoft
. 1996
. Retrieved
October 29,
2021
.
- ^
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
.
- ^
a
b
Wire, Xbox (May 25, 2006).
"Turn 10 head 'Alan Hartman' bio"
.
Xbox Wire
. Retrieved
October 30,
2021
.
- ^
"Gerry O.'s Interview with Glenn Entis, former CEO, DreamWorks Interactive"
.
VoiceAmerica
. April 3, 2020
. Retrieved
October 30,
2021
.
- ^
"Turning Dreams into Reality - Interview: Electronic Arts' Glenn Entis"
.
N4G
. February 6, 2008
. Retrieved
October 30,
2021
.
- ^
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
.
- ^
"Dreamworks In Computer Animation Step"
.
The New York Times
. June 1, 1995
. Retrieved
October 30,
2021
.
- ^
"DreamWorks SKG and Silicon Graphics form a partnership for pictures and video games"
.
Los Angeles Times
. June 1, 1995
. Retrieved
October 30,
2021
.
- ^
"EA to Distribute DreamWorks Software"
. March 25, 1997.
- ^
Helm, Leslie (August 18, 1997).
"Have CD-ROMances Run Their Course?"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
- ^
"Matt Hall biography"
.
Aviation Art Hangar
. Retrieved
October 30,
2021
.
- ^
Peel, Jeremy (January 16, 2020).
"Vince Zampella is right ? DICE LA deserves better than to be a support studio"
.
VG247
. Retrieved
January 16,
2020
.
- ^
McHardy, Mike (April 6, 2015).
"The Roots of Microsoft's Xbox"
.
Polygon
. Retrieved
January 3,
2020
.
- ^
Takahashi, Dean (March 7, 2010).
"The making and unmaking of Infinity Ward"
.
Venture Beat
. Retrieved
January 3,
2020
.
- ^
"Electronic Arts buys DreamWorks Interactive from Microsoft Games and DreamWorks"
.
Los Angeles Times
. February 25, 2000
. Retrieved
October 29,
2021
.
- ^
Kary, Tiffany (February 24, 2000).
"EA buys Dreamworks Interactive"
.
zdnet.com
.
- ^
"EA buys Dreamworks unit"
.
CNN Business
. February 24, 2000
. Retrieved
October 29,
2021
.
- ^
Farmer, Melanie Austria.
"Electronic Arts to buy DreamWorks, Microsoft venture"
.
CNET
.
- ^
IGN Staff (August 6, 2003).
"Electronic Arts Preps Massive LA Studio"
.
IGN
.
- ^
Parker, Sam (January 30, 2003).
"EA consolidates studios, closes Westwood"
.
GameSpot
.
- ^
"Forza Dev: Third Series Possible as Franchise Evolves -- IGN First"
.
IGN
. June 6, 2014
. Retrieved
October 30,
2021
.
- ^
Gilbert, Ben (July 22, 2010).
"
'Danger Close' studio formed at EA by Medal of Honor team"
.
- ^
Gilbert, Ben (July 23, 2010).
"Danger Close: The story behind EA LA's new name"
.
Engadget
.
- ^
Reilly, Jim (July 22, 2010).
"Medal of Honor Team Forms New Studio"
.
IGN
.
- ^
Prescott, Shaun (January 31, 2013).
"No more Medal of Honor: EA pulls from rotation due to poor reception"
.
PC Gamer
.
- ^
Yin-Poole, Wesley (June 13, 2013).
"Star Wars: Battlefront is "DICE's interpretation of what Battlefront should be"
"
.
Eurogamer
.
- ^
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
.
- ^
Dyer, Mitch (May 16, 2013).
"DICE LA: From the Ashes of Medal of Honor"
.
IGN
.
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