Blitz Games Studios

Blitz Games Studios Limited

Former type	Video game developer
Industry	Video games
Founded	1990
Defunct	12 September 2013[1]
Headquarters	Leamington Spa, United Kingdom
Key people	Philip Oliver, Andrew Oliver, Richard Smithies
Number of employees	230+[2]
Divisions	Blitz Games Blitz Arcade Volatile Games TruSim Blitz Academy BlitzTech
Website	http://www.BlitzGamesStudios.com/

Blitz Games Studios Limited was a video game developer located in Leamington Spa, United Kingdom best known for producing games based on franchises such as iCarly, SpongeBob SquarePants and Bratz.^[3] It was founded by the Oliver Twins, Andrew and Philip Oliver, in 1990 as Interactive Studios. The twins themselves had completed their first game in 1984 and started developing titles for video game publisher Codemasters in 1985.

The company announced in September 2013 that it was closing following problems raising finance for new projects.

Divisions

Blitz Games

• Created the games that the company originally became well known for: family titles, often licensed on popular characters and existing intellectual property.

Blitz Arcade

• Created downloadable games. Its first release was an advergame series created for the US Burger King chain. After that, Blitz Arcade turned its focus to downloadable titles and had success with its first game of this type: SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam. They also developed shooter PowerUp Forever, puzzler Droplitz and the 3DTV-compatible beat 'em up Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao.^[4]

Volatile Games

• Responsible for the company’s mature games. Video games created by this division include Reservoir Dogs, runner-up in the 2006 BAFTA awards for Best Soundtrack.^[5] Despite allowing the player to complete the game without firing a single shot, the game was considered so realistic in its depictions of violence that it was banned in Australia.^[6] They released Dead to Rights: Retribution on 27 April 2010.

TruSim

• Blitz Games Studios "serious games" division. It is best known for its work on medical-related training programs including the award-winning Interactive Trauma Trainer.^[7]

BlitzTech

• Created and licensed game development engine and toolchain.

Blitz Academy

• The in-house training system and educational outreach programme

Former divisions

Virtual Experience Company

• Past projects include the Tintern Abbey virtual tour.^[8] The company was acquired by Blitz Games at the end of 2006 but was sold back to former owner Mike Gogan in May 2008.^[9]

Blitz 1UP

In 2008 Blitz Games Studios launched the Blitz1UP programme to help independent developers bring their games to market. The programme provided free help and advice on all aspects of game production as well as crowd sourced QA. The programme was closed in 2011 and was replaced by IndieCity, an online indie game market place.

Games created or published by Interactive Studios/Blitz Games Studios

• Shrek Alarm (2013)
• Paper Titans (2013)
• Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (2012)
• Kumo Lumo (2012)
• Puss in Boots (2011)
• Michael Phelps: Push the Limit (2011)
• SpongeBob's Surf and Skate Roadtrip (2011)
• Fantastic Pets (2011)
• Yoostar 2 (2011)
• Droplitz Delight (2010)
• SFG Soccer: Football Fever (2010) - Published by Blitz 1UP
• The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout (2010)
• The Biggest Loser Challenge (2010)
• Dead to Rights: Retribution (2010)
• All Star Karate (2010)
• Biggest Loser (2009)
• Karaoke Revolution (2009)
• iCarly (2009)
• KrissX (2009)- Published by Blitz 1UP
• Fluttabyes (2009)- Published by Blitz 1UP
• Mole Control (2009)- Published by Blitz 1UP
• Clover: A Curious Tale (2009)- Published by Blitz 1UP
• Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao (Q4 2009)
• Droplitz (Q3 2009)
• PowerUp Forever (2008)
• Buccaneer: The Pursuit of Infamy (2008)- Published by Blitz 1UP
• Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2 (2008)
• Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Make the Grade (2008)
• Bratz Girlz Really Rock (2008)
• Tak and the Guardians of Gross (2008)
• Project Aftermath (2008)- Published by Blitz 1UP
• Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore (2008)
• SpongeBob SquarePants - Underpants Slam^[10] (2007)
• Bratz: The Movie (video game) (2007)
• Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol (2007)
• Big Bumpin' (2006)
• PocketBike Racer (2006)
• Sneak King (2006)
• SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab (2006)
• Bratz: Forever Diamondz (2006)
• Reservoir Dogs (2006)
• Pac-Man World 3 (2005)
• Bratz: Rock Angelz (2005)
• The Fairly OddParents: Shadow Showdown (2004)
• Bad Boys: Miami Takedown (2004)
• Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue (2003)
• The Fairly OddParents: Breakin' Da Rules (2003)
• Zapper: One Wicked Cricket (2002)
• Taz: Wanted (2002)
• Lilo & Stitch: Trouble in Paradise (2002)
• Fuzion Frenzy (2001)
• The Mummy Returns (2001)
• Chicken Run (2000)
• The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000)
• Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge (2000)
• Action Man: Destruction X (2000)
• Action Man: Mission Xtreme (1999)
• Glover (1999)
• WarGames (1998)

Awards

2007

• Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2007 - Favourite Videogame – SpongeBob SquarePants Creature from the Krusty Krab
• Edge award for Training and Development of young people
• ICT Excellence in Skills
• Blitz Games wins Develop Industry Excellence Award for Business Development
• Cannes Titanium Grand Prix Award for the Burger King games
• Golden Clio Award for Burger King games

2006

• Blitz Games CEO Philip Oliver named Best Industry Player by TIGA
• Warwickshire Employer of Choice Awards 2006 for creating an exceptional working environment .

Closure

On 12 September 2013, the company announced via a statement on its website that it was closing after 23 years of business.^[11] The closure came as a result of the company struggling to raise money to support future development projects. The demise of THQ, a major client, was said by Philip Oliver to have hit the company particularly hard.^[11] 50 of the firm's 175 staff were said to be joining a new business set up by the Oliver brothers to continue to work on some of Blitz's former projects.^[12] On 27 November 2013, Gamasutra reported the formation of Radiant Worlds, a new company headed by the Oliver brothers. The new company was said to have recruited a number of former Blitz staff including the former company's COO.^[13]

References

1. "Who We Are". Blitz Games Studios. 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
2. "Droplitz Drops in to PSN – PlayStation.Blog". Blog.us.playstation.com. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
3. Warr, Philippa. "Blitz Games Studios announces closure after 23 years". Wired.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
4. "C3 Exclusive Interview | Seeing Double: The Oliver Twins (Blitz Games Studios) #1 at Nintendo Cubed3". Cubed3.com. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
5. "BAFTA Awards". Bafta.org. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
6. 26 June 2006 5:42PM PDT (2006-08-25). "Reservoir Dogs game banned in Australia - GameSpot.com". Uk.gamespot.com. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
7. "School of Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering - University of Birmingham". Iecs.bham.ac.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
8. "Ancient abbey's virtual world". BBC News. 3 June 2003. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
9. "The Virtual Experience Company Parts From Blitz Games Studios". Serious Games. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
10. LarryZ. (2007-12-26). "SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam! for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
11. Lee, Dave (2013-09-12). "UK games developer Blitz Games Studios shuts down". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
12. David Crookes (2013-07-29). "UK-based Blitz Games Studios to close after 23 years - News - Gadgets & Tech". The Independent. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
13. Rose, Mike (27 November 2013). "Defunct Blitz Games Studios returns as Radiant Worlds". Gamasutra. Think Services. Retrieved 27 November 2013.

External links

• Blitz Games Studios official website
• Blitz Games entry at MobyGames
• OliverTwins.com - a website about the company's founders.
• Virtual Experience Company