Deck Nine (2017–present) | |
Company type | Private |
Industry | Video games |
Founded | April 1, 1997 in Boulder, Colorado, US |
Founders |
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Headquarters | , US |
Key people | |
Website | deckninegames |
Idol Minds, LLC (doing business as Deck Nine [1] or Deck Nine Games [2] since 2017) is an American video game developer based in Westminster, Colorado. The studio was founded in April 1997 by Mark Lyons and Scott Atkins and developed games exclusively for PlayStation consoles until 2012. Subsequently, it shifted to mobile games among other things before rebranding as "Deck Nine" in May 2017 to develop narrative-driven games.
Idol Minds was founded by programmer Mark Lyons and artist Scott Atkins. They had previously worked for Sony Interactive Studios America in San Diego and, after Lyons moved to Colorado with his family, established Idol Minds on April 1, 1997, in Boulder, Colorado. [3] [4] [5] It developed multiple sports games under 989 Studios until the 2000s. Party game My Street and action-adventure Neopets: The Darkest Faerie followed. In November 2007, the studio released ragdoll physics-based game Pain , [6] [7] which was among the most-downloaded games on PlayStation Network of 2008. [8] [9] In October 2009, Idol Minds reportedly made 26 of its 46 employees redundant. One source attributed the layoffs to budget cuts by Pain publisher Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), which was Idol Minds' only source of funding. [10] [11]
At E3 2011, SCE announced Ruin, a " Diablo -style action role-playing game" developed by Idol Minds and SCE's San Diego Studio. [12] [13] After the game was renamed Warrior's Lair , Idol Minds was taken off the project in April 2012 (Warrior's Lair was canceled by Sony in July 2013 [14] [15] ). [16] [17] Later in 2012, Idol Minds shifted its focus onto mobile free-to-play games. [18] [19] In August 2015, Idol Minds launched a crowdfunding campaign via Kickstarter for photo safari game Shutterbug, seeking US$400,000 in funding (The project was canceled after raising $2,973 in ten days). [20]
On May 31, 2017, Idol Minds announced that it would focus on narrative-driven games with brand and trade name "Deck Nine", [21] an homage to 1983 video game Planetfall . [22] It built toolset StoryForge for creating these and was developing a project in a "critically acclaimed franchise". [21] [23] During E3 2017, publisher Square Enix announced Deck Nine was developing Life Is Strange: Before the Storm , a prequel to 2015's Life Is Strange . [24] [25] The game's first episode was released in August 2017, the second in October and the third and final episode in December. [26] [27] The Farewell DLC episode was released in March 2018. [28] In September 2018, Deck Nine announced it was working with Square Enix on a new project. [29]
In March 2021, Square Enix announced Life Is Strange: True Colors and the Life Is Strange Remastered Collection (containing the original Life Is Strange and Before the Storm), both remastered by Deck Nine, with Life Is Strange: True Colors being released in September 2021 along with the Wavelengths DLC episode later that same month. [30] [31] The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) supported Deck Nine with $2.5 million job-growth incentive tax credits and via the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media (COFTM), the production of True Colors with $150,000 phased film incentives in 2017 and 2018. [32] [33] In December 2021, Telltale Games announced to be co-developing The Expanse: A Telltale Series with Deck Nine during The Game Awards 2021. [34] After being delayed from a simultaneous September 2021 launch, Life Is Strange Remastered Collection was released in February 2022. [35]
In May 2023, Deck Nine reportedly laid off 30 employees. [36] The Expanse: A Telltale Series released its first episode in July 2023 with new episodes coming bi-weekly through the fifth and final episode in September. [37] The Archangel DLC episode was released in November. [38] In February 2024, Deck Nine announced that it would lay off 20% of its staff. [39] In April 2024, IGN reported on a toxic workplace culture based on employee testimonials and suspected Nazi symbolism found in a game by staff during development. [40] In June 2024, Square Enix announced Life Is Strange: Double Exposure as a direct sequel to the original Life Is Strange, which was released in October. [41] In December 2024, Deck Nine laid off an undisclosed number of employees. [42]
Year | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | Cool Boarders 3 | PlayStation | 989 Studios | |
Rally Cross 2 | ||||
1999 | Cool Boarders 4 | |||
Supercross Circuit | 989 Sports | |||
2000 | Cool Boarders 2001 | PlayStation, PlayStation 2 | Sony Computer Entertainment | |
2003 | My Street | PlayStation 2 | ||
2005 | Neopets: The Darkest Faerie | |||
2007 | Pain | PlayStation 3 | ||
2008 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | PlayStation 2 | Activision | |
2012 | Ratchet & Clank Collection | PlayStation 3 | Sony Computer Entertainment | |
Linked Together | iOS | Idol Minds | [43] | |
2013 | Ratchet: Deadlocked (HD Edition) | PlayStation 3 | Sony Computer Entertainment | |
Phrazzle | iOS, Android | GameFly | [44] | |
2014 | Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet | Mobage | [45] | |
Qube Kingdom | [45] |
Year | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher(s) |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Life Is Strange: Before the Storm | Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Square Enix |
2021 | Life Is Strange: True Colors | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | |
2022 | Life Is Strange Remastered Collection | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Xbox One | |
2023 | The Expanse: A Telltale Series | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | Telltale Games |
2024 | Life is Strange: Double Exposure | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | Square Enix |
Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational holding company, video game publisher and entertainment conglomerate. It releases role-playing game franchises, such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts, among numerous others. Outside of video game publishing and development, it is also in the business of merchandise, arcade facilities, and manga publication under its Gangan Comics brand.
Laura Bailey is an American voice actress. She made her voice acting debut as Kid Trunks in the Funimation dub of Dragon Ball Z and has since voiced Emily / Glitter Lucky in Glitter Force, Tohru Honda in Fruits Basket, Lust in Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, the title character in the Funimation dub of Shin-Chan, and Maka Albarn in Soul Eater. She is a cast member of the web series Critical Role, playing Vex'ahlia ("Vex"), Jester Lavorre, and Imogen Temult.
Pain is an action video game developed by Idol Minds and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It was released as a downloadable title available from the PlayStation Store and was released in North America on November 29, 2007 and in the PAL region on March 20, 2008 and became the most popular downloadable game on the PlayStation Store. In June 2009, SCEE announced that the game was to be released on Blu-ray Disc. It was launched in Europe on June 24, 2009, in Australia on June 25, 2009 and in the UK on June 26, 2009. The Blu-ray version includes the original game as well as several other levels and features released as downloadable content for the PSN version. It is available in a collection which is available to download from the PlayStation Store called the 3D Collection. On November 26, 2013, the game's online features were disabled.
Back to the Future: The Game is an episodic graphic adventure video game based on the Back to the Future film franchise. The game was developed and published by Telltale Games as part of a licensing deal with Universal Pictures. Bob Gale, the co-creator, co-writer, and co-producer of the film trilogy, assisted Telltale in writing the game's story. Original actors Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd allowed the developers to use their likenesses in the game for the lead characters Marty McFly and Doc Brown, respectively. Although Lloyd reprises his role as Doc, A.J. LoCascio plays the role of Marty, while Fox later appeared to voice two cameo roles in the final episode, reprising his role as future versions of Marty McFly in addition to playing his forefather William.
The Walking Dead is a 2012 episodic graphic adventure video game developed and published by Telltale Games. Set in the same universe as the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, it is the first installment in Telltale's The Walking Dead video game series. The game follows Lee Everett, a convicted criminal who becomes the guardian of a young girl named Clementine amidst the onset of a zombie apocalypse in Georgia. Player decisions, such as dialogue choices and actions, influence the story's direction, with the consequences of these choices carrying over across the game's episodes.
The Wolf Among Us is an episodic graphic mystery adventure game developed by Telltale Games, based on Bill Willingham's Fables comic book series, to which it serves as a prequel. The game consists of five episodes that were released throughout 2013 and 2014. Retail versions for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, and Xbox One consoles were made available in November 2014. In the game, the player controls Bigby Wolf, the sheriff of Fabletown – a clandestine community within 1980s New York City consisting of various fantastical characters from fairy tales and folklore – and must investigate a series of mysterious murders, the first ones to occur in Fabletown in a long time.
The Walking Dead: Season Two is a 2013 episodic graphic adventure video game developed by Telltale Games based on the comic book series of the same name. It is the sequel to The Walking Dead, with the episodes released between December 2013 and August 2014. A retail collector's disc edition was released after the conclusion of the season. The game employs the same narrative structure as the first season, where player choice in one episode will have a permanent impact on future story elements. The player choices recorded in save files from the first season and the additional episode 400 Days carry over into the second season. Clementine, who was the player's main companion during the first season, returns as the main protagonist of Season Two.
The year 2015 saw releases of numerous video games as well as a follow-up to Nintendo's portable 3DS console, the New Nintendo 3DS. Top-rated games originally released in 2015 included Madden NFL 16, NBA 2K16, NBA Live 16, WWE 2K16, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Bloodborne, Undertale, and Fallout 4. Sales of video games in 2015 reached $61 billion, according to analysis firm SuperData, an 8% increase from 2014. Of this, the largest sector was in computer game sales and subscription services, accounting for $32 billion. Mobile games revenues were at $25.1 billion, a 10% increase from 2014. Digital sales on consoles made up the remaining $4 billion.
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is a 2016 episodic graphic adventure video game based on the comic book series of the same name developed by Telltale Games. It is the sequel to The Walking Dead: Season Two, and the third game in The Walking Dead video game series. The first two episodes were released on December 20, 2016, while a retail season pass disc edition was released on February 7, 2017. The game employs the same narrative structure as the past seasons, where player choice in one episode will have a permanent impact on future story elements. The player choices recorded in save files from the first two seasons and the additional episode 400 Days carry over into the third season.
The Walking Dead is an episodic graphic adventure game series developed and published by Telltale Games and Skybound Games, based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. First released in April 2012, the series currently spans four main five-episode seasons, an additional episode as downloadable content, and a mini three-episode season, with the fourth and final season being released in 2018 and ended in 2019. The games have been released to personal computers, game consoles, and mobile devices and have had both digital and physical releases.
Life Is Strange is an episodic adventure game developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix. The first installment of the Life Is Strange series, the game was released in five episodes periodically throughout 2015 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It was ported to OS X and Linux in 2016, and iOS and Android in 2017 and 2018.
Don't Nod Entertainment SA is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris. Founded in June 2008, it started development on Remember Me (2013). Because of its poor return on investment, Don't Nod entered "judicial reorganisation" in 2013. With the help of French agency funding, it developed Life Is Strange, whose successful release raised Don't Nod's industry status. It began third-party publishing with Gerda: A Flame in Winter in 2022.
Life Is Strange 2 is an episodic adventure game developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix. Its five episodes were released between September 2018 and December 2019 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One and later for Linux, macOS and Nintendo Switch. A main sequel in the Life Is Strange series, the game's plot features Hispanic American brothers Sean and Daniel as they travel along the US West Coast as fugitives from the police after the younger brother discovers his telekinetic abilities. In the game, which is played from a third-person perspective, Sean must make crucial decisions that will lead to different branches in the storyline, while serving as a surrogate parent for Daniel.
Chloe Elizabeth Price is a fictional character from the Life Is Strange video game series published by Square Enix. Created by French developer Dontnod Entertainment, she first appears in the 2015 video game Life Is Strange and its prequel Life Is Strange: Before the Storm as the main protagonist. She is portrayed by Ashly Burch and Rhianna DeVries.
Life Is Strange: Before the Storm is an episodic adventure game developed by Deck Nine and published by Square Enix. Its three episodes were released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in late 2017. It is the second entry in the Life Is Strange series, set as a prequel to the original game, focusing on 16-year-old Chloe Price and her relationship with schoolmate Rachel Amber. Gameplay concerns itself mostly with the use of branching dialogues and interacting with the environment. In September 2018, it was ported to Linux and macOS and later that month to Android and iOS. A remastered version of the game was released as part of the Life Is Strange Remastered Collection in February 2022.
Life Is Strange is a series of adventure games published by Square Enix's External Studios. Created by Dontnod Entertainment, the series debuted with the eponymous first installment, which was released in five episodes throughout 2015. It was followed by a prequel, Life Is Strange: Before the Storm, which was developed by Deck Nine and released in three episodes throughout 2017, with a downloadable content (DLC) bonus episode released in early 2018. The sequel Life Is Strange 2 and its spin-off The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit were developed by Dontnod and released between 2018 and 2019. A third main installment, Life Is Strange: True Colors, was released in its entirety on 10 September 2021. A fourth installment, Life Is Strange: Double Exposure, was released on October 29, 2024. Additionally, a remastered collection of the original game and its prequel was released in February 2022.
Life Is Strange: True Colors is an adventure game developed by Deck Nine and published by Square Enix. It was released on 10 September 2021 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia; a Nintendo Switch version released on 7 December 2021. The plot focuses on Alex Chen, a young woman who can experience the emotions of others, as she tries to solve the mystery behind a tragedy that happened in her life.
Maxine "Max" Caulfield is a fictional character from the Life Is Strange video game series published by Square Enix. Created by French developer Dontnod Entertainment, she is the player character in Life Is Strange (2015) and its sequel Life Is Strange: Double Exposure (2024). She is portrayed by Hannah Telle.
Rachel Dawn Amber is a fictional character in the Life Is Strange video game series by Square Enix. Created by Dontnod Entertainment for the original Life Is Strange game released in 2015, Rachel's character was expanded upon by Deck Nine for a prequel game titled Life Is Strange: Before the Storm released in 2017. She is voiced by actress Kylie Brown.
Unfortunately, the title was not completed and in 2012 we shifted into mobile F2P gaming.