Freeverse Inc.

Last updated
Freeverse
Company type Subsidiary of Ngmoco
Industry Video games
Software
Headquarters New York City, New York, USA
Key people
Ian Lynch Smith - President
Colin Lynch Smith - Vice President
Dino de Cespedes - Chief Financial Officer
David Joost - Channel Sales Manager
Steven Tze´ - Creative Director
Justin D'Onofrio - Producer
Bruce Morrison - Producer
Matt Korybski - QA Director
Lydia Heitman - Marketing/Content Producer
Parent Ngmoco
Website-

Freeverse Inc. (originally Freeverse Software) was a developer of computer and video game and desktop software based in New York City which was acquired by Ngmoco in 2010. Ngmoco was itself acquired later that year, and shut down in 2016.

Contents

History

Ian Lynch Smith founded Freeverse in 1994 as a shareware company. The first product was a version of Hearts Deluxe for the Mac that used game artificial intelligence based on Smith's studies in cognitive science, the subject for which he received his degree from Vassar College. On February 22, 2010, it was announced that Freeverse had been acquired by ngmoco. [1]

On October 12, 2010, Japanese-based DeNA announced its acquisition of ngmoco for $400,000,000. [2] Ngmoco became the regional headquarters for all Western subsidiaries of DeNA, including studios in Vancouver, Santiago de Chile, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. However, on October 18, 2016, DeNA announced the closure of all Western subsidiaries, including ngmoco. [3]

Mac games

Original titles

Ports

Published games

iOS games

Applications

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Pokémon Puzzle League</i> 2000 puzzle game for the Nintendo 64

Pokémon Puzzle League is a puzzle video game in the Puzzle League series developed by Nintendo Software Technology and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Released in North America on September 25, 2000, and in Europe on March 2, 2001, its Puzzle League-based gameplay has a focus on puzzle-based strategy in the game's grid-based format. To advance to new levels, players are required to combat the game's trainers and gym leaders, similar to the ones featured in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow. One of several games based on the Pokémon anime, it features lead protagonist Ash Ketchum, his Pikachu, his companions Brock and Misty, the Kanto Gym Leaders, and other characters from the series.

<i>Its Mr. Pants</i> 2004 puzzle video game

It's Mr. Pants is a puzzle video game developed by Rare and published by THQ for the Game Boy Advance. It was released in North America in 2004 and Europe in 2005. A port of the game for mobile phones was developed and published internationally by In-Fusio in 2005–2006. The game stars Mr. Pants, a crudely drawn mascot formerly featured on Rare's website who had made cameo appearances in several prior Rare games.

<i>Heroes of Might and Magic V</i> 2006 video game

Heroes of Might and Magic V is the fifth installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic fantasy turn-based strategy video game series. The game was released by Ubisoft in Europe on May 19, and then in the United States and Canada on May 23, 2006, with the publisher guiding Russian studio Nival Interactive in its development. Following the closure of The 3DO Company, Ubisoft bought the rights to the Might and Magic franchise, and used Heroes V as a means to reboot the series with a brand-new setting, called Ashan, and no continuity to previous titles.

<i>Wheel of Fortune</i> video games Video game series

Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin, premiering in 1975 with a syndicated version airing in 1983. Since 1986, the syndicated version has been adapted into various video games spanning numerous hardware generations. Most versions released in the 20th century were published by GameTek, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1998.

<i>Hoyle Casino</i> Casino video game series

Hoyle Casino is a virtual casino video game series released from 1996 to 2016 as a spin-off of the Hoyle's Official Book of Games series developed and published by Sierra Entertainment. After 2005, publication of the series moved to Encore, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crave Entertainment</span> Defunct American video game publisher

Crave Entertainment was an American video game publisher founded in 1997 by Nima Taghavi. Its headquarters was in Newport Beach, California. It was acquired by Handleman Company in 2005 in a deal valued up to $95,000,000 but was then sold to Fillpoint LLC in early 2009 for only $8,100,000 due to Handleman's bankruptcy and pending liquidation. During its lifetime it published games for Dreamcast, Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64, GameCube, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox, and Xbox 360. Crave mainly focused on budget titles, and imported games such as Tokyo Xtreme Racer series.

<i>Commander: Europe at War</i> 2007 video game

Commander: Europe at War (CEaW) is a World War II turn-based strategy computer game. The game was codeveloped by Slitherine Software and Firepower Entertainment, and allows gamers to play either the Axis or the Allies. Commander features six scenarios, 50 inventions from five technology branches, and 12 different unit classes. A sequel, Commander: Napoleon at War, was released in 2008. Another sequel, Commander: The Great War, was released in 2012.

<i>Golden Nugget 64</i> 1998 video game

Golden Nugget 64 is a multiplayer virtual casino video game for the Nintendo 64. It was developed by Westwood Pacific, published by Electronic Arts, and was released on December 1, 1998 in North America. Golden Nugget 64 is unique because it is the only gambling/casino game released in North America for the Nintendo 64. The game starts off by having the player create an account with $1000 which is saved on the controller pack. Players have the choice from one of ten different popular casino games. Each game has its own set of rules and a guide to learn how to play.

<i>Monkey Hero</i> 1999 video game

Monkey Hero is a role-playing video game developed by Blam! and published by Take-Two Interactive for the Sony PlayStation video game console. The game is similar to the likes of The Legend of Zelda and Secret of Mana and borrows many ideas from these games, such as a top-down perspective and gameplay focused on exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving. Gameplay elements include large dungeons, fighting and puzzles. It has a whimsical manga-inspired look that makes use of both 3D and 2D graphics.

<i>Crayon Physics Deluxe</i> 2007 video game

Crayon Physics Deluxe is a puzzle video game designed by Petri Purho and released on January 7, 2009. An early version, titled Crayon Physics, was released for Windows in June 2007. Deluxe won the grand prize at the Independent Games Festival in 2008. It features a heavy emphasis on two-dimensional physics simulations, including gravity, mass, kinetic energy and transfer of momentum. The game includes a level editor and enables its players to download and share custom content via an online service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larian Studios</span> Belgian video game developer and publisher

Larian Studios is a Belgian independent video game developer and publisher founded in 1996 by Swen Vincke. Headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, Larian focuses on developing role-playing video games but has previously worked on educational games and casino games. It is best known for developing the Divinity series and Baldur's Gate 3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slitherine Software</span> British video game developer and publisher

Slitherine Software UK Limited is a British video game developer and publisher founded on 25 June 2000. It is responsible for the production of a range of over 200 strategy and war video games. Slitherine developed and/or published a number of licensed games with brands including Battlestar Galactica, Warhammer 40,000, Starship Troopers, Horrible Histories and The History Channel. It also produces rules for a series of tabletop wargames called Field of Glory.

Ngmoco, LLC was an American-based publisher of video games for the iOS and Android platforms, and a subsidiary of DeNA Co., Ltd. The company was founded by former Electronic Arts executive Neil Young in July 2008. Since its founding, ngmoco has had more than seven million combined game installs. Venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Norwest Venture Partners, among others, have financed the company with a combined total of US$40.6 million. The company is most well known for their publishing of the Rolando game series and Eliminate Pro.

<i>Tales of Monkey Island</i> 2009 video game

Tales of Monkey Island is a 2009 graphic adventure video game developed by Telltale Games under license from LucasArts. It is the fifth game in the Monkey Island series, released nearly a decade after the previous installment, Escape from Monkey Island. Developed for Windows and the Wii console, the game was released in five episodic segments, between July and December 2009. In contrast to Telltale's previous episodic adventure games, whose chapters told discrete stories, each chapter of Tales of Monkey Island is part of an ongoing narrative. The game was digitally distributed through WiiWare and Telltale's own website, and later through Steam and Amazon.com. Ports for OS X, the PlayStation Network, and iOS were released several months after the series ended.

<i>Ape Escape</i> (video game) 1999 video game

Ape Escape is a 1999 platform game developed by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. The first game in the Ape Escape series, the game tells the story of an ape named Specter who gains enhanced intelligence and a malevolent streak through the use of an experimental helmet. Specter produces an army of apes, which he sends through time in an attempt to rewrite history. Spike, the player character, sets out to capture the apes with the aid of special gadgets.

Runesoft GmbH, stylised as RuneSoft, is a German publisher founded in 2000 that ports games to alternative platforms such as Linux, Mac OS X, AmigaOS, MorphOS, and magnussoft ZETA. Alongside their own published games, they also ported Software Tycoon and Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom for Linux Game Publishing.

<i>Math Blaster Jr.</i> 1996 video game

Math Blaster Jr. is a 1996 educational video game in the Blaster Learning System series aimed at teaching mathematics to children aged 4–8. The game was rebranded as Math Blaster: Ages 4-6 in 1997.

References

  1. Schonfeld, Erick (2010-02-22). "iPhone Game House ngmoco Raises $25 Million Series C, Buys Freeverse". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  2. Buchanan, Levi (2010-10-12). "DeNA Buying ngmoco for $400 Million". IGN. Archived from the original on October 15, 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
  3. "DeNA shutters Western business as games "did not meet expectations"". GamesIndustry.biz.
  4. "Freeverse overhauls Enigma 2.0 puzzler for OS X, more". MacWorld. 2001-06-07. Retrieved 2017-08-14.
  5. Samhain, Cynn (24 March 2003). "Legion marches to Mac". IGN . Ziff Davis . Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  6. "Commander: Napoleon at War". Freeverse Inc. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  7. "Freeverse Releases Field Of Glory for Mac OS X". IGN . Ziff Davis. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  8. "How to Customize Troubleshoot even Hack OSX, iBook Expanded, Control Lego Robots with your Mac, Get the Most Out of Microsoft Office 2001". MacAddict. December 2000.