Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Video games |
Founded | March 22, 2009 [1] |
Headquarters | Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
Key people | Ian Dallas, creative director [2] |
Products | The Unfinished Swan What Remains of Edith Finch |
Website | giantsparrow.com |
Giant Sparrow is an American independent video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. It is best known for developing adventure games with emphasis on narrative elements, including The Unfinished Swan (2012) and What Remains of Edith Finch (2017).
Giant Sparrow was founded by developer Ian Dallas in 2009. Prior to founding, Dallas originally had graduated from Yale University with a degree in film, moved to Los Angeles, and worked in writing for television, having written for Rock Me Baby , Spaceballs: The Animated Series , Drawn Together , and Help Me Help You . [3] He found that writers had little direction on how a project could take shape in the television industry. He turned his sights towards video games, enrolling at the University of Southern California for a post-graduate program in game design. [4] During his studies, he developed some small game prototypes, one which drew attention of Sony Interactive Entertainment and led to his securing a deal with Sony to develop the prototype into a full title. He dropped out of school and formed Giant Sparrow, with a small office set up within the space of Sony's Santa Monica Studio in Los Angeles. With its formation, Sony gave Giant Sparrow a three-game development deal, giving Sony right of first refusal for publishing. [3] Giant Sparrow became the second independent studio, following Thatgamecompany, to be treated as a first-party developer within Sony. [3]
As of 2024, the studio remains with only three developers including Dallas, but receives support from Santa Monica Studios for its development. [3]
The Unfinished Swan is the company's debut game, based on Dallas' post-graduate prototype. [3] It is set in a surreal, blank world, in which the player, a boy named Monroe, chases a swan that has escaped a painting. The player must throw paint at their white surroundings to reveal the world. The game was released for the PlayStation 3 on October 23, 2012 and for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2014, while ports for Windows and iOS were released by Annapurna Interactive in 2020. [5] The Unfinished Swan received the BAFTA "Best Game" and "Best Debut Game" awards in 2013. [4]
What Remains of Edith Finch is a first-person narrative adventure game, presented as a series of vignettes around the seemingly cursed fate of the Finch family. Originally it started as diving simulator, but grew to incorporate an anthology style inspired by The Twilight Zone and One Hundred Years of Solitude . [6] It was released for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4 on April 25, 2017. On December 7, 2017, it was awarded the "Best Narrative" for The Game Awards and the BAFTA "Best Game" award in 2017. [4]
A new game is in development, which Dallas described as a series of short stories focued on a field biologist and "the strangeness of organic life". [4] The game bore out from ideas based on nature documentaries from David Attenborough and the mythological world of Spirited Away . [4]
Year | Title | Publisher | Platforms |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | The Unfinished Swan | Sony Computer Entertainment (PS3, PS4, PSV) Annapurna Interactive (Windows, iOS) | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Microsoft Windows, iOS |
2017 | What Remains of Edith Finch | Annapurna Interactive | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, iOS |
Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) is an American video game and digital entertainment company that is a major subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It primarily operates the PlayStation brand of video game consoles and products. It is also the world's largest company in the video game industry based on its equity investments.
Naughty Dog, LLC is an American first-party video game developer based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin in 1984, the studio was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2001. Gavin and Rubin produced a sequence of progressively more successful games, including Rings of Power and Way of the Warrior in the early 1990s. The latter game prompted Universal Interactive Studios to sign the duo to a three-title contract and fund the expansion of the company.
Santa Monica Studio is an American video game developer of Sony Interactive Entertainment based in Los Angeles. It is best known for developing the God of War series. The studio was founded in 1999 by Allan Becker and was located in Santa Monica, California, until relocating to Playa Vista in 2014.
Thatgamecompany, Inc. is an American independent video game development company founded by University of Southern California students Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago in 2006. The company was a developer for Sony Computer Entertainment, contracted to create three downloadable games for the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network service, and has since secured independent funding. The first of their games is a remake of Chen's award-winning Flash title Flow, with enhanced visuals and sound, added multiplayer modes and compatibility with the PlayStation 3's motion-sensitive controller. The title was released on the PlayStation Store in 2007. The company's second PlayStation 3 game, Flower, was released on the PlayStation Store in 2009, and their third game, Journey, was released in March 2012 on the PlayStation Store. Their fourth game, Sky: Children of the Light, was released in July 2019 on iOS and in April 2020 on Android. Later, it released on the Nintendo Switch in June 2021 and on PlayStation 4 in December 2022.
God of War III is a 2010 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the fifth installment in the God of War series, the seventh chronologically, and the sequel to the 2007 video game God of War II. Loosely based on Greek mythology, the game is set in ancient Greece with vengeance as its central motif. The player controls the protagonist Kratos, the former God of War, after his betrayal at the hands of Zeus, King of the Olympian gods, whom he learned was his father. Reigniting the Great War, Kratos ascends Mount Olympus until he is abandoned by the Titan Gaia. Guided by Athena's spirit, Kratos battles monsters, gods, and Titans in a search for Pandora, without whom he cannot open Pandora's Box, defeat Zeus, and end the reign of the Olympian gods.
Cory Barlog is an American video game designer, director, and writer who is the current creative director of video game development at Santa Monica Studio. He is best known for his work on the God of War series.
God of War is an action-adventure game franchise created by David Jaffe and developed by Sony's Santa Monica Studio. It began in 2005 on the PlayStation 2 (PS2) video game console and has become a flagship series for PlayStation, consisting of nine installments across multiple platforms. Based on ancient mythologies, the series' plot follows Kratos, a Spartan warrior who becomes the God of War and comes into conflict with various mythological pantheons. The earlier games in the series are based on Greek mythology and see Kratos follow a path of vengeance against the Olympian gods; the later games are based on Norse mythology and see Kratos on a path of redemption while also introducing his son Atreus as a secondary protagonist, as they come into conflict or interact with various Norse deities and figures.
This article lists appearances of the composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in popular media.
Stig Asmussen is an American video game developer best known for his work on the God of War series for Santa Monica Studio and the Star Wars Jedi series for Respawn Entertainment. Stig Asmussen founded his own new AAA video game development studio Giant Skull in 2023 September 9.
Sound Shapes is a 2012 music platform video game developed by Queasy Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. It was originally released in 2012 and a port for the PlayStation 4 was released in 2013. The game, designed by Jessica Mak and Shaw-Han Liem, is a side-scrolling platform game with a musical focus. The game also features the ability to create levels and share levels with other users. The Vita version of the game features use of the touch screen and back touch pad to place sounds of different musical instruments during creation of levels. Sound Shapes was shown at industry conference E3 in 2011 and picked up nominations for best of show award from media sites including IGN, 1UP, and Electric Playground. It also received 2 Game Critics Awards, and received three nominations at the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.
Escape Plan is a puzzle video game developed by Fun Bits Interactive and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Vita It was originally released as a launch title for the system. It is the debut game from new developer Fun Bits Interactive and is produced by Chris Millar, known for his previous work on Fat Princess. In previews of the game it was noted for its sharp, black-and-white visuals, gruesome yet humorous tone and its intuitive use of the PlayStation Vita's inputs including touch and gyroscopic control. A PlayStation 4 version was released in 2013.
The Unfinished Swan is an adventure video game developed by Giant Sparrow and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 in October 2012. The game starts with a completely white space in which the player, a boy named Monroe, is chasing after a swan that has escaped a painting, while simultaneously learning the story of a lonely king. The PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of the game, which was developed by Armature Studio, was released in October 2014. The game was released on Microsoft Windows and iOS by Annapurna Interactive in September 2020.
Annapurna Pictures is an American independent media company founded by Megan Ellison on April 2, 2011, and based in Los Angeles, California. It is active in film, television and theatrical production, film distribution, and video game publishing.
Hohokum is a 2014 art video game developed by Honeyslug and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita, and by Annapurna Interactive for Microsoft Windows. The player controls a snake-like creature to explore 17 whimsical worlds with no set objectives. The developers, who began development in 2008, compared the concept to flying a kite and were inspired by free London museums, Portmeirion, and indigenous cultures. It was released on August 12, 2014, and features a soundtrack by Ghostly International artists. The game received "generally favorable reviews", according to video game review score aggregator Metacritic. Critics appreciated the game's presentation, including its art and music, but felt that the gameplay turned to drudgery towards its end and that the objectives were too vague.
PixelOpus was an American video game developer based in San Mateo, California, It was established in 2014 as a first-party developer for Sony Interactive Entertainment. The studio's debut game, Entwined, was released the same year. Their second and ultimately last game, Concrete Genie, was announced on October 30, 2017 and released on October 8, 2019.
God of War is a 2018 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. It is the eighth installment in the God of War series and the sequel to 2010's God of War III. For the first time in the series, there are two protagonists: Kratos, the former Greek God of War who remains the only playable character, and his young son, Atreus. Following the death of Kratos's second wife and Atreus's mother, Faye, the two embark on a deeply personal journey to fulfill her last wish that her ashes be spread from the highest peak in all the nine realms. Kratos keeps his troubled past a secret from Atreus, who is unaware of his divine nature. Along their journey, they come into conflict with monsters and gods of the Norse world.
What Remains of Edith Finch is a first-person exploration video game developed by Giant Sparrow and published by Annapurna Interactive. The game was released in 2017 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One; for Nintendo Switch in 2019; for iOS in 2021; and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2022.
The British Academy Games Award for British Game is an award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is given in honour of "the best British game of the year, across all genres and platforms. Creative control and overall development must be led by a British development studio.". The first ceremony to introduce the award was the 9th British Academy Games Awards in 2013, and was received by Fireproof Games' The Room.
Annapurna Games, LLC is an American video game publisher and developer. The company is a division of Annapurna Pictures, and was founded in 2016, and has focused on publishing innovative and emotive indie games. Notable games published by the company include Donut County, Kentucky Route Zero, Outer Wilds, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Wattam, What Remains of Edith Finch, Telling Lies, Neon White and Stray.
God of War Ragnarök is a 2022 action-adventure game developed by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released worldwide on November 9, 2022, for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, marking the first cross-generation release in the God of War series, and was released for Windows on September 19, 2024. It is the ninth installment in the series, the ninth chronologically, and the sequel to 2018's God of War. Loosely based on Norse mythology, the game is set in ancient Scandinavia and features series protagonist, Kratos, and his now teenage son, Atreus. Concluding the Norse era of the series, the story follows Kratos and Atreus' efforts to prevent the nine realms from being destroyed by Ragnarök, the eschatological event which is central to Norse mythology and was foretold to happen in the previous game after Kratos killed the Aesir god Baldur.