Bullfrog Productions was a British video game developer located in Guildford, England. It was founded in 1987 by Peter Molyneux and Les Edgar as a successor to their software company Taurus Impact Systems, with Molyneux as the studio's chief game designer. [1] The company's first release was a 1988 Amiga port of the 1987 Commodore 64 game Druid II: Enlightenment, and its first original game Fusion was released a few months later. Bullfrog's second game, Populous (1989), garnered widespread attention and awards, and sold over four million copies, leading the company to grow to around twenty employees. [1] [2] It was followed by a sequel, Populous II: Trials of the Olympian Gods (1991), as well as eight other games by 1995 in several genres including Syndicate (1993) and Theme Park (1994), the first games in the Syndicate and Theme series. By this point, Bullfrog was widely considered to be one of the most innovative and imaginative video game companies in the world. [3] [4] [5]
Electronic Arts, Bullfrog's primary publisher, bought the studio in 1995 and made Molyneux and Edgar vice-presidents; the company quickly grew from 60 to around 150 employees. [6] [7] [8] Bullfrog released six more games over the next three years, including Dungeon Keeper (1997), the first game in the eponymous series; Molyneux, disliking his new role at Electronic Arts, decided to leave the company in 1996, changing roles to finish the development of Dungeon Keeper and leaving entirely at its conclusion in 1997 along with several other employees to found Lionhead Studios. [9] Bullfrog released a further five games between his departure and 2001 in the Populous, Dungeon Keeper, and Theme series, as well as a port of Quake III Arena (1999), after which it was merged into EA UK and effectively closed as a development studio. [1] During its lifetime Bullfrog Productions released twenty-two games and two ports, primarily for various personal computer systems and often with later PlayStation versions, and worked on at least nine other titles which were cancelled in various stages of development.
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Original release date: October 1988 [10] | Release years by system: 1988 – Amiga, Atari ST [11] |
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Original release date: April 1989 [13] | Release years by system: 1989 – Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS [14] [15] 1990 – Sega Genesis, PC-98, X68000, Super NES [14] [15] 1991 – Master System, TurboGrafx-16 [15] 1992 – Acorn Archimedes, Game Boy [15] 1993 – MacOS [14] 2008 – Nintendo DS [16] |
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Original release date: June 1990 [19] | Release years by system: 1990 – Amiga, Atari ST [19] |
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Original release date: November 1990 [20] | Release years by system: 1990 – Amiga, Atari ST [20] 1991 – PC-98, X68000 1992 – DOS, FM Towns, Sega Genesis 1993 – Super NES 1994 – MacOS, Sega CD |
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Bullfrogger Original release date: September 1991 [22] | Release years by system: 1991 – Amiga [22] |
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Original release date: November 1991 [23] | Release years by system: 1991 – Amiga [24] 1992 – Atari ST, Sega Genesis, X68000 [24] 1993 – DOS, FM Towns, TurboGrafx-16, Super NES [24] 1994 – MacOS [24] |
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Psycho Santa Original release date: December 1992 [27] | Release years by system: 1992 – Amiga [27] |
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Original release date: 6 June 1993 [28] | Release years by system: 1993 – Amiga, DOS, MacOS [29] 1994 – Sega Genesis, Super NES, [29] 1995 – 3DO, Atari Jaguar [29] 2006 – PSP (EA Replay) [30] |
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Original release date: 6 May 1994 [34] | Release years by system: 1994 – DOS [35] 1996 – PlayStation, Sega Saturn [35] |
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Original release date: June 1994 [38] | Release years by system: 1994 – Amiga, [39] 3DO, DOS, [40] 1995 – Atari Jaguar, MacOS, PlayStation, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, [40] Super NES [41] 2007 – Nintendo DS (Theme Park DS) [42] 2011 – iOS (remake) [43] 2012 – Android (remake) [44] |
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Tube Original release date: 1994 [11] | Release years by system: 1994 – Amiga, DOS [11] |
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Original release date: August 1995 [47] | Release years by system: 1995 – DOS, PlayStation, Sega Saturn [48] |
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Original release date: 1995 [11] | Release years by system: 1995 – DOS [11] |
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Original release date: 24 June 1996 [50] | Release years by system: 1996 – DOS [51] |
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Original release date: 31 October 1996 [52] | Release years by system: 1996 – DOS [52] 1997 – PlayStation [53] |
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Original release date: 28 March 1997 [54] | Release years by system: 1997 – DOS, Windows [54] 1998 – PlayStation [55] |
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Original release date: 26 June 1997 [56] | Release years by system: 1997 – DOS, Windows [57] |
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Original release date: 30 November 1998 [60] | Release years by system: 1998 – Windows [61] 1999 – PlayStation [61] |
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Original release date: 17 December 1998 [64] | Release years by system: 1998 – PlayStation [65] 2000 – Windows [65] |
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Original release date: 7 July 1999 [67] | Release years by system: 1999 – Windows [67] |
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Original release date: 4 November 1999 [68] | Release years by system: 1999 – Windows [69] 2000 – MacOS, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 [69] [70] |
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Original release date: 30 January 2001 [72] | Release years by system: 2001 – Windows [72] |
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Title | Details |
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Original release date(s): July 1988 [8] [73] | Release years by system: 1988 – Amiga [8] |
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Original release date(s): 28 March 2001 [74] | Release years by system: 2001 – PlayStation 2 [74] [17] |
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Ember Cancellation date: By 1989 [76] | Proposed system release: N/A |
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Colony Cancellation date: By 1989 [76] | Proposed system release: N/A |
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Hell Cancellation date: By 1989 [76] | Proposed system release: N/A |
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Cancellation date: 1997 [77] | Proposed system release: Windows [77] |
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Void Star Cancellation date: 1998 [78] | Proposed system release: Windows [78] |
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Cancellation date: 1998 [79] | Proposed system release: Windows [77] |
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Genesis: The Hand of God Cancellation date: 1999 [80] | Proposed system release: Windows [80] |
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Theme Movie Studio Cancellation date: 2000 [80] | Proposed system release: N/A [80] |
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Cancellation date: March 2000 [81] | Proposed system release: Windows [81] |
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Lionhead Studios Limited was a British video game developer founded in July 1997 by Peter Molyneux, Mark Webley, Tim Rance, and Steve Jackson. The company is best known for the Black & White and Fable series. Lionhead started as a breakaway from developer Bullfrog Productions, which was also founded by Molyneux. Lionhead's first game was Black & White, a god game with elements of artificial life and strategy games. Black & White was published by Electronic Arts in 2001. Lionhead Studios is named after Webley's hamster, which died not long after the naming of the studio, as a result of which the studio was very briefly renamed to Redeye Studios.
Populous is a video game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts, released originally for the Amiga in 1989, and is regarded by many as the first god game. With over four million copies sold, Populous is one of the best-selling PC games of all time.
A god game is an artificial life game that casts the player in the position of controlling the game on a large scale, as an entity with divine and supernatural powers, as a great leader, or with no specified character, and places them in charge of a game setting containing autonomous characters to guard and influence.
Peter Douglas Molyneux is an English video game designer and programmer. He created the god games Populous, Dungeon Keeper, and Black & White, as well as Theme Park, the Fable series, Curiosity: What's Inside the Cube?, and Godus. In 2012 he founded and currently runs 22cans, a video game development studio.
Black & White is a god video game developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows in 2001 and by Feral Interactive in 2002 for Mac OS. Black & White combines elements of artificial life and strategy. The player acts as a god whose goal is to defeat Nemesis, another god who wants to take over the world. A primary theme is the concept of good and evil, with the atmosphere being affected by the player's moral choices. The core gameplay mechanic of Black & White is the interaction between the player and an avatar creature, who carries out the player's instructions and whose personality and behaviour change in reaction to how they are treated. Multiplayer is supported over a local network or online.
Syndicate is a series of science fiction video games created by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts. There are two main titles: Syndicate (1993) and Syndicate Wars (1996), both of which are isometric real-time tactics games. An additional first-person shooter Syndicate title was released in 2012, and a spiritual successor to the series, entitled Satellite Reign, was released in 2015.
Bullfrog Productions Limited was a British video game developer based in Guildford, England. Founded in 1987 by Peter Molyneux and Les Edgar, the company gained recognition in 1989 for their third release, Populous, and is also well known for titles such as Theme Park, Theme Hospital, Magic Carpet, Syndicate and Dungeon Keeper. Bullfrog's name was derived from an ornament in the offices of Edgar's and Molyneux's other enterprise, Taurus Impact Systems, Bullfrog's precursor where Molyneux and Edgar were developing business software. Bullfrog Productions was founded as a separate entity after Commodore mistook Taurus for a similarly named company.
Theme Park is a construction and management simulation video game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1994. The player designs and operates an amusement park, with the goal of making money and creating theme parks worldwide. The game is the first instalment in Bullfrog's Theme series and their Designer Series.
Dungeon Keeper is a strategy video game developed by Bullfrog Productions and released by Electronic Arts in June 1997 for MS-DOS and Windows 95. In Dungeon Keeper, the player builds and manages a dungeon, protecting it from invading 'hero' characters intent on stealing accumulated treasures, killing monsters and ultimately the player's demise. The ultimate goal is to conquer the world by destroying the heroic forces and rival dungeon keepers in each realm. A character known as the Avatar appears as the final hero. Dungeon Keeper uses Creative Technology's SoundFont technology to enhance its atmosphere. Multiplayer with up to four players is supported using a modem, or over a local network.
Dungeon Keeper 2 is a strategy game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1999 for Microsoft Windows. In the sequel to Dungeon Keeper, the player takes the role of a 'dungeon keeper', building and defending an underground dungeon from the would-be heroes that would invade it, as well as from other keepers. In the campaign mode, the player is charged with recovering the portal gems from each area in order to open a portal to the surface. The player can also construct a dungeon without strict objectives, and multiplayer is supported over a network.
Theme Hospital is a business simulation game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1997 for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows compatible PCs in which players design and operate a privately owned hospital with the goal of curing patients of fictitious comical ailments. The game is the thematic successor to Theme Park, also produced by Bullfrog, and the second instalment in their Theme series, and part of their Designer Series. The game is noted for its humour, and contains numerous references to pop culture.
Populous: The Beginning is a real-time strategy video game and the third entry in the Populous series, developed by Bullfrog Productions. The game was released in 1998 on Microsoft Windows, and in 1999 for the PlayStation. Unlike earlier games in the series, which cast the player in the role of a god influencing loyal followers, The Beginning took a radical departure and placed the player in the role of a shaman, who directly leads her tribe against opponents. Throughout the twenty-five missions of the campaign, the player leads their tribe across a solar system, dominating enemy tribes and tapping new sources of magic, with the ultimate goal of the shaman attaining godhood herself.
A spiritual successor is a product or fictional work that is similar to, or directly inspired by, another previous product or work, but does not explicitly continue the product line or media franchise of its predecessor, and is thus only a successor "in spirit". Spiritual successors often have similar themes and styles to their preceding material, but are generally a distinct intellectual property.
Dungeon Keeper 3: War for the Overworld is a cancelled PC strategy game by Bullfrog Productions for Microsoft Windows. Dungeon Keeper 3 was set to be the next installment in the Dungeon Keeper franchise. Players were charged with managing evil creatures in an underground dungeon and protecting it against the stereotypical righteous and goodly adventurers that conventionally appear in role-playing video games. The series won praise from reviewers for its innovative design and devilish humor. The sequel to Dungeon Keeper, and Dungeon Keeper 2, it was set to lead the player to do battle in the surface realm of the goodly heroes. A short trailer for the game is included in Dungeon Keeper 2.
Russell Shaw is a BAFTA nominated British composer and sound designer. He is known for his work in many video games, particularly those designed by Peter Molyneux.
Dungeon Keeper was a freemium mobile massively multiplayer online strategy video game developed by Mythic Entertainment and released by Electronic Arts in 2014 for iOS and Android. A reboot to the Dungeon Keeper series, players construct and manage a dungeon, recruiting minions to run it, although the gameplay had a tower defence style, featuring frequent raids of others' dungeons and the defense of the player's. Players could participate in tournaments and leagues online.
Creation was a cancelled real-time strategy video game developed by Bullfrog Productions as a spin-off of their Syndicate series of real-time tactics games. Set on an alien water world, a player-controlled submarine is tasked with looking after marine life and defending it from the Syndicate, who run planet Earth.
Gary Carr is an English video game developer. His career began at Palace Software, where he worked on titles such as Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior and Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax. In 1989, he joined Bullfrog Productions and worked as lead artist on Powermonger and Populous II. He also worked on Theme Park, but, after a disagreement with Peter Molyneux, he left the company to work for The Bitmap Brothers, where he worked on The Chaos Engine 2. He returned to Bullfrog in 1995 hoping to work on Dungeon Keeper, but worked on Theme Hospital instead. He left Bullfrog again in 1998 to join Mucky Foot Productions.
Les Edgar is an entrepreneur, known for being the co-founder and joint managing director of Bullfrog Productions, which he set up with Peter Molyneux. After Bullfrog's acquisition by Electronic Arts in 1995, Edgar became a vice president there. Edgar left Bullfrog in 1999, and eventually left the video gaming industry for the automotive industry, where he reintroduced Aston Martin to racing, and became chairman of TVR, which has, under his leadership, set up partnerships with Gordon Murray and Cosworth. Edgar has stated that he intends to return TVR to Le Mans 24 Hours.