Volition was an American video game developer located in Champaign, Illinois. It was founded in 1993 by programmers Mike Kulas and Matt Toschlog as Parallax Software. The company grew to eight employees while developing its first game, the first-person spaceship shooter Descent (1995), which was released to widespread acclaim. After the release of Descent II (1996), the two founders split the company, with Toshlog moving to Michigan with some of the employees and founding Outrage Entertainment, while Kulas remained in Illinois and renamed the company to Volition. Outrage went on to develop Descent 3 , while Volition moved on to develop the space combat game Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War (1998), growing to around 20 employees during its development. After it successfully launched, Volition began four separate projects while expanding to around 40 employees; the first, FreeSpace 2 , was critically acclaimed but had lower sales than its predecessor; two other games—Descent 4 and Tube Racer—were cancelled; and Summoner (2000), was released as a PlayStation 2 launch title. Volition's previous games had been published by Interplay Entertainment, but the contract had expired and Interplay was not interested in publishing a role-playing video game from Volition; instead, THQ not only agreed to publish Summoner but bought Volition entirely during its development in 2000. [1] It purchased Outrage Entertainment as well in 2002, which remained a separate studio until its closure the following year. [2]
Descent 4 had been cancelled due to Interplay abandoning the project; as Interplay owned the rights to the franchise, Volition reused the assets to make the first person shooter Red Faction (2001). It was followed by Red Faction II (2002) and Summoner 2 (2002). The third games in both of these series were cancelled after sales were lower than expected. At THQ's suggestion, Volition made a tie-in game, The Punisher , for the 2004 film of the same name, which sold well. Volition brainstormed ideas for a new project, and decided to make an open world action-adventure "gang simulator", Saints Row (2006), as the Grand Theft Auto franchise was the only major series in the genre. THQ was hesitant about the idea, but Volition convinced them that the humorous tone of the game would offset the subject matter. Volition expanded to over 100 employees working on the game during development. The game sold very well, and the company moved on to make Saints Row 2 (2008) as well as resuming the Red Faction series with Red Faction: Guerrilla (2009). Both series were followed by another installment in 2011, Saints Row: The Third and Red Faction: Armageddon , and a horror game project, Insane , was announced in 2010 as the first in a trilogy. [1] Kulas left the company in 2011, later founding Revival Productions with Toschlog in 2014. [3] [4]
In August 2012, THQ cancelled Insane, and in December it filed for bankruptcy. Volition was acquired by Koch Media for US$22 million, and merged with publisher Deep Silver to form Deep Silver Volition, while several franchises, including Summoner and Red Faction, were sold to Nordic Games, which later bought Koch Media in 2018. [5] [6] [7] In late 2022, Nordic's parent company Embracer Group split Volition away from Deep Silver to be a part of an operating group under Gearbox Entertainment, though still an independent studio. [8] Since leaving THQ in 2012 Volition grew to over 200 employees [9] and focused on the Saints Row franchise, producing Saints Row IV (2013), its stand-alone expansion Saints Row: Gat out of Hell (2015), and the franchise reboot Saints Row (2022). It additionally developed Agents of Mayhem (2017), a superhero-themed action-adventure game connected to the Saints Row franchise. In June 2023, Embracer, following the collapse of a multi-billion dollar deal, announced wide-ranging plans to restructure the company that would include studio closures and staff layoffs; Volition was shut down on August 31, 2023. [10] [11] In nearly 30 years of operation, Volition developed 18 titles, as well as at least 6 titles that were cancelled while in development.
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Original release date: March 5, 1995 [12] | Release years by system: 1995 – MS-DOS, Mac OS [13] 1996 – PlayStation [13] 1998 – Acorn Archimedes [14] |
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Original release date: March 13, 1996 [21] | Release years by system: 1996 – MS-DOS, Mac OS, [22] Windows (The Infinite Abyss / Destination Quartzon) [23] [24] 1997 – PlayStation (Descent Maximum) [25] 2001 – Acorn Archimedes [26] |
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Title | Details |
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Original release date: March 19, 1998 [29] | Release years by system: 1998 – Windows [30] 2001 – Amiga (FreeSpace: The Great War) [31] |
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Original release date: September 30, 1999 [35] | Release years by system: 1999 – Windows [36] |
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Original release date: October 24, 2000 [39] | Release years by system: 2000 – PlayStation 2 [40] 2001 – Windows, macOS [40] |
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Original release date: May 22, 2001 [41] | Release years by system: 2001 – PlayStation 2, Windows [42] 2002 – macOS [42] 2003 – N-Gage [42] 2005 – Mobile phones [43] |
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Original release date: September 23, 2002 [44] | Release years by system: 2002 – PlayStation 2 [45] 2003 – GameCube [46] |
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Original release date: October 16, 2002 [47] | Release years by system: 2002 – PlayStation 2 [48] 2003 – GameCube, Windows, Xbox [48] |
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Original release date: April 12, 2004 [49] | Release years by system: 2004 – Mobile phones [49] 2005 – Xbox, Windows, PlayStation 2 [50] |
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Original release date: August 29, 2006 [52] | Release years by system: 2006 – Xbox 360 [53] |
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Original release date: October 14, 2008 [56] | Release years by system: 2008 – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 [57] 2009 – Windows [57] 2016 – Linux [58] |
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Original release date: June 2, 2009 [59] | Release years by system: 2009 – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows [60] 2018 – Xbox One, PlayStation 4 (Re-Mars-tered Edition) [61] |
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Original release date: June 7, 2011 [63] | Release years by system: 2011 – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows [64] |
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Original release date: November 15, 2011 [65] | Release years by system: 2011 – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows [66] 2016 – Linux [58] 2019 – Nintendo Switch (The Full Package) [67] 2020 – Xbox One, PlayStation 4 (remaster) [68] |
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Original release date: August 20, 2013 [70] | Release years by system: 2013 – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows [71] 2015 – Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Linux (Re-Elected) [72] [73] 2020 – Nintendo Switch (Re-Elected) [74] |
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Original release date: January 20, 2015 [72] | Release years by system: 2015 – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Windows, Linux [72] [80] |
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Original release date: August 15, 2017 [81] | Release years by system: 2017 – Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Windows [82] |
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Original release date: August 23, 2022 [83] | Release years by system: 2022 – Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows [83] |
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Title | Details |
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Tube Racer [1] Cancellation date: By 1999 [1] | Proposed system release: Xbox, PlayStation 2 |
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Descent 4 [1] Cancellation date: By 2000 [1] [84] | Proposed system release: Windows |
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Underground [1] Cancellation date: 2001 [1] | Proposed system release: Xbox, PlayStation 2 |
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Summoner 3 [1] Cancellation date: By 2003 [1] | Proposed system release: N/A |
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Red Faction 3 [1] Cancellation date: By 2003 [1] | Proposed system release: N/A |
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Cancellation date: August 6, 2012 [85] | Proposed system release: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows [86] |
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Red Faction is a first-person shooter video game developed by Volition and published by THQ for PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows in 2001, and Macintosh platforms in 2001 and 2002. A version for the N-Gage was developed by Monkeystone Games, and the mobile version was developed by Blue Beck. The game was inspired by several works of contemporary science fiction.
THQ Inc. was an American video game company based in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, originally in Calabasas, and became a public company the following year through a reverse merger takeover. Initially working in the toy business, it expanded into the video game business through several acquisitions before shifting its focus away from toys entirely. THQ continued its trend of acquiring companies throughout the 2000s.
Summoner is an action role-playing game developed by Volition and published by THQ. It was released as a launch title for the PlayStation 2 in 2000, and was subsequently ported to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS the following year. In the game, the player plays the role of Joseph and can assemble a team of compatriots and summon powerful monsters. The game has a world map, involved storyline, and unique hybrid combat system involving real-time and turn-based mechanisms.
Deep Silver is an Austrian video game publisher and a division of Plaion.
Deep Silver Volition, LLC was an American video game developer based in Champaign, Illinois. Mike Kulas and Matt Toschlog founded the company as Parallax Software in June 1993, developing Descent and Descent II. By the time the sequel was completed, Toschlog had relocated to Ann Arbor, Michigan, with some employees to operate a satellite studio for Parallax. Kulas and Toschlog decided to split up the company, with Toschlog establishing Outrage Entertainment and Kulas staying with Parallax, which was renamed Volition in November 1996. With publisher Interplay Entertainment, Volition created Descent: FreeSpace – The Great War and its sequel, FreeSpace 2. The two companies parted ways during the development of Summoner.
Saints Row 2 is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Volition and published by THQ. It is the sequel to 2006's Saints Row and the second installment in the Saints Row series. The game was released in October 2008 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, January 2009 for Microsoft Windows, and April 2016 for Linux. A mobile tie-in game was developed by G5 Entertainment and also released in October 2008. Saints Row 2 directly follows from the events of the first game, as the player's custom character awakens from a coma after five years to find that their gang, the 3rd Street Saints, has been disbanded, and their former territories taken over by newly-formed criminal syndicates and a corrupt corporation. With the help of new and old allies, the player attempts to rebuild the Saints and take back Stilwater from their rivals.
Red Faction: Guerrilla is a third-person shooter video game developed by Volition and published by THQ. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in June 2009 and for Windows in September 2009. The game is the third installment in the Red Faction series. A remastered version titled Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered with improved graphics was released worldwide on July 3, 2018, for the PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One, and on July 2, 2019, for the Nintendo Switch.
Saints Row is a series of action-adventure video games created by Volition and published by THQ and Deep Silver. The series follows the 3rd Street Saints, a fictional street gang originally operating out of the Saints Row district, hence the series' title.
Saints Row: The Third is a 2011 action-adventure game developed by Volition and published by THQ. It is the sequel to 2008's Saints Row 2 and the third installment in the Saints Row series. It was released on November 15, 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and May 10, 2019 for the Nintendo Switch. A remastered version of Saints Row: The Third, titled Saints Row: The Third Remastered, was released by Deep Silver on May 22, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, March 5, 2021 for Stadia, May 25, 2021 for PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, and July 29, 2021 for Luna.
Plaion is a German-Austrian media company headquartered in Höfen, Tyrol, Austria, with an operating subsidiary based in Planegg, Germany. The company was founded in 1994 by Franz Koch and Klemens Kundratitz. The company operates video game publishing labels Deep Silver, Prime Matter and Ravenscourt, the video game developers Warhorse Studios and Milestone, as well as a film distribution arm, Plaion Pictures. Koch Media's parent company, Koch Media Holding, was acquired by Swedish holding company Embracer Group in February 2018.
Red Faction is a series of shooter video games developed by Volition and owned by Plaion. Originating in 2001, the Red Faction games have spanned Microsoft Windows, macOS and consoles, including the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Original developers Volition have retained the rights to the series since 2020, with no updates provided on whether a future fifth game is in the works or may be so in the future.
Outrage Games was an American video game developer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in December 1997 by Matt Toschlog as part of the split-up of Parallax Software, the company developed Descent 3 and Alter Echo (2003). The company was acquired by THQ in April 2002 and shut down in 2003.
Red Faction: Armageddon is a third-person shooter video game developed by Volition and published by THQ in association with the TV network Syfy. It is the fourth and final installment in the Red Faction series, and was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in various countries around the world between June 7 and June 10, 2011.
Fishlabs GmbH is a German video game developer based in Hamburg. Founded in 2004 by Michael Schade and Christian Lohr, the studio is best known for its Galaxy on Fire series. Following a brief bankruptcy proceeding, Fishlabs was acquired by Koch Media and reorganized as part of their game publishing label Deep Silver.
THQ Nordic GmbH is an Austrian video game publisher based in Vienna. Formed in 2011, it is a publishing subsidiary of Embracer Group. Originally named Nordic Games, as was the parent company, both companies were renamed THQ Nordic in August 2016 after the parent company had acquired the "THQ" trademark in 2014.
Saints Row IV is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Volition and published by Deep Silver. It is the sequel to 2011's Saints Row: The Third, the fourth installment of the Saints Row series, and the final main installment in the original series that began with the original game. The game was released in August 2013 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and was later ported to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Linux in 2015. A Nintendo Switch port was released on March 27, 2020, and a Google Stadia port was released on November 1, 2021.
Saints Row IV: Enter the Dominatrix is a downloadable content pack for the 2013 video game Saints Row IV that includes an alternate story of the alien Zin invasion. The dialogue often breaks the fourth wall and its style is self-referential in nature. Enter the Dominatrix draws on its history as originally produced as downloadable content for the game's predecessor, Saints Row: The Third. It was first announced on April Fool's Day in 2012, later confirmed, and then cancelled to be incorporated into Saints Row IV, which drew on some aspects of the original idea and left the rest for this downloadable content. It was released on October 22, 2013 to mixed or average reviews. Critics appreciated the pack's treatment of its own history, what Eurogamer's Chris Schilling called a "very postmodern conceit".
Agents of Mayhem is a 2017 action-adventure game developed by Volition and published by Deep Silver. The game was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in August 2017. The game's themes are based on Saturday-morning cartoons and superhero films. It is set in a parallel universe of Volition's Saints Row series, and includes several plot and character crossovers.
Embracer Group AB is a Swedish video game and media holding company based in Karlstad. The company comprises 10 operative groups: Amplifier Game Invest, Asmodee, CDE Entertainment, Coffee Stain, Dark Horse Media, Deca Games, Easybrain, Freemode, Plaion, and THQ Nordic.
Saints Row is an action-adventure game developed by Volition and published by Deep Silver. It is a reboot of the Saints Row series, and the fifth main installment, following 2013's Saints Row IV. It was released on August 23, 2022 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Google Stadia. Set within the fictional city of Santo Ileso, loosely based on Las Vegas, the single-player story follows a group of four friends who start their own outlaw gang called the Saints, which they subsequently expand by seizing power from other criminal organizations in the city.