Midway Studios San Diego

Last updated
Midway Studios San Diego
Type Subsidiary
Industry Video games
Predecessor Leland Corporation
Founded1997;26 years ago (1997)
Defunct2012;11 years ago (2012) (as THQ San Diego)
Headquarters,
Parent Midway Games (1997–2009)
THQ (2009–2012)

Midway Studios San Diego (known as THQ San Diego from 2009 to 2012) was a game developer based in San Diego, California. It was the successor to the Leland Corporation and Cinematronics.

Contents

History

In 1994, Midway Games parent WMS Industries bought the Texas-based game publisher Tradewest and its San Diego-based subsidiary studio Leland Corporation to expand into home console publishing. [1] Tradewest became known briefly as Williams Entertainment before being renamed Midway Home Entertainment in 1996; the San Diego studio was renamed Midway Studios San Diego. The two offices were combined in 2001. In addition to original games, Midway San Diego developed home-console versions of arcade games produced by sibling studios Midway Studios Chicago (the original Midway Manufacturing Company), and Midway Games West, the former Atari Games, the arcade division of the original Atari Inc., which Midway acquired in 1996 and was closed in 2004.

On July 10, 2009, Midway confirmed all their remaining assets would be sold off to Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (now Warner Bros. Games). Midway Studios San Diego however was not included and would be closed down. On August 9, THQ announced they had acquired the studio from Midway for $200,000. The sale of the studio included all assets, except for the TNA franchise which went to SouthPeak Games (THQ San Diego would keep the source code for the original 2008 game). [2] [3]

The first game the developer released under the new name was the game WWE All Stars . THQ would later make them the main developer for future UFC licensed games, but it on June 4, 2012, THQ announced that not only that the UFC license would be sold to Electronic Arts, but they would also close THQ San Diego. [4] Each of its assets were sold individually, such as the WWE license going to Take-Two Interactive and the Darksiders license going to Nordic Games GmbH. [5] Nordic would later buy the THQ name and become THQ Nordic, but the San Diego studio remained closed.

Games

YearTitlePlatform(s)Notes
1995 Fun 'n Games 3DO
Mortal Kombat 3 PlayStation
DOOM
1996 Final DOOM
Robotron X PlayStation, Microsoft Windows Assisted Player 1
Mortal Kombat Trilogy Nintendo 64
Cruis'n USA
1997 NBA Hangtime PlayStation, Nintendo 64 Assisted Director's Cut International
DOOM 64 Nintendo 64
Rampage World Tour PlayStation
Off Road Challenge Arcade
1998 Bio F.R.E.A.K.S. PlayStation, Nintendo 64 Assisted Saffire
Quake Nintendo 64
NFL Blitz PlayStation
1999 Hydro Thunder Arcade
Offroad Thunder
NFL Blitz 2000 PlayStation
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Dreamcast
2000 Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 Dreamcast, PlayStation 2
2002 Gravity Games Bike: Street Vert Dirt PlayStation 2, Xbox
2003 Freaky Flyers GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
2005 Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows PlayStation 2, Xbox
Midway Arcade Treasures 3 PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube Assisted Digital Eclipse and GameStar
2006 Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War Microsoft Windows Assisted Stainless Steel Studios
Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition Assisted Digital Eclipse and GameStar
2008Mechanic Master Nintendo DS Assisted Most Wanted Entertainment
TouchMaster 2
2008 TNA iMPACT! PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii Assisted Midway Studios Los Angeles
2008 Blitz: The League II PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Assisted Midway Games
2008 Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Assisted Midway Games
2011 WWE All Stars PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo 3DS,

PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2

First title under THQ San Diego
2012 Darksiders II Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Assisted Vigil Games, under THQ San Diego

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References

  1. "'Mortal Kombat' Maker to Expand Home Presence With Acquisition". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  2. "THQ To Obtain Midway's San Diego Studio". Gamer Daily News. August 9, 2009. Archived from the original on August 13, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  3. "ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT by and among SOUTHPEAK INTERACTIVE CORPORATIO..." Law Insider. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  4. Plunkett, Luke. "THQ Chooses Today of All Days to Fire Employees, Close Studio". Archived from the original on 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  5. Matulef, Jeffrey (2013-01-24). "THQ is no more. This is where its assets went". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2021-07-13.