Rooster Teeth Games

Last updated

Rooster Teeth Games
Company type Division
Industry Video games
FoundedJanuary 25, 2017;7 years ago (2017-01-25), in Austin, Texas
DefunctMay 15, 2024;2 months ago (2024-05-15)
FateClosed
Headquarters Los Angeles, California
Key people
  • Michael Hadwin
  • (Director of Games)
  • Alan Abdine
  • (SVP of Business Development)
  • David Eddings
  • (Head of Game Publishing)
Parent Rooster Teeth
Website https://roosterteeth.com/

Rooster Teeth Games was an American video game developer, publisher and distributor based in Austin, Texas, serving as Rooster Teeth's video game division. It was focused on "bridging the gap between independent game developers and the worldwide community of gamers." [1]

Contents

History

Rooster Teeth Games was officially launched January 25, 2017. The aim is to help indie-developers gain exposure through Rooster Teeth’s large fan-base by developing games on all platforms for their community. [2] The announcement was received positively, with The Mary Sue calling it, "a perfect fit" given the company's "upstart background" starting with Red vs. Blue . [3]

RWBY: Grimm Eclipse is a traditional hack and slash single and multiplayer game that uses chain combos and is based on the popular anime RWBY . [4] It was originally developed in 2014 by a fan, Jordan Scott, in celebration of Rooster Teeth's anniversary. [5] At RTX 2014, Rooster Teeth announced that they had hired Scott, and officially picked up the game. Rooster Teeth CEO Matt Hullum stated, "RWBY is a natural choice for us to focus on for our first in-house produced video game. Fans can expect that we will bring the same level of originality in action, comedy and design to the video game that has made the RWBY animated series such a hit." [6] [7] RWBY: Grimm Eclipse was a bestseller when it was released on Steam in the summer of 2016 and is a top-10 seller on PS4 and Xbox One. [8] They were awarded Best Video Game Studio/Developer 2014 by The Austin Chronicle for RWBY: Grimm Eclipse. [9]

In early 2017, Rooster Teeth Games had become a game publisher for independent games in addition to its video game development. [10] In June 2017, it was announced David Eddings had joined as its head of game publishing. [11] On September 27, 2017, Rooster Teeth Games announced a Kickstarter campaign for its first official board game, also based on RWBY, titled RWBY: Combat Ready in collaboration with Arcane Wonders. The campaign successfully reached its goal within days. [12]

Its next game, Vicious Circle, described as an "uncooperative shooter" was released in August 2019. [13] The game transitioned to a free to play model in November 2019 and refunds were offered to those who had purchased the game for full price.

On March 6, 2024, general manager Jordan Levin notified employees that Rooster Teeth would close over the next several months. In an email, he cited "fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and monetization across platforms, advertising, and patronage", with it being reported that the number of subscribers to its "First" service had dropped to around one quarter of their peak and that Rooster Teeth as a whole had been unprofitable for a decade. The Roost Podcast Network will remain in operation while Warner Bros. Discovery seeks a buyer. The company will also gauge interest in the Rooster Teeth library and intellectual property. [14] [15]

List of games developed and/or published

Video games

YearTitlePlatformGenreDeveloperPublisherAdditional note(s)
2014Rooster Teeth vs ZombiensAndroid, iOS, Microsoft Windows, macOS Action Team Chaos LLCRooster Teeth GamesThough the game can no longer be purchased on Steam, the DLC "Remember the Bungalow" can.
2016 RWBY: Grimm Eclipse Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Nintendo Switch Hack and Slash Rooster Teeth GamesRooster Teeth GamesOriginally a fan made RWBY game that was later officially picked up by Rooster Teeth.
2016Super Rad Raygun [16] Microsoft Windows 2D SidescrollerTru Fun EntertainmentRooster Teeth GamesPublisher only. Co-published with ScrewAttack Games
2017Battlesloths 2025: The Great Pizza Wars [17] Microsoft Windows Top-down shooterInvisible CollectiveRooster Teeth GamesPublisher only.
2018 Bendy and the Ink Machine [18] PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Episodic survival horrorKindly Beast (under the banner Joey Drew Studios)Rooster Teeth GamesPublisher only.
2018RWBY: Amity Arena [19] Android, iOS ActionNHN Entertainment. BaobabNetRooster Teeth GamesPublisher only.
2019RWBY Deckbuilding Game [20] Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS Virtual Collectible Card Game80ArcadeRooster Teeth GamesPublisher only.
2019RWBY: Crystal Quest [21] Android, iOS PuzzleEGLS Technology, Crunchyroll GamesRooster Teeth GamesPublisher only.
2019Vicious Circle [22] Microsoft Windows Uncooperative multiplayer shooterRooster Teeth GamesRooster Teeth GamesTitle was announced on Rooster Teeth Podcast Episode 526.
2021RWBY: Grimm Eclipse - Definitive Edition [23] Nintendo Switch Hack and Slash Rooster Teeth GamesAspyr

Board games

YearTitlePlayersDeveloperAdditional note(s)
2016Million Dollars, But... The Game [24] 2-6Rooster Teeth GamesBased on Million Dollars, But...
2018RWBY: Combat Ready [25] 2-4Rooster Teeth Games
Arcane Wonders		Based on RWBY .
2018Achievement Hunter Heist [26] [27] 2-4Rooster Teeth GamesBased on Achievement Hunter.

Related Research Articles

Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC was an American internet media and production company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2003 by Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman, Rooster Teeth was a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment, which is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aspyr</span> American video game developer and publisher

Aspyr Media, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded by Michael Rogers and Ted Staloch in Austin, Texas. Originally founded to bring top gaming titles to macOS, the company, since 2005, has become a publisher and developer of entertainment for multiple gaming platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnie Burns</span> American actor (born 1973)

Michael Justin "Burnie" Burns is an American actor, writer, producer, comedian, host, and director previously based in Austin, Texas. He was a co-founder, former chief executive officer, and former chief creative officer of Rooster Teeth. He is noted for his contributions in machinima, a form of film-making that uses video game technology in its production, and also works with animation and live action. Burns is also known for his work in the hosting and podcasting field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Heyman</span> American actor (born 1971)

Joel Pearce Heyman is an American actor, best known for voicing Michael J. Caboose in the Rooster Teeth web series Red vs. Blue from 2003 until 2020. He co-founded Rooster Teeth with Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey and Gus Sorola and has appeared in their other projects, including The Strangerhood, The Gauntlet (2012) and RWBY (2013–2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Hullum</span> American film director

Matthew Jay Hullum is an American film director, producer, writer, actor and visual effects supervisor living in Austin, Texas. He was one of five co-founders and former CEO of production company Rooster Teeth, which specializes in online content, including live-action series, podcasts, animation and machinima, an art using game engines to create films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monty Oum</span> American animator

Monyreak "Monty" Oum was an American web-based animator and writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gavin Free</span> English actor, director, cinematographer and internet personality

Gavin David Free is an English actor, director, cinematographer and internet personality. He is best known for his work at Rooster Teeth—where he formerly served as creative director—featuring in many of their projects, including the Achievement Hunter gaming division. He directed season 7 of Red vs. Blue, as well as its miniseries Relocated.

<i>RWBY</i> American animated web series

RWBY is an American anime-influenced 3D computer-animated web series created by Monty Oum for Rooster Teeth. It is set in the fictional world of Remnant, where young people train to become warriors to protect their world from monsters called Grimm. The name RWBY is derived from the four main protagonists' forenames: Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long, and their respective thematic colors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RTX (event)</span> Video game convention

RTX was a series of annual gaming and Internet conventions created by Rooster Teeth held primarily in Austin, Texas and for a period of time also Sydney, Australia and London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Dunkelman</span> Canadian actress

Barbara Julie Dunkelman (born July 2, 1989) is a Canadian actress and internet personality. She was known for her work with the production company Rooster Teeth, where she served as a Creative Director and was formerly the Director of Social and Community Marketing and a Program Director for RTX. She also provides the voice of Yang Xiao Long in the web series RWBY and Nerris in Camp Camp, and is a partial owner of the FCF Wild Aces Indoor Football Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Achievement Hunter</span> Entertainment company (2008–2023)

Achievement Hunter was an American video gaming division of Rooster Teeth Productions. Founded by Geoff Ramsey and Jack Pattillo on July 6, 2008, the website was originally based on the achievement mechanic in video games but grew to become a core component of Rooster Teeth, hosting a wide variety of videos related to video games. Achievement Hunter dissolved after publishing its final video on October 1, 2023, with all members having moved elsewhere within Rooster Teeth, which itself closed in May 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Jones (actor)</span> American actor

Michael Vincent Jones is an American actor, podcast host and internet personality who was known for his work with Rooster Teeth's gameplay division Achievement Hunter. He also co-hosted three-time Podcast Award winner Internet Box.

<i>RWBY: Grimm Eclipse</i> 2016 video game

RWBY: Grimm Eclipse is a four-player co-op hack and slash video game based on the animated web series RWBY. Developed and published by Rooster Teeth Games, it was released as an early access title on Steam on December 1, 2015, with the full Windows release on July 5, 2016. The game was released for macOS on October 13, 2016, and was later released for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on January 17, 2017. The game's Definitive Edition was released for Nintendo Switch on May 13, 2021. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who faulted its gameplay.

<i>Rooster Teeth Podcast</i> American comedy podcast

The Rooster Teeth Podcast, formerly known as the Drunk Tank, is a podcast produced by Rooster Teeth that aired weekly from December 9, 2008 to April 22, 2024 and featured various members of Rooster Teeth's staff discussing different topics each week. Throughout its run, main hosts included Rooster Teeth founders Gus Sorola, Burnie Burns, Geoff Ramsey and Joel Heyman as well as Gavin Free, Jack Pattillo and Barbara Dunkelman while Armando Torres, Griff Milton and Andrew Rosas acted as its final hosts. It is sometimes advertised as simply The RT Podcast. It was named Best Gaming Podcast by the Podcast Awards in 2012 and 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindsay Jones (actor)</span> American actor

Lindsay Elise Jones is an American actress, director, gamer and host. They were known for their work with Rooster Teeth, and have provided the voices of Ruby Rose in RWBY and Kimball in Red vs. Blue from 2013–2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gray Haddock</span> American actor and producer

Gray G. Haddock is an American actor and film producer. He is the former head of animation at Rooster Teeth, a production studio in Austin, Texas, where he created the 2019 mecha web series Gen:Lock. He is known for voice roles such as Locus and Roman Torchwick in the Rooster Teeth productions Red vs. Blue and RWBY, respectively, as well as Sanosuke Sagara in the English dub of Rurouni Kenshin, Oreldo in Pumpkin Scissors, and Yousuke Fuuma from Wedding Peach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arryn Zech</span> American voice actress

Arryn Zech is an American voice actress. She is best known for voicing Blake Belladonna in the original anime-style CG-animated web series, RWBY and Dr. Emily Grey in Red vs. Blue, an American web series also created by Rooster Teeth.

Death Battle is an American independent animated battleboarding web series. Originally published by the website ScrewAttack in 2010, the show has changed considerably over its history. It is the oldest running web series in the battleboarding genre, and has gained a cult following.

References

  1. ↑ SHLAPAK, HELENA (January 25, 2017). "ROOSTER TEETH LAUNCHES VIDEO GAME DIVISION". www.cgmagonline.com/. CG Magazine. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  2. ↑ McAloon, Alissa (January 25, 2017). "Rooster Teeth Games switches gears to branch into game publishing". www.gamasutra.com. Gamasutra. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  3. ↑ Hatchett, Keisha (January 25, 2017). "Rooster Teeth Launches Video Game Publisher to Help Out Indie Game Developers". themarysue.com. The Mary Sue. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  4. ↑ Martinez, Phillip. "'RWBY: Grimm Eclipse' Review: High-Energy Action For A Low Price Decksplash - Official Announcement Trailer Loading". idigitaltimes.com. I Digital Times. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  5. ↑ Scott, Jordan (April 1, 2014). "RWBY: Grim Eclipse – Demo Release Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  6. ↑ Rush, Amanda. "Rooster Teeth Making "RWBY" Video Game". Crunchyroll.com. Crunchyroll. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  7. ↑ Cohen, Joshua (July 4, 2014). "Rooster Teeth Is Developing A Video Game". Tubefilter.com. TubeFilter. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
  8. ↑ Ricchiuto, Madeline (January 25, 2017). "Rooster Teeth Announces New Games Division Alongside Battlesloths 2025 the Great Pizza Wars". www.bleedingcool.com. Bleeding Cool. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Best Video Game Studio/Developer: Rooster Teeth". www.austinchronicle.com. The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  10. ↑ TAKAHASHI, DEAN (January 25, 2017). "Video site Rooster Teeth launches its own game publishing business". venturebeat.com. Venture Beat. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  11. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan. "David Eddings joins Rooster Teeth Games". gamesindustry.biz. Games Industry. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  12. ↑ "RWBY: Combat Ready - Kickstarter" . Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  13. ↑ Cacho, Gieson. "It's kill or be killed in 'Vicious Circle'". Sentinel and Enterprise. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  14. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 6, 2024). "Rooster Teeth Shut Down By Warner Bros. Discovery, The Roost Podcast Network To Continue". Deadline. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  15. ↑ Spangler, Todd (March 6, 2024). "Rooster Teeth Is Shutting Down After 21 Years". Variety. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Helmet of Kingdoms - Survive Block Island - S1E6 - Rooster Teeth".
  17. ↑ "Helmet of Kingdoms - Survive Block Island - S1E6 - Rooster Teeth".
  18. ↑ @themeatly (January 29, 2018). "Yup! It's official... #BATIM is coming to consoles! :D It's a huge step and I'm sooooo excited... ^_^ This amazing community coming together made it all possible. :)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.[ user-generated source ]
  19. ↑ "RWBY: Amity Arena on Facebook". Facebook . Archived from the original on April 30, 2022.[ user-generated source ]
  20. ↑ "Roosterteeth". Games.[ dead link ]
  21. ↑ "Crunchyroll Games Will be Releasing "RWBY: Crystal Quest" on Mobile". June 24, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Vicious circle". Games.
  23. ↑ "Aspyr Media". Aspyr Media. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Million Dollars, But... The Game". Rooster Teeth Store. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Resources and Information". ww16.rwbycombatready.com.[ dead link ]
  26. ↑ "Achievement Hunter Heist - Rooster Teeth Store" . Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  27. ↑ Michael Haldwin on Twitter
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