Zipper Interactive

Last updated

Zipper Interactive
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Video games
Founded1995
Defunct2012
FateClosed
Headquarters Redmond, Washington, United States
Key people
  • Brian Soderberg
  • Jim Bosler
  • Mike Gutmann
Products MechWarrior 3
Crimson Skies
SOCOM series
MAG
Parent SCE Worldwide Studios
(2006–2012)

Zipper Interactive was an American video game developer based in Redmond, Washington and part of SCE Worldwide Studios. It was founded in June 1995 by Jim Bosler and Brian Soderberg. [1] It created many different games, including the SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs series of games. SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs was created in collaboration with the Naval Special Warfare Command and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. On January 25, 2006, Sony announced that it had acquired Zipper Interactive to add it to its group of development studios. [2]

Contents

Games

Game titleYear releasedPlatform
DeathDrome 1996 Microsoft Windows
Top Gun: Hornet's Nest 1998Microsoft Windows
Recoil 1999Microsoft Windows
MechWarrior 3 1999Microsoft Windows
MechWarrior 3: Pirate's Moon1999Microsoft Windows
Crimson Skies 2000Microsoft Windows
SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs 2002 PlayStation 2
SOCOM II U.S. Navy SEALs 2003PlayStation 2
SOCOM 3 U.S. Navy SEALs 2005PlayStation 2
SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 2005 PlayStation Portable
SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Combined Assault 2006PlayStation 2
SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 2 2006PlayStation Portable
MAG 2010 PlayStation 3
SOCOM 4 U.S. Navy SEALs 2011PlayStation 3
Unit 13 2012 PlayStation Vita

Closure

On March 29, 2012, Sony announced that it would be closing Zipper Interactive due to "resource re-alignment." The closure of Zipper Interactive was later confirmed by Sony Computer Entertainment the next day on March 30, 2012. [3] [4] Prior to its closure, Zipper Interactive were working on two unannounced titles for the PlayStation 4 before both projects were cancelled once the closing was complete. One was another entry in the SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs series, and the other was a first-person shooter meant to be a new IP.

Related Research Articles

2003 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Tony Hawk's Underground, Madden NFL 2004, NBA Live 2004, ESPN NBA Basketball, Saya no Uta: The Song of Saya, Final Fantasy X-2, Mario Kart: Double Dash, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Sonic Heroes, Postal 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, and WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain. New intellectual properties included Beyond Good & Evil, Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand, Call of Duty, Disgaea, Drakengard, Manhunt, PlanetSide, TrackMania, True Crime: Streets of LA, and Viewtiful Joe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daybreak Game Company</span> American video game developer

Daybreak Game Company LLC is an American video game developer based in San Diego. The company was founded in December 1997 as Sony Online Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment, but was spun off to an independent investor in February 2015 and renamed Daybreak Game Company. On December 1, 2020, Daybreak Game Company entered into an agreement to be acquired by Enad Global 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sony Interactive Entertainment</span> Sonys video game division

Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) is a Japanese-American multinational video game and digital entertainment company of Sony. Jointly established by two subsidiaries in 2016, 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.

<i>SOCOM II U.S. Navy SEALs</i> 2003 video game

SOCOM II U.S. Navy SEALs is a tactical shooter video game developed by Zipper Interactive and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs.

<i>SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs</i> (video game) 2002 video game

SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs is a tactical shooter video game developed by Zipper Interactive and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 2.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Core Design</span> Former British video game developer

Core Design Limited was a British video game developer based in Derby. Founded in May 1988 by former Gremlin Graphics employees, it originally bore the name Megabrite until rebranding as Core Design in October the same year. The company was acquired by umbrella company CentreGold in December 1994, which in turn was acquired by Eidos Interactive in April 1996. In May 2006, the Core Design personnel and assets were acquired by Rebellion Developments, and the company became Rebellion Derby, which was then shut down in March 2010.

<i>SOCOM 3 U.S. Navy SEALs</i> 2005 video game

SOCOM 3 U.S. Navy SEALs is a 2005 tactical shooter video game developed by Zipper Interactive and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to SOCOM II U.S. Navy SEALs.

<i>SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 2</i> 2006 video game

SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 2 is a tactical shooter video game developed by Zipper Interactive and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation Portable. It is the sequel to SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo. This game is able to sync with the PlayStation 2 game SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Combined Assault in order to unlock bonus features.

<i>SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Combined Assault</i> 2006 video game

SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Combined Assault is a tactical shooter video game developed by Zipper Interactive and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 2.

<i>SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo</i> 2005 video game

SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo is a tactical shooter video game developed by Zipper Interactive and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation Portable. It is the first SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs game in the Fireteam Bravo series. It has both online play and PSP to PSP play. It is similar to the main series games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guerrilla Cambridge</span> British video game developer, 1997–2017

Guerrilla Cambridge was a British video game developer based in Cambridge, England. The studio was founded under Sony Computer Entertainment in July 1997 through the buyout of the game development division of CyberLife Technology. In 2010, SCE Studio Cambridge was restructured as a sister studio to Guerrilla Games under the name Guerrilla Cambridge and shut down in 2017. The studio is best known for developing the MediEvil series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media Molecule</span> British video game developer

Media Molecule Ltd. is a British video game developer based in Guildford, Surrey. Founded in 2006 by Mark Healey, Alex Evans, David Smith, and Kareem Ettouney, Sony Computer Entertainment acquired the firm in 2010. It became part of SCE Worldwide Studios. The company is best known for developing the LittleBigPlanet series, 2013's Tearaway, and 2020's Dreams for PlayStation consoles.

<i>SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Confrontation</i> 2008 video game

SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Confrontation is a multiplayer tactical shooter video game developed by Slant Six Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3. Confrontation came packaged with the PlayStation 3 Bluetooth headset or as a standalone game, and also released as a downloadable title from PlayStation Network. The player is able to customize their character, choosing from a list of predefined items.

Slant Six Games was a Canadian independent video game developer founded in 2005. The company's name is derived from the 1959 Chrysler engine of the same name. Slant Six Games' studio was based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They were voted the 7th best company to work for in British Columbia by BC Business 2011.

Soundelux Design Music Group is an American sound studio located in Hollywood, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shuhei Yoshida</span> Japanese businessman (born 1964)

Shuhei Yoshida is a Japanese businessman and gaming industry veteran. He was the President of SIE Worldwide Studios for Sony Interactive Entertainment from 2008 to 2019, before moving onto other SIE-related projects. Yoshida has been a key member of the PlayStation brand since its original concept, having been part of the company since 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Move</span> Motion game controller by Sony Interactive Entertainment

PlayStation Move is a motion game controller developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Initially released in 2010 for use with the PlayStation 3 home video game console, its compatibility was later expanded to its successor, the PlayStation 4 in 2013, its PlayStation VR platform in 2016 and the PlayStation 5 in 2020. Conceptually similar to Nintendo's Wii Remote and Microsoft's Kinect, its function is based around controller input in games stemming from the actual physical movement of the player. The Move uses inertial sensors in the wand to detect motion while the wand's position is tracked using a PlayStation Eye or PlayStation Camera. The device was generally well received by critics, but has not quite met Sony's goals for integration into the market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation Studios</span> Group of video game developers owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment

PlayStation Studios is a division of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) that oversees the video game development at the studios owned by SIE. The division was established as SCE Worldwide Studios in September 2005 and rebranded as PlayStation Studios in 2020.

<i>SOCOM 4 U.S. Navy SEALs</i> 2011 video game

SOCOM 4 U.S. Navy SEALs is a tactical shooter video game developed by Zipper Interactive and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3. It is the sequel to SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Combined Assault and is also the last installment for the franchise.

References

  1. Sherman, Chris (June 1996). "NATO's Got Zip on these Guys". Next Generation . No. 18. Imagine Media. p. 22.
  2. "Sony Announces further developer acquisitions". GamesIndustry. January 25, 2006. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved January 25, 2006.
  3. "Sony quiet on SOCOM dev closure rumour". Eurogamer . March 30, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  4. "Sony Closes Zipper Interactive". Game Informer . March 30, 2012. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013.