Rainbow Studios

Last updated

Rainbow Studios
Formerly
  • Rainbow Multimedia Group (1986–1992)
  • THQ Digital Studios Phoenix (2010–2011)
Company type Private
Industry Video games
Founded1986;38 years ago (1986)
FounderEarl Jarred
Headquarters
Phoenix, Arizona
,
United States
Key people
Lenore Gilbert (CEO)
Products
Number of employees
61 [1]  (2021)
Parent
Subsidiaries Rainbow Studios Montréal
Website rainbowstudios.com

Rainbow Studios is an American video game developer based in Phoenix, Arizona, best known for developing offroad racing games, such as Motocross Madness and the MX vs. ATV series. It was established by Earl Jarred in 1986 under the name Rainbow Multimedia Group and rebranded as Rainbow Studios in 1992. In January 2002, the company was acquired by THQ, under the ownership of which it was renamed THQ Digital Studios Phoenix in February 2010 and closed in August 2011. The studio was re-instated as Rainbow Studios in 2013 by Nordic Games (later known as THQ Nordic), a publishing company that had purchased most assets of the then-bankrupt THQ earlier that year. The studio is now independent. [2]

Contents

History

Rainbow Studios, originally named Rainbow Multimedia Group, was founded by Earl Jarred in 1986. [3] [4] In 1992, the company shifted its focus towards developing video games and was rebranded Rainbow Studios. [4] On November 8, 2001, video game publisher THQ announced that it had agreed to acquire the studio in exchange for 1 million shares of common stock. [5] An agreement of merger was signed between the two companies on December 21, 2001, [6] and THQ announced that the deal had been completed on January 3, 2002, at which point THQ had issued 858,203 shares and expected to issue further 106,259 at a later point in time. [7] In 2005, Jarred, alongside vice chairman Jeff Padden and employees Rick Baltman and Robb Rinard, left Rainbow Studios to form a new video game studio, 2XL Games. [8] Three further Rainbow Studios veterans—Brad Ruminer, Dennis Booth, and Glenn O'Bannon—announced the formation of their studio, TimeFly Studios, in April 2008. [9]

In mid-April 2008, Rainbow Studios laid off a team of 30 people working on an unannounced game. Because the team was "a minority" in the studio's multi-team setup, development on the game was able to continue despite the staff reduction. [10] Further layoffs were instigated in November 2008 and February 2009 as part of larger restructurings within THQ. [11] [12] To push THQ's vision for digitally distributed games as part of its core portfolio, effective on February 3, Rainbow Studios and sister studio Juice Games were rebranded as THQ Digital Studios Phoenix and THQ Digital Studios Warrington, respectively. [13] As a result of the restructuring, both studios collectively lost 60 employees. [13] [14] On August 9, 2011, THQ announced that, as part of another larger restructuring, THQ Digital Studios Phoenix would be closed down. [15] The closure led to the elimination of 48 jobs at the Phoenix studio. [16] THQ planned to retain a quality assurance department on-site. [16]

THQ later filed for bankruptcy, and many of its assets, including the Rainbow Studios-developed MX vs. ATV franchise, were auctioned off to publisher Nordic Games (later known as THQ Nordic) in 2013. [17] As Nordic Games planned to start developing new titles in that franchise, the company opted to resurrect Rainbow Studios under the former name and in its former location. [17] The move was announced in December that year, at which point the new Rainbow Studios had hired many people previously employed by the former Rainbow Studios, including Ken George, Dave Dwire, Mike Mamula, Brad Bowling, Scott Hofmann, Justin Walsh, David Knudsen, and Lenore Gilbert. [18] [19] By June 2019, Rainbow Studios had 41 employees. [20] As of October 2019, Gilbert serves as Rainbow Studios' chief executive officer. [21]

Games developed

YearTitlePlatform(s)Publisher(s)
1994 Air Havoc Controller Microsoft Windows Trimark Interactive
1995 The Hive Microsoft Windows, PlayStation
1996 Deadly Tide Microsoft Windows Microsoft
Ravage D.C.X Inscape
1998 Motocross Madness Microsoft
2000 Motocross Madness 2
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2000 EA Sports
2001 ATV Offroad Fury PlayStation 2 Sony Computer Entertainment
Splashdown PlayStation 2, Xbox Infogrames
2002 ATV Offroad Fury 2 PlayStation 2Sony Computer Entertainment
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX 2 PlayStation 2 Activision
Star Wars Racer Revenge PlayStation 2 LucasArts
2003 Splashdown: Rides Gone Wild THQ
2004 MX Unleashed PlayStation 2, Xbox
2005 MX vs. ATV Unleashed
2006 Cars Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360
2007 Cars Mater-National Championship Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Wii, Xbox 360
MX vs. ATV Untamed PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2009 Deadly Creatures Wii
MX vs. ATV Reflex PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2010 Dood's Big Adventure Wii
2011 MX vs. ATV Alive PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2014 MX vs. ATV Supercross Nordic Games
2015MX vs ATV: Supercross EncoreMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4
2018MX vs ATV All OutMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One THQ Nordic
2019Monster Jam: Steel TitansMicrosoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Xbox One
2021Monster Jam: Steel Titans 2Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Xbox One
2022MX vs ATV LegendsMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">THQ</span> American video game company

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.

<i>MX vs. ATV Unleashed</i> 2005 video game

MX vs. ATV Unleashed is a racing simulation action sports console video game created for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows and mobile phones. Developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ, the video game was released in 2005 in North America and Europe. MX vs. ATV Unleashed is a crossover between THQ's MX trilogy and Sony's ATV Offroad Fury series, and it features same console support for two players and online support for eight players. The PC version has a "track editor" feature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vigil Games</span> American game development company

Vigil Games was an American game development company owned by THQ. It was formed by comic artist Joe Madureira and David Adams in 2005.

<i>ATV Offroad Fury 3</i> 2004 video game

ATV Offroad Fury 3 is a racing video game developed by Climax Racing and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 2. It was released on November 2, 2004 in North America and on February 10, 2006 in Europe.

<i>MX vs. ATV Untamed</i> 2007 video game

MX vs. ATV Untamed is an offroad racing game developed by Rainbow Studios, Tantalus Media, Incinerator Studios and published by THQ for the PlayStation 2 and all seventh-generation platforms, becoming the last MX vs. ATV game to release on the former and the first in the series to be available on most of the latter. It is a sequel to MX vs. ATV Unleashed and its PSP port, MX vs. ATV: On the Edge, as well as the first of two games in the MX vs. ATV series to be available on a Nintendo console.

<i>MX Superfly</i> 2002 video game

MX Superfly featuring Ricky Carmichael, released as MX Super Fly in PAL regions, is a motorcross racing game developed by Pacific Coast Power & Light and published by THQ for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube. It is the second installment of THQ's MX trilogy and a sequel to MX 2002 featuring Ricky Carmichael, garnering professional motorcross racer Ricky Carmichael's endorsement like its predecessor.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Incinerator Studios</span> American video game developer

Incinerator Studios was an American video game developer, based in Carlsbad, California, known for developing several racing games, three based on the animated film franchise Cars and one MX vs. ATV game, with all four of them featuring other versions developed by the more experienced racing developer Rainbow Studios. Incinerator Studios, like Rainbow Studios, was a wholly owned subsidiary of THQ, but it was spun off as an independent company in March 2009 as part of a cost-cutting move. In 2011, Incinerator launched a new company, Playdek, focused on developing mobile tabletop games.

<i>MX Unleashed</i> 2004 video game

MX Unleashed is a 2004 racing video game developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ for PlayStation 2, Xbox and mobile phones. The game is also backwards compatible for the Xbox One as of April 2018. It was also made free for Xbox Live Gold members in August 2020.

<i>MX vs. ATV Reflex</i> 2009 video game

MX vs. ATV Reflex is a 2009 off-road racing video game developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ. It is the third game in the MX vs. ATV series, available on Microsoft Windows and all seventh-generation consoles except the Wii. It is also the last game in the series to be available on handheld consoles.

<i>MX vs. ATV Alive</i> 2011 video game

MX vs. ATV Alive is an off-road racing game developed by THQ Digital Studio Phoenix and published by THQ. The game is the fourth title in the MX vs. ATV series, following MX vs. ATV Reflex, and the last game in the series published by THQ. MX vs. ATV Alive was released on May 10, 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was the first THQ game to be launched with a new pricing model, where the game would be sold at a lower retail price than most new releases, but with a larger amount of paid downloadable content. A later installment of the series, MX vs. ATV: All Out, also utilized a similar pricing model.

MX vs. ATV is an American racing video game franchise developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ Nordic that focuses on off-road racing, as a crossover between THQ's MX trilogy and Sony's ATV Offroad Fury series. Early games in the series, starting with MX vs. ATV Unleashed, were published by THQ prior to its bankruptcy and liquidation in 2013. As the name suggests, the series' main focus is racing with motocross bikes and all-terrain vehicles, although other vehicles such as dune buggies and sport trucks were also featured in the games. Players can also fly airplanes and helicopters in some of the games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee Stain Studios</span> Swedish video game developer

Coffee Stain Studios AB is a Swedish video game developer based in Skövde. Founded in 2010 by nine University of Skövde students, the company is best known for Goat Simulator, which was released in April 2014, and Satisfactory, released as an early access game in 2019. Their parent holding company also operates Coffee Stain Publishing, a publisher, and majority-owns developers Coffee Stain North and Lavapotion. In November 2018, the Coffee Stain group was acquired by THQ Nordic AB.

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.

<i>MX vs. ATV Supercross</i> 2014 video game

MX vs. ATV Supercross is a racing video game developed by Rainbow Studios and published by Nordic Games for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This is the fifth game in the MX vs. ATV franchise and is the first game developed after the original creator of the franchise, Rainbow Studios, separated from their most recent publisher THQ due to bankruptcy. An updated version, known as MX vs. ATV Supercross Encore, was released in 2015 for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in July 2016.

Embracer Group AB is a Swedish video game and media holding company based in Karlstad. The company comprises 11 operative groups: Amplifier Game Invest, Asmodee, CDE Entertainment, Coffee Stain, Dark Horse Media, Deca Games, Easybrain, Freemode, Gearbox Entertainment, Plaion, and THQ Nordic.

References

  1. ↑ "Embracer Group Annual Report & Sustainability Report 2020 / 2021" (PDF). Embracer Group. August 25, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  2. ↑ https://www.rainbowstudios.com/about/
  3. ↑ "Corporate Information". Rainbow Studios. 1999. Archived from the original on September 3, 2000.
  4. 1 2 "Corporate History". Rainbow Studios. 2000. Archived from the original on March 6, 2001.
  5. ↑ IGN Staff (November 8, 2001). "THQ Buys Rainbow". IGN . Archived from the original on May 26, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Agreement of Merger – THQ Inc. and Rainbow Multimedia Group Inc". Onecle. December 21, 2001. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  7. ↑ IGN Staff (January 3, 2002). "THQ Completes Rainbow Studios Acquisition". IGN . Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  8. ↑ Jenkins, David (November 11, 2005). "Rainbow Studios Veterans Form 2XL Games". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  9. ↑ Boyer, Brandon (April 1, 2008). "MX Vs. ATV, Cars Vets Form TimeFly Studios". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  10. ↑ Remo, Chris (April 30, 2008). "Report: THQ's Rainbow, Sandblast Studios See Layoffs". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  11. ↑ Welsh, Oli (November 4, 2008). "THQ closes five US studios". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  12. ↑ Martin, Matt (February 5, 2009). "THQ cuts 600 staff as losses hit $192 million". GamesIndustry.biz . Archived from the original on June 21, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Sinclair, Brendan (February 3, 2010). "Juice Games, Rainbow Studios get downloadable focus, layoffs". GameSpot . Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  14. ↑ Faylor, Chris (February 4, 2010). "THQ Rebrands Studios Under New Digital Initiative, Laying Off 'Approximately 60'". Shacknews . Archived from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  15. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (August 9, 2011). "THQ Cuts 200 Jobs, MX vs. ATV Series, de Blob Studio and More". Kotaku . Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  16. 1 2 O'Grady, Patrick (August 16, 2011). "THQ closing Phoenix game development operations, cutting 48 jobs". The Business Journals . Archived from the original on April 29, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  17. 1 2 Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 20, 2013). "Nordic Games developing new MX vs. ATV launching early next year". Polygon . Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  18. ↑ Crecente, Brian (May 15, 2014). "MX vs. ATV Supercross is playable at E3". Polygon . Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  19. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (December 20, 2013). "Nordic bringing back MX vs. ATV". GamesIndustry.biz . Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  20. ↑ Wingefors, Lars (August 27, 2019). "THQ Nordic Annual Report 2018/19" (PDF). Cision . Archived (PDF) from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  21. ↑ Payne, Christopher (October 1, 2019). "Gaymer Night: Representation, Support and Inclusivity". The Daily Utah Chronicle . Retrieved February 9, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.