Acheron Design
Encyclopedia
Acheron Design is an independent Australia
n game development studio, which has historically thrived on subcontracting and outsource work. Acheron Design was founded in 2004 by Lewis Strudwick and Athol Birtley. In 2006, the studio became a company, and Michael de Graaf joined the executive team. It is a member of the International Game Developers Association
, and the Game Developers Association of Australia.
, in conjunction with IR Gurus
. The game was published by British
publisher Codemasters
in 2007, and has been a #1 seller in the UK, and in Australia. Acheron Design also worked on the arcade soccer simulator Striker Pro for the Buffalo
company Innovative Concepts in Entertainment (ICE).
In addition, Acheron Design has worked on numerous DVD trivia board games. These have often been licensed products, from organisations such as the Australian Football League
and Cricket Australia
.
. It is now combining contract work with development of original intellectual property.
, where Acheron
is one of the rivers in Hades
. It is the Acheron across which Charon
was said to ferry the newly dead to the underworld. These classical allusions are clearly reflected in the company's logo, which shows a ferryman and a lake or river of some sort.
Managing director Lewis Strudwick has suggested that the name 'Acheron' was as mispronounced as 'id Software', with the preferred pronunciation being 'ak-uh-ron', or 'ack-uh-ron'.
for simple, rapid development of 2D games. It is called the MASI
engine, and provides high- and low-level functionality for game development. It is freely available using subversion, and has been used internally by Acheron Design in several projects. An overview of the engine can be found on the company's developer website.
announced investment in the Acheron Design project The Nightspot. According to the Film Victoria website, The Nightspot is 'a multi-platform game that gives users the freedom to create and manage their own bar however they see fit'.
Further, in an interview with Australian game industry website tsumea, managing director Lewis Strudwick hinted that a 'sci-fi psychological thriller' was also in the works. At a Dissecta talk dealing with DVD Trivia Games, it was also confirmed that the company is working on trivia games for the downloadable PC market.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n game development studio, which has historically thrived on subcontracting and outsource work. Acheron Design was founded in 2004 by Lewis Strudwick and Athol Birtley. In 2006, the studio became a company, and Michael de Graaf joined the executive team. It is a member of the International Game Developers Association
International Game Developers Association
International Game Developers Association is the professional society for over 10,000 video and computer game developers worldwide.It is incorporated in the United States as a non-profit organization....
, and the Game Developers Association of Australia.
Notable releases
Acheron Design's notable releases have largely been sports games. The company developed Brian Lara Pressure Play for the PSPPlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, in conjunction with IR Gurus
IR Gurus
Transmission Games was an Australian game development company, specialising in sports and action games. Originally, Transmission Games was established as IR Gurus Pty Ltd in 1996 by Craig Laughton, Andrew Niere, and Ian Cunliffe with the motto "Game Play is Everything"...
. The game was published by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
publisher Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
in 2007, and has been a #1 seller in the UK, and in Australia. Acheron Design also worked on the arcade soccer simulator Striker Pro for the Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
company Innovative Concepts in Entertainment (ICE).
In addition, Acheron Design has worked on numerous DVD trivia board games. These have often been licensed products, from organisations such as the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
and Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia, formerly known as the Australian Cricket Board, is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia. It was originally formed in 1905 as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket...
.
Awards
In 2007, Acheron Design won a special commendation in the 'Best New Startup' category at the annual Game Developers Association of Australia awards. Brian Lara Pressure Play was also a finalist in the 'Best Handheld Game' category.History
In 2004, Lewis Strudwick and Athol Birtley developed and released Laboratory Mission X while studying at Melbourne University. The game is a freeware title for the PC that explores unconventional control mechanisms and gameplay ideas. The studio grew and began performing outsourcing work for companies such as IR GurusIR Gurus
Transmission Games was an Australian game development company, specialising in sports and action games. Originally, Transmission Games was established as IR Gurus Pty Ltd in 1996 by Craig Laughton, Andrew Niere, and Ian Cunliffe with the motto "Game Play is Everything"...
. It is now combining contract work with development of original intellectual property.
The name and logo
The name 'Acheron' comes from classical Greek mythologyGreek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, where Acheron
Acheron
The Acheron is a river located in the Epirus region of northwest Greece. It flows into the Ionian Sea in Ammoudia, near Parga.-In mythology:...
is one of the rivers in Hades
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
. It is the Acheron across which Charon
Charon (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on...
was said to ferry the newly dead to the underworld. These classical allusions are clearly reflected in the company's logo, which shows a ferryman and a lake or river of some sort.
Managing director Lewis Strudwick has suggested that the name 'Acheron' was as mispronounced as 'id Software', with the preferred pronunciation being 'ak-uh-ron', or 'ack-uh-ron'.
Acheron Design in the community
Acheron Design has built and maintains a game engineGame engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
for simple, rapid development of 2D games. It is called the MASI
Masi
Masi can refer to:*Masi Oka, actor, star of TV show Heroes*Masi , the Fijian term for the Paper Mulberry tree*Masi, Italy, a city in the province of Padua, northern Italy*Masi, Norway , a village in Finnmark, northern Norway...
engine, and provides high- and low-level functionality for game development. It is freely available using subversion, and has been used internally by Acheron Design in several projects. An overview of the engine can be found on the company's developer website.
Released games
- Pony Friends 2 (2009)
- Brian Lara Pressure Play (2007)
- WW2 DVD Trivia Challenge (2006)
- Cricket DVD Trivia Challenge (2006)
- AFL DVD Trivia Challenge (2006)
- Striker Pro (2006)
- Laboratory Mission X (2004)
In development
In September 2007, Film VictoriaFilm Victoria
Film Victoria is a statutory authority of the State Government of Victorian, Australia that provides strategic leadership and assistance for film, television, and digital media production in the Australian state of Victoria....
announced investment in the Acheron Design project The Nightspot. According to the Film Victoria website, The Nightspot is 'a multi-platform game that gives users the freedom to create and manage their own bar however they see fit'.
Further, in an interview with Australian game industry website tsumea, managing director Lewis Strudwick hinted that a 'sci-fi psychological thriller' was also in the works. At a Dissecta talk dealing with DVD Trivia Games, it was also confirmed that the company is working on trivia games for the downloadable PC market.
External links
- Acheron Design Home Page
- Brian Lara Pressure Play at codemasters.com
- Acheron Design at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Striker Pro official website
- Laboratory Mission X game page