Codemasters
Encyclopedia
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters (earlier known as Code Masters) is a British
video game developer
founded by Richard and David Darling
in 1986. Codemasters is one of the oldest British game studios, and in 2005 was named as the top independent games developer by Develop Magazine
.
Founded in 1986 by Richard and David Darling
(who worked previously for Mastertronic
), Codemasters established themselves in the growing ZX Spectrum
market, mostly with action games that required the player to solve simple puzzles by combining different objects, such as the Dizzy series
. While Codemasters found their roots in the ZX Spectrum, they did not exclusively write for this one computer - they also released software (including the Dizzy series) for the Commodore 64
, Commodore 16
, BBC Micro
, Acorn Electron
, Amstrad CPC
, Atari 8-bit, Commodore Amiga and Atari ST
.
They were famous for releasing a long series of "Simulator" games, mostly sports simulations (such as Pro Boxing Simulator). This led to the parody "Advanced Lawnmower Simulator" being developed, praised to the skies and then published by Your Sinclair
magazine as an April Fool's Day stunt.
Codemasters were one of a number of software houses in the 1980s that only released low retail price
titles. However in 1992 they began to cut down on the budget releases in favor of full-price titles.
As the 8-bit
computer market diminished, Codemasters turned to developing for the 8-bit and 16-bit
console markets, as well as moving away from their budget title legacy to more full-price games on the 16-bit computers — 1993 saw the last title in the budget Dizzy series
, Crystal Kingdom Dizzy
, although they released a full-price Dizzy game, Fantastic Dizzy
later. They had major success with the Micro Machines
series and Pete Sampras Tennis
on the Sega
Mega Drive. Both franchises featured the J-Cart
, allowing two extra controllers to be attached to the game cart without requiring Electronic Arts
' 4 way play or SEGA
's four player adaptor.
In the early 1990s, the studio was the focus of an episode of It's a Living, a regional ITV
program that examined unusual careers and companies. The show was able to examine the inner workings of the offices and was primarily concentrated on the development of Cosmic Spacehead
, plus the marketing efforts surrounding it.
, which bypassed Nintendo
's lock-out chip
by glitch
ing it and produced unlicensed NES
games. These NES games were known for being shiny gold and silver cartridges that were slightly different from normal NES cartridges in shape, though they still fit into the cartridge slot. Many Codemasters titles were also featured on Camerica's Aladdin Deck Enhancer
.
In 1990 Codemasters developed a device called the Power Pak, later renamed the Game Genie
. It was a cheat cartridge for the NES, released in the US by Galoob
and in Canada
and the UK
by Camerica. In an ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit, Nintendo sued
Galoob in the case Galoob v. Nintendo
, claiming that the Game Genie created derivative works in violation of copyright law
.
, for PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PC, namely MUSICtm, Music 2000, MTV Music Generator and MTV Music Generator 2. In 2003 this partnership was dissolved, with Jester releasing their own Music 3000 product. Codemasters released their final music based product called MTV Music Generator 3 in 2004.
facilities and hiring much of Yosemite Entertainment's laid off staff in mid-September 1999.
Codemasters have since continued to release titles for later generation systems, such as the TOCA Touring Car series
, Colin McRae Rally
series, Brian Lara Cricket series and Operation Flashpoint. They currently own the rights to use the title Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, but have parted with the original developer Bohemia Interactive Studio
. In spite of this, Codemasters released Operation Flashpoint: Elite, developed by Bohemia, for Xbox
in October 2005. June 2006 saw the release of Sensible Soccer 2006.
The year 2005 also saw the appointment of Rod Cousens, formerly of Acclaim
, as Managing Director.
In April 2007, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group entered into a game distribution agreement with Codemasters to distribute the company's titles in North America ending May 2008.
Also in April, Codemasters launched the massively multiplayer online role-playing game
, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
in Europe on behalf of Turbine
.
In June 2007 Codemasters were purchased by equity group Balderton Capital and they changed their logo to an interlocked metallic C and M. Later that month they released the latest in the Colin McRae Rally
series, Colin McRae: Dirt
. They also published Overlord
and Clive Barker's Jericho
.
Following the death of Colin McRae
on 15 September 2007, Codemasters released a public statement expressing their sorrow and support for the family.
In March 2008, Codemasters announced a new deal with Majesco. The new partnership will focus on titles for DS and Wii, including Nanostray 2, Toy Shop, Cake Mania 2 and Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Clue Bender Society for DS, and Wild Earth: African Safari, Our House and Cake Mania for Wii.
On 9 May 2008, it was announced that Codemasters had won the rights to the Formula One
license after Sony
's deal ran out. Codemasters released their first Formula One game, F1 2009, on the Wii
and PlayStation Portable
in Autumn 2009, and another similar game, F1 2010
, on the PC
, PlayStation 3
, and Xbox 360
in 2010. The game is based on the Dirt 2 engine.
On 8 April 2008, Sega announced the closure of Sega Racing Studio, although no reason was specified for the closure it has been assumed it was due to lackluster sales of Sega Rally Revo
. At a later time Sega announced none of the employees were folded into internal studios.
On 25 April 2008, Codemasters bought Sega Racing Studio.
The studio was headed by Guy Wilday, who was involved in the Colin McRae Rally
games and was formerly the head of the studio behind the games and the series producer.
Notable also in 2008 was the Darlings' participation in the Queen's Birthday Honours
of that year, as both were appointed Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE) for services to the computer games industry.
On 5 April 2010, Reliance Big Entertainment
, an Indian company acquired a 50% stake in the company.
Later in 2010, Codemasters launched the Free-to-play
version of Lord of the Rings Online. While originally scheduled for September 10, it was delayed due to contractual reasons and launched on 2 November.
In late May 2011 Codemasters transferred control of the European Lord of the Rings Online to Turbine, Inc.
.
On 3 June 2011, the Codemasters.com website was breached. It is believed that the attacker was able to gain access to the personal information of registered users with Codemasters accounts. Codemasters notified its users about the attack via email on 10 June 2011, after which their websites were pulled down and users redirected to their Facebook
page.
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...
video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
founded by Richard and David Darling
David Darling (entrepreneur)
David Darling CBE is a British video game developer and entrepreneur, best known for co-founding Codemasters, with his brother Richard, and for being involved in a long succession of top ten games over more than 30 years...
in 1986. Codemasters is one of the oldest British game studios, and in 2005 was named as the top independent games developer by Develop Magazine
Develop (magazine)
Develop is a monthly trade magazine for the video games industry. Based in Hertford, Hertfordshire, the magazine allows participation by anyone working in the video game industry. Develop is the only European-based website and print magazine aimed exclusively at the development community...
.
History
David Darling (entrepreneur)
David Darling CBE is a British video game developer and entrepreneur, best known for co-founding Codemasters, with his brother Richard, and for being involved in a long succession of top ten games over more than 30 years...
(who worked previously for Mastertronic
Mastertronic
Mastertronic was originally a publisher and distributor of low-cost computer game software founded in 1983. Their first games were distributed in mid-1984. At its peak the label was the dominant software publisher in the UK, a position achieved by selling cassette-based software at the £1.99...
), Codemasters established themselves in the growing ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
market, mostly with action games that required the player to solve simple puzzles by combining different objects, such as the Dizzy series
Dizzy series
The Dizzy series of computer games, published by Codemasters, was one of the most successful European computer game brands of the late 1980s. The games were based around a central figure: an intelligent egg-like creature called Dizzy...
. While Codemasters found their roots in the ZX Spectrum, they did not exclusively write for this one computer - they also released software (including the Dizzy series) for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Commodore 16
Commodore 16
The Commodore 16 was a home computer made by Commodore with a 6502-compatible 8501 CPU, released in 1984. It was intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20 and it often sold for 99 USD...
, BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
, Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, Atari 8-bit, Commodore Amiga and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
.
They were famous for releasing a long series of "Simulator" games, mostly sports simulations (such as Pro Boxing Simulator). This led to the parody "Advanced Lawnmower Simulator" being developed, praised to the skies and then published by Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
magazine as an April Fool's Day stunt.
Codemasters were one of a number of software houses in the 1980s that only released low retail price
Suggested retail price
The manufacturer's suggested retail price , list price or recommended retail price of a product is the price which the manufacturer recommends that the retailer sell the product. The intention was to help to standardise prices among locations...
titles. However in 1992 they began to cut down on the budget releases in favor of full-price titles.
As the 8-bit
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
computer market diminished, Codemasters turned to developing for the 8-bit and 16-bit
16-bit
-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16...
console markets, as well as moving away from their budget title legacy to more full-price games on the 16-bit computers — 1993 saw the last title in the budget Dizzy series
Dizzy series
The Dizzy series of computer games, published by Codemasters, was one of the most successful European computer game brands of the late 1980s. The games were based around a central figure: an intelligent egg-like creature called Dizzy...
, Crystal Kingdom Dizzy
Crystal Kingdom Dizzy
Crystal Kingdom Dizzy is an adventure video game featuring the character Dizzy released in December 1992 by Codemasters. The Oliver Twins—who were heavily involved in the design and programming of previous Dizzy games—had less involvement with the title..The game is the last title to...
, although they released a full-price Dizzy game, Fantastic Dizzy
Fantastic Dizzy
Fantastic Dizzy is a 1991 video game developed by Codemasters. It was published to several platforms, including Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, NES, Amiga and DOS.The game was originally intended to be released in time for Christmas in 1990, but because of a legal action between...
later. They had major success with the Micro Machines
Micro Machines (video games)
Micro Machines is a series of computer and video games featuring toy cars, developed by Codemasters and published on several platforms Micro Machines is a series of computer and video games featuring toy cars, developed by Codemasters and published on several platforms Micro Machines is a series of...
series and Pete Sampras Tennis
Pete Sampras Tennis
Pete Sampras Tennis was the first game of three of this celebrity-endorsed tennis video game series, released by British software house Codemasters...
on the Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
Mega Drive. Both franchises featured the J-Cart
J-Cart
The J-Cart was a special cartridge developed by Codemasters for the Sega Mega Drive console. It held not only the game data but also came with two additional gamepad ports. This effectively allowed four players to play simultaneously without any adapters or workarounds...
, allowing two extra controllers to be attached to the game cart without requiring Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
' 4 way play or SEGA
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
's four player adaptor.
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
program that examined unusual careers and companies. The show was able to examine the inner workings of the offices and was primarily concentrated on the development of Cosmic Spacehead
Cosmic Spacehead
Linus Spacehead's Cosmic Crusade is a video game released in 1991. It was developed and published by Codemasters for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear, Master System, NES, Amiga and PC, featuring adventure game elements, with locations connected by platform sections.The game is the sequel to...
, plus the marketing efforts surrounding it.
Console modifications
Codemasters is notable for making the large majority of games published by CamericaCamerica
Camerica was a company owned and operated by David J. Harding. It was a video game company that was notable for producing unlicensed Nintendo Entertainment System games and hardware. It was founded in 1988 and published games through 1992. It created a number of peripherals for the NES, including...
, which bypassed Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's lock-out chip
Lock-out chip
In a general sense, a lockout chip is a chip within an electronic device to prevent other manufacturers from using a company's device to perform certain functions....
by glitch
Glitch
A glitch is a short-lived fault in a system. It is often used to describe a transient fault that corrects itself, and is therefore difficult to troubleshoot...
ing it and produced unlicensed NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
games. These NES games were known for being shiny gold and silver cartridges that were slightly different from normal NES cartridges in shape, though they still fit into the cartridge slot. Many Codemasters titles were also featured on Camerica's Aladdin Deck Enhancer
Aladdin Deck Enhancer
The Aladdin Deck Enhancer, produced by Camerica, and developed by Codemasters, is a cartridge based system that allows software on Compact Cartridges to be played on the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is similar to the Datach system for the Famicom, but without the Barcode feature...
.
In 1990 Codemasters developed a device called the Power Pak, later renamed the Game Genie
Game Genie
The Game Genie is a series of cheat systems designed by Codemasters and sold by Camerica and Galoob for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Mega Drive/Genesis, and Sega Game Gear that modifies game data, allowing the player to cheat, manipulate various...
. It was a cheat cartridge for the NES, released in the US by Galoob
Galoob
Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. was a toy company headquartered on Forbes Blvd. in South San Francisco, California. Best known for distributing the Game Genie, a videogame cheat device, for Codemasters in the US, Galoob was founded by Barbara Frankel and Lewis Galoob in 1954 as an import business. Before...
and in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the UK
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...
by Camerica. In an ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit, Nintendo sued
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
Galoob in the case Galoob v. Nintendo
Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc.
Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. v. Nintendo of America, Inc. was a court case which established the rights of users to modify copyrighted works for their own use....
, claiming that the Game Genie created derivative works in violation of copyright law
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
.
Music software
Between 1998 and 2003 Codemasters dominated one area of Game Console entertainment when they teamed up with Jester Interactive Limited to publish their range of music creation softwareMusic (software)
Music is the common name of a series of music creation programs created by Jester Interactive and published by Codemasters. The programs are tools that allow the user to create music. This can be done either by inserting pre-made riffs and other sound samples, or creating original riffs by...
, for PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PC, namely MUSICtm, Music 2000, MTV Music Generator and MTV Music Generator 2. In 2003 this partnership was dissolved, with Jester releasing their own Music 3000 product. Codemasters released their final music based product called MTV Music Generator 3 in 2004.
Recent history
In an effort to establish themselves in the United States, they announced that they would launch a new development studio in Oakhurst, using the abandoned SierraSierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
facilities and hiring much of Yosemite Entertainment's laid off staff in mid-September 1999.
Codemasters have since continued to release titles for later generation systems, such as the TOCA Touring Car series
TOCA Touring Car series
TOCA is a racing video game series developed and published by Codemasters, initially focusing specifically on Touring car racing but more recently expanding to cover a wide variety of motorsport...
, Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally and more recently; Dirt, is a racing video game series developed and published by Codemasters.Started in 1998, the franchise has been a critical and commercial success and is generally acknowledged as a pioneer of realistic rally sports racing games...
series, Brian Lara Cricket series and Operation Flashpoint. They currently own the rights to use the title Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, but have parted with the original developer Bohemia Interactive Studio
Bohemia Interactive Studio
Bohemia Interactive , also referred to as Bohemia Interactive Studio , is an independent computer and console game developer based in Prague, Czech Republic...
. In spite of this, Codemasters released Operation Flashpoint: Elite, developed by Bohemia, for Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
in October 2005. June 2006 saw the release of Sensible Soccer 2006.
The year 2005 also saw the appointment of Rod Cousens, formerly of Acclaim
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
, as Managing Director.
In April 2007, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group entered into a game distribution agreement with Codemasters to distribute the company's titles in North America ending May 2008.
Also in April, Codemasters launched the massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game for Microsoft Windows set in a fantasy universe based upon J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings...
in Europe on behalf of Turbine
Turbine, Inc.
Turbine, Inc. is an American computer game developer that pioneers 3D massively multiplayer online role-playing games . Turbine was founded by Johnny Monsarrat, Jeremy Gaffney, Kevin Langevin, and Timothy Miller, changing their company name in 2005 to Turbine, Inc...
.
In June 2007 Codemasters were purchased by equity group Balderton Capital and they changed their logo to an interlocked metallic C and M. Later that month they released the latest in the Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally and more recently; Dirt, is a racing video game series developed and published by Codemasters.Started in 1998, the franchise has been a critical and commercial success and is generally acknowledged as a pioneer of realistic rally sports racing games...
series, Colin McRae: Dirt
Colin McRae: Dirt
Colin McRae: Dirt has received largely positive reviews, IGN UK and U.S. awarding it a 9.0 and a 8.4, respectively. It has also received 9.0 from Official Xbox Magazine, 8.3 from GameSpot for the Xbox 360 and PC versions and 8.5 for the PlayStation 3 version, and 8 from Edge...
. They also published Overlord
Overlord (2007 video game)
Overlord is a third-person action-adventure game developed by Triumph Studios and published by Codemasters for the Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3...
and Clive Barker's Jericho
Clive Barker's Jericho
Clive Barker’s Jericho is a supernatural horror-themed first person shooter video game with author Clive Barker providing the premise of the storyline...
.
Following the death of Colin McRae
Colin McRae
Colin Steele McRae, MBE was a Scottish rally driver born in Lanark.The son of five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and brother of rally driver Alister McRae, Colin McRae was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion and, in 1995, became the first British person and the youngest to win the...
on 15 September 2007, Codemasters released a public statement expressing their sorrow and support for the family.
In March 2008, Codemasters announced a new deal with Majesco. The new partnership will focus on titles for DS and Wii, including Nanostray 2, Toy Shop, Cake Mania 2 and Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Clue Bender Society for DS, and Wild Earth: African Safari, Our House and Cake Mania for Wii.
On 9 May 2008, it was announced that Codemasters had won the rights to the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
license after Sony
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
's deal ran out. Codemasters released their first Formula One game, F1 2009, on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and PlayStation Portable
PlayStation 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 Autumn 2009, and another similar game, F1 2010
F1 2010 (video game)
F1 2010 is a BAFTA Award–winning video game based on the 2010 season of the Formula One world championship. It is the sequel to the 2009 video game based on the same series. The game was released in September 2010 on the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms. It has sold 2.3...
, on the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
in 2010. The game is based on the Dirt 2 engine.
On 8 April 2008, Sega announced the closure of Sega Racing Studio, although no reason was specified for the closure it has been assumed it was due to lackluster sales of Sega Rally Revo
Sega Rally Revo
Sega Rally Revo is an offroad racing video game, the fourth installment of the Sega Rally series. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable on 28 September 2007 in Europe. The game's title is "Revo" as Sega intends it to be a revolution in rally...
. At a later time Sega announced none of the employees were folded into internal studios.
On 25 April 2008, Codemasters bought Sega Racing Studio.
The studio was headed by Guy Wilday, who was involved in the Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally and more recently; Dirt, is a racing video game series developed and published by Codemasters.Started in 1998, the franchise has been a critical and commercial success and is generally acknowledged as a pioneer of realistic rally sports racing games...
games and was formerly the head of the studio behind the games and the series producer.
Notable also in 2008 was the Darlings' participation in the Queen's Birthday Honours
Birthday Honours 2008
The Birthday Honours 2008 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced in June 2008, to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2008.The recipients of honours are displayed or referred to here as they were styled before their new honour, and arranged firstly by the country whose ministers advised the Queen...
of that year, as both were appointed Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) for services to the computer games industry.
On 5 April 2010, Reliance Big Entertainment
Reliance Entertainment
Reliance Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group handling its media and entertainment business, across content and distribution platforms....
, an Indian company acquired a 50% stake in the company.
Later in 2010, Codemasters launched the Free-to-play
Free-to-play
Free-to-play refers to any video game that has the option of allowing its players to play without paying. The model was first popularly used in early massively multiplayer online games targeted towards casual gamers, before finding wider adoption among games released by major video game...
version of Lord of the Rings Online. While originally scheduled for September 10, it was delayed due to contractual reasons and launched on 2 November.
In late May 2011 Codemasters transferred control of the European Lord of the Rings Online to Turbine, Inc.
Turbine, Inc.
Turbine, Inc. is an American computer game developer that pioneers 3D massively multiplayer online role-playing games . Turbine was founded by Johnny Monsarrat, Jeremy Gaffney, Kevin Langevin, and Timothy Miller, changing their company name in 2005 to Turbine, Inc...
.
On 3 June 2011, the Codemasters.com website was breached. It is believed that the attacker was able to gain access to the personal information of registered users with Codemasters accounts. Codemasters notified its users about the attack via email on 10 June 2011, after which their websites were pulled down and users redirected to their Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page.
Studios
- Codemasters Studio Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, founded September 2006. A partnership between Codemasters UK and Malaysia's Vision New Media Sdn Bhd. The first game this studio contributed to was Race Driver Grid.
- Sega Racing StudioSega Racing StudioSega Racing Studio was a computer and video game developer established in 2005 for the sole purpose of developing AAA Sega racing titles...
, purchased from SEGA. - Codemasters Birmingham, acquired from Swordfish StudiosSwordfish StudiosSwordfish Studios was a British software development company based in Birmingham founded by Rage executive director Trevor Williams and Joan Finnegan in September 2002....
in November 2008. Developers of F1 2010F1 2010 (video game)F1 2010 is a BAFTA Award–winning video game based on the 2010 season of the Formula One world championship. It is the sequel to the 2009 video game based on the same series. The game was released in September 2010 on the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms. It has sold 2.3...
and F1 2011F1 2011 (video game)F1 2011 is a video game by Codemasters based on the 2011 Formula One season. It is the sequel to F1 2010 and was released on 20 September 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A release date for the PlayStation Vita will be announced at a later date...
. Located in Tricorn House, EdgbastonEdgbastonEdgbaston is an area in the city of Birmingham in England. It is also a formal district, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Edgbaston ward and the wards of Bartley Green, Harborne and Quinton....
. - Codemasters Southam
- Codemasters Guildford, On September 2011, Codemasters announced that they are planning to shut down the studio due to the disappointing sales of BodycountBodycount (video game)Bodycount received generally mixed reviews, with a score of 53 and 51 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, respectively, on Metacritic. GameSpot gave Bodycount a 5.5 out of 10 rating. They praised the fun of skillshots, a few fun guns and appealing environments but criticized the flat gameplay, a...
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