Digital Cafe
Encyclopedia
Digital Café is the name of a new media
company founded in early 1991 by Dean Hyers (creative director) and Mike Koenigs (technical director, foley, web development). It operated for 7 years independently in St. Paul
before being acquired in October 1998 as a new Minneapolis
-based division of Campbell Mithun Esty (an advertising firm) specializing in programming and design for special-market advertising (promotional games, site design, etc.) similar to Black Widow Games
. In 1995, Hyers and Koenigs formed a sister company to Digital Café called Digital Entertainment as a joint venture with Navarre Corporation. Digital Entertainment was then sold to Navarre Corporation in 1996.
In 1999, Digital Café merged with four other similar firms to become Zentropy Partners
.
In 2008, Mike Koenigs bought the name and trademarks back and restarted Digital Cafe as a digital advertising agency, opening a small studio in San Diego. His company specializes in online video advertising and has high-definition cameras, green screen backgrounds, and various digital editing equipment at their disposal.
series of computer games which have attracted a sizeable cult following. The first game in the series, Chex Quest (or Chex Quest 1), employed the Doom engine
as a base and is considered a partial conversion. It was released in boxes of General Mills
Chex
cereal as a free promotional in 1996. According to General Mills
this was the first time that a computer game had been included with cereal in this manner. The promotion was quite successful (increasing Chex
Cereal sales by 248%) and this practice has since been duplicated several times by other cereal manufacturers. Digital Café released Chex Quest 2 the following year as a free download from their website. Using the same executable files as used to run the original game, Chex Quest 2 could be classified as an add-on or mod, however it was released as a stand-alone game. In 1998, a beta version of Chex Quest 3 was put on the Digital Café website along with a blurb for Chex Quest 4 (which Digital Café never produced), however this third installment was incomplete and has since been modified/completed by fans. In September 2008, 9 years after Digital Café ceased to exist, a greatly enhanced version of Chex Quest 3 was developed and released as a service to fans by former Digital Café members, Charles Jacobi (art director and lead artist) and Scott Holman (programmer)
Between 1995 and 1999, Digital Café was involved in a number of promotional online projects for upcoming movies. These projects included the Godzilla Web Presskit, CD-ROM and Screensaver (1995), the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Movie Web Site, and the Strange Days Movie Presskit (1995) (the first CD-ROM distributed in Rolling Stone
). Promotional online projects were also developed for such companies as Energizer
(Energizer Bunny Screensaver), BMW
(BMW Screensaver), and the Minnesota Zoo
(Minnesota Zoo Nagivator).
Several commercial products were also released and targeted toward children or specialty markets. Such products include Virtual Cop I (an interactive CD-ROM comic book "about a criminal working for the cops to fight crime"), Virtual Cop II, BACKSTAGE (an enhanced CD
musical series), A&E Biographies (an enhanced CD
featuring material from musical celebrities on A&E Biography
), Normal Walking (an informational CD-ROM developed for pediatric surgeons), Minnesota Zoo Game (an educational CD-ROM), and ScreamSavers (a series of monster-themed screensaver
s). XAN and the Cosmic Callbox, an educational game based on Montessori learning principles, was released as a commercial product and marketed to schools.
, BMW
, Gramercy Pictures
, Energizer Batteries
, Sony/Tristar/Columbia Pictures
, Pillsbury, St. Paul Pioneer Press
, Miller Meester Advertising, 3M
, 20th Century Fox
, St. Paul Companies, Minnesota Zoo
, Trane
, Apple Computer
, Delux Corporation, Datakey Corporation, SciFi Channel
, Mystery Science Theater 3000
, John Tesh
, Andersen Windows, Domino's Pizza
, Land O'Lakes
, Healthy Choice
, GAMC, AirTouch
, Navarre Corporation
, and Campbell Mithun Esty
.
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
company founded in early 1991 by Dean Hyers (creative director) and Mike Koenigs (technical director, foley, web development). It operated for 7 years independently in St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
before being acquired in October 1998 as a new Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
-based division of Campbell Mithun Esty (an advertising firm) specializing in programming and design for special-market advertising (promotional games, site design, etc.) similar to Black Widow Games
Black Widow Games
Black Widow Games was a computer games developer specializing in promotional mods for Quake and Half-Life 3D engines. Best known for their They Hunger series, Black Widow Games has become quite reputable within the gaming world and has become a household name for fans of Valve's Half-Life series...
. In 1995, Hyers and Koenigs formed a sister company to Digital Café called Digital Entertainment as a joint venture with Navarre Corporation. Digital Entertainment was then sold to Navarre Corporation in 1996.
In 1999, Digital Café merged with four other similar firms to become Zentropy Partners
Zentropy Partners
Zentropy Partners is the defunct name for an existing global internet professional services company headquartered in Los Angeles, CA. The company was co-founded by and Ryan Magnussen in 1995 with the aim of becoming the global provider of Internet services...
.
In 2008, Mike Koenigs bought the name and trademarks back and restarted Digital Cafe as a digital advertising agency, opening a small studio in San Diego. His company specializes in online video advertising and has high-definition cameras, green screen backgrounds, and various digital editing equipment at their disposal.
Projects and Products
During its lifespan Digital Café is best known for developing the Chex QuestChex Quest
Chex Quest is a non-violent first-person shooter video game created in 1996 by Digital Café as a Chex cereal promotion aimed at children aged 9 and up...
series of computer games which have attracted a sizeable cult following. The first game in the series, Chex Quest (or Chex Quest 1), employed the Doom engine
Doom engine
The Doom engine is the game engine that powers the id Software games Doom and Doom II. It is also used by HeXen, Heretic, Strife, Freedoom, and HacX, and other games produced by licensees. It was created by John Carmack, with auxiliary functions written by Mike Abrash, John Romero, Dave Taylor and...
as a base and is considered a partial conversion. It was released in boxes of General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
Chex
Chex
Chex is a brand of breakfast cereal, introduced in 1937 and currently manufactured by General Mills. It was originally owned by Ralston Purina, and the Chex name reflects the "checkerboard square" logo of Ralston Purina. The product line was part of the spinoff of the Ralston portion of Ralston...
cereal as a free promotional in 1996. According to General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
this was the first time that a computer game had been included with cereal in this manner. The promotion was quite successful (increasing Chex
Chex
Chex is a brand of breakfast cereal, introduced in 1937 and currently manufactured by General Mills. It was originally owned by Ralston Purina, and the Chex name reflects the "checkerboard square" logo of Ralston Purina. The product line was part of the spinoff of the Ralston portion of Ralston...
Cereal sales by 248%) and this practice has since been duplicated several times by other cereal manufacturers. Digital Café released Chex Quest 2 the following year as a free download from their website. Using the same executable files as used to run the original game, Chex Quest 2 could be classified as an add-on or mod, however it was released as a stand-alone game. In 1998, a beta version of Chex Quest 3 was put on the Digital Café website along with a blurb for Chex Quest 4 (which Digital Café never produced), however this third installment was incomplete and has since been modified/completed by fans. In September 2008, 9 years after Digital Café ceased to exist, a greatly enhanced version of Chex Quest 3 was developed and released as a service to fans by former Digital Café members, Charles Jacobi (art director and lead artist) and Scott Holman (programmer)
Between 1995 and 1999, Digital Café was involved in a number of promotional online projects for upcoming movies. These projects included the Godzilla Web Presskit, CD-ROM and Screensaver (1995), the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Movie Web Site, and the Strange Days Movie Presskit (1995) (the first CD-ROM distributed in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
). Promotional online projects were also developed for such companies as Energizer
Energizer Holdings
Energizer Holdings is an American manufacturer of batteries and personal care products, headquartered in Town and Country, Missouri. Its most well known brands are Energizer and Eveready batteries, Schick, Wilkinson Sword and Edge shaving products, Playtex feminine hygiene and baby products, and...
(Energizer Bunny Screensaver), BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
(BMW Screensaver), and the Minnesota Zoo
Minnesota Zoo
The Minnesota Zoo , is an AZA-accredited zoo in Apple Valley, Minnesota. When it opened on May 22, 1978 it was fairly revolutionary in its exhibit design. The zoo, built in a suburbanizing rural area, had more space to house exhibits and was one of the first zoos to organize its animals by their...
(Minnesota Zoo Nagivator).
Several commercial products were also released and targeted toward children or specialty markets. Such products include Virtual Cop I (an interactive CD-ROM comic book "about a criminal working for the cops to fight crime"), Virtual Cop II, BACKSTAGE (an enhanced CD
Enhanced CD
Enhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players....
musical series), A&E Biographies (an enhanced CD
Enhanced CD
Enhanced CD, also known as CD Extra and CD Plus, is a certification mark of the Recording Industry Association of America for various technologies that combine audio and computer data for use in both Compact Disc and CD-ROM players....
featuring material from musical celebrities on A&E Biography
Biography (TV series)
Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987...
), Normal Walking (an informational CD-ROM developed for pediatric surgeons), Minnesota Zoo Game (an educational CD-ROM), and ScreamSavers (a series of monster-themed screensaver
Screensaver
A screensaver is a type of computer program initially designed to prevent phosphor burn-in on CRT and plasma computer monitors by blanking the screen or filling it with moving images or patterns when the computer is not in use...
s). XAN and the Cosmic Callbox, an educational game based on Montessori learning principles, was released as a commercial product and marketed to schools.
Clients
Digital Café has done exclusive development for General MillsGeneral Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
, BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, Gramercy Pictures
Gramercy Pictures
Gramercy Pictures was a film distributor launched in 1992, a joint venture of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Gramercy, a so-called "mini-major," was the distributor of PolyGram movies in the United States and Canada...
, Energizer Batteries
Energizer Holdings
Energizer Holdings is an American manufacturer of batteries and personal care products, headquartered in Town and Country, Missouri. Its most well known brands are Energizer and Eveready batteries, Schick, Wilkinson Sword and Edge shaving products, Playtex feminine hygiene and baby products, and...
, Sony/Tristar/Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, Pillsbury, St. Paul Pioneer Press
St. Paul Pioneer Press
The St. Paul Pioneer Press is a newspaper based in St. Paul, Minnesota, primarily serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the eastern metro region, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties, along with western Wisconsin, eastern Minnesota and Anoka County,...
, Miller Meester Advertising, 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
, 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, St. Paul Companies, Minnesota Zoo
Minnesota Zoo
The Minnesota Zoo , is an AZA-accredited zoo in Apple Valley, Minnesota. When it opened on May 22, 1978 it was fairly revolutionary in its exhibit design. The zoo, built in a suburbanizing rural area, had more space to house exhibits and was one of the first zoos to organize its animals by their...
, Trane
Trane
Trane Inc. is a subsidiary of Ingersoll Rand and is the successor company to the American Standard Companies. It is a global provider of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems and building management systems and controls under the Trane and American Standard brand names...
, Apple Computer
Apple Computer
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...
, Delux Corporation, Datakey Corporation, SciFi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
, John Tesh
John Tesh
John Frank Tesh is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. His 10-year-old 'Intelligence for Your Life Radio Show' reaches 14.2 Million listeners/week, and is syndicated by Teshmedia on 400 stations in US, Canada, and the UK...
, Andersen Windows, Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
, Land O'Lakes
Land O'Lakes
Land O'Lakes is a member-owned agricultural cooperative based in Arden Hills, Minnesota, focusing on the dairy industry. The co-op states that it has about 3200 producer-members, 1000 member-cooperatives, and about 9000 employees who process and distribute products for about 300,000 agricultural...
, Healthy Choice
Healthy Choice
Healthy Choice is the name of a brand of refrigerated and frozen foods owned by ConAgra Foods, Inc. According to ConAgra's official corporate history, it came into being after then-ConAgra CEO Charles "Mike" Harper suffered a heart attack in 1985...
, GAMC, AirTouch
AirTouch
AirTouch Communications was a U.S.-based wireless telephone service provider, created as a spin-off on Pacific Telesis on April 1, 1994. Its headquarters were in One California in the Financial District, San Francisco, California...
, Navarre Corporation
Navarre Corporation
Navarre Corp. is a public distribution and publishing company founded in 1983 by Eric H. Paulson. The company is headquartered in New Hope, Minnesota...
, and Campbell Mithun Esty
Campbell Mithun
Campbell Mithun is an advertising and marketing firm, founded in 1933 by Ralph Campbell and Ray Mithun. It is now part of Interpublic Group of Communication Companies. The core business is consumer advertising through radio, TV, print, digital, mobile and out-of-home...
.
External links
- Digital Cafe's current homepage
- Digital Café blurb at Mike Koenigs' personal website
- The Digital Café Archives at Dean Hyers' personal website
- Mugshots of the Digital Café team responsible for the Chex Quest series
- Campbell Mithun Esty
- Zentropy Partners
- Digital Café profile 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...
- Video Interview with Mike Koenigs about Digital Cafe