Factor 5
Encyclopedia
Factor 5 GmbH is an independent
software and video game developer
. The company was originally co-founded by five former Rainbow Arts
employees in 1987 in Cologne
, Germany
, which served as the inspiration behind the studio's name.
In order to have a stronger relationship with Factor 5's North American partners like LucasArts
, Factor 5, Inc was established in the US
in May 1996 with legal help support from LucasArts, and in late 1996 the core of the development team in Germany was relocated to the North American company headquarters in San Rafael
, California
. Julian Eggebrecht
, one of the five initial co-founders, served as President of Factor 5's US branch.
The US company was closed in May 2009, following the closure of Brash Entertainment
, with which the company had multiple contracts. The original German company, headed by CEO Achim Mollar, remains active due to its unrelated business policy and operations with the North American company, and is still looking for future projects in the industry.
for the Amiga computer, where they had their earliest moderate success with Katakis
, a R-Type
clone of impressive technical performance that even granted them the official conversion rights of the Irem game to those platforms, acquired by Rainbow Arts. Their first important success, however, came with Turrican
, a game designed by Rainbow Arts' designer Manfred Trenz
. Factor 5 handled the Amiga and Atari ST
versions of the game, and together with the original Commodore 64
version and several others, Turrican was a major hit across Europe in 1990.
After they finished work on Turrican II for the Amiga and Atari ST in 1991, Factor 5 built their own development kits and software environments for the SNES
and Mega Drive/Genesis codenamed Pegasus SNES and Pegasus Mega Drive. Subsequently, they decided to focus their efforts towards console game development in 1992 with several projects for the SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis, including new Turrican games and other titles contracted by companies like LucasArts
, Hudson Soft
and Konami
, the latter of which had also Game Boy
development contracts with them. In 1993, Factor 5 produced their last Amiga effort, an Amiga conversion of Mega Turrican
handled with programming support from fellow company Neon Studios. They would develop games for the SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis and Game Boy until 1996, when they switched their efforts to the PlayStation
.
With the development of PlayStation games for LucasArts, the Germans found several communication difficulties in working with their North American partner due to the distance between both countries and the net lines speed of that time being insufficient for the big transfer data the console required. It was this, together with the legal help support offered by LucasArts, which made the company up to the decision of opening a new Factor 5 branch in the US, in which the core of the development team from Germany was established after they finished work with their PlayStation games in late 1996.
For a long time, the North American branch of Factor 5 was an exclusive, prominent development partner with both LucasArts and Nintendo
, developing both game titles for the former and middleware tools for the latter. During that time, the studio gained considerable critical and commercial praise for its technical proficiency, producing what are often cited as some of the most visually advanced titles on the Nintendo 64
and the Nintendo GameCube
, all based on LucasArts properties. Two high profile middleware tools were also developed by the company for Nintendo, MusyX, a sound system produced in cooperation with Dolby Laboratories
, and the DivX For Games SDK
, integrating the functionality of the popular video codec into Nintendo's development tools.
In late December 2008, several online media outlets reported that Brash Entertainment
(Factor 5's publisher of their current project) would close at the end of the month after encountering financial problems. This sudden interruption in funding left Factor 5 with their own funding difficulties, eventually causing its closure in May 2009.
Factor 5 is currently involved in litigation with its former employees in the defunct North American Factor 5 company. The suit alleges that Factor 5 did not pay its employees for work during November and December, that employees were laid off without the required notice by law, that employees did not receive their vacation pay, and that the company misled the employees. The suit is filed in Marin Superior Court.
Amiga
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Game Boy
PlayStation
Nintendo 64
PC
Nintendo GameCube
PlayStation 3
Wii
Xbox 360
Independent business
In business, an independent business as a term of distinction generally refers to privately owned companies . Independent businesses most commonly take the form of sole-proprietorships...
software and 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...
. The company was originally co-founded by five former Rainbow Arts
Rainbow Arts
Rainbow Arts is a German game developer company founded in 1984 in Gütersloh by Marc Ulrich which was later bought by Funsoft, and eventually absorbed by THQ in 1999...
employees in 1987 in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, which served as the inspiration behind the studio's name.
In order to have a stronger relationship with Factor 5's North American partners like LucasArts
LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
, Factor 5, Inc was established in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in May 1996 with legal help support from LucasArts, and in late 1996 the core of the development team in Germany was relocated to the North American company headquarters in San Rafael
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Julian Eggebrecht
Julian Eggebrecht
Julian Eggebrecht was president and creative director of Factor 5, a video game developer which was located in Marin County, California, with additional R&D offices in Cologne, Germany....
, one of the five initial co-founders, served as President of Factor 5's US branch.
The US company was closed in May 2009, following the closure of Brash Entertainment
Brash Entertainment
Brash Entertainment was an American video game publisher focused on licensed games.The company was co-founded in 2007 by Thomas Tull, Bert Ellis, President and COO Nicholas Longano, and CEO and Chairman Mitch Davis....
, with which the company had multiple contracts. The original German company, headed by CEO Achim Mollar, remains active due to its unrelated business policy and operations with the North American company, and is still looking for future projects in the industry.
History
Factor 5 started out developing games under partnership with Rainbow ArtsRainbow Arts
Rainbow Arts is a German game developer company founded in 1984 in Gütersloh by Marc Ulrich which was later bought by Funsoft, and eventually absorbed by THQ in 1999...
for the Amiga computer, where they had their earliest moderate success with Katakis
Katakis
Katakis is a side scrolling shooter style arcade game developed for the Commodore 64 by Rainbow Arts in 1987, and converted to the Commodore Amiga by Factor 5 in 1988. It was re-released as Denaris in 1989.-Introductory plot:...
, a R-Type
R-Type
is a side scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game produced by Irem in 1987. The player controls a space fighter named R-9a "Arrowhead" to defend humanity against a mysterious but powerful alien life-form known as "Bydo", which was later discovered to be not entirely alien in origin...
clone of impressive technical performance that even granted them the official conversion rights of the Irem game to those platforms, acquired by Rainbow Arts. Their first important success, however, came with Turrican
Turrican
Turrican is a 1989 video game programmed and designed by Manfred Trenz. It was first developed for the Commodore 64 by Rainbow Arts, but was ported to other systems later. In addition to concept design and character creation, Trenz personally programmed Turrican on the Commodore 64...
, a game designed by Rainbow Arts' designer Manfred Trenz
Manfred Trenz
Manfred Trenz is a German computer game developer. He was the developer of the popular Turrican video game series, the Commodore 64 version of the game R-Type and also The Great Giana Sisters. Several of his games have achieved cult status...
. Factor 5 handled the 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...
versions of the game, and together with the original 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...
version and several others, Turrican was a major hit across Europe in 1990.
After they finished work on Turrican II for the Amiga and Atari ST in 1991, Factor 5 built their own development kits and software environments for the SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and Mega Drive/Genesis codenamed Pegasus SNES and Pegasus Mega Drive. Subsequently, they decided to focus their efforts towards console game development in 1992 with several projects for the SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis, including new Turrican games and other titles contracted by companies like LucasArts
LucasArts
LucasArts Entertainment Company, LLC is an American video game developer and publisher. The company was once famous for its innovative line of graphic adventure games, the critical and commercial success of which peaked in the mid 1990s...
, Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
and Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
, the latter of which had also Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
development contracts with them. In 1993, Factor 5 produced their last Amiga effort, an Amiga conversion of Mega Turrican
Mega Turrican
Mega Turrican is a 16-bit shooter game, developed by Factor 5 in 1993 and marketed by Data East in 1994.This game of the Turrican series was initially designed for the Mega Drive/Genesis, and later followed by an Amiga port under the title of Turrican 3: Payment Day...
handled with programming support from fellow company Neon Studios. They would develop games for the SNES, Mega Drive/Genesis and Game Boy until 1996, when they switched their efforts to the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
.
With the development of PlayStation games for LucasArts, the Germans found several communication difficulties in working with their North American partner due to the distance between both countries and the net lines speed of that time being insufficient for the big transfer data the console required. It was this, together with the legal help support offered by LucasArts, which made the company up to the decision of opening a new Factor 5 branch in the US, in which the core of the development team from Germany was established after they finished work with their PlayStation games in late 1996.
For a long time, the North American branch of Factor 5 was an exclusive, prominent development partner with both LucasArts and 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....
, developing both game titles for the former and middleware tools for the latter. During that time, the studio gained considerable critical and commercial praise for its technical proficiency, producing what are often cited as some of the most visually advanced titles on the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
and the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, all based on LucasArts properties. Two high profile middleware tools were also developed by the company for Nintendo, MusyX, a sound system produced in cooperation with Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. , often shortened to Dolby Labs, is an American company specializing in audio noise reduction and audio encoding/compression.-History:...
, and the DivX For Games SDK
DivX
DivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc. , including the DivX Codec which has become popular due to its ability to compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality.There are two DivX codecs; the regular MPEG-4 Part 2 DivX codec and the...
, integrating the functionality of the popular video codec into Nintendo's development tools.
In late December 2008, several online media outlets reported that Brash Entertainment
Brash Entertainment
Brash Entertainment was an American video game publisher focused on licensed games.The company was co-founded in 2007 by Thomas Tull, Bert Ellis, President and COO Nicholas Longano, and CEO and Chairman Mitch Davis....
(Factor 5's publisher of their current project) would close at the end of the month after encountering financial problems. This sudden interruption in funding left Factor 5 with their own funding difficulties, eventually causing its closure in May 2009.
Factor 5 is currently involved in litigation with its former employees in the defunct North American Factor 5 company. The suit alleges that Factor 5 did not pay its employees for work during November and December, that employees were laid off without the required notice by law, that employees did not receive their vacation pay, and that the company misled the employees. The suit is filed in Marin Superior Court.
AmigaAmigaThe Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
- 1988: KatakisKatakisKatakis is a side scrolling shooter style arcade game developed for the Commodore 64 by Rainbow Arts in 1987, and converted to the Commodore Amiga by Factor 5 in 1988. It was re-released as Denaris in 1989.-Introductory plot:...
- 1989: R-TypeR-Typeis a side scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game produced by Irem in 1987. The player controls a space fighter named R-9a "Arrowhead" to defend humanity against a mysterious but powerful alien life-form known as "Bydo", which was later discovered to be not entirely alien in origin...
- 1990: TurricanTurricanTurrican is a 1989 video game programmed and designed by Manfred Trenz. It was first developed for the Commodore 64 by Rainbow Arts, but was ported to other systems later. In addition to concept design and character creation, Trenz personally programmed Turrican on the Commodore 64...
- 1990: MasterblazerMasterblazerMasterblazer is a 1990 computer game developed by Rainbow Arts and published by LucasArts.It is the sequel and remake of the 1984 game Ballblazer. Played out like a futuristic sport, the playing field is a large rectangle made out of squares. A Plasmorb ball must be moved into a goal as many times...
(intro only) - 1991: Turrican II: The Final Fight
- 1992: BC Kid
- 1993: Turrican 3 (conversion program by Neon Studios)
Super Nintendo Entertainment SystemSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
- 1993: Super Turrican
- 1994: Indiana Jones' Greatest AdventuresIndiana Jones' Greatest AdventuresIndiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures is a game based on the Indiana Jones trilogy released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994, developed by Factor 5 and published by JVC Musical Industries, Inc. The story is told through cut-scenes and text and is mostly faithful to the movies...
- 1995: Super Turrican 2
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
- 1993: Mega Turrican
- 1994: Mega Bomberman 8-players (unpublished demo)
- 1995: Indiana Jones' Greatest AdventuresIndiana Jones' Greatest AdventuresIndiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures is a game based on the Indiana Jones trilogy released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994, developed by Factor 5 and published by JVC Musical Industries, Inc. The story is told through cut-scenes and text and is mostly faithful to the movies...
(unpublished) - 1996: International Superstar Soccer DeluxeInternational Superstar Soccer DeluxeInternational Superstar Soccer Deluxe is a football video game and the sequel to International Superstar Soccer developed and published Konami's, KCEO division...
Game BoyGame BoyThe , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
- 1994: Contra: The Alien WarsContra III: The Alien WarsContra III: The Alien Wars, released in Japan as and in the PAL region as Super Probotector: Alien Rebels, is a run and gun game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System produced by Konami...
- 1995: AnimaniacsAnimaniacs (video game)Animaniacs is a video game that is based on the hit animated series of the same name. Unlike regular platform games, the player usually runs from the enemies rather than fighting them. Characters include Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, Pinky and the Brain, most of the supporting cast, as well as Ralph, the...
PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
- 1996: Ballblazer ChampionsBallblazer ChampionsBallblazer Champions is an action/sports video game released for Sony's PlayStation console. It was developed by Factor 5 and published by LucasArts in North America, and CTO SpA in Europe. It was released on March 31, 1997 in North America and in October 1997 in Europe. It is a remake of the ...
- 1996: Star Wars: Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire
Nintendo 64Nintendo 64The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
- 1998: Star Wars: Rogue SquadronStar Wars: Rogue SquadronStar Wars: Rogue Squadron is an arcade-style action game co-developed by Factor 5 and LucasArts. The first of three games in the Rogue Squadron series, it was published by LucasArts and Nintendo and released for Windows and the Nintendo 64 in December 1998...
- 1999: Resident Evil 2Resident Evil 2Resident Evil 2, known as in Japan, is a survival horror video game originally released for the PlayStation in 1998. Developed by Capcom as the second installment in the Resident Evil series, its story takes place two months after the events of the first game, Resident Evil...
(Sound Compression Technology) - 2000: Star Wars: Episode I: Battle for Naboo
- 2000: Indiana Jones and the Infernal MachineIndiana Jones and the Infernal MachineIndiana Jones and the Infernal Machine is a multi-platform action-adventure video game by LucasArts released in late 1999. The first 3D installment in the series, its gameplay focuses on solving puzzles, fighting enemies, and various platforming sections...
PCPersonal computerA 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...
- 1999: Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3D
- 2001: Star Wars: Episode I: Battle for Naboo
Nintendo GameCubeNintendo GameCubeThe , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
- 2001: Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue LeaderStar Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue LeaderStar Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader is an arcade-style action game co-developed by Factor 5 and LucasArts. The second of three games in the Rogue Squadron series, it was published by LucasArts and released as a launch title for the Nintendo GameCube on November 9, 2001.Set in the fictional...
- 2003: Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel StrikeStar Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel StrikeStar Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike is a Star Wars video game developed by Factor 5 and published by LucasArts exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube. The game follows Rogue Squadron, which, under the command of Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles, uses starfighters to engage and defeat the...
- Thornado (not released)
PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The 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...
- 2007: LairLair (video game)Lair is a 2007 video game developed by Factor 5 and published by Sony Computer Entertainment America.-Gameplay:The player assumes the role of a dragon-riding knight named Rohn Partridge. Rohn is given the tasks of defending a certain area, destroying certain objects, eliminating enemies or...
- 2007: Untitled project for Sony Computer Entertainment (cancelled)
- 2008: Superman (cancelled)
WiiWiiThe 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...
- 2008: Superman (cancelled)
- 2009: Untitled flight project for Nintendo
- 2009: Untitled project for LucasArts
Xbox 360Xbox 360The 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...
- 2008: Superman (cancelled)
Technology
- MusyX: Dolby Sound Tools - Developed for Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance
- DivX For Games SDKDivXDivX is a brand name of products created by DivX, Inc. , including the DivX Codec which has become popular due to its ability to compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality.There are two DivX codecs; the regular MPEG-4 Part 2 DivX codec and the...
- Developed for Nintendo GameCube
External links
- Factor 5 Official Website
- Factor 5 profile at IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
- Factor 5 profile at GamespotGameSpotGameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...