FreeStyleGames
Encyclopedia
FreeStyleGames Ltd. is a British
video game development company with approximately 100 staff based in Leamington Spa
, Warwickshire
. The company was originally formed by Ex-Codemasters
and Ex-Rare staff in late 2002, and has developed over the last 5 years into a well-respected development outfit.
. BBoy features Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew
, as well as many other well known B-boys from around the World. It won the IGN
best of E3 2006 award for best PSP
music game , and was nominated for two others.
In 2007, FreeStyleGames developed 2 titles in the Buzz! Junior series
published by Sony Computer Entertainment - Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam
and Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble
. Both games were co-developed with Liverpool based developer Magenta Software
, in RoboJam Magenta Software made twenty out of the twenty six mini-games, whereas in Monster Rumble FreeStyleGames made twenty out of twenty six.
following a period of commercial cooperation, mainly involving localized downloadable content
for the Guitar Hero series. FreeStyleGames will continue to operate as an independently run development studio.
The first game the company developed under Activision's ownership was DJ Hero
, a spinoff of the Guitar Hero series.
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 development company with approximately 100 staff based in Leamington Spa
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. The company was originally formed by Ex-Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
and Ex-Rare staff in late 2002, and has developed over the last 5 years into a well-respected development outfit.
History
Their first title B-Boy, a game of competitive break-dancing, was published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and has so far been released in Europe (Autumn 2006) and in Korea (Spring 2007), also in North America (Fall 2008) by publishers Evolved Games and distributed by Southpeak GamesSouthPeak Interactive
SouthPeak Games is a video game publisher of titles in Europe and North America.-History:SouthPeak Games, which was originally a subsidiary of SAS Institute, has been publishing games since 1996 and has worked with multiple development studios, including EAI Interactive, Psyonix Studios and...
. BBoy features Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew
Rock Steady Crew
Rock Steady Crew is a b-boying crew and hip hop group that was established in the Bronx, New York City in 1977. The group was initially formed by b-boys named Jimmy D and Jojo. In subsequent years, Rock Steady Crew became a franchise name for groups in other locations. The Manhattan branch was...
, as well as many other well known B-boys from around the World. It won the IGN
IGN
IGN 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...
best of E3 2006 award for best PSP
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...
music game , and was nominated for two others.
In 2007, FreeStyleGames developed 2 titles in the Buzz! Junior series
Buzz!
Buzz! is a series of video games originated by Sleepydog Ltd., developed by Relentless Software and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable consoles. They are quiz games that see the players answering trivia questions while...
published by Sony Computer Entertainment - Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam
Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam
Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam is a 2007 family game for the Sony PlayStation 2, and is the second game in the Buzz! Junior series of games. Robo Jam was co-developed by Magenta Software and FreeStyleGames. Magenta supplied the engine and nineteen of the twenty five mini-games while Freestyle supplied the...
and Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble
Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble
Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble is the third game in the Buzz! Junior series of games. Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble was released on 2 November 2007 in Europe. Monster Rumble was co-developed by FreeStyleGames and Magenta Software and is published by SCEE...
. Both games were co-developed with Liverpool based developer Magenta Software
Magenta Software
Magenta Software is a Video Games Developer based in Liverpool, England.In October 2007, Magenta Software won the Children’s Jury Giga Maus award for Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam. In November 2007, Magenta Software won a British Academy Children’s BAFTA for Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party. It was founded in...
, in RoboJam Magenta Software made twenty out of the twenty six mini-games, whereas in Monster Rumble FreeStyleGames made twenty out of twenty six.
Purchase by Activision
On 12 September 2008, FreeStyleGames was purchased for an undisclosed sum by ActivisionActivision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
following a period of commercial cooperation, mainly involving localized downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
for the Guitar Hero series. FreeStyleGames will continue to operate as an independently run development studio.
The first game the company developed under Activision's ownership was DJ Hero
DJ Hero
DJ Hero is a music video game, developed by FreeStyleGames and published by Activision as a rhythm game spin-off of the Guitar Hero franchise. It was released on October 27, 2009 in North America and on October 29, 2009 in Europe...
, a spinoff of the Guitar Hero series.
Independent Company
- Buzz! Junior seriesBuzz!Buzz! is a series of video games originated by Sleepydog Ltd., developed by Relentless Software and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable consoles. They are quiz games that see the players answering trivia questions while...
- 2007 - Buzz! Junior: Monster RumbleBuzz! Junior: Monster RumbleBuzz! Junior: Monster Rumble is the third game in the Buzz! Junior series of games. Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble was released on 2 November 2007 in Europe. Monster Rumble was co-developed by FreeStyleGames and Magenta Software and is published by SCEE...
- 2007 - B-Boy - 2006