HB Studios
Encyclopedia
HB Studios is a video game development company, founded in July 2000 by Jeremy Wellard, and located in Nova Scotia
, Canada
.
on the South Shore of Nova Scotia
. The company started with nine developers working on Cricket 2002 for EA's Asia Pacific studio. By 2003 and the concurrent development of Rugby 2004 and Cricket 2004 utilizing the Renderware engine HB had grown to 17. Also that year Jeremy Wellard won the Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Atlantic Canada.
In 2004 HB signed an exclusive multi-project deal with EA Canada to develop further sports games for the EA Sports label. By the end of 2004 the company had grown to 40 staff. 2005 brought with it a first sports title away from the Rugby and Cricket franchises - FIFA Street 2 on the PSP - which shipped in March 2006 and has subsequently sold over 880,000 units worldwide. HB shipped four titles in 2006 including a co-development with EA Canada on Madden 07, a launch title in North America for the Nintendo Wii.
In the spring of 2007, after the exclusive deal with EA came to an end, the company signed a deal with THQ
to develop Big Beach Sports
for the Wii. This was HB's first non-EA title and also their first game that wasn't a sports simulation. It sold more than 1.5 million units. By May 2009 only 54 games had sold a million units or more on the Wii. In the late summer of 2007 HB entered a period of deliberate rapid growth in order to be able to take on the extra projects on offer from various publishers. A new studio was opened in Halifax, Nova Scotia
at the beginning of January 2008 while the HQ in Lunenburg also grew. From September to March 2008 the number of employees at HB
Studios doubled from 65 to 130.
In 2009 HB Studios formed a new label, HB Arcade, for self publishing downloadable titles on WiiWare
, PSN and Xbox Live Arcade
. The first game to ship was HB Arcade Cards on WiiWare in the summer of 2009 with HB Arcade Disc Golf (WiiWare) and Jam Space (DSiWare) following in 2010.
In August 2011 the company released their first self funded full console title - Rugby World Cup 2011 (video game) - on PS3 and Xbox 360 with 505 Games
as the publisher. It entered the UK charts at No.3.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, 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...
.
History
HB's headquarters are located in the small town of LunenburgLunenburg, Nova Scotia
Lunenburg , is a Canadian port town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.Situated on the province's South Shore, Lunenburg is located on a peninsula at the western side of Mahone Bay. The town is approximately 90 kilometres southwest of the county boundary with the Halifax Regional Municipality.The...
on the South Shore of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. The company started with nine developers working on Cricket 2002 for EA's Asia Pacific studio. By 2003 and the concurrent development of Rugby 2004 and Cricket 2004 utilizing the Renderware engine HB had grown to 17. Also that year Jeremy Wellard won the Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Atlantic Canada.
In 2004 HB signed an exclusive multi-project deal with EA Canada to develop further sports games for the EA Sports label. By the end of 2004 the company had grown to 40 staff. 2005 brought with it a first sports title away from the Rugby and Cricket franchises - FIFA Street 2 on the PSP - which shipped in March 2006 and has subsequently sold over 880,000 units worldwide. HB shipped four titles in 2006 including a co-development with EA Canada on Madden 07, a launch title in North America for the Nintendo Wii.
In the spring of 2007, after the exclusive deal with EA came to an end, the company signed a deal with THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
to develop Big Beach Sports
Big Beach Sports
Big Beach Sports is a sports game for the Wii developed by HB Studios and produced by THQ.The game is a collection of six sports simulations, in which players compete on a beach resort location. The sports include: American football, volleyball, Soccer, bocce, cricket and disc golf...
for the Wii. This was HB's first non-EA title and also their first game that wasn't a sports simulation. It sold more than 1.5 million units. By May 2009 only 54 games had sold a million units or more on the Wii. In the late summer of 2007 HB entered a period of deliberate rapid growth in order to be able to take on the extra projects on offer from various publishers. A new studio was opened in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
at the beginning of January 2008 while the HQ in Lunenburg also grew. From September to March 2008 the number of employees at HB
Studios doubled from 65 to 130.
In 2009 HB Studios formed a new label, HB Arcade, for self publishing downloadable titles on WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
, PSN and Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
. The first game to ship was HB Arcade Cards on WiiWare in the summer of 2009 with HB Arcade Disc Golf (WiiWare) and Jam Space (DSiWare) following in 2010.
In August 2011 the company released their first self funded full console title - Rugby World Cup 2011 (video game) - on PS3 and Xbox 360 with 505 Games
505 Games
505 Games, formerly known as 505 Game Street, is an Italian video game publishing division of Italian company Digital Bros. group founded in 2006...
as the publisher. It entered the UK charts at No.3.
Games developed
- 2001 Cricket 2002 - PS2, PC
- 2003 EA Sports Rugby 2004 - PS2, PCRugby 2004Rugby 2004 is the 2003 installment of Electronic Arts' Rugby video game series. The game was developed by HB Studios and released by EA Sports. It was released on September 16, 2003 in North America, on September 19 in Europe, and on October 20 in Australia. The game is a follow-up to 2001's Rugby,...
- 2003 EA Sports Cricket 2004 - PS2, PCCricket 2004Cricket 2004 is a 2004 video game based around the sport of cricket by EA Sports. The game was designed by HB Studios, known for their EA Rugby Series...
- 2005 EA Sports Rugby 2005 - XBOX, PS2, PC
- 2005 EA Sports Cricket 2005 - XBOX, PS2, PCCricket 2005Cricket 2005 is a video game based around the sport of cricket. Developed by HB Studios and released by EA Sports, it was released in July 2005 on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Windows....
- 2006 FIFA Street2 - PSPFIFA Street 2FIFA Street 2 is the sequel to the video game FIFA Street. A new "trick stick beat" system was introduced and new authentic tricks were also introduced. The game is available on the GameCube, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox...
- 2006 EA Sports Rugby 06 - XBOX, PS2, PC
- 2006 EA Sports Cricket 07 - PS2, PCCricket 07Cricket 07 is a cricket simulation computer game from EA Sports and developed by HB Studios. It is available for Windows and PlayStation 2.The game was released in the UK on 24 November 2006 and in Australia on 14 November 2006...
- 2006 EA Sports Madden 07 - WiiMadden NFL 07Madden NFL 07 is the 2007 edition of the popular Madden NFL series. It is the first in the video game series to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles. Former Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander is on the cover.-Features:...
(co-developed with EA Canada) - 2007 UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 - PS2, PSP, PC
- 2007 EA Sports Rugby 08 - PS2, PCRugby 08Rugby 08 is the 2007 release in the Rugby series by EA Sports. The game allows players to play as many Rugby nations, both major and minor, and includes many tournaments, such as the Rugby World Cup, Tri Nations, Six Nations, Guinness Premiership and Super 14.Rugby 08 was released prior to the...
- 2007 EA Sports NBA Live 08 - PS2, PCNBA Live 08NBA Live 08 is the 2007 installment of the NBA Live series by EA Sports. It was released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PC , and PlayStation Portable. This is the first NBA video game to include all three next-generation consoles...
- 2007 EA Sports NHL 08 - PS2, PCNHL 08-Soundtrack:-Easter Eggs:* Wells Greeno-McNeil is the name of a child for the Make-A-Wish Foundation whose wish was to have his name and likeness in a videogame.* The default created player names are of the game's developers....
- 2008 UEFA Euro 2008 - PS2, PSP, PCUEFA Euro 2008 (video game)UEFA Euro 2008 is the official video game of the Euro 2008 football tournament, published by EA Sports. It was developed collaboratively by EA Canada and HB Studios and was released in Europe and North America on April 18, 2008 and May 19, 2008 respectively...
- 2008 Big Beach Sports - WiiBig Beach SportsBig Beach Sports is a sports game for the Wii developed by HB Studios and produced by THQ.The game is a collection of six sports simulations, in which players compete on a beach resort location. The sports include: American football, volleyball, Soccer, bocce, cricket and disc golf...
- 2008 Rock Revolution - DSRock RevolutionRock Revolution is a music video game developed by Zoë Mode and HB Studios and published by Konami. It was first revealed on May 15, 2008, and released on October 15, 2008 for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360...
- 2008 EA Sports NBA Live 09 - Wii, PS2, PSPNBA Live 09Critics praised the new pick & roll system, though the new feature ,"Dynamic DNA", was called "not deep enough". GameSpot nominated it for the dubious award of Least Improved Sequel in its 2008 video game awards. However, the Wii version received mediocre score from critics.-External links:* * *...
- 2008 EA Sports NHL 09 - PS2, PCNHL 09NHL 09 is the 18th video game in the NHL series released by EA Sports. NHL 09 was first released in North America for Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 10, 2008, and on September 25, 2008 Australia, and September 26, 2008 in Europe. It was released for Microsoft Windows on October 22, 2008...
- 2009 Rock Revolution - WiiRock RevolutionRock Revolution is a music video game developed by Zoë Mode and HB Studios and published by Konami. It was first revealed on May 15, 2008, and released on October 15, 2008 for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360...
- 2009 Football Academy - DS
- 2009 EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 - PSP, PS2Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is a golfing simulation video game in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts...
- 2009 HB Arcade Cards - WiiWareHB Arcade CardsHB Arcade Cards is a video game by HB Studios consisting of a collection of six card games for WiiWare. It was released in North America on July 27, 2009.-Reception:...
- 2009 FIFA 10 - PC, PS2, PSPFIFA 10carlos leivaFIFA 10 is the 17th title in Electronic Arts' FIFA series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it was published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. It was released on 2 October 2009 in Europe, 30 September in Australia and 20 October 2009 in North America...
- 2009 EA Sports NBA Live 10 - PSPNBA Live 10NBA Live 10 is the 2009 installment in the NBA Live series, developed and published by Electronic Arts. Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is the cover athlete. It was released on October 6, 2009. This is the final game to be known as NBA Live...
- 2010 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game)2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is the official video game for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, published by EA Sports.The game was announced on 26 January 2010 during a GameSpot interview with Simon Humber, one of the producers of the game, and released April 27, 2010 in North America...
- Wii, PSP - 2010 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game)2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is the official video game for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, published by EA Sports.The game was announced on 26 January 2010 during a GameSpot interview with Simon Humber, one of the producers of the game, and released April 27, 2010 in North America...
- 360, PS3 (co-developed with EA Canada) - 2010 FIFA 11 Ultimate Team - 360, PS3 (co-developed with EA Canada)
- 2010 Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers - Wii, 360, PC
- 2010 FIFA 11 - PS2, PSPFIFA 11FIFA 11 is the 18th title in Electronic Arts' FIFA series of football video games. Developed by EA Canada, it was published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label...
- 2010 HB Arcade Disc Golf - WiiWare
- 2010 Backyard Sports: Rookie Rush - Wii, 360, PC
- 2010 HB Arcade Jam Space - DSiWare
- 2011 Rugby World Cup 2011 - PS3, 360
- 2011 EA Sports Madden NFL 12 - Wii, PSP, PS2Madden NFL 12Madden NFL 12 is an American football video game based on the National Football League published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It was released on August 30, 2011 in North America and September 2, 2011 in Europe...
- 2011 FIFA 12 - WiiFIFA 12FIFA 12 is the nineteenth game in Electronic Arts' FIFA series of association football video games. It was developed by EA Canada, and published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. David Rutter, the line producer for FIFA 12, promised "a revolutionary year for FIFA .....