Surreal Software
Encyclopedia
Surreal Software is a video game developer
based in Kirkland
, Washington, USA
, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Surreal Software, best known for The Suffering
and Drakan
series, employed over 130 designers, artists and programmers. Surreal was acquired by Warner Bros. Games during the bankruptcy of Midway Games in July 2009. After a significant layoff in January 2011, the remaining employees were integrated into WBG's Kirkland offices, along with developers Monolith and Snowblind.
Over the years, Surreal Software's technical capabilities had increased, with the advancement of multi-platform offerings, and a proprietary real-time game development engine. The studio was last working on This is Vegas
, a title which was scheduled to be released on Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
and PC
. The first screenshots, video and game information for This is Vegas
were unveiled the week of February 4, 2008 at IGN
.
in Bellevue, Washington
together. They found Stuart Denman, a University of Washington
grad, through an online message board. The group began operating in 1995 in an office in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood. Previously, Radovich sold real estate, Patmore worked at a wireless company, Nichols was working at local game company Boss Studios, and Denman had just interned at Microsoft on the Excel team. Their first contract was with Bothell-based children's game developer Humongous, which found Denman's website and called to recruit programmers for Humongous
. Surreal instead offered to do contract work.
Surreal developed the Riot Engine
for its games in 1996.
First receiving critical acclaim with the 1999 release of Drakan: Order of the Flame
, Surreal Software continued its success with Drakan: The Ancients' Gates
in early 2002, both games selling in excess of 250,000 units. Having grown to two development teams, Surreal released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
later that same year, selling over 1.8 million units.
In March 2004, Surreal Software released The Suffering
, an original concept action-packed horror game set in a secluded island prison, with monster designs by the late Stan Winston
. Gamers and critics alike enjoyed this bold new contribution to the horror genre and in 2005, The Suffering: Ties That Bind
followed.
In April 2004, Midway Games
acquired Surreal Software as an in-house game studio. This was the only studio that kept its original name following its acquisition by Midway in 2004
In 2006, the Surreal Software staff moved from Fremont to their new waterfront studio on Elliott Avenue next to the Olympic Sculpture Park
.
In 2009, Surreal Software was among the Midway Games
assets purchased by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
None of the founders are currently with the company.
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...
based in Kirkland
Kirkland, Washington
Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle on the Eastside . The population was 48,787 at the 2010 census makes it the 9th largest city in King County and the 20th largest city in the state...
, Washington, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Surreal Software, best known for The Suffering
The Suffering (video game)
The Suffering is a video game developed by Surreal Software and published by Midway Games, released in 2004 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PC. The game featured monster designs by Stan Winston.-Story:...
and Drakan
Drakan
Drakan is an action-adventure video game series developed by Surreal Software and set in a high fantasy world simply referred as Drakan by gamers...
series, employed over 130 designers, artists and programmers. Surreal was acquired by Warner Bros. Games during the bankruptcy of Midway Games in July 2009. After a significant layoff in January 2011, the remaining employees were integrated into WBG's Kirkland offices, along with developers Monolith and Snowblind.
Over the years, Surreal Software's technical capabilities had increased, with the advancement of multi-platform offerings, and a proprietary real-time game development engine. The studio was last working on This is Vegas
This is Vegas
This is Vegas is a video game which was developed by Surreal Software and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and was intended for release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows.-Development:...
, a title which was scheduled to be released on 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...
, 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 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...
. The first screenshots, video and game information for This is Vegas
This is Vegas
This is Vegas is a video game which was developed by Surreal Software and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and was intended for release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows.-Development:...
were unveiled the week of February 4, 2008 at 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...
.
History
Surreal Software was founded in 1995 as an independent video game development studio by Alan Patmore, Stuart Denman, Nick Radovich and Mike Nichols. Patmore, Nichols and Radovich attended Eastside Catholic High SchoolEastside Catholic High School
Eastside Catholic School is a private Roman Catholic school in Sammamish, Washington, USA. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, Eastside Catholic is fully accredited by the state of Washington, the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools and the Northwest Association...
in Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
together. They found Stuart Denman, a University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
grad, through an online message board. The group began operating in 1995 in an office in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood. Previously, Radovich sold real estate, Patmore worked at a wireless company, Nichols was working at local game company Boss Studios, and Denman had just interned at Microsoft on the Excel team. Their first contract was with Bothell-based children's game developer Humongous, which found Denman's website and called to recruit programmers for Humongous
Humongous (game developer)
Humongous Inc. is an American video game developer. The company is known for its line of educational games for children. Atari now owns Humongous Inc.-History:...
. Surreal instead offered to do contract work.
Surreal developed the Riot Engine
Riot engine
-Games:* Drakan: Order of the Flame* Drakan: The Ancients' Gates* The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring* The Suffering* The Suffering: Ties That Bind-External links:...
for its games in 1996.
First receiving critical acclaim with the 1999 release of Drakan: Order of the Flame
Drakan: Order of the Flame
Drakan: Order of the Flame is an action-adventure computer game developed by Surreal Software and published by Psygnosis in 1999. The game follows Rynn, a young woman with extraordinary martial skills, and an ancient dragon Arokh on their quest to free Rynn's younger brother from the evil sorcerer...
, Surreal Software continued its success with Drakan: The Ancients' Gates
Drakan: The Ancients' Gates
Drakan: The Ancients' Gates is an action-adventure PlayStation 2 game with RPG elements by Surreal Software. It is the sequel to the 1999 PC game Drakan: Order of the Flame....
in early 2002, both games selling in excess of 250,000 units. Having grown to two development teams, Surreal released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2002 cross-platform video game developed based on the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. WXP developed the game for Xbox, while Surreal developed the PC and PlayStation 2 version, and Pocket Studios delevoped the game for...
later that same year, selling over 1.8 million units.
In March 2004, Surreal Software released The Suffering
The Suffering (video game)
The Suffering is a video game developed by Surreal Software and published by Midway Games, released in 2004 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PC. The game featured monster designs by Stan Winston.-Story:...
, an original concept action-packed horror game set in a secluded island prison, with monster designs by the late Stan Winston
Stan Winston
Stanley Winston was an American visual effects supervisor, makeup artist, and film director. He was best known for his work in the Terminator series, the Jurassic Park series, Aliens, the Predator series, Iron Man, Edward Scissorhands, and Avatar...
. Gamers and critics alike enjoyed this bold new contribution to the horror genre and in 2005, The Suffering: Ties That Bind
The Suffering: Ties That Bind
The Suffering: Ties That Bind is a video game developed by Surreal Software and published by Midway Games, released in 2005 for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 game consoles as well as the PC. The Xbox version of the game is not supported by the Xbox 360's backwards compatibility feature.It is the...
followed.
In April 2004, Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
acquired Surreal Software as an in-house game studio. This was the only studio that kept its original name following its acquisition by Midway in 2004
In 2006, the Surreal Software staff moved from Fremont to their new waterfront studio on Elliott Avenue next to the Olympic Sculpture Park
Olympic Sculpture Park
The Olympic Sculpture Park is a public park in Seattle, Washington that opened on January 20, 2007.The park consists of a outdoor sculpture museum and beach. The park was designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects, along with Charles Anderson Landscape Architecture and other consultants. It is...
.
In 2009, Surreal Software was among the Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
assets purchased by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Founders
- Stuart Denman — Technical Director
- Alan Patmore — Project Director
- Nick Radovich — Business Operations
- Mike Nichols — Art Director
None of the founders are currently with the company.
Games
- Drakan: Order of the FlameDrakan: Order of the FlameDrakan: Order of the Flame is an action-adventure computer game developed by Surreal Software and published by Psygnosis in 1999. The game follows Rynn, a young woman with extraordinary martial skills, and an ancient dragon Arokh on their quest to free Rynn's younger brother from the evil sorcerer...
(1999, PC) - Drakan: The Ancients' GatesDrakan: The Ancients' GatesDrakan: The Ancients' Gates is an action-adventure PlayStation 2 game with RPG elements by Surreal Software. It is the sequel to the 1999 PC game Drakan: Order of the Flame....
(2002, PlayStation 2) - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2002 cross-platform video game developed based on the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. WXP developed the game for Xbox, while Surreal developed the PC and PlayStation 2 version, and Pocket Studios delevoped the game for...
(2002, PC and PlayStation 2) - The Lord of the Rings: The Treason of Isengard (2003, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, cancelled by Vivendi Universal Games)
- The SufferingThe Suffering (video game)The Suffering is a video game developed by Surreal Software and published by Midway Games, released in 2004 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PC. The game featured monster designs by Stan Winston.-Story:...
(2004, PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox) - The Suffering: Ties That BindThe Suffering: Ties That BindThe Suffering: Ties That Bind is a video game developed by Surreal Software and published by Midway Games, released in 2005 for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 game consoles as well as the PC. The Xbox version of the game is not supported by the Xbox 360's backwards compatibility feature.It is the...
(2005, PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox) - This is VegasThis is VegasThis is Vegas is a video game which was developed by Surreal Software and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and was intended for release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows.-Development:...
(rumor of being cancelled) (2010, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC)