Tantalus Interactive
Encyclopedia
Tantalus Media is an Australian video game developer
based in Melbourne, Australia, founded in 1994 by former Beam Software programmers Trevor Nuridin and Andrew Bailey. The company changed its name to Tantalus Media in 2007 following investment from private equity
company Netus. In 2010 following the completion of the DS & PSP title Megamind: The blue defender, CEO Tom Crago re-acquired the business from Netus.
Tantalus Media are best known for licenced platform conversions and have created over 30 games for the Xbox
, Sega Saturn
, Dreamcast, Super Nintendo Entertainment System
, Nintendo GameCube
, Game Boy Advance
, Nintendo 64
, PlayStation
, PlayStation 2
, and PC
. Currently they are developing for the Nintendo 3DS
, iPhone
,and PlayStation Portable
.
They used two cross-platform engines: CRIS for handhelds, with skinned mesh rendering, and The Mercury Engine for new generation consoles in its early years.
CRIS (Character Render Interactive System), Was developed by Andrew Bailey for use on the GBA. Using a unique procedure it was able to render 3D mesh on the handheld system.
"A game engine that allows the full power of skinned mesh rendering on the GBA. CRIS does away with traditional pre-drawn sprite sequences, replacing them with character images generated in real-time 3D. The result is a level of visual quality and physics realism previously unattainable on a handheld gaming device."
CRIS was used mainly in the 2003 GBA title Top Gear Rally
. Released to high critical acclaim it showed the power of a system at it peak, while raising the bar for racing games on hand-held systems. Tantalus won 'Best Game' at the 2003 Australian Game Developer Awards in Melbourne for its effort.
In addition to licenced video games the developer released two original IP titles, Trickstar and Black Market Bowling.
In 2005 Tantalus' had two prominent original IP titles that never managed to attract publisher interest.
Metal Shell was developed into a playable demo, originally a vehicle shoot-em-up on the PS2 in 2003, the feature making it popular was deformable terrain as vehicles and shells exploded. In 2005 new concept and a short promotional video was developed in-house by the art team, shown at E3 that year it was promoted as a battlefield 1942
type game, set in the future.
Anaka was first pitched as a jump n run for the GBA in 2003, while only a document existed featuring loose details. In 2005 an animation feature short was made with the help of Act3animation
as part of a pilot for television.
In 2006 a touch only DS demo was created, Players could control the character indirectly by touching the screen where they wanted them to go. It was a mix between a jump n run and a traditional adventure game
.
The developer’s best performing title was the 2007 girl’s horse riding simulator Pony Friends for the Nintendo DS which sold more than 1 million copies, making Pony Friends the largest-selling single-format game developed in Australia.
In 2008 Tantalus was running two studios, and during that time the studio worked on Cars race-o-rama and MX reflex for the DS and PSP, as well as Pony friends 2 for the wii & DS, and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole for DS. Shortly after completion of cars race-o-rama DS in 2009 the Brisbane studio started work on the company's first digitally distributed title Drift street International for the DSi. Meanwhile the Melbourne office began work on Megamind (video game)
for PSP and DS, while also prototyping demos for 360, iPhone, and PS3.
in Melbourne. In December 2008 Tantalus established an office in Kenvin Grove, Brisbane, supporting a smaller team to increase development.
At that time and across two offices Tantalus employed just over 70 staff, with 5 titles in production across 5 platforms. The studio is equipped to handle mutable projects, and throughout the past 16 years 3-4 titles were being developed at any one time.
During the last half of 2009 due to a shift in the games industry in Australia, Tantalus Media closed its Brisbane office, while also making much of the staff in the Melbourne office redundant. During the first half of 2010 the company was reduced to a staff of under 18, at a time when many Australian development studios were closing.
In December of 2010, the company was in development of two new titles. While currently focusing on handhelds, developing for the Nintendo 3DS
, PlayStation Portable
and iPhone
\iPad
.
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 Melbourne, Australia, founded in 1994 by former Beam Software programmers Trevor Nuridin and Andrew Bailey. The company changed its name to Tantalus Media in 2007 following investment from private equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
company Netus. In 2010 following the completion of the DS & PSP title Megamind: The blue defender, CEO Tom Crago re-acquired the business from Netus.
Tantalus Media are best known for licenced platform conversions and have created over 30 games for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, Dreamcast, Super Nintendo Entertainment System
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...
, 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...
, Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, 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...
, 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...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, 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...
. Currently they are developing for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
, iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
,and PlayStation Portable
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...
.
History
Their first original title was South Park Rally, completed for four platforms in just 7 months. Their first handheld game was ATV Quad Power Racing for the GameBoy Advance, and they released Space Race, their first PS2 game, that same year.They used two cross-platform engines: CRIS for handhelds, with skinned mesh rendering, and The Mercury Engine for new generation consoles in its early years.
CRIS (Character Render Interactive System), Was developed by Andrew Bailey for use on the GBA. Using a unique procedure it was able to render 3D mesh on the handheld system.
"A game engine that allows the full power of skinned mesh rendering on the GBA. CRIS does away with traditional pre-drawn sprite sequences, replacing them with character images generated in real-time 3D. The result is a level of visual quality and physics realism previously unattainable on a handheld gaming device."
CRIS was used mainly in the 2003 GBA title Top Gear Rally
Top Gear Rally
Top Gear Rally is a rally game for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance. The Game Boy Color version was released under the name Top Gear Pocket, although the European release uses the original name. It features five tracks. It has a feature that allows the user to give their virtual...
. Released to high critical acclaim it showed the power of a system at it peak, while raising the bar for racing games on hand-held systems. Tantalus won 'Best Game' at the 2003 Australian Game Developer Awards in Melbourne for its effort.
In addition to licenced video games the developer released two original IP titles, Trickstar and Black Market Bowling.
In 2005 Tantalus' had two prominent original IP titles that never managed to attract publisher interest.
Metal Shell was developed into a playable demo, originally a vehicle shoot-em-up on the PS2 in 2003, the feature making it popular was deformable terrain as vehicles and shells exploded. In 2005 new concept and a short promotional video was developed in-house by the art team, shown at E3 that year it was promoted as a battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942 is a 3D World War II first-person shooter computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh . The game can be played in singleplayer mode against the computer game AI or in multiplayer mode...
type game, set in the future.
Anaka was first pitched as a jump n run for the GBA in 2003, while only a document existed featuring loose details. In 2005 an animation feature short was made with the help of Act3animation
Act3animation
Act3animation is an Australian CGI company, specializing in character animation, based in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1992 by current creative director, Mike Hollands, Act3 has produced various TVCs, FMVs and short films.-History:...
as part of a pilot for television.
In 2006 a touch only DS demo was created, Players could control the character indirectly by touching the screen where they wanted them to go. It was a mix between a jump n run and a traditional adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
.
The developer’s best performing title was the 2007 girl’s horse riding simulator Pony Friends for the Nintendo DS which sold more than 1 million copies, making Pony Friends the largest-selling single-format game developed in Australia.
In 2008 Tantalus was running two studios, and during that time the studio worked on Cars race-o-rama and MX reflex for the DS and PSP, as well as Pony friends 2 for the wii & DS, and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole for DS. Shortly after completion of cars race-o-rama DS in 2009 the Brisbane studio started work on the company's first digitally distributed title Drift street International for the DSi. Meanwhile the Melbourne office began work on Megamind (video game)
Megamind (video game)
Megamind the video games are based on the DreamWorks_Animation animated movie of the same name. Several licensed video game tie-ins published by THQ were released on November 2, 2010 to coincide with the film's release...
for PSP and DS, while also prototyping demos for 360, iPhone, and PS3.
Developer
- StargateStargate (1995 video game)Stargate is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System platform videogame developed and published by Acclaim Entertainment, following the adventures of Colonel Jack O'Neil as he struggles to free the slaves of Abydos, defeat Ra, and get his mission team back home using the stargate...
(SNES, 1994) - Area 51 (Saturn, PSX, PC – 1995)
- Krazy IvanKrazy IvanKrazy Ivan is a mech first-person shooter released for PC, Sega Saturn and PlayStation in 1996 by Psygnosis.The player took the role of Ivan Popovich, a Russian soldier controlling a giant mechanical suit, defending the Earth from robotic aliens....
(PSX, Saturn, PC – 1996) - WipeoutWipeout (video game)Wipeout is the first in a series of futuristic racing video games developed and published by Psygnosis. It was originally released in 1995 for Sony PlayStation and PCs running MS-DOS, and in 1996 for Sega Saturn...
(Saturn, 1995) - Manx TT SuperbikeManx TT SuperbikeManx TT Superbike is a 1995 arcade racing game developed jointly by Sega-AM3 and Sega-AM4. It was later brought to the Sega Saturn by Psygnosis and Tantalus Interactive and then ported to Windows by Perfect Entertainment. It was the first motorcycle racing game built for the Sega Model 2 arcade...
(Saturn, PC – 1997) - (Saturn, PC – 1998)
- Wipeout XL (Saturn, 1998)
- South Park RallySouth Park RallySouth Park Rally is a kart-style racing video game, based on the American animated comedy series South Park. Developed by Tantalus and published by Acclaim in 2000 – near the end of the third season of the show – for PlayStation, Windows , Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast systems, the game includes many...
(DC, N64, PSX, PC – 1999) - ATV: Quad Power Racing (PSX, GBA – 2000)
- Looney Tunes: Space RaceLooney Tunes: Space RaceLooney Tunes: Space Race is a 2000 video game developed by Infogrames, Inc. It was originally announced as a Nintendo 64 game in 1998, but was later moved to the Dreamcast.. It was ported to PlayStation 2 in 2002 with a new tournament mode. It is a kart racing game, where you can throw weapons...
(DC – 2000) (PS2 – 2002) - Men in Black II: Alien EscapeMen in Black II: Alien EscapeMen in Black II: Alien Escape is a video game of the action-adventure genre released in 2002 by Melbourne House. The game is partially based on the Men in Black II movie.-Plot:...
(GC, PS2 – 2002) - Woody Woodpecker in Crazy Castle 5 (GBA – 2002)
- Monster Truck MadnessMonster Truck MadnessMonster Truck Madness is a monster truck racing PC game developed by Terminal Reality and published by Microsoft, in 1996. During development it was referred to as Heavy Metal Truck or by the internal codename Metal Crush.-Development:...
(GBA – 2003) - Unreal II: The AwakeningUnreal II: The AwakeningUnreal II: The Awakening is a first-person shooter video game, designed initially only for a single-player campaign. The game is part of the Unreal series. It was developed by the now defunct Legend Entertainment, published by Atari and released on February 4, 2003 for Microsoft Windows...
(Xbox, 2003) - Top Gear RallyTop Gear RallyTop Gear Rally is a rally game for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance. The Game Boy Color version was released under the name Top Gear Pocket, although the European release uses the original name. It features five tracks. It has a feature that allows the user to give their virtual...
(GBA, 2003) - The Polar ExpressThe Polar Express (video game)The Polar Express is an adventure game released in 2004 by Blue Tongue. Based on the film of the same name, the game follows the same plot as the film it's based on...
(GBA – 2004) - The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius – Attack of the Twonkies (GBA – 2004)
- SpongeBob SquarePants: The Yellow AvengerSpongeBob SquarePants: The Yellow AvengerSpongeBob SquarePants: The Yellow Avenger is a SpongeBob video game developed by Tantalus Media and published by THQ, and is available for Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. It is the first SpongeBob game on both consoles -Plot:SpongeBob acquires Mermaid Man's powers when he wears his belt...
(DS, PSP – 2005) - Trick Star (GBA, 2006)
- MX vs. ATV: On the Edge (PSP – 2006)
- Cars Mater-NationalCars Mater-NationalCars Mater-National is a title for video game consoles and handhelds released on October 30, 2007 by Play THQ. It is the sequel to the Cars video game based on the Cars film from Pixar...
(GBA, DS – 2007) - MX vs. ATV: UntamedMX vs. ATV: UntamedMX vs. ATV: Untamed is an offroad racing game developed by Rainbow Studios, Incinerator Studios, Tantalus Media and THQ for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, and Wii systems. It is a part of their MX vs...
(DS, PSP – 2007) - Pony Friends (DS – 2007)
- The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the DragonThe Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the DragonThe Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon is the 3rd and final installment in The Legend of Spyro trilogy, as well as the tenth anniversary game of the series. It was released on October 21, 2008 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Wii and PlayStation 2 for North America, Australia and Europe...
(DS - 2008) - Pony Friends 2 (Wii, DS, PC – 2009)
- MX vs. ATV ReflexMX vs. ATV ReflexMX vs. ATV Reflex is an off-road racing video game developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ. It is the third game in the MX vs. ATV series following Unleashed and Untamed .-Gameplay:...
(PSP, DS – 2009) - Cars Race-O-RamaCars Race-O-RamaCars Race-O-Rama is a racing game that was released on October 12, 2009. Cars Race-o-Rama is the sequel to Cars Mater-National, which was released on October 27, 2007. The PSP and DS versions of the game were created by Tantalus Media in Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia...
(PSP, DS – 2009) - Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (DS - 2010)
- Drift Street International (DSiWare, 2010)
- Megamind (video game)Megamind (video game)Megamind the video games are based on the DreamWorks_Animation animated movie of the same name. Several licensed video game tie-ins published by THQ were released on November 2, 2010 to coincide with the film's release...
(PSP, DS – 2010)
Publisher / Producer
- AMF Bowling 2004 – Black Market Games (Xbox, 2003)
- Black Market Bowling – Black Market Games (PS2, 2005)
- Heat Shield – Black Market Games (iPhone, 2009)
Studios
After moving from Elizabeth st in Melbourne's CBD in 2000, Tantalus' headquarters is within 'The Tea House' at South Wharf, VictoriaSouth Wharf, Victoria
South Wharf is a small inner suburb of Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne.South Wharf is located on the southern bank of the Yarra River, bounded by Clarendon Street, Normanby Road, the West Gate Freeway and Docklands Highway. Gazetted...
in Melbourne. In December 2008 Tantalus established an office in Kenvin Grove, Brisbane, supporting a smaller team to increase development.
At that time and across two offices Tantalus employed just over 70 staff, with 5 titles in production across 5 platforms. The studio is equipped to handle mutable projects, and throughout the past 16 years 3-4 titles were being developed at any one time.
During the last half of 2009 due to a shift in the games industry in Australia, Tantalus Media closed its Brisbane office, while also making much of the staff in the Melbourne office redundant. During the first half of 2010 the company was reduced to a staff of under 18, at a time when many Australian development studios were closing.
In December of 2010, the company was in development of two new titles. While currently focusing on handhelds, developing for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
, PlayStation Portable
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...
and iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
\iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
.