Company:Piranha Games

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Piranha Games Inc.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
FoundedJanuary 22, 2000; 26 years ago (January 22, 2000)
Founders
  • Bryan Ekman
    Russ Bullock
  • Jason Holtslander
Headquarters
Burnaby
,
Canada
ParentEnad Global 7 (2020–present)
Websitepiranhagames.com

Piranha Games Inc. is a Canadian video game developer based in Burnaby, British Columbia.[1] The company was founded by Russ Bullock, President and Executive Producer, and Bryan Ekman, VP and Creative Director.[2] Piranha Games is one of the oldest game developers in the Greater Vancouver area and was housed in the International Village Mall in the Chinatown area until their relocation to their current Burnaby headquarters. On November 25, 2020, Piranha Games entered into an agreement to be acquired by Enad Global 7.[3]

History

In the Autumn of 1999, three entrepreneurs – Bullock, Ekman, and Jason Holtslander – set out to create a Half-Life mod called Software:Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza (DH:NP). After working together for a few months, the team received a letter from Fox Interactive requiring all work on the mod cease and desist. The three used this event as a catalyst to pursue their dreams of starting a new development studio and turning Software:Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza into a full product for the PC platform.

Piranha Games Inc. was officially founded in early 2000 by Bullock, Ekman, and Holtslander, with an initial infusion of private funding. After an 8-month period of creating demos for Fox Interactive, a deal was struck in August 2000, and Software:Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza was officially under production.

On November 25, 2020, Swedish company Enad Global 7 acquired Piranha Games for $31.4M CAD, the acquisition was finished on March 1, 2021.[citation needed]

Early years

With the departure of Holtslander, Piranha refocused its energy towards finishing DH:NP and expanding the business into the casual space through the creation of a new label and company called Jarhead Games. In the spring of 2002 DH:NP was released.

In the summer of 2005 Piranha Games began working on an unannounced next generation title which was later revealed to be a new Mechwarrior game.[4] In the spring of 2007, Piranha Games was contracted to work on EA Playground for the Nintendo DS and Software:Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 for the PSP. Piranha Games has also worked with Gearbox Software to develop the PS3[5] and Xbox 360 versions of Duke Nukem Forever, along with the multiplayer[6] component.

In 2011, after failing to work with former rights holders Smith & Tinker to fund a new MechWarrior game, Piranha Games bought the rights to the series from them.[7]

After a lengthy period without news regarding the new MechWarrior game, Piranha announced that the game, after some 'false starts', had become MechWarrior Online, and had been transformed into a mech-based MMO. MechWarrior Online ended Closed Beta phase in 2012, and officially launched following an Open Beta in fall of 2013 to mediocre reviews from critics, and poor reception with fans of the franchise.[8]

Current

PGI continues live iterative development of Mechwarrior Online. On December 5, 2016, Piranha announced their development of Software:MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, a single-purchase single player campaign title for the franchise using the Unreal 4 engine, with a playable demo due to be rolled out at the company's annual Vancouver Mech-Con event in December 2017[9] and full release rescheduled for September 2019 (Originally December 2018).[10]

On July 25, 2019, it was announced that MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries would be delayed again with a launch date of December 10, 2019. The game would also be an Epic Games Store exclusive for 1 year,[11] although it was also released for Xbox Game Pass.

Games developed

Year Title Platforms Publisher Notes
2002 Software:Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza Windows Sierra Entertainment/Vivendi Universal Games
2007 Software:Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 PSP Electronic Arts PSP version only
2008 Software:Need for Speed: Undercover PSP Electronic Arts
2009 Software:Bass Pro Shops: The Strike Windows, Xbox 360, Wii XS Games/Psyclone
2010 Bass Pro Shops: The Hunt Windows, Xbox 360, Wii XS Games
2011 Duke Nukem Forever Windows, PS3, Xbox 360, macOS 2K Games Additional development
Days of Thunder PS3, Xbox 360 Paramount Digital Entertainment/505 Games
2013 MechWarrior Online Windows Piranha Games/Infinite Game Publishing
2019 Software:MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S Piranha Games
2024 Software:MechWarrior 5: Clans Windows, PS5, Xbox Series X/S Piranha Games

Jarhead Games

  • Elite Forces: Navy SEALs (Windows)
  • Software:CTU: Marine Sharpshooter (Windows)
  • Elite Forces: Navy SEALs – Weapons of Mass Destruction (Windows)
  • Western Outlaw: Wanted Dead or Alive (Windows)
  • Marine Sharpshooter II: Jungle Warfare (Windows)
  • World War II: Sniper – Call to Victory (Windows)
  • Army Ranger: Mogadishu (Windows)
  • Outlaw Chopper (Windows)
  • DMZ: North Korea (Windows)
  • NRA Gun Club (PlayStation 2)
  • Bass Pro Shops: Trophy Hunter 2007 (Windows, Xbox)
  • Marine Sharpshooter 3 (Windows)

References

  1. ↑ "Piranha Games: Contact". https://piranhagames.com/contact. 
  2. ↑ Zacny, Rob (October 31, 2011). "MechWarrior Online developers share details, explain how MWO evolves the series" (in en). PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/mechwarrior-online-developers-share-details-explain-how-mwo-evolves-the-series/. 
  3. ↑ E. G. 7. (November 25, 2020). "EG7 Enters Into an Agreement to Acquire Piranha Games Inc.". Eg7 (Enad Global 7). https://www.enadglobal7.com/press/121645C48E654694/. 
  4. ↑ "MechWarrior PC Games Trailer – Reveal Trailer". IGN. http://pc.ign.com/dor/objects/18954/mech-warrior-project/videos/mechwarrior_trl_phoenix_70709.html. 
  5. ↑ James Gallagher (October 12, 2010). "Duke Nukem Forever Interview". http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2010/10/12/duke-nukem-forever-interview/. 
  6. ↑ "Duke Nukem Forever Interview with Gearbox Software". October 18, 2010. http://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/2972677. 
  7. ↑ Russ Bullock [@russ_bullock] (February 24, 2014). "@AnthonyHeadrick That is correct. At that point we were licensing from them and then in Feb 2011 we purchased the rights from them.". https://twitter.com/russ_bullock/status/438080991635062784. 
  8. ↑ "MechWarrior Online". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/mechwarrior-online/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  9. ↑ "MechWarrior 5 Playable For First Time This December" (in en-US). Screen Rant. July 29, 2017. http://screenrant.com/mechwarrior-5-mechcon-2017/. 
  10. ↑ "Everything we know about MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries" (in en). pcgamer. http://www.pcgamer.com/mechwarrior-5/. 
  11. ↑ "MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries delayed to December, now Epic Games Store exclusive" (in en). polygon. https://www.polygon.com/2019/7/25/8930718/mechwarrior-5-mercenaries-delayed-december-epic-games-store-exclusive. 



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