Company:DreamCatcher Interactive
 | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Fate | Dissolved with parent, assets acquired by Nordic Games |
| Successor | THQ Nordic |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Richard Wah Kan |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Products | See products listing |
| Parent | JoWooD Entertainment (2006–2011) |
| Divisions | The Adventure Company |
DreamCatcher Interactive Inc. (also known as DreamCatcher Games) was a Canadian video game publisher founded in 1996 by Richard Wah Kan. It was best known for its adventure games. In 2006, the company became a subsidiary of JoWooD Entertainment. In 2011, the company went into administration along with its parent JoWooD and all assets were purchased by Nordic Games Holding. The DreamCatcher Interactive brand is currently being used as a publishing label for THQ Nordic.[1]
History
DreamCatcher Interactive was founded in 1996 at Toronto, Canada. Its first published title was Jewels of the Oracle.[2] The company gradually drifted into becoming a publisher focused on the adventure genre after finding that "customers really were hungry for" these titles, according to DreamCatcher's Marshall Zwicker. Beyond Time was among the releases whose reception drew the publisher to this field.[3] Profit reported that DreamCatcher located such projects via "networking at tradeshows and reviewing unsolicited game proposals."[2] In 1999, DreamCatcher pushed its corporate strategy by launching Nightlong, The Forgotten and The Crystal Key.[3] The latter went on to a major hit.[2] DreamCatcher's top four titles for 2000 were Dracula, Traitors Gate, Beyond Atlantis and The Crystal Key. These games respectively made up 9%, 14%, 15% and 32% of DreamCatcher's sales that year.[4] In March 2000, DreamCatcher was purchased by Cryo Interactive.[5] Continuing the company's growth, in November 2000, DreamCatcher signed with Her Interactive to publish the Nancy Drew franchise.[6]
In late 2002, most of the assets and development teams of French-based publisher, Cryo Interactive were absorbed by DreamCatcher Interactive, forming the base for DreamCatcher Europe including key offices and a large internal studio.[7] By early 2003, DreamCatcher was the United States' tenth-biggest publisher of games.[8] After the acquisition of Cryo Interactive, Dreamcatcher created a publishing division called The Adventure Company in early 2003. The company also partnered with both Wanadoo Edition and Microïds, as well as other studios in the development and distribution of games including Syberia, Still Life and ObsCure.[9] In 2005, the main Microïds studio was acquired by Ubisoft with Dreamcatcher retaining publishing rights to the games being created.[10]
The Adventure Company brand label under DreamCatcher has released many adventure game series' including series' based on Agatha Christie novels. They also recently signed to release a series of titles based on The Hardy Boys.[11] Outside of adventure gaming, DreamCatcher is best known for publishing the first-person shooter Painkiller developed with People Can Fly. Painkiller became a commercial success and was signed with the CPL World Tour 2005.[12] Dreamcatcher would also create another label, Silverline Software, around 2004 for the distribution of some non-core games and the publishing of utility software. Silverline Software would release the "Time to Ride" series of girl's horse games starting in 2004, which would later be acquired by Ubisoft.[citation needed]
In 2006, JoWooD Entertainment announced the purchase of DreamCatcher Games as a way of increasing their presence into the North American gaming market in addition to acquiring the company's key titles and licenses.[13] Since the acquisition, DreamCatcher Games has continued to launch titles both under The Adventure Company and DreamCatcher labels including new games created by JoWooD like the SpellForce series. In 2011, JoWooD went into administration causing DreamCatcher to file for bankruptcy. In November 2011, Nordic Games Holding announced that they had acquired all DreamCatcher assets and would be turning it into a publishing label of their subsidiary Nordic Games.[14] Nordic Games Holding had previously acquired JoWooD and The Adventure Company in August also turning both brands into publishing labels of Nordic Games.[15] All business operations of this brand are being conducted out of THQ Nordic in Vienna, Austria.[14]
Games
Note: This list is for titles which DreamCatcher Interactive published. Releases of games under The Adventure Company banner are not included.
| Year | Title | Developer | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Jewels of the Oracle | ELOI Productions | Macintosh, Windows 3.x |
| 1997 | Egypt 1156 B.C.: Tomb of the Pharaoh | Cryo Interactive Entertainment | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| Safecracker | Daydream Software | ||
| Soldier Boyz | Daydream Software | Microsoft Windows | |
| Beyond Time | Jones and Jones Multimedia | Microsoft Windows, Windows 3.x | |
| 1998 | Jewels II: The Ultimate Challenge | ELOI Productions | |
| Karma | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Cydonia | |||
| Nightlong | |||
| 1999 | The Adventures of Jonny Quest | ||
| The Crystal Key | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | ||
| 2000 | The Forgotten | ||
| Egypt II | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Seven Games of the Soul | |||
| Riddle of the Sphinx | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | ||
| The Legend of Lotus Spring | |||
| The Sacred Amulet | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Dracula: The Resurrection | Macintosh, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows | ||
| Traitors Gate | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | ||
| Beyond Atlantis | |||
| In Cold Blood | PlayStation, Microsoft Windows | ||
| The New Adventures of the Time Machine | Microsoft Windows | ||
| TimeScape: Journey to Pompeii | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | ||
| The Legend of the Prophet and the Assassin | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Odyssey | |||
| Nancy Drew | Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance | ||
| 2001 | Frank Herbert's Dune | Microsoft Windows | |
| Dracula: The Last Sanctuary | Macintosh, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows | ||
| Necronomicon | PlayStation, Microsoft Windows | ||
| The Messenger | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows | ||
| Dracula | Game Boy Color | ||
| Nancy Drew | Microsoft Windows | ||
| The Secrets of Alamut | |||
| Nancy Drew | |||
| Arthur's Knights: Tales of Chivalry | |||
| Nancy Drew | |||
| Woody Woodpecker | Game Boy Color | ||
| Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Atlantis | |||
| Jekyll & Hyde | |||
| The Shadow of Zorro | |||
| From Dusk Till Dawn | |||
| Schizm | |||
| Beyond Atlantis II | |||
| Nancy Drew | |||
| MegaRace 3 | |||
| 2002 | Inspector Gadget | Game Boy Advance | |
| Gremlins: Stripe vs. Gizmo | |||
| Woody Woodpecker | PlayStation 2 | ||
| Casino Mogul | Microsoft Windows | ||
| SuperPower | |||
| Factory Mogul | |||
| Arabian Nights | |||
| Project Earth | |||
| The Mystery of the Nautilus | |||
| Gore | |||
| Rock Manager | |||
| Agassi Tennis Generation | PlayStation 2 | ||
| Iron Storm | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Extreme Ghostbusters: Code Ecto-1 | Game Boy Advance | ||
| Kaan | PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows | ||
| Law & Order: Dead on the Money | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Pink Panther: Pinkadelic Pursuit | PlayStation | ||
| Hegemonia: Legions of Iron | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Pink Panther: Pinkadelic Pursuit | Game Boy Advance | ||
| Post Mortem | Microsoft Windows | ||
| 2003 | Battlecruiser Millennium Gold | ||
| Harbinger | |||
| Hellboy | PlayStation | ||
| Emergency Fire Response | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Enigma | |||
| Spirits & Spells | GameCube | ||
| Curse | Microsoft Windows, Xbox | ||
| Etherlords II | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Ultimate Beach Soccer | Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox | ||
| Pax Romana | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Broken Sword | |||
| Arx Fatalis | Xbox | ||
| 2004 | Saddle Up: Time to Ride | Microsoft Windows | |
| Besieger | |||
| Traitors Gate 2 | |||
| Universal Combat | |||
| Crystal Key II: The Far Realm | |||
| Painkiller | |||
| The Omega Stone: Riddle of the Sphinx II | |||
| Aura | |||
| SuperPower 2 | |||
| Lights Out | |||
| Return to Mysterious Island | |||
| Painkiller: Battle Out of Hell | |||
| Advanced Battlegrounds: The Future of Combat | |||
| 2005 | Cops 2170 | ||
| Yager | |||
| Enigma | |||
| The Moment of Silence | |||
| Domination | |||
| ObsCure | PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox | ||
| Painkiller: Gold Edition | Microsoft Windows | ||
| MetalHeart: Replicants Rampage | |||
| Dungeon Lords | |||
| Still Life | Xbox | ||
| Echo | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Painkiller: Black | |||
| NiBiRu | |||
| Cold War | Microsoft Windows, Xbox | ||
| Agatha Christie | Wii, Microsoft Windows | ||
| 2006 | Agatha Christie | Microsoft Windows | |
| Dungeon Lords: Collector's Edition | |||
| Keepsake | |||
| Glory of the Roman Empire | |||
| Wildlife Zoo | |||
| Painkiller: Hell Wars | Xbox | ||
| Ship Simulator 2006 | Microsoft Windows | ||
| First Battalion | |||
| Neverend | |||
| Evidence | |||
| Secret Files | |||
| 2007 | Nanny Mania | ||
| Secrets of the Ark: A Broken Sword Game | |||
| Power Boat GT | |||
| The Sacred Rings | |||
| The Ugly Prince Duckling | |||
| Genesis Rising | |||
| Dawnspire: Prelude | |||
| Voyage | |||
| Sentinel | |||
| Mysterious Journey II: Chameleon | |||
| Dunes of War | |||
| Dead Reefs | |||
| Spaceforce: Rogue Universe | |||
| Destination | |||
| Atlantis Evolution | |||
| Animates | Nintendo DS | ||
| The Cameron Files | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Painkiller | |||
| LifeSigns: Surgical Unit | Nintendo DS | ||
| Next Life | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Agatha Christie | |||
| Zoo Quest: Puzzle Fun | Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows | ||
| 2008 | Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile | Microsoft Windows | |
| Agatha Christie: Mysteries | |||
| The Experiment | |||
| Seven Kingdoms: Conquest | |||
| Cleopatra | |||
| Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis | |||
| SpellForce 2 | |||
| Painkiller Triple Dose | |||
| SpellForce 2 | |||
| Wildlife Zoo: Deluxe Edition | |||
| The Hardy Boys | |||
| Drivers Ed Portable | Nintendo DS | ||
| Syberia | |||
| Dreamer: Horse Trainer | |||
| Learn Math for Grades 1-4 | |||
| Dreamer: Puppy Trainer | |||
| Matchstick | |||
| 2009 | Inkheart | ||
| Dreamer: Pop Star | |||
| Monster Band | |||
| Dreamer Series: Babysitter | |||
| Let's Play: Shops | |||
| Painkiller | Microsoft Windows | ||
| Treasure Island | |||
| 2010 | Arcania | ||
| Gothic II (Gold Edition) | |||
| Chaser | |||
| Painkiller: Pandemonium | |||
| 2011 | Painkiller: Redemption |
References
- ↑ "DREAMCATCHER INTERACTIVE INC. Trademark of THQ Nordic AB Serial Number: 75212375 :: Trademarkia Trademarks". https://www.trademarkia.com/dreamcatcher-interactive-inc-75212375.html.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Baillie, Susanne. "PROFIT 100 2002 Company #5: DreamCatcher Interactive Inc.". Profit. http://www.profitguide.com:80/profit100/2002/features.asp?ID=955.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fournier, Heidi (January 14, 2000). "An exclusive interview with... Marshall Zwicker and Richard Wah Kan of DreamCatcher Interactive". Adventure Gamers. http://www.adventuregamer.com:80/features/interviews/dreamcatcher.shtml.
- ↑ (in fr) Document de référence 2000 (Report). Cryo Interactive. July 11, 2001. pp. 27, 33. http://www.cryofinance.com/fr/Finance/RapportCryo2000.pdf.
- ↑ Hong, Quang (March 3, 2000). "Cryo Acquires Dreamcatcher". Gamasutra. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/93723/Cryo_Acquires_Dreamcatcher.php.
- ↑ "DreamCatcher Publishes Nancy Drew". http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Her+Interactive+Signs+Deal+With+DreamCatcher+to+Publish+and...-a066572698.
- ↑ Absorbed Cyro Interactive
- ↑ Bronstring, Marek (March 7, 2003). "The Adventure Company Europe". Adventure Gamers. http://www.adventuregamers.com:80/article/id,223.
- ↑ Dreamcatcher Publishes ObsCure
- ↑ Thorsen, Tor. "Ubisoft subsumes Microids Canada". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-subsumes-microids-canada/1100-6119575/.
- ↑ The Hardy Boys License
- ↑ Painkiller Added to Summer CPL Championship
- ↑ Euro Adhoc JoWooD Acquisitions
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Nordic Games Holding AB Group acquires DreamCatcher". Nordic Games. 2011-11-17. http://www.nordicgames.at/index.php/article/nordic_games_holding_ab_group_acquires_dreamcatcher.
- ↑ "Nordic Games Holding AB Group Acquires JoWood & The Adventure Company". Nordic Games. 2011-08-16. http://www.nordicgames.se/index.php?/article/nordic_games_holding_ab_group_acquires_jowood_the_adventure_company.
External links
- Official website (archived)
- DreamCatcher Interactive at MobyGames
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