Company:Behaviour Interactive
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| Formerly |
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|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | September 21, 1992 in Quebec City, Canada |
| Founder | Rémi Racine |
| Headquarters | , Canada |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | |
| Products |
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Number of employees | >1,300[1] (2022) |
| Divisions |
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| Subsidiaries |
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| Website | bhvr.com |
Behaviour Interactive Inc. is a Canadian video game developer based in Montreal . The studio is best known for the mutliplayer horror game Dead by Daylight.
History
The company was founded in 1992 in Quebec City as Megatoon.[2] Two years later, the company's current CEO and executive producer, Rémi Racine, co-founded the Montreal-based Multimedia Interactive (MMI) to develop interactive entertainment software for CD-ROM.[3] Both companies were sold to Malofilm Communications in 1996, and a year later, they were merged into Behaviour Interactive with Racine as general manager.[3] In 1997, the studio released Jersey Devil on PlayStation and later Windows. The 3D platformer was the first console game made entirely in Quebec.[4] Distributed by Sony, Jersey Devil caught the eye of Infogrames Entertainment, which approached Behaviour to produce what would become Bugs Bunny, released in 1999.
Artificial Mind & Movement era
In 1999, Racine and some investors bought the studio back, but they had to rename it, changing the name in 2000 to Artificial Mind & Movement Inc. (A2M).[5][3] As A2M, the studio continued its work-for-hire projects, producing titles for clients including Konami, Sony Computer Entertainment, Ubisoft, Disney Interactive Studios, Nintendo, EA and Activision. In November 2008, the company acquired Santiago-based Wanako Games from Activision Blizzard,[6] which was the first and largest South American game studio.[3] As A2M, the studio maintained its focus on producing original titles, releasing Scaler (2004), Wet (2009) and Naughty Bear (2010). This last title had more than 800,000 console-unit sales and laid the groundwork for the studio's 2016 breakthrough original game, Dead by Daylight.[7]
2nd Behaviour Interactive era
On November 8, 2010, Artificial Mind & Movement announced its name was returning to Behaviour Interactive.[8] The change was partly due to increased production of original titles and thus stronger presence in the gaming community, partly due to the availability of the original name, and partly due to one particular obscene interpretation of the initialism "A2M".[5]
The studio has maintained its work-for-hire services with major clients while continuing to invest in original games. In 2016, Behaviour released Dead by Daylight, a multiplayer survival action horror game published by Sweden's Starbreeze. Dead by Daylight sold more than 1 million copies in its first two months[9][10] and by 2022 had more than 50 million players worldwide.[11] In 2018, Behaviour purchased the game's publishing rights from Starbreeze for US$16 million.[12] Thanks in large part to the game's success, Behaviour has seen its revenues grow from CAD $25 million in 2015 to CAD $225 million in 2021.[13][14]
In April 2022, Behaviour announced the opening of a new office in Toronto. The studio said the office will accommodate at least 50 employees working on projects across Behaviour's three business units.[15]
In May 2022, it was announced Behaviour Interactive had acquired the Seattle-based game development studio Midwinter Entertainment.[16]
Behaviour's next major original release, Meet Your Maker, was released in April 2023 on PC, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox One, Series X/S. The game was billed as a "post-apocalyptic first-person building-and-raiding game where every level is designed by players for players."[17]
In the summer of 2022, Behaviour released Hooked on You, a dating sim spinoff from the Dead by Daylight franchise, and the melee brawler Flippin Misfits. Both games were revealed alongside Meet Your Maker at the first Behaviour Beyond showcase of new and upcoming releases broadcast in August 2022.[18]
In February 2023, it was announced that Behaviour had acquired UK-based video game developer SockMonkey Studios,[19] which is now renamed Behaviour UK - North.
In March 2023, it was announced that a film based on Dead by Daylight is in development, with Blumhouse Productions, Atomic Monster and Striker Entertainment co-producing.[20]
In May 2023, Concordia University in Montreal announced the creation of a new Behaviour-funded research chair in video game design in its Department of Design and Computation Arts. Behaviour will provide $2-million in funding for the research chair over the next 10 years.[21]
In July 2023, Behaviour announced the opening of a new studio in Truro, Cornwall, called Behaviour UK - South.[22]
In August 2023, Behaviour acquired Netherlands-based video game developer Codeglue, renaming it Behaviour Rotterdam.[23]
In November 2023, Behaviour announced that Dead by Daylight had surpassed the 60-million player milestone.[24]
Business units
Behaviour's operations are divided into three business units – Studios, Digital and Business Solutions.[25] Its Studios unit provides work-for-hire development services to major video game and entertainment industry brands such as Disney, Sony, Activision, Warner Bros., Ubisoft, HBO and Nintendo. Its Digital unit produces Behaviour's original content including Dead by Daylight. Behaviour's Business Solutions unit applies game technology to business ends for corporate clients such as Bombardier, CAE and CN Rail.[26]
Abolition of crunch time
Behaviour Interactive made headlines as one of the first video game studios to abolish crunch time, a controversial yet widespread practice in the video game industry that requires employees to work longer hours, often unpaid, to meet project milestones.[27][28][29] The policy helped Behaviour earn its designation as one of Canada's Best Workplaces by gamesindustry.biz in 2018 and again in 2021 and 2022.[28][30]
Titles
as Artificial Mind & Movement
| Game title | Year released | Platform | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Grinch | 2000 | PS, PC, DC | Konami |
| Bugs Bunny & Taz: Time Busters | 2000 | PS, PC | Infogrames |
| Smurf Racer! | 2001 | PS | Infogrames |
| Monsters, Inc. Scream Team | 2001 | PS, PS2, PC | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Ice Age | 2002 | GBA | Ubisoft |
| Scooby-Doo! Mystery Mayhem | 2003 | GBA, PS2, GC, Xbox | THQ |
| Carmen Sandiego: The Secret of the Stolen Drums | 2004 | PS2, GC, Xbox | BAM! Entertainment |
| Home on the Range | 2004 | GBA | Buena Vista Games |
| Disney's Kim Possible 2: Drakken's Demise | 2004 | GBA | Buena Vista Games |
| Scaler | 2004 | PS2, GC, Xbox | Take-Two Interactive |
| Get On Da Mic | 2004 | PS2 | Eidos Interactive |
| Lizzie McGuire 2: Lizzie Diaries | 2004 | GBA | Buena Vista Games |
| Disney Move | 2004 | PS2 EyeToy | Buena Vista Games |
| Scooby-Doo! Unmasked | 2005 | GBA, PS2, GC, Xbox, DS | THQ |
| Disney's Kim Possible 3: Team Possible | 2005 | GBA | Buena Vista Games |
| That's So Raven 2: Supernatural Style | 2005 | GBA | Buena Vista Games |
| everGirl... your way to play! | 2005 | GBA, PC | THQ |
| Chicken Little | 2005 | GBA | Buena Vista Games |
| Teen Titans | 2005 | GBA | Majesco Entertainment |
| Ed, Edd n Eddy | 2005 | GBA, PC, PS2, GC, Xbox | Midway Games |
| Flow: Urban Dance Uprising | 2005 | PS2 | Ubisoft |
| Disney's Kim Possible: Kimmunicator | 2005 | DS | Buena Vista Games |
| Teen Titans | 2006 | PS2, GC, Xbox | THQ, Majesco Entertainment |
| Monster House | 2006 | PS2, GC, GBA, DS | THQ |
| The Ant Bully | 2006 | Wii, PS2, GC, GBA, PC | Midway Games |
| The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Caper | 2006 | GBA | Buena Vista Games |
| The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Trouble | 2006 | DS | Buena Vista Games |
| Teen Titans 2: The Brotherhood's Revenge | 2006 | GBA | Majesco Entertainment |
| Disney's Kim Possible: What's the Switch? | 2006 | PS2 | Buena Vista Games |
| The Sims 2 | 2006 | GBA | EA |
| Happy Feet | 2006 | DS, Wii, PS2, GC, GBA, PC | Midway Games |
| Disney's Kim Possible: Global Gemini | 2007 | DS | Buena Vista Games |
| Drake & Josh | 2007 | GBA | THQ |
| Enchanted: Once Upon Andalasia | 2007 | GBA | Buena Vista Games |
| High School Musical: Livin' the Dream | 2007 | GBA | Buena Vista Games |
| High School Musical | 2007 | DS, Wii, PS2 | Buena Vista Games |
| Spider-Man | 2007 | DS, PSP | Activision |
| The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Circle of Spies | 2007 | DS | Disney Interactive Studios |
| Power Rangers | 2007 | DS, PS2, PC | Disney Interactive Studios |
| High School Musical | 2007 | PS2, Wii | Disney Interactive Studios |
| The Golden Compass | 2007 | DS | Sega |
| High School Musical 2 | 2008 | DS | Disney Interactive Studios |
| Iron Man | 2008 | DS, Wii, PS2, PSP, PC | Sega |
| The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | 2008 | DS | Vivendi Games |
| Mercenaries 2 | 2008 | PS2 | Electronic Arts |
| Transformers Animated | 2008 | DS | Activision |
| Kung Fu Panda | 2008 | DS, Wii | Activision |
| Lord of the Rings: Conquest | 2009 | DS | EA |
| MySims Racing | 2009 | DS, Wii | EA |
| Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen! | 2009 | PS3, X360, Wii | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment |
| Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | 2009 | DS | Activision |
| Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings | 2009 | DS, Wii, PS2 | LucasArts |
| Shorts | 2009 | DS | Majesco Entertainment |
| Wet | 2009 | PS3, X360 | Bethesda Softworks |
| Dante's Inferno | 2010 | PSP | EA |
| Revenge of the Wounded Dragons | 2010 | PS3 | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Naughty Bear | 2010 | PS3, X360 | 505 Games |
| 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures 2 | 2010 | PS3, X360 | Konami |
as Behaviour Interactive
Bethesda infringement lawsuit
On June 21, 2018, Bethesda Softworks sued Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Behaviour Interactive over Westworld, a mobile game based on the science fiction television series Westworld, alleging that the game is a "blatant rip-off" of Fallout Shelter, another mobile game, co-developed by Behaviour.
In a suit filed in a United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Bethesda alleges that Westworld "has the same or highly similar game design, art style, animations, features and other gameplay elements" as Fallout Shelter. Bethesda sued for copyright infringement, breach of contract and misappropriating trade secrets, seeking a jury trial and damages.[33] The lawsuit also alleged that Westworld identically reproduced some software bugs that were originally present in Fallout Shelter.[34] The lawsuit was settled in January 2019 on friendly terms.[35]
References
- ↑ "About". Behaviour Interactive. 2022. https://www.bhvr.com/about-us/.
- ↑ "History". https://www.bhvr.com/en/corporate/about/our_history.html.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Behaviour Interactif célèbre 25 ans de succès en jeu vidéo et inaugure ses nouvelles installations du Mile-Ex à Montréal". CNW Group. Sep 28, 2017. https://www.newswire.ca/fr/news-releases/behaviour-interactif-celebre-25-ans-de-succes-en-jeu-video-et-inaugure-ses-nouvelles-installations-du-mile-ex-a-montreal-648484083.html.
- ↑ "Behaviour Interactif célèbre 25 ans de succès en jeu vidéo et inaugure ses nouvelles installations du Mile-Ex à Montréal". Sep 28, 2017. https://www.newswire.ca/fr/news-releases/behaviour-interactif-celebre-25-ans-de-succes-en-jeu-video-et-inaugure-ses-nouvelles-installations-du-mile-ex-a-montreal-648484083.html.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Grant, Christopher (November 8, 2010). "Artificial Mind and Movement rebrands; (re)introducing Behaviour Interactive". Joystiq. http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/08/artificial-mind-and-movement-rebrands-re-introducing-behaviour/.
- ↑ A2M (November 20, 2008). "A2M Acquires Chilean Developer Wanako Games" (Press release). Bloomberg. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ O'Kane, Josh (2022-04-25). "Montreal indie game studio Behaviour opens new Toronto office after decade-long turnaround" (in en-CA). The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-montreal-indie-game-studio-behaviour-opens-new-toronto-office-after/.
- ↑ Artificial Mind & Movement (A2M) Rebrands as Behaviour Interactive - With New Focus, A Return to Previous Name for Canada's Largest Independent Game Developer
- ↑ Kerr, Chris (2016-08-25). "Dead By Daylight sales top 1 million after two months" (in en). https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-dead-by-daylight-i-sales-top-1-million-after-two-months.
- ↑ "Le million pour Dead by Daylight" (in fr). 2016-09-05. https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/le-million-pour-dead-by-daylight-168169.html.
- ↑ "Behaviour Interactif, la culture et la résilience" (in fr). https://www.lesaffaires.com/dossier/special-grandes-entreprises/behaviour-interactif-la-culture-et-la-resilience/633336.
- ↑ "Starbreeze sells rights to Dead by Daylight to Behaviour for USD 16 million – Starbreeze" (in en-US). https://www.starbreeze.com/2018/03/starbreeze-sells-rights-to-dead-by-daylight-to-behaviour-for-usd-16-million/.
- ↑ McKenna, Alain (2022-01-22). "Une année pivot pour Behaviour Interactif en 2022" (in fr). https://www.ledevoir.com/economie/663159/jeu-video-une-annee-pivot-pour-behaviour-interactif-en-2022.
- ↑ O’Kane, Josh (2022-04-25). "Montreal indie game studio Behaviour opens new Toronto office after decade-long turnaround" (in en-CA). The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-montreal-indie-game-studio-behaviour-opens-new-toronto-office-after/.
- ↑ Frico (2022-04-25). "Behaviour Interactive, opens first studio in Toronto" (in en-US). https://www.bhvr.com/behaviour-interactive-opens-first-studio-in-toronto/.
- ↑ "Dead by Daylight developer acquires Midwinter Entertainment, the studio behind Scavengers" (in en-US). 2022-05-18. https://www.pcinvasion.com/dead-by-daylight-acquires-midwinter-scavengers/.
- ↑ "Meet Your Maker Launches April 4th, 2023 | Meet Your Maker". https://meetyourmakergame.com/news/meet-your-maker-launch-date-announced/.
- ↑ "Five exciting game announcements from the Behaviour Beyond showcase" (in en-US). 2022-08-03. https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/behaviour-beyond-announcements-dbd-resident-evil.
- ↑ Dealessandri, Marie (February 23, 2023). "Behaviour Interactive acquires SockMonkey Studios". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/behaviour-interactive-acquires-sockmonkey-studios.
- ↑ Boulanger, Sandrine (2023-03-02). "Film adaptation of hit horror game Dead by Daylight" (in en-US). https://www.bhvr.com/film-adaptation-of-hit-horror-game-dead-by-daylight/.
- ↑ "Behaviour Interactive’s $2-million gift to the Campaign for Concordia to spur innovation for Quebec’s video game industry - Concordia University" (in en). https://www.concordia.ca/content/shared/en/news/stories/2023/05/18/behaviour-interactive-s-2-million-gift-to-the-campaign-for-concordia-to-spur-innovation-for-quebec-s-video-game-industry.html.
- ↑ Editor-in-chief, James Batchelor (2023-07-12). "Behaviour Interactive forms new UK studio with former AntiMatter Games staff" (in en). https://www.gamesindustry.biz/behaviour-interactive-forms-new-uk-studio-with-former-antimatter-games-staff.
- ↑ "Behaviour acquires Codeglue to expand dev reach to the Netherlands". August 22, 2023. https://venturebeat.com/games/behaviour-acquires-codeglue-to-expand-dev-reach-to-the-netherlands/.
- ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2023-11-28). "Dead by Daylight hits 60 million players" (in en-US). https://www.polygon.com/23978649/dead-by-daylight-player-count-2023.
- ↑ "A Leading Independent Game Developer" (in en-US). https://www.bhvr.com/about-us/.
- ↑ "Business Solutions" (in en-US). https://www.bhvr.com/business-solutions/.
- ↑ Macgregor, Jody (May 27, 2019). "CEO of Dead by Daylight devs Behaviour Interactive explains why they abolished crunch". https://www.pcgamer.com/ceo-of-dead-by-daylight-devs-behaviour-interactive-explains-why-they-abolished-crunch/.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 "What's the secret to becoming an award-winning employer?" (in en). https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/culture-and-engagement/whats-the-secret-to-becoming-an-award-winning-employer/364256.
- ↑ "CEO Blog - Why I Abolished Crunch Time and Never Looked Back" (in en-US). 2019-05-21. https://www.bhvr.com/ceo-blog-why-i-abolished-crunch-time-and-never-looked-back/.
- ↑ "Meet the best places to work in Canada's games industry" (in en). https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-11-07-meet-the-best-places-to-work-in-canadas-games-industry.
- ↑ "Starbreeze sells rights to Dead by Daylight to Behaviour for USD 16 million – Starbreeze" (in en-US). https://www.starbreeze.com/2018/03/starbreeze-sells-rights-to-dead-by-daylight-to-behaviour-for-usd-16-million/.
- ↑ (in en) SILENT HILL Transmission (FR) | KONAMI, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRvRWBQNrSI, retrieved 2022-10-19
- ↑ "Bethesda sues Warner Bros, calls its Westworld game 'blatant rip-off' of Fallout Shelter". Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/22/17492806/bethesda-lawsuit-warner-bros-westworld-mobile-game-fallout-shelter.
- ↑ "Bethesda sues Warner for ripping off Fallout Shelter in its Westworld game". 22 June 2018. https://www.pcgamer.com/bethesda-sues-warner-for-ripping-off-fallout-shelter-in-its-westworld-game/.
- ↑ "Bethesda lawsuit alleging Westworld game was Fallout Shelter 'ripoff' resolved". Polygon. 3 January 2019. https://www.polygon.com/fallout/2019/1/3/18167492/westworld-fallout-shelter-mobile-game-lawsuit.
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