Company:High Voltage Software
 | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | April 1993 |
| Founder | Kerry J. Ganofsky |
| Headquarters | Hoffman Estates, Illinois , US |
Key people | |
| Products | |
Number of employees | 160 (2006) |
| Parent | Keywords Studios (2020–present) |
| Website | high-voltage.com |
High Voltage Software, Inc. (HVS) is an American video game developer based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Founded in April 1993 by Kerry J. Ganofsky, the company is best known for developing Lego Racers (1999), Hunter: The Reckoning (2002) and The Conduit (2009).
History
High Voltage Software was founded by Kerry J. Ganofsky in April 1993,[1] following his graduation from college.[2] Out of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago , the company started out with four employees and used old doors set on top of sawhorses as desks.[2] In June 2006, the company had 160 employees.[3]
In 2008 interviews, High Voltage leadership expressed interest in improving the quality of contemporary third-party Wii games. The company developed Quantum3, a game engine that specifically targets Wii deployment. The engine itself had been used in several previous titles made by the developer, but was heavily upgraded for higher performance on Wii.[4][5]
In December 2014, Ganofsky announced that High Voltage would be opening a satellite studio for the company in Place St. Charles in New Orleans.[2] The opening, scheduled for early 2015, would provide 80 new job opportunities in the area, with initial staff transferred from the company's Hoffman Estates headquarters.[2][6] Through the opening, High Voltage was able to take advantage of local financial incentives, including a US$150,000 performance-based grant to cover relocation costs, workforce training programs and a digital media incentive.[2][7] Prior to the announcement, Ganofsky also considered opening the studio in Georgia or Florida, but found New Orleans to be a better cultural fit for High Voltage.[2] As a result, talks between economic development leaders in the area and Ganofsky began in October 2013.[2]
In December 2020, High Voltage Software was acquired by Keywords Studios for an initial consideration of US$23.75 million in cash and $9.75 million in shares, as well as additional US$16.5 million for performance targets to be met by December 31, 2021.[8]
Unreleased projects
The Grinder
In the late 2000s, High Voltage began developing a horror-themed shooter called The Grinder. The game initially began production exclusively for the Wii, the developers, as well as potential publishers for The Grinder, became less confident that the game would be a success on that system, as there were multiple instances of similar hardcore and/or graphically violent games designed for the Wii, such as MadWorld, House of the Dead: Overkill and Red Steel 2 that failed to sell many copies. Development for the Wii version eventually began to wind down quietly by 2010, although High Voltage Software refused to state whether that version was officially cancelled.[9] The developers also designed PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game,[10] which were initially going to play as first-person shooters like the Wii version, but plans for this ultimately fell through when it failed to appeal to candidate publishers and the developers realized that there was an ongoing oversatuation of the first-person shooter video game market.[9] After careful consideration, they decided to not only redesign the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions as a top-down shooter,[11] but also change the game's setting, plot and character designs to a substantial degree.[9] Even so, candidate publishers were still uninterested in the top-down version as well, and the developers then covertly abandoned development and began shifting their efforts towards developing a sequel to The Conduit.
In 2013, High Voltage Software, in an interview, implied that one significant reason why it was difficult to release The Grinder was because it was being developed during a time when the video game industry was more interested in well-established intellectual properties, rather than newly introduced ones like that of The Grinder. The company then expressed hope that they can be in better position to launch new intellectual properties like The Grinder when a new generation of video games began.[12] However, having lost substantial money and jobs from the troubled development of The Grinder, as well as poor sales of Conduit 2, the company decided not to revisit The Grinder.[9]
Games developed
| Year | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | White Men Can't Jump | Atari Jaguar | Atari Corporation |
| Ruiner Pinball | Atari Jaguar | ||
| Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – Starship Bridge Simulator | Sega 32X | Interplay Entertainment | |
| Vid Grid | Atari Jaguar CD | Atari Corporation | |
| 1996 | NHL Open Ice | Microsoft Windows | Midway Games |
| NBA Jam: Tournament Edition | Atari Jaguar | ||
| Fight For Life | Atari Jaguar | Atari Corporation | |
| NBA Hangtime | Microsoft Windows | Midway Games | |
| Tempest 2000 | Classic Mac OS, Sega Saturn | Interplay Entertainment | |
| Tempest X3 | PlayStation | ||
| 1997 | World League Basketball | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation | Mindscape |
| NCAA Final Four '97 | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation | ||
| 1999 | Paperboy | Nintendo 64 | Midway Games |
| Lego Racers | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, PlayStation | Lego Media | |
| NBA Inside Drive 2000 | Microsoft Windows | Microsoft | |
| 2000 | Ground Control | Microsoft Windows | Sierra Studios |
| All-Star Baseball 2001 | Nintendo 64 | Acclaim Entertainment | |
| NFL Quarterback Club 2001 | Dreamcast, Nintendo 64 | ||
| 2002 | Baldur's Gate | GameCube | Interplay Entertainment |
| Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction | Microsoft Windows | Ubi Soft | |
| NBA Inside Drive 2002 | Xbox | Microsoft | |
| Disney's Stitch | PlayStation 2 | Disney Interactive | |
| NBA Inside Drive 2003 | Xbox | Microsoft Game Studios | |
| Hunter: The Reckoning | GameCube, Xbox | Interplay Entertainment | |
| 2003 | Hunter | PlayStation 2 | Vivendi Universal Games |
| Hunter | Xbox | ||
| NBA Inside Drive 2004 | Xbox | Microsoft Game Studios | |
| Disney's The Haunted Mansion | GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox | TDK Mediactive | |
| 2004 | Duel Masters | PlayStation 2 | Atari |
| Leisure Suit Larry | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox | Sierra Entertainment | |
| 2005 | Zathura | PlayStation 2, Xbox | 2K Games |
| Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox | Global Star Software | |
| 50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition | PlayStation Portable | Vivendi Games | |
| Call of Duty 2 | GameCube | Activision | |
| Codename | GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox | Global Star Software | |
| 2006 | The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy | PlayStation 2, Gamecube, Wii | Midway Games |
| Blitz: Overtime | PlayStation Portable | ||
| Family Guy Video Game! | PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox | 2K Games, Fox Interactive | |
| 2007 | Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law | PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii | Capcom |
| Ben 10 | PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii | D3 Publisher | |
| Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 | PlayStation Portable | Ubisoft | |
| America's Army | Xbox 360 | ||
| 2008 | Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue | PlayStation 2, Wii | 2K Play |
| V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack | Wii | High Voltage Software | |
| Gyrostarr | Wii | ||
| Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess | PlayStation 2, Wii | 2K Play | |
| Go, Diego, Go!: Great Dinosaur Rescue | PlayStation 2, Wii | ||
| 2009 | The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5th Sun | PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii | D3 Publisher |
| High Voltage Hot Rod Show | Wii | High Voltage Software | |
| Astro Boy | PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii | D3 Publisher | |
| Ni Hao, Kai-Lan: Super Game Day | PlayStation 2, Wii | 2K Play | |
| Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom | PlayStation 2, Wii | ||
| Evasive Space | Wii | Akinai Games | |
| The Conduit | Wii | Sega | |
| 2010 | Iron Man 2 | Wii, PlayStation Portable | |
| Tournament of Legends | Wii | ||
| Dora's Big Birthday Adventure | PlayStation 2, Wii | 2K Play | |
| Pheasants Forever Wingshooter | Wii | GameMill Entertainment | |
| Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | Wii, Nintendo DS | Red Wagon Games | |
| 2011 | Conduit 2 | Wii | Sega |
| Captain America | Wii, Nintendo 3DS | ||
| Nicktoons MLB | Wii, Xbox 360 | 2K Play | |
| Nickelodeon Fit | Wii | ||
| Nickelodeon Dance | Wii, Xbox 360 | ||
| Victorious: Time to Shine | Xbox 360 | D3 Publisher | |
| Country Dance | Wii | GameMill Entertainment | |
| Country Dance 2 | Wii | ||
| 2012 | Country Dance All-Stars | Xbox 360 | |
| Kinect Star Wars | Xbox 360 | LucasArts, Microsoft Studios | |
| Zone of the Enders HD Collection | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami | |
| Toy Story Mania! | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Disney Interactive Studios | |
| Nickelodeon Dance 2 | Wii, Xbox 360 | 2K Play | |
| Avengers Initiative | Android, iOS | Disney Interactive | |
| Batman | Android, iOS | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | |
| Victorious: Taking the Lead | Wii | D3 Publisher | |
| 2013 | Le Vamp | iOS | High Voltage Software |
| Zoombies | iOS | ||
| The Conduit HD | Android | ||
| Mortal Kombat | Microsoft Windows | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | |
| Enter the Dominatrix | PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Deep Silver | |
| Injustice | PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | |
| Ben 10 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U | D3 Publisher | |
| 2014 | The Amazing Spider-Man 2 | Nintendo 3DS | Activision |
| 2015 | Saints Row IV: Re-Elected | PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Deep Silver |
| Saints Row | PlayStation 4, Xbox One | ||
| Mortal Kombat X | Microsoft Windows | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | |
| 2016 | Damaged Core | Microsoft Windows | Oculus Studios |
| Dragon Front | Microsoft Windows | ||
| 2017 | They Live to Destroy | Microsoft Windows | |
| 2018 | Mutant Year Zero | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Funcom |
| Fortnite | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Epic Games | |
| 2019 | Zombieland | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | GameMill Entertainment, Maximum Games |
| Ballista | Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift | Oculus Studios |
Canceled
- Thea Realm Fighters (Jaguar)
- Kid Vid Grid (Jaguar)
- Country Vid Grid (Jaguar)
- The Grinder (Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows)
- Paperboy (PlayStation)
References
- ↑ Androvich, Mark (April 23, 2008). "High Voltage Software turns 15". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/high-voltage-software-turns-15.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Larino, Jennifer (December 18, 2014). "Illinois video game developer to open New Orleans studio, hailed as economic development win". https://www.nola.com/news/business/article_fb89822a-9c7c-5723-b651-260f3a53a80c.html.
- ↑ Van Zelfden, N. Evan (June 16, 2006). "Tour of Chicago – Pt. 1: High Voltage Software". https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131135/tour_of_chicago__pt_1_high_.php.
- ↑ Casamassina, Matt (April 18, 2008). "Exclusive First Look: The Conduit". https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/17/exclusive-first-look-the-conduit.
- ↑ "Q&A: Eric Nofsinger channels The Conduit". July 7, 2008. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/qanda-eric-nofsinger-channels-the-conduit/1100-6193374/.
- ↑ Weber, Rachel (December 18, 2014). "High Voltage to open New Orleans studio". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-12-18-high-voltage-to-open-new-orleans-studio.
- ↑ Wawro, Alex (December 19, 2014). "Chicago's High Voltage plans New Orleans expansion". https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/232926/Chicagos_High_Voltage_plans_New_Orleans_expansion.php.
- ↑ Dealessandri, Marie (December 15, 2020). "Keywords acquires High Voltage Software for $50m". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-12-15-keywords-acquires-high-voltage-software-for-usd50m.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Reseigh-Lincoln, Dom (16 April 2018). "Video: Here's What Happened To The Grinder, A Wii Horror Shooter Lost To Development Hell". http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/04/video_heres_what_happened_to_the_grinder_a_wii_horror_shooter_lost_to_development_hell.
- ↑ "The Grinder no longer Wii-exclusive, new trailer, due out Halloween 2011, HVS talks The Conduit sales, Go Nintendo". http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=113273.
- ↑ Michele (2010-02-15). "Screenshot of HD version of The Grinder". Gamesblog.it. http://www.gamesblog.it/galleria/the-grinder-04/4l.
- ↑ Bargas, G. (10 April 2013). "Interview: High Voltage Software Says 'The Grinder' Still Possible". http://www.gamingtruth.com/2013/04/10/interview-high-voltage-software-says-the-grinder-still-possible/.
External links
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