Sidhe (game developer)
Private | |
Industry |
Entertainment industry Computer and video game industry |
Fate | Merged with Peritus Investments Limited in 2011 |
Founded | May 1997[1] |
Founder |
Mario Wynands Tyrone McAuley Stuart Middleton |
Headquarters | Wellington, New Zealand |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
Mario Wynands (Managing Director) Tyrone McAuley (Technical Director) Andy Satterthwaite (Producer) |
Products |
Rugby Challenge series Rugby League series |
Website |
sidhe |
Sidhe (formerly Sidhe Interactive) is a developer of console, handheld, and computer games. Founded and incorporated in May 1997 by Mario Wynands, Tyrone McAuley, and Stuart Middleton, the company is an officially licensed developer for Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Nintendo of America, and Apple Inc.. It is also a co-founding member of the New Zealand Game Developers Association and the New Zealand Institute of Screen Innovation. [2] Currently the largest game production studio in New Zealand, Sidhe has produced more than 20 titles, including Shatter, GripShift, Madagascar Kartz, Hot Wheels Battle Force 5, and Speed Racer. It has also developed multiple games based on the National Rugby League (NRL) franchise.
Sidhe provides services to and has products published by partners and clients such as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Sony Online Entertainment, Activision, and Ubisoft. Sidhe has also collaborated with Weta Digital to achieve the first motion capture of a horse at full gallop for the horse racing game Melbourne Cup Challenge.
The company was formerly named Sidhe Interactive, but dropped the word "Interactive" in 2009 prior to the launch of the company's PlayStation 3 game Shatter. In 2011, Shatter went on to be listed by IGN as one of their top 25 PS3 games[3] and was their number one PSN game.[4]
PikPok
The Sidhe brand was superseded in 2012 by what was a subsidiary brand, PikPok, which was an iOS and Android development team. Notable PikPok titles include Bird Strike and the Flick Kick sports arcade series of games. In September 2010, a publishing partnership between PikPok and Lexaloffle Games was announced,[5] and the first title from that collaboration, Zen Puzzle Garden, was released in December 2010. PikPok is now the primary brand of the studio.
Both the Sidhe (from 2011) and PikPok brand is collected under the Peritus Investment Limited holding company.[6][7]
Industry awards
PikPok received an honorable mention in the 2011 Independent Games Festival awards for Flick Kick Football, under Best Mobile Game,[8] and Bird Strike was a finalist in the 7th annual IMG Awards (2011).[9]
Sidhe Scholarship
Sidhe offers a scholarship[10][11] for students who wish to study game development at a graduate level at the Media Design School in Auckland. At the end of 2010, Sidhe announced the Sidhe Elite financial scholarship for 2011 aiming to support young aspiring game developers. Many Media Design School graduates have gone on to work for Sidhe.[12]
Games developed by Sidhe
- Rugby Challenge 2: The Lions Tour Edition (consoles and Windows, 2013)[13]
- Rugby Challenge (consoles and Windows, 2011)
- Blood Drive (PS3 and Xbox 360, 2010)
- Rugby League 3 (Wii, 2010)
- Madagascar Kartz (PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii, 2009)
- Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 (Wii, 2009)
- Shatter (PS3, 2009; PC, 2010)
- Rugby League 2 World Cup Edition (PS2, 2008)
- Speed Racer (Wii and PS2, 2008)
- GripShift (PSP, PS3, Xbox 360, 2007)
- Jackass: The Game (PSP and PS2, 2007)
- Melbourne Cup Challenge (PC, Xbox, and PS2, 2006)
- GripShift (PSP, 2005)
- Rugby League 2, (PC and PS2, 2005; Xbox, 2006)
- NRL Rugby League, (PC, Xbox, and PS2, 2003)
- Adidas Football Fever (Windows, 2002)
- Frogmania Deluxe (Windows)
- Wordjam Deluxe (Windows)
- Barbie Beach Vacation, (Windows, 2001)
- O'Neill Championship Surfer, (PlayStation, 2000)
Other games contributed to by Sidhe
- Aladdin Chess Adventures (Windows, 2004)
- Hoyle Majestic Chess (Windows, 2003)
- SpyHunter (Windows, 2003)
- Barbie Sparkling Ice Show (Windows, 2002)
References
- ↑ IGN: Sidhe Interactive
- ↑ http://www.sidhe.co.nz/company.htm
- ↑ IGN - Top 25 PS3 Games
- ↑ IGN - Top 25 PSN Games
- ↑ PikPok/Lexaloffle partnership announced
- ↑ "New Zealand Company Office - Peritus Investments Limited". www.business.govt.nz. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ↑ "PERITUS INVESTMENTS LIMITED - NZLBusiness.com". Retrieved 2016-09-03.
- ↑ IGF 2011 Awards
- ↑ IMGA 2011
- ↑ Sidhe Offers Scholarships For Media Design School Game Development Diploma - PC News Archived November 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ tsumea - Sidhe continues scholarship support for Game Dev students
- ↑ Elite Scholarship For Aspiring Game Developers Announced
- ↑ "RUGBY CHALLENGE 2: THE LIONS TOUR EDITION ANNOUNCED FOR PS3, 360 AND PC". Gamasutra. Retrieved 4 September 2013.