Artificial Studios
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Gainesville , United States |
Key people | Tim Johnson (co-founder) |
| Products | Reality Engine, CellFactor: Combat Training, CellFactor: Revolution, Monster Madness: Battle For Suburbia |
Number of employees | 70 |
Artificial Studios was a video game development firm and engine creator established in 2001, based in Gainesville, Florida.
The company became well-known for its "Reality Engine," introduced in 2004 as a DirectX9-compatible platform designed for cutting-edge gaming experiences. In 2005, Epic Games purchased all intellectual property rights related to Reality Engine and recruited co-founder and principal engine developer Tim Johnson. Following this acquisition, development on the Reality Engine was discontinued, with existing license holders advised to migrate to Unreal Engine 3.
In 2006, Artificial Studios launched CellFactor: Combat Training followed by CellFactor: Revolution, both free-to-download titles showcasing the AGEIA PhysX physics acceleration hardware through their Reality Engine framework. The complete version of the game was made available at no cost in May 2007.
Their primary game, Monster Madness: Battle For Suburbia, was released in 2007 for Xbox 360 and PC platforms, published by SouthPeak Games. The series was extended in 2008 by different developers with the release of Monster Madness: Grave Danger.
In 2008, Artificial Studios obtained financing from Ignition Entertainment for a confidential project codenamed "R6," leading to the creation of Ignition Entertainment: Florida, which employed around 70 staff members. Although the game was slated for a late 2009 launch, it was ultimately cancelled in 2010, and the studio was abruptly shut down in early 2011.