Bottle Rocket (company)
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Web-based casual games, advergames |
| Parent | ACTV (from 2000), OpenTV (from 2002) |
Bottle Rocket, Inc. operated as a prominent creator of Web-based casual games and advergames from its inception in 1996 until its acquisition by ACTV in 2000. ACTV specialized in technical and creative interactive television solutions and was subsequently purchased by OpenTV. Headquartered in New York City, Bottle Rocket developed more than 40 licensed games across trivia, prediction, simulation, arcade, and multiplayer genres, with a primary emphasis on sports-related content and a user base exceeding 600,000 registered participants.
History
Established in 1996 within Manhattan’s “Silicon Alley” and initially named Lucid Media for a short period, Bottle Rocket’s debut product was IBM Rangers Shootout, an online hockey trivia experience created for the New York Rangers and sponsored by IBM. The company crafted sports trivia titles for a variety of clients such as AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League, StarMedia, and The Sporting News, alongside developing arcade-style and prediction-based games.
By 1998, following investment from Pangolin, a London-based online sports firm, Bottle Rocket broadened its portfolio to include larger sports partnerships while also entering the music and general entertainment markets. Notable projects during this period included the NHL Game Room in collaboration with the NHL, and TSN TriviArena developed with The Sporting News, both of which featured sports trivia games that rewarded players with collectible memorabilia. Entertainment-related offerings consisted of The Hollywood Aptitude Test for E! Online, Predict The Winners for Reel.com, VMA Pool Party for MTV, and Skengle & Skengle for Noggin.
In 1999, Bottle Rocket secured investment from Electronic Arts and signed a three-year development contract to produce FanSlam, an online sports trivia competition. Additional game releases included Shoot for Six (a golf trivia game) for Nuts.com, a game developed for the Westminster Kennel Club, and Bubble Boy Hockey (a tabletop hockey simulation) commissioned by ESPN with sponsorship from Budweiser.
In August 2000, ACTV acquired Bottle Rocket for an undisclosed amount, maintaining it as a wholly owned subsidiary focused on creating online and interactive television gaming experiences. Subsequently, both ACTV and Bottle Rocket were purchased by OpenTV in 2002.
External links
- “Just Off the Launch Pad, Bottle Rocket Shoots for Stars”, atNewYork (InternetNews), (1998-04-24)