Cavedog Entertainment
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Humongous Entertainment |
| Defunct | 2000 |
| Fate | Filed for bankruptcy; brand discontinued |
| Headquarters | Bothell, Washington , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Ron Gilbert, Shelley Day, Jeremy Soule, Clayton Kauzlaric, Chris Taylor |
| Products | Total Annihilation, Total Annihilation: Kingdoms |
| Owner | Humongous Entertainment (subsidiary of GT Interactive) |
| Parent | GT Interactive |
Cavedog Entertainment operated as a developer and publisher of PC games, headquartered in Bothell, Washington. It was created in 1995 as a subsidiary of the edutainment company Humongous Entertainment. The studio achieved prominence with the 1997 launch of Total Annihilation, a title that secured numerous Game of the Year accolades and was subsequently acclaimed by GameSpot as one of the "greatest games ever made."
Formation and beginnings
In 1995, Humongous Entertainment, founded by Ron Gilbert and Shelley Day, established Cavedog Entertainment to venture into mainstream gaming markets. Initially independent, Humongous Entertainment became part of GT Interactive in 1996.
That same year, after Squaresoft closed its Redmond branch, several ex-Squaresoft staff members joined Cavedog. Among them were composer Jeremy Soule and graphic artist Clayton Kauzlaric, who created the Cavedog logo. After two years of development, Cavedog unveiled its first game, Total Annihilation, at the 1997 E3 held in Atlanta before releasing it on September 30, 1997.
Post-Total Annihilation developments
Before the release of the Core Contingency expansion, Total Annihilation’s designer Chris Taylor departed Cavedog to establish Gas Powered Games. Cavedog followed up with another expansion, Battle Tactics, along with various free updates and patches. The company fostered an active player community through its now-defunct online matchmaking platform, Boneyards.
In 1999, Cavedog introduced Total Annihilation: Kingdoms, which utilized the original engine but transitioned from a sci-fi setting to a fantasy environment. The reception to Kingdoms was mixed, with less enthusiasm from fans compared to its predecessor. One expansion pack titled The Iron Plague was released for this game.
Shutdown
Cavedog ceased operations during a downturn in video game sales that also affected its parent company, GT Interactive. In addition to the Total Annihilation series, three ambitious projects were underway but never completed: the first-person shooter Amen: The Awakening, the fantasy adventure Elysium, and an adventure game called Good & Evil developed by Ron Gilbert. Only Total Annihilation and Kingdoms were commercially released, both underperforming in sales.
Facing financial strain and lacking scheduled release dates for its unfinished titles, all projects were terminated by late 1999. Following GT Interactive’s acquisition by Infogrames, Humongous Entertainment discontinued the Cavedog brand in 2000 to concentrate on children’s software. That same year, Cavedog filed for bankruptcy. Humongous Entertainment itself shut down in 2005 under Infogrames (later renamed Atari). Former members of Cavedog have since made significant contributions to companies such as Gas Powered Games and Beep Industries.