Choice Provisions
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Gaijin Games Inc. |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Alex Neuse, Mike Roush, Chris Osborn |
| Headquarters | Santa Cruz , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Alex Neuse, Mike Roush |
| Products | Bit.Trip series, Runner2, Woah Dave!, others |
| Website | www |
Choice Provisions Inc., known as Gaijin Games Inc. until June 2014, is an independent American video game development company based in Santa Cruz, California. Established in 2007 by Alex Neuse, Mike Roush, and Chris Osborn, the studio is primarily recognized for its Bit.Trip franchise.
History
The origins of Gaijin Games trace back to 2004 when founder Alex Neuse, having previously worked at LucasArts, sought more creative autonomy following the cancellation of a project. Development stalled initially due to funding difficulties until Neuse joined Santa Cruz Games, where he connected with Mike Roush and Chris Osborn. United by a shared passion for inventive game design inspired by chiptune music and retro visuals, the three collaborators departed to revive Gaijin Games.
Neuse proposed several ideas that culminated in the BIT.TRIP series—a set of six retro-inspired titles published by Aksys Games. Danny Johnson became part of the team during the later phase of this series. Additionally, the company partnered with Different Cloth to launch lilt line on WiiWare. After completing the BIT.TRIP collection, Osborn left to establish Tracer, leaving Neuse and Roush as co-leaders steering the studio's creative vision.
Following the conclusion of the BIT.TRIP series, Gaijin Games expanded development efforts toward the Nintendo 3DS, releasing Bit.Trip Saga, a compilation featuring all six original games, in 2011. That same year, they acquired Robotube Games, led by Jason Cirillo, to broaden their scope into experimental casual gaming. After rebranding as Choice Provisions in 2014, Robotube was renamed Minivisions, which launched Woah Dave! in October 2014.
The studio experienced notable commercial success with Runner2, the follow-up to RUNNER, which surpassed one million copies sold within its first year after debuting in February 2013.
The transition to the name Choice Provisions was a deliberate move to distance the company from negative associations linked to "Gaijin" (meaning "foreigner" in Japanese), reflecting their evolving corporate identity and ambitions for global market presence.
Bit.Trip series
| Game title | Release | Platform(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bit.Trip Beat | March 16, 2009 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch | Switch edition launched December 25, 2020 |
| Bit.Trip Core | July 6, 2009 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch | |
| Bit.Trip Void | October 27, 2009 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch | |
| Bit.Trip Runner | May 14, 2010 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, Nintendo Switch | |
| Bit.Trip Fate | October 25, 2010 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch | |
| Bit.Trip Flux | February 25, 2011 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch | |
| Bit.Trip Saga | September 13, 2011 | Nintendo 3DS | Enhanced collection of all six original titles |
| Bit.Trip Complete | September 13, 2011 | Wii | Enhanced collection of all six original titles |
| Runner2 | February 26, 2013 | Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, Wii U (eShop), Xbox 360 (XBLA), PlayStation 3 (PSN), PlayStation 4 (PSN), PlayStation Vita, iOS, Nintendo Switch | HD sequel; Switch version released February 29, 2024 |
| The Bit.Trip | December 5, 2015 | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita | Enhanced compilation encompassing all six original games |
| Runner3 | May 22, 2018 | Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch | |
| Bit.Trip Rerunner | September 19, 2023 | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | Remake of Runner featuring a level editor; PS5 and Xbox Series X/S editions released May 22 and May 28, 2024 respectively |
Additional titles
| Title | Launch date | Platform(s) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lilt Line | December 13, 2010 | WiiWare | WiiWare edition published; development by Different Cloth |
| Bloktonik | June 15, 2011 | iPad | iOS edition published; created by Robotube Games |
| Woah Dave! | October 30, 2014 | Windows, iOS, Mac, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Linux, Android | Produced under MiniVisions label |
| Destructamundo | December 10, 2014 | iOS, Android, Windows | Released under MiniVisions brand |
| Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria | April 9, 2015 | Windows, Mac, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Linux | Steam, Wii U & 3DS editions published; developed by Muteki |
| Shutshimi | August 25, 2015 | Windows, Mac, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Linux | Created by Neon Deity Games |
| Laserlife | September 22, 2015 | Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | |
| Tharsis | January 12, 2016 | Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4 | |
| Drive!Drive!Drive! | December 13, 2016 | Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita | Developed by Different Cloth |
| Space Dave! | January 25, 2018 | Nintendo Switch | Released under MiniVisions label |
| Bubsy: Paws on Fire! | May 16, 2019 | PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 | |
| Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story | November 16, 2021 | PC, Nintendo Switch | |
| Word Warrior: Zombie Typocalypse | December 14, 2023 | PC | |
| Breakout Beyond | March 25, 2025 | PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One & Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PC, Atari VCS | Initially developed for Intellivision Amico platform |
Further reading
External links
- Articles with short description
- American companies established in 2007
- Companies based in Santa Cruz, California
- Video game companies based in California
- Video game development companies
- Indie game developers
- Video game companies established in 2007
- 2007 establishments in California
- Privately held companies based in California
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment
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