Foundation 9 Entertainment
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | March 29, 2005 in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Founder | Merger of Backbone Entertainment and The Collective |
| Defunct | 2015 |
| Fate | Dissolved after selling subsidiaries |
| Headquarters | Irvine, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jon Goldman (CEO at founding), David Mann (President), James North-Hearn (CEO from 2008) |
| Products | Video games |
Foundation 9 Entertainment, Inc. was a United States-based video game company with its main office located in Irvine, California. Formed in March 2005 by merging the development studios Backbone Entertainment and The Collective, it rapidly grew its catalog and strengthened its position in the market.
History
On March 29, 2005, Foundation 9 was established in Los Angeles with an executive lineup featuring CEO Jon Goldman; co-presidents Andrew Ayre and Douglas Hare; co-chairmen Gary Priest and Mark Loughridge; Chief Creative Officer Richard Hare; Vice President Jeff Vavasour; CFO Steven Sardegna; and COO Larry Kelly. Shortly after its inception, the company acquired Pipeworks Software in April 2005, incorporating it into its structure. In May 2005, it further expanded by taking an equity stake in Hollywood management company Circle of Confusion, forming a strategic alliance.
A major capital infusion came in June 2006 when Foundation 9 secured funding from Francisco Partners, facilitating additional acquisitions. That year, it purchased Shiny Entertainment from Atari in October, followed by acquiring Amaze Entertainment in November. The company broadened its international reach in August 2007 by acquiring UK-based Sumo Digital along with its Indian subsidiary. After acquiring Shiny Entertainment, Foundation 9 combined it with The Collective to create Double Helix Games in March 2008, consolidating their operations into a new facility located in Irvine.
Leadership transitions occurred with David Mann promoted to president and James North-Hearn—co-founder of Sumo Digital—appointed as CEO in March 2008. By July 2008, the firm revived the Griptonite Games and Fizz Factor labels but later shuttered Fizz Factor and merged Amaze Entertainment into Griptonite by mid-2009 as part of workforce reductions.
The company continued global expansion by acquiring Hyderabad-based FXLabs in October 2010, rebranding it as Griptonite India. In August 2011, Griptonite was sold to Glu Mobile in exchange for six million shares of Glu stock. Backbone’s Vancouver branch was closed in May 2009, while its ImaginEngine studio ceased operations in October 2012 amid significant layoffs at the Emeryville location.
In February 2014, Foundation 9 divested Double Helix to Amazon. Later that year, under advisory from GP Bullhound, it sold Pipeworks to Italian publisher Digital Bros and spun off Sumo Digital through a management buyout supported by NorthEdge Capital. Following these transactions, Foundation 9’s board decided to dissolve the company in 2015.
Subsidiaries
- Amaze Entertainment (2004–2009) – Absorbed into Griptonite Games
- Adrenium
- Griptonite Games
- KnowWonder (1996–2004) – Specialized in PC games
- Fizz Factor – Focused on handheld titles
- Black Ship Games
- Backbone Entertainment (2005–2015) – Eventually closed
- Backbone Charlottetown (2006–2007) – Spun off and renamed Other Ocean Interactive
- Backbone Emeryville (2005–2015) – Became part of Other Ocean Group as Digital Eclipse
- Backbone Vancouver (2005–2009) – Closed operations
- Games2Learn – Discontinued
- ImaginEngine (2005–2012) – Closed down
- The Collective (2005–2007) – Integrated into Double Helix Games
- Double Helix Games (2007–2014) – Acquired by Amazon Game Studios
- Fizz Factor (2008–2009) – Ceased operations
- Griptonite Games (2008–2011) – Sold to Glu Mobile
- Griptonite India (2010–2011) – Also sold to Glu Mobile
- Pipeworks Software (2005–2014) – Transferred ownership to Digital Bros
- Shiny Entertainment (2006–2007) – Merged into Double Helix Games
- Sumo Digital (2007–2014) – Returned to founders through a management buyout
- Sumo India (2007–2014) – Likewise sold back to original management