Jump to content

Runic Games

From Alfawiki
Runic Games
FormerlySurprise Truck (2008)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
FoundedAugust 11, 2008; 18 years ago (2008-08-11)
Founder
DefunctNovember 3, 2017 (2017-11-03)
FateDissolved
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
,
U.S.
Key people
Products
ParentPerfect World (2010–2017)
Websiterunicgames.com

Runic Games was a Seattle-based American developer in the video game industry. The studio was founded in August 2008 by former employees of Flagship Studios. Its debut release was the single-player action role-playing game Torchlight in 2009. In May 2010, Runic became a subsidiary of Perfect World. The studio later launched Torchlight II in 2012 and subsequently abandoned plans to produce a Torchlight massively multiplayer online game.

History

Runic Games came into existence on August 11, 2008, through the efforts of Travis Baldree (known for designing Fate), Max Schaefer, Erich Schaefer (a co-founder of Blizzard North), and Peter Hu. Originally incorporated under the name "Surprise Truck," the company aimed to preserve the core team behind Mythos and create a spiritual successor in the action RPG genre. Following the shutdown of Flagship Studios in 2008, all fourteen Seattle-based developers from Mythos transitioned to Runic.[1]

Development officially commenced in November 2008, continuing for roughly eleven months.[2] At the 2009 Game Developers Conference, Runic unveiled its first project, Torchlight. The team notably included Matt Uelmen, famed for composing music for Blizzard's Diablo series. By mid-2009, the studio had grown to approximately 26 employees.[3][4] Gamasutra honored Runic as one of its "Top 5 Developers" of 2009, recognizing their ability to deliver a refined game within a brief timeline.[5] The company also earned praise for its active engagement with the player community, demonstrated by swift resolution of bugs impacting accessibility.

Following the success of their initial title, Runic concentrated on developing Torchlight II, which launched in 2012.[6][7] In 2010, Perfect World acquired a controlling interest in Runic Games for $8.4 million.[8] Co-founders Erich Schaefer and Travis Baldree exited the company in March 2014 to establish an independent studio named Double Damage Games.[9] Max Schaefer left in early 2016 to create Echtra Games, which went on to develop Torchlight Frontiers, announced in August 2018.[10]

On November 3, 2017, Perfect World decided to shutter Runic Games as part of a strategic realignment focusing on games as a service.[11] Subsequently, several former Runic staff members formed Monster Squad Games to work on a cooperative player-versus-environment project.[12]

Torchlight (2009)

The inaugural release from Runic Games, Torchlight, is a single-player action role-playing game that was launched for Windows on October 27, 2009. Published by Perfect World Entertainment and Encore, Inc, the game is set in the fictional town of Torchlight and its adjacent dungeons, where players engage in monster combat and loot gathering. Following its digital debut, Encore issued a retail Windows edition in January 2010. A Mac OS X version developed by World Domination Industries became available on Steam in May 2010, with an Xbox 360 version released through XBLA in March 2011. The title was well-received critically, earning a Metacritic rating of 83 based on 57 reviews.

Torchlight II (2012)

Released on September 20, 2012, Torchlight II expanded upon its predecessor by incorporating multiplayer cooperative gameplay to address player requests and serve as a step toward the company’s MMORPG ambitions. Although not heavily promoted, online multiplayer requires users to have a Runic Games account.

Hob (2017)

First revealed on August 17, 2015, Hob transports players to a vivid yet hazardous world where discovery is driven by exploration and the mastery of new abilities. The game uniquely tells its story without text or spoken dialogue, instead relying on environmental interactions and encounters with creatures to convey its narrative. Featuring intuitive controller support, complex puzzles with multiple layers, and impressive visual design, Hob was officially released on September 26, 2017.

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named warcry
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named g4tv
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named rpgamerint
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named pcgames.de
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named gama-top5
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named massively
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Gamasutra TL2
  8. ↑ Perfect World acquisition
  9. ↑ Co-founders exit
  10. ↑ Echtra and Torchlight Frontiers
  11. ↑ Closure announcement
  12. ↑ Monster Squad formation
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Runic_Games&oldid=24204"