Shiny Entertainment
| Company type | Private (before acquisition) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | October 1993 |
| Founder | David Perry |
| Defunct | October 2007 |
| Fate | Merged with The Collective to form Double Helix Games |
| Headquarters | Laguna Beach, California , United States |
Key people | David Perry (founder, president), Michael Persson (head of studio) |
| Products | Earthworm Jim, MDK, Enter the Matrix, Wild 9, R/C Stunt Copter, Messiah, Sacrifice, The Matrix: Path of Neo, The Golden Compass |
Number of employees | ~9 (at founding) |
Shiny Entertainment, Inc. was a United States-based video game developer located in Laguna Beach, California. Established in October 1993 by David Perry, the company became known for creating acclaimed games such as Earthworm Jim, MDK, and Enter the Matrix. In 1995, Perry sold Shiny to Interplay Productions, which subsequently transferred ownership to Infogrames, Inc. in 2002. Following its acquisition by Foundation 9 Entertainment in 2006, Shiny merged with The Collective in October 2007, resulting in the formation of Double Helix Games.
Origins and establishment (1980s–1993)
David Perry, a programmer originating from Northern Ireland, created his first video game in 1982 for the Sinclair ZX81. At age 17, he relocated to London, where he collaborated with early developers on ZX Spectrum titles, including work at Probe Software on The Terminator, published by Virgin Games. By 1991, Perry had moved to Irvine, California to join Virgin Games’ American branch, where he developed successful promotional games like Global Gladiators for McDonald's, Cool Spot for 7 Up, and Disney's Aladdin. The financial success of these projects allowed him to depart Virgin after two years.
Rejecting offers from both the Sega Technical Institute and Playmates Toys, Perry chose instead to negotiate with Playmates for funding an independent studio in exchange for publishing rights on its initial three games. After obtaining permanent resident status in the U.S., he founded Shiny Entertainment in October 1993 with backing from Playmates. Based in Laguna Beach and led by Perry as president, the company attracted several former Virgin developers and expanded to roughly nine employees. The name "Shiny" was inspired by R.E.M.’s song "Shiny Happy People," while "Entertainment" was added to appeal to potential collaborations within Hollywood—although this occasionally led to confusion with adult entertainment companies.
Creation of Earthworm Jim and Interplay acquisition (1994–1995)
At its inception, Shiny lacked a clear project or formal business strategy. Playmates Interactive, the publishing division of Playmates Toys, maintained modest expectations and assisted Shiny in securing licenses for possible games. After nearly completing a Knight Rider title, Shiny decided to focus on developing an original concept. Animator Doug TenNapel joined the team and designed the character that evolved into Earthworm Jim. Together, Perry and TenNapel shaped the character’s abilities, making Earthworm Jim Shiny’s inaugural project. To support marketing efforts, Playmates aimed to create toys based on the game but required a television series; Universal Studios agreed to produce the show contingent upon toy production. Perry facilitated an agreement between Universal and Playmates that allowed both ventures to move forward. Released in 1994, Earthworm Jim gained substantial popularity and led to sequels, spin-offs, and multiple ports.
Following the release of Earthworm Jim 2, Shiny confronted the challenge of transitioning into 3D game development. Although Nintendo and Sony extended offers for exclusive development partnerships, Perry opted to sell Shiny to Interplay Productions. This acquisition was announced at E3 1995, with Shiny maintaining its brand identity and leadership under Interplay’s ownership. After the sale, half of Shiny’s employees—including TenNapel—left to establish The Neverhood, Inc. Perry also enforced a strict policy against producing sequels in order to concentrate on innovative projects unique to Shiny rather than continuing existing franchises.
Additional titles (1996–2001)
Shiny's subsequent significant release was the fully three-dimensional title MDK in 1997, representing a successful shift from two-dimensional to 3D game development. MDK enjoyed strong commercial success and became a standard for evaluating graphics card capabilities, securing between 40 and 60 accessory partnerships, including those for joysticks and 3D glasses. A notable achievement was its inclusion as pre-installed software on the initial generation of iMac computers through an agreement with Apple Inc.. The company's founder, Perry, later reflected that selling Shiny due to uncertainties about 3D game development was his greatest error. Following MDK, key team members Nick Bruty and Bob Stevenson departed to establish Planet Moon Studios, continuing the creative principles fostered at Shiny. The studio’s next projects—Wild 9, R/C Stunt Copter, Messiah, and Sacrifice—were developed concurrently, which fragmented resources and led to diminished sales compared to the success of MDK.
Acquisition by Infogrames, transition to Foundation 9, and consolidation (2002–2007)
In April 2002, as Interplay faced financial challenges, Shiny was purchased by Infogrames, Inc. (later known as Atari, Inc.) for . The in-progress title Enter the Matrix also transferred ownership to Infogrames. Under Atari's management, Perry created a concept called Plague, which was significantly reduced in scope due to budget limitations, resulting in his departure in February 2006. Michael Persson succeeded him as head of the studio. Subsequently, Perry launched GameConsultants.com in May 2006 and joined Acclaim Games later that year to contribute to the MMO project 2Moons.
After Perry left, Atari implemented a workforce reduction of approximately 20% and announced intentions to divest all internal development studios, including Shiny. Perry played a role in identifying a prospective buyer, culminating in Shiny’s acquisition by Foundation 9 Entertainment on October 2, 2006. The deal included plans for Shiny to co-locate with Foundation 9’s other development team, The Collective (company). On October 9, 2007, these two studios merged into a unified operation based out of new offices in Irvine, California, with Persson maintaining leadership. The combined entity was rebranded as Double Helix Games in March 2008.
Developed games
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Earthworm Jim | |
| 1995 | Earthworm Jim 2 | |
| 1997 | MDK | |
| 1998 | Wild 9 | |
| 1999 | R/C Stunt Copter | |
| 2000 | Messiah | |
| Sacrifice | ||
| 2003 | Enter the Matrix | |
| Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | Provided support development for Black Ops Entertainment | |
| 2005 | The Matrix: Path of Neo | |
| 2007 | The Golden Compass |