Pivotal Games Limited
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
PredecessorPumpkin Studios
FoundedMarch 2000 (2000-03)
Founders
Defunct13 August 2008 (2008-08-13)
FateClosed by parent
Headquarters
Corston
,
England
Key people
ProductsConflict series
Number of employees
109–111 (2008)
Parent

Pivotal Games Limited was a British video game developer based in Corston, England.

History

Pivotal Games was founded in March 2000, by fifteen employees formerly of Pumpkin Studios (the developer of Warzone 2100), led by Jim Bambra, Nick Cook and Alex McLean.[1] Pumpkin Studios, founded by Bambra and Cook in August 1996, had previously been closed down by its parent company, Eidos Interactive, that same month.[1] In August 2000, the company was acquired by Kaboom Studios.[1] Between 2002 and 2008, Pivotal Games developed all five instalments in the Conflict series, as well as The Great Escape, based on the film of the same name.

In September 2003, after financial struggles of parent company Kaboom Studios, who had at that point had already closed down sister studios Attention to Detail and Silicon Dreams Studio, SCi showed interest in acquiring the company.[2] Kaboom Studios went into receivership on 9 September 2003,[3] with all remaining assets, including still-active Pivotal Games, being transferred to Ernst & Young for sale.[4] On 29 September 2003, SCi acquired Pivotal Games from Ernst & Young for a total of £2.36 million.[5] In May 2005, SCi Games finalised its acquisition and merger with Eidos Interactive, the parent of Eidos Interactive, which would become in charge of SCi Games' subsidiaries.[6] In March 2008, SCi Games closed down fourteen operating projects to counter an £81.4 million net loss from the preceding fiscal year, leading to rumours that Pivotal Games was also to be closed.[7] On 14 July 2008, it was officially announced that the studio was to shut its doors, and 99 staff had already been made redundant,[8] leaving only a team of 10–12 specialist personnel.[9] Pivotal Games was closed on 13 August 2008.[10]

Games developed

Year Title Platform(s)
GCN PS2 PS3 Win Xbox X360
2002 Conflict: Desert Storm Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
2003 The Great Escape No Yes No Yes Yes No
Conflict: Desert Storm II Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
2004 Conflict: Vietnam No Yes No Yes Yes No
2005 Conflict: Global Terror No Yes No Yes Yes No
2008 Conflict: Denied Ops No No Yes Yes No Yes

Conflict series

The Conflict franchise has sold more than 6 million units.[11] Each game in the series has received good to negative reviews. Most of the reviews were mixed or average.[12]

Games

References

  1. 1 2 3 "History". Pivotal Games. Archived from the original on 28 April 2001.
  2. ↑ "SCi eyeing Pivotal purchase?". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Kaboom goes into receivership; Pivotal for sale". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  4. ↑ Calvert, Justin (19 February 2004). "SCi acquires Pivotal Games". GameSpot. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  5. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (29 September 2003). "SCi buys Pivotal". eurogamer.net. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "Square and Eidos: The History". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  7. ↑ "Eidos parent SCi axing 14 projects – Pivotal too?". GamesRadar. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  8. ↑ Purchese, Robert (14 July 2008). "Conflict developer Pivotal to close". Eurogamer. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "Conflict developer Pivotal Games to close". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  10. ↑ "Pivotal Games shuts its doors". MCV. 14 July 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "Brand Portfolio". SCi Entertainment Group. Archived from the original on 31 October 2010.
  12. ↑ "Reviews and News Articles". GameRankings.
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