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Fox Interactive

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Fox Interactive
Company type
IndustryVideo games
FoundedMay 1994; 30 years ago (1994-05)
FounderTed Hoff
Defunct2006; 18 years ago (2006)
FateClosed
SuccessorVivendi Universal Games
20th Century Fox Games
HeadquartersLos Angeles, California,
U.S.
Products
BrandsFox Toons Interactive
Fox Sports Interactive
Fox Arcade
Parent20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1994–2003)
Vivendi Universal Games (2003–2006)

Fox Interactive was an American video game publisher based in Los Angeles, California. The company published games based on 20th Century Fox properties, yet also published several original titles, such as Croc: Legend of the Gobbos.

History

[edit]

News Corporation (1994–2003)

[edit]
Fox Interactive logo used from 1994 until 2003.

Fox Interactive was formed in May 1994, and was led by former Time Warner Interactive executive Ted Hoff.[1] The first two games published by the new division were The Tick, based on the Fox Kids cartoon series of the same name, and The Pagemaster, based on the film of the same name.

On January 5, 1996, the company announced the release of Die Hard Trilogy for an August–September 1996 release window.[2] On March 21, 1996, Fox Interactive signed a deal with Electronic Arts for distribution of their titles outside North America.[3][4] The company would attend their first Electronic Entertainment Expo in 1996, and announced six mainstream titles during the event: The Simpsons Cartoon Studio, The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield and The X-Files for Windows and Macintosh, Aliens Versus Predator and Independence Day[5] for PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Windows, and The Tick for PlayStation and Sega Saturn, alongside the already announced Die Hard Trilogy.[6] The company also announced the launch of the Fox Toons Interactive label, consisting of educational games for Windows and Macintosh based on licensed properties, with the first five titles: Baby Felix, Hello Kitty Big Fun, Eekstravaganza, The Tick and Keroppi being released within a Fall release window.[7] In November 1996, the company announced the release of a CD-ROM based on Romeo + Juliet for December.[8]

In February 1997, the company announced a video game based on Alien Resurrection for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and PC, and two CD-ROM tie-in titles - The X-Files: Data Files, and Anastasia, based on the 1997 movie.[9] In the same month, the company announced major marketing plans for Independence Day before the game's release on March 11 in the United States, including a multi-million dollar ad campaign.[10] In April, the Fox Toons Interactive division announced the release of four more titles: Baby Felix Creativity Center, Hello Kitty Creativity Center, Danny and the Dinosaur and Frog and Toad are Friends, the latter two based on children's books.[11] In May, Fox Interactive announced the acquisition of the publishing rights to Argonaut Software's Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, and announced to showcase it at E3 1997.[12] During E3 in June, in addition to the previously announced titles, the Aliens Versus Predator title was announced for an Early 1998 release.[13] The only newly announced title at E3 that year for the publisher was Aliens Online, developed by then-fellow News Corporation subsidiary Kesmai.[14] On December 15, 1997, Fox Interactive formed a joint-venture with News Corporation's Fox Sports division and formed Fox Sports Interactive, which would be used to publish sports titles for consoles and computers. The company signed a long-term North American development agreement with Gremlin Interactive to re-name and publish some of the latter's Actua Sports titles for the North American market.[15][16][17]

On April 15, 1998, the company announced to publish Gremlin's N20: Nitrous Oxide for the US market for a June 1998 release.[18] The first two republished Actua Sports titles were also announced for the same release window - Fox Sports Soccer '99 and Fox Sports Golf '99.[19] During E3 1998, the company acquired the rights to two more Gremlin titles - Team Losi: RC Racer and Motorhead, as well as also announcing Croc 2 for PlayStation and Windows, and Virtual K'Nex for CD-ROM.[20] Other titles showcased included Aliens Versus Predator and several Fox Sports titles.[21] In August, the company announced the CD-ROM title James Cameron's Titanic Explorer, based on the movie.[22] In November 1998, the company delayed the releases of Alien Resurrection and Croc 2 to Mid-1999.[23]

In May 1999, during E3, the company announced Activision as the exclusive worldwide distributor of Fox Sports Interactive titles in Europe, Asia and Africa, excluding Japan.[24] Fox would continue to distribute and publish the titles in North America and Japan, and would not affect Electronic Arts' existing worldwide distribution deal with Fox's non-Sports titles.[25][26] During the event, the company announced Die Hard Trilogy 2 and a video game based on Planet of the Apes.,[27] in addition to Croc 2 and Fox Sports Interactive title Fox Sports Pro Baseball 2000 .[28] In July, a Game Boy Color version of Croc was announced for a Winter 1999 release window.[29] In August 1999, the company was announced to be publishing two titles from Monolith Productions: Sanity: Aiken's Artifact, and The Operative: No One Lives Forever.[30] On the same day, the company announced plans to release games for the PlayStation 2.[31] In September 1999, the company announced to support the Dreamcast, announcing versions of Croc 2 and Planet of the Apes for the system, and a game based on World's Scariest Police Chases tentatively titled World's Scariest Police Chases: Deadly Pursuit.[32][33]

On March 16, 2000, it was announced that THQ would publish the Game Boy Color version of Croc under license from Fox.[34] In April, the company's Dreamcast games would be released at the end of 2000.[35] and within the same month announced a full worldwide publishing deal with THQ for the company's Game Boy Color titles, with the additions of games based on The Simpsons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens and Croc 2 in addition to the already announced Croc title.[36] At E3 2000, in addition to several previously announced titles, the company announced Buffy the Vampire Slayer and World's Scariest Police Chases for the PlayStation, Dreamcast and Windows, and The Simpsons Wrestling and Titan AE for PlayStation.[37] Dreamcast ports of Alien Resurrection and Sanity: Aiken's Artifact were announced,[38] alongside the company's first PlayStation 2 projects, a port of The Operative: No One Lives Forever and Aliens: Colonial Marines.[39] In July 2000, the company announced a sequel to Aliens Versus Predator as part of their deal with Monolith Productions. In August 2000, the company announced that the Dreamcast port of Croc 2 would be cancelled.[40] In the same month, Unique Development Studios signed a deal to co-publish and develop a Futurama title with Fox for a 2002 release.[41] In November 2000, the company announced a King of the Hill game that was released for Windows and Macintosh.[42]

In January 2001, Fox Interactive announced they would start to focus more on development and would begin to co-publish their titles with a selection of well-known companies from then-on.[43] Activision became the first of these publishing partners, acquiring US rights to The Simpsons Wrestling[44] on March 13, and worldwide rights to World's Scariest Police Chases on April 20.[45] The company also announced a reevaluation of their Dreamcast titles following Sega's announcement to discontinue the system.,[46] Eventually, the company canceled the Dreamcast versions of Alien Resurrection and World's Scariest Police Chases, and left Planet of the Apes and Buffy the Vampire Slayer in limbo.[47] In April 2001, the company announced their plans for the Xbox, including a game based on Cops titled The Cops: Too Hot for TV, and a racing game based on The Simpsons. The already-announced Buffy the Vampire Slayer title was moved to the system as an exclusive, leaving the existing PlayStation and Dreamcast versions scrapped.[48] During E3 2001, Fox Interactive announced four titles: The Simpsons: Road Rage, Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza, Die Hard: Vendetta and No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way, in addition to the previously announced Aliens: Colonial Marines, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cops: Too Hot for TV and the PlayStation 2 port of The Operative: No One Lives Forever. During E3 2001 the company announced that Electronic Arts would publish the Aliens, The Simpsons and Buffy titles,[49][50][51] in addition to Vivendi Universal Interactive Publishing publishing the Die Hard, Cops and the No One Lives Forever titles, which was announced a week prior to E3.[52][53] In August 2001, the company and DreamWorks SKG's consumer products division signed a 5-year publishing deal with Activision for the publication on games based on Minority Report.[54]

At E3 2002, the company showcased three existing titles: No One Lives Forever 2, Die Hard: Vendetta and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and announced two new titles: The Simpsons Skateboarding and a game based on the Dark Angel TV series.[55] In July 2002, the company signed another publishing deal with THQ to include Game Boy Advance titles, with a Buffy the Vampire Slayer title and a port of The Simpsons: Road Rage confirmed to be in development.[56]

Vivendi Universal Games (2003–2006)

[edit]

In March 2003, 20th Century Fox sold Fox Interactive to Vivendi Universal Games for an undisclosed amount.[57] After being purchased, the name was reduced to solely being a label for 20th Century Fox games published by Vivendi Universal Games. The label would be phased out by 2006, although Vivendi Universal continued to publish titles based on 20th Century Fox properties, with such examples including Eragon, and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. 20th Century Fox would later partner with other publishers to create games based on their properties, something which continues on to this day.

As of 2022, most of Fox Interactive's game library, which was copyrighted to 20th Century Fox, is owned by The Walt Disney Company through 20th Century Studios, while current video games based on 20th Century properties (which is owned by and operated under Disney since 2019) have been licensed out to third-party publishers on console and mobile devices.

Games

[edit]

As a Publisher/Licensor

[edit]
Year Title Platform(s) Developer(s) Publisher(s)
1994 The Tick SNES, Sega Genesis Software Creations Fox Interactive
The Pagemaster SNES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy Probe Software
1995 Icebreaker Microsoft Windows Magnet Interactive Studios
1996 Alien Trilogy PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows Probe Entertainment Acclaim Entertainment
The Simpsons: Cartoon Studio Microsoft Windows, Mac OS Big Top Productions Fox Interactive
Die Hard Trilogy PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Sega Saturn Probe Entertainment
1997 Die Hard Arcade Arcade, Sega Saturn Sega AM1 Sega
Independence Day Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, Sega Saturn Radical Entertainment Fox Interactive
The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield Microsoft Windows, Mac OS Digital Evolution
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows Argonaut Software
Anastasia: Adventures with Pooka and Bartok Microsoft Windows, Mac OS Motion Works
1998 Aliens Online Microsoft Windows Mythic Entertainment/Kesmai
The X-Files: Unrestricted Access Fox Interactive
Fox Sports Golf '99 PlayStation, Microsoft Windows Gremlin Interactive Fox Sports Interactive
Fox Sports Soccer '99
The X-Files Game Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, PlayStation HyperBole Studios Fox Interactive
James Cameron's Titanic Explorer Microsoft Windows
N2O: Nitrous Oxide PlayStation Gremlin Interactive
Team LOSI RC Racer
Fox Sports College Hoops '99 Nintendo 64 Z-Axis Fox Sports Interactive
Motorhead PlayStation, Microsoft Windows Gremlin Interactive Fox Interactive
Virtual K'Nex Microsoft Windows Imagination Pilots Entertainment
1999 Sci-Fi Pinball Microsoft Windows, Mac OS Gigawatt Studios Fox Arcade
Aliens Versus Predator Microsoft Windows, OS X Rebellion Developments Fox Interactive
Croc 2 PlayStation, Microsoft Windows Argonaut Software
NHL Championship 2000 Radical Entertainment Fox Sports Interactive
NBA Basketball 2000
2000 Die Hard Trilogy 2: Viva Las Vegas N-Space Fox Interactive
Croc Game Boy Color Virtucraft THQ
Sanity: Aiken's Artifact Microsoft Windows Monolith Productions Fox Interactive
Alien Resurrection PlayStation Argonaut Games
The Operative: No One Lives Forever Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, OS X Monolith Productions
King of the Hill Microsoft Windows, OS X Flying Tiger Development
The Simpsons Bowling Arcade Konami Konami
2001 Croc 2 Game Boy Color Natsume Co., Ltd. THQ
The Simpsons: Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror Creations
Aliens: Thanatos Encounter Crawfish Interactive
The Simpsons Wrestling PlayStation Big Ape Productions Activision
World's Scariest Police Chases Unique Development Studios
Planet of the Apes Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, PlayStation Visiware/Torus Games Ubisoft
Aliens Versus Predator 2 Microsoft Windows, OS X Monolith Productions Sierra Entertainment
The Simpsons: Road Rage PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube Radical Entertainment Electronic Arts
2002 Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza Microsoft Windows Piranha Games Sierra Entertainment
No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way Microsoft Windows, OS X Monolith Productions
The Simpsons Skateboarding PlayStation 2 The Code Monkeys Electronic Arts
Ice Age Game Boy Advance Artificial Mind & Movement Ubi Soft
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Xbox The Collective Electronic Arts
Die Hard: Vendetta GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox Bits Studios Sierra Entertainment
James Cameron's Dark Angel PlayStation 2, Xbox Radical Entertainment Sierra Entertainment
2003 Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wrath of the Darkhul King Game Boy Advance Natsume Co., Ltd. THQ
The Simpsons: Road Rage Altron
Aliens Versus Predator: Extinction PlayStation 2, Xbox Zono Electronic Arts

As a label of VU Games

[edit]
Year Title Platform(s) Developer(s) Publisher(s)
2003 Futurama PlayStation 2, Xbox Unique Development Studios Vivendi Universal Games (US)
SCi Games (EU)
The Simpsons: Hit & Run PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Microsoft Windows Radical Entertainment Vivendi Universal Games
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox Eurocom
2004 The X-Files: Resist or Serve PlayStation 2 Black Ops Entertainment
2005 Robots PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS Eurocom
Predator: Concrete Jungle PlayStation 2, Xbox
2006 Ice Age 2: The Meltdown Wii, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS

Cancelled Titles

[edit]
Year Title Platform(s) Developer(s) Publisher(s)
1996 The Tick PlayStation, Sega Saturn Fox Interactive
2000 Titan A.E. PlayStation, Microsoft Windows Blitz Games

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Berniker, Mark (September 19, 1994). "Fox gets Interactive" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. Vol. 124, no. 38. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 8, 2021.
  2. ^ "Fox Interactive: LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 1996". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 1997. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Electronic Arts & Fox Interactive - Press News - Coming Soon Magazine!".
  4. ^ https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/e/NASDAQ_ERTS_1999.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ "Fox Interactive: HypeHypeHypeHypeHypeHypeHypeHypeHypeHype". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 1996. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Fox Interactive: LOS ANGELES -- May 15, 1996". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 1997. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Fox Interactive: LOS ANGELES -- May 16, 1996". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 1997. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Fox Interactive: HypeHypeHypeHypeHypeHypeHypeHypeHypeHype". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 1997. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Fox Interactive: LOS ANGELES -- Feb. 10, 1997". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 1997. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Fox Interactive Flexes Its Marketing Muscle". 22 February 1997.
  11. ^ "Fox Interactive: CENTURY CITY, CA -- April 21, 1997". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 1997. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Aliens at E3". 22 May 1997.
  13. ^ "E3: Crawling on the Ceiling". 21 June 1997.
  14. ^ "Fox Interactive: LOS ANGELES, June 19, 1997". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 1997. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  15. ^ "Fox Interactive: LOS ANGELES, CA (November 18, 1997)". foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 1998. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Fox Starts Sports Label".
  17. ^ "Fox Sports Interactive: Licensed to Thrill". 16 December 1997.
  18. ^ "Fox Interactive: LOS ANGELES, CA (April 15, 1997)". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 1998. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  19. ^ "Fox Interactive: LOS ANGELES, CA (April 17, 1998)". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 1998. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Fox Interactive: LOS ANGELES, CA (May 28, 1998)". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 1998. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  21. ^ "E3 1998 (Concept)".
  22. ^ "Fox Interactive: Company Info - Press Releases". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2001. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  23. ^ "Aliens: Still Awaiting Resurrection". 21 November 1998.
  24. ^ "Activision Teams with Fox Interactive". 14 May 1999.
  25. ^ "Activision Distributes Competition". 18 May 1999.
  26. ^ "Fox Interactive: Company Info - Press Releases". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2001. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  27. ^ "Fox Interactive: Company Info - Press Releases". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 28 May 2001. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  28. ^ "E3 1999 (Concept)".
  29. ^ "Fox Interactive: Company Info - Press Releases". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2001. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  30. ^ "Fox Interactive Pursue Sanity". November 2021.
  31. ^ "Fox Interactive: Company Info - Press Releases". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2001. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  32. ^ "Press release: 1999-09-05: Fox Interactive Eyes Sega Dreamcast for Hot Entertainment Properties". 10 June 2016.
  33. ^ "Fox Interactive: Company Info - Press Releases". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2001. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  34. ^ "Croc from THQ". 16 March 2000.
  35. ^ "Fox Interactive's Dreamcast Lineup".
  36. ^ "THQ and Fox Partner for the Game Boy".
  37. ^ "Fox Interactive: Company Info - Press Releases". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2001. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  38. ^ "Fox Interactive: Company Info - Press Releases". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2001. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  39. ^ "Fox Interactive: Company Info - Press Releases". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2001. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  40. ^ "Fox Confirms Croc 2 Cancellation". 4 August 2000.
  41. ^ "UDS Gets Futurama". 14 August 2000.
  42. ^ "Fox Interactive: Company Info - Press Releases". www.foxinteractive.com. Archived from the original on 26 April 2001. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  43. ^ "Fox Interactive Simultaneously Shrinks, Expands". 13 January 2001.
  44. ^ "Activision Scoops up the Simpsons". 13 March 2001.
  45. ^ "Fox's Scariest Police Chase Down Activision". 20 April 2001.
  46. ^ "Future of Fox Interactive Dreamcast Titles in Question?". 16 March 2001.
  47. ^ "Fox Interactive Dreamcast Titles in Peril?". 20 March 2001.
  48. ^ "Fox Interactive's Triple Threat". 19 April 2001.
  49. ^ "EA signs publishing agreement with Fox".
  50. ^ "EA and Fox Agree Agree on Simpsons, Buffy and Aliens". 9 May 2001.
  51. ^ "EA and FOX Strike a Deal". 9 May 2001.
  52. ^ "Vivendi Universal and Fox Sign Four Game Deal". 2 May 2001.
  53. ^ Ahmed, Shahed (May 17, 2006). "Vivendi publishing Fox games". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 3, 2021.
  54. ^ "Activision Wins Rights to Steven Spielberg's "Minority Report"". August 2001.
  55. ^ "E3 2002 (Concept)".
  56. ^ "THQ and Fox Interactive Announce Game Boy Advance Publishing". Bloomberg.com. 16 July 2002.
  57. ^ Pham, Alex (March 11, 2003). "Fox Sells Video Game Division to Vivendi". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 11, 2015.
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