- DreamCatcher Interactive
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DreamCatcher Interactive Inc. 
Type Subsidiary of JoWooD Entertainment Industry Computer and video game industry Founded 1996 Headquarters Toronto, Canada Products Painkiller, Dungeon Lords, First Battalion, Cold War, Dunes of War Parent Nordic Games Divisions The Adventure Company
Silverline SoftwareWebsite dreamcatchergames.com DreamCatcher Interactive Inc. (a.k.a. DreamCatcher Games) is a Toronto, Ontario, Canada-based publisher of video games founded in 1996 by Richard Wah Kan.
Contents
Beginnings
The company’s first title was the adventure game Jewels of the Oracle, which achieved enough success to grow the retail business.[1] Dreamcatcher would later release The Crystal Key which sold over a half million units in North America.[2] Continuing the company's growth, in November 2000, DreamCatcher signed with Her Interactive to publish the Nancy Drew franchise.[3]
Publishing
In late 2002, most of the assets and development teams of French based publisher, Cryo Interactive were absorbed by DreamCatcher Interactive, forming the base for DreamCatcher Europe including key offices and a large internal studio.[4] After the acquisition of Cryo Interactive, Dreamcatcher created a publishing division called The Adventure Company in early 2003. The company also partnered with both Wanadoo Edition and Microïds, as well as other studios in the development and distribution of games including Syberia, Still Life and ObsCure.[5] In 2005 the main Microïds studio was acquired by Ubisoft with Dreamcatcher retaining publishing rights to the games being created.[6]
The Adventure Company brand label under DreamCatcher has released many adventure game series' including series' based on Agatha Christie novels. They also recently signed to release a series of titles based on The Hardy Boys.[7]
Outside of adventure gaming, DreamCatcher is best known for publishing the first-person shooter Painkiller developed with People Can Fly. Painkiller became a commercial success and was signed with the CPL World Tour 2005.[8]
Dreamcatcher would also create another label, Silverline Software, around 2004 for the distribution of some non-core games and the publishing of utility software. Silverline Software would release the "Time to Ride" series of girl’s horse games starting in 2004, which would later be acquired by Ubisoft.[citation needed]
Acquisition by JoWooD
In 2006, JoWooD Productions announced the purchase of DreamCatcher Games as a way of increasing their presence into the North American gaming market in addition to acquiring the company's key titles and licenses.[9] Since the acquisition, DreamCatcher Games has continued to launch titles both under The Adventure Company and DreamCatcher labels including new games created by JoWooD like the SpellForce series.
Games
Games developed or published by DreamCatcher Interactive Title Release
YearPlatform Notes Agassi Tennis Generation 2003 Windows, Gameboy Advance, PlayStation 2 Animates 2007 Nintendo DS Arcania: Gothic 4 2010 Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Arx Fatalis 2002 Windows, Xbox Atlantis: The Lost Tales 1997 Windows Publisher Besieger 2004 Windows Cold War 2005 Windows, Xbox, Linux Curse: The Eye of Isis 2003 Windows, Xbox, PlayStation 2 Domination 2005 Windows Dunes of War 2007 Windows Dungeon Lords 2005 Windows Emergency Fire Response 2003 Windows Enigma: Rising Tide 2003 Windows Enigma: Rising Tide Gold Edition 2005 Windows First Battalion 2006 Windows, Xbox Genesis Rising 2006 Windows Gore: Ultimate Soldier 2002 Windows Haegemonia: Legions of Iron 2003 Windows Inkheart 2008 Nintendo DS based on Inkheart LifeSigns: Surgical Unit 2007 Nintendo DS ObsCure 2004 Windows, Xbox, PlayStation 2 Painkiller 2004 Windows Painkiller: Battle Out of Hell 2004 Windows Painkiller: Black 2005 Windows Painkiller: Hell Wars 2006 Xbox Painkiller: Overdose 2007 Windows Painkiller: Resurrection 2009 Windows Playmobil Circus 2009 Wii Playmobil Knights 2009 Nintendo DS Playmobil Pirates 2009 Nintendo DS Project Earth: Starmageddon 2002 Windows Rock Manager 2001 Windows Seven Kingdoms - Conquest 2008 Windows Spellforce Universe 2007 Windows Spirits & Spells 2003 Gamecube, PlayStation 2 SuperPower 2002 Windows SuperPower 2 2004 Windows The Guild 2 2006 Windows The Guild 2: Pirates of the High Seas 2007 Windows Traitors Gate 2000 Macintosh, Windows War Leaders: Clash of Nations 2008 Windows World Party Games Wii Yager (aka Aerial Strike) 2003 Windows, Xbox Yoga Wii 2009 Wii References
- ^ Jewels of the Oracle
- ^ The Crystal Key Sales
- ^ DreamCatcher Publishes Nancy Drew
- ^ Absorbed Cyro Interactive
- ^ Dreamcatcher Publishes ObsCure
- ^ Tor Thorsen. "Ubisoft subsumes Microids Canada". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/stilllife/news.html?sid=6119575&om_act=convert&om_clk=newsfeatures&tag=newsfeatures%3Btitle%3B2.
- ^ The Hardy Boys License
- ^ Painkiller Added to Summer CPL Championship
- ^ Euro Adhoc JoWooD Acquisitions
External links
Categories:- Video game companies of Canada
- Companies based in Toronto
- Video game publishers
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