Surreal Software

Infobox Company
company_name=Surreal Software
company_type=Public (Subsidiary of Midway Games)
company_
foundation=Seattle, Washington, USA (1995)
location=Chicago, Illinois
key_people=Alan Patmore, Co-Founder and Studio Head
Stuart Denman, Co-Founder and Studio Technology Director
industry=Video dame development
homepage= [http://www.surreal.com/ www.surreal.com]

Surreal Software is a video game development studio in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. and a subsidiary of Midway Games.

Surreal Software, best known for "The Suffering" and "Drakan" series, employs over 100 designers, artists and programmers. Over the years, Surreal Software's technical capabilities have increased, with the advancement of multi-platform offerings, and a proprietary real-time game development engine. The studio is currently working on "This is Vegas", a new title which will be released later this year on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. [ [http://www.midway.com/rxpage/mpr_12314.html Midway Press Release: ] ] The first screenshots, video and game information for "This is Vegas" were unveiled the week of February 4, 2008 at IGN. [ [http://www.ign.com IGN.com: Games, Cheats, Movies and More ] ]

History

Surreal Software was founded in 1995 as an independent video game development studio by Alan Patmore, Stuart Denman, Nick Radovich and Mike Nichols. Patmore, Nichols and Radovich attended Eastside Catholic High School in Bellevue, Washington together. [ [http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=btinterface18&date=20020318&query=alan+patmore Search Results|Seattle Times Newspaper ] ] They found Stuart Denman, a University of Washington grad, through an online message board. The group began operating in 1995 in an office in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood. Previously, Radovich sold real estate, Patmore worked at a wireless company, Nichols was working at local game company Boss Studios, and Denman had just interned at Microsoft on the Excel team. Their first contract was with Bothell-based children's game developer Humongous, which found Denman's website and called to recruit programmers for Humongous. Surreal instead offered to do contract work.

Surreal developed the Riot engine for its games in 1996.

First receiving critical acclaim with the 1999 release of ', [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E2D91639F931A2575BC0A96F958260 GAME THEORY; The Feel of Cinema, but a Game at Heart - New York Times ] ] [ [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3178/postmortem_surreal_softwares_.php Gamasutra - Postmortem: Surreal Software's Drakan: Order of the Flame ] ] Surreal Software continued its success with ' in early 2002, both games selling in excess of 250,000 units. Having grown to two development teams, Surreal released "" later that same year, selling over 1.8 million units.

In March 2004, Surreal Software released " The Suffering" [ [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2110/postmortem_the_game_design_of_.php Gamasutra - Postmortem: The Game Design of Surreal's The Suffering ] ] , an original concept action-packed horror game set in a secluded island prison. Gamers and critics alike enjoyed this bold new contribution to the horror genre and in 2005, "" followed. [ [http://ps3.ign.com/articles/724/724526p1.html IGN: Original PS3 IP From Surreal ] ]

In April 2004, Midway Games acquired Surreal Software as an in-house game studio. [ [http://www.investor.midway.com/rxpage/mpr_968.html Midway Press Release:PR 2004-04-06 A ] ]

In 2006, the Surreal Software staff moved from Fremont to their new waterfront studio on Elliott Avenue next to the Olympic Sculpture Park.

Founders

*Stuart Denman - Technical Director
**Stuart is now acting as Studio Technology Director

*Alan Patmore - Project Director
**Alan is now acting as Studio Head of Surreal and is credited on the following titles: [ [http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,9892/ MobyGames - Alan Patmore ] ]
***"" (1999, PC) - Lead Designer [ [http://www.thecomputershow.com/computershow/interviews/drakaninterview2.htm Drakan Order of the Flame Interview with Alan Patmore ] ] [ [http://www.firingsquad.com/games/drakaninterview/ Pre-E3 Drakan Interview ] ]
***"" (2002, PS2) - Director
***"" (2002, PC and PS2) - Director
***"The Suffering" (2004, PS2 and Xbox) - Director
***"" (2005, PS2 and Xbox) - Executive Producer

*Nick Radovich - Business Operations
**Nick has since moved on to new opportunities

*Mike Nichols - Art Director
**Mike has since moved on to new opportunities

Games

*"" (1999, PC)
*"" (2002, PlayStation 2)
*"" (2002, PC and PlayStation 2)
*"The Lord of the Rings: The Treason of Isengard" (2003, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, cancelled by Vivendi Universal Games)
*"The Suffering" (2004, PlayStation 2 and Xbox)
*"" (2005, PlayStation 2 and Xbox)
*"This is Vegas" (2008, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC)

References

External links

* [http://www.surreal.com/ Official Surreal website]
* [http://www.midway.com/ Official Midway Games website]
* [http://jobs.midway.com/ Career page]
* [http://www.gametrailers.com/player/33063.html Midway Gamers' Day 08: Alan Patmore interview]
* [http://www.gametrailers.com/game/6139.html/ GDC 08 Interview - This is Vegas]
* [http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/surreal-software-project/853850p1.html/GameSpy interview]
* [http://www.firingsquad.com/games/drakaninterview/ Drakan interview]
* [http://ps2.ign.com/objects/724/724939.html/ Screenshots and video clips from The Suffering: Ties That Bind]
* [http://www.gamespot.com/news/6093775.html?tag=result;title;0/ GameSpot interview]
* [http://www.thecomputershow.com/computershow/interviews/drakaninterview2.htm/Drakan Interview]