High Voltage Software

Infobox Company
name = High Voltage Software

type = Independent Video Game Developer
foundation = 1993
founder = Kerry Ganofsky
location_city = Hoffman Estates
location_country = Illinois, U.S.A.
key_people =
industry = Interactive entertainment
products =
owner = Kerry Ganofsky, CEO
num_employees = 130+
parent =
divisions =
subsid = Red Eye Studios
slogan =
homepage = http://www.high-voltage.com/

High Voltage Software (or "HVS") is a game development company located Illinois' Hoffman Estates. Established in 1993, it now employs approximately 130 staff members. Red Eye Studios, a motion capture facility, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HVS. [ [http://www.high-voltage.com High Voltage Software: About Us] ] HVS has developed many games, such as ', ' and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".

Typically producing completely new and unrelated products back to back, "Inside Drive" and "Hunter" are the only products this decade to have seen sequels, and the company typically works with a number of different publishers as each project ends. The company's full-featured project "The Conduit" for the Wii console has been entirely self-funded without the help of a publisher; the company has chosen a publisher for the game, and will announce who the publisher is in the coming weeks.

History

Reception

Since launching in 1993, High Voltage Software has had a review average of 66% across all tracked products. Typically most interviews, screenshots, and videos, are handled by the publishers funding the development of the company's current games, with High Voltage Software employees remaining relatively behind the scenes. Recent efforts have been made by High Voltage Software to generate buzz at media outlets like IGN [http://wii.ign.com/articles/867/867498p1.html] , and Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/17/the-conduit-gameplay-trailer-released/] , around their upcoming Wii titles "The Conduit" and "Animales de la Muerte", as well as the recently released "Gyrostarr". To help build anticipation and discussion by each outlet's community, High-Voltage has granted interviews, screenshots, and videos directly to the outlets willing to cover their upcoming self-funded Wii projects. In recent interviews with IGN, Chief Creative Officer Eric Nofsinger commented on the state of graphics in today's Wii games "Most of the games on the Wii look like crap. We want to change that, so we've invested heavily in our Wii tech over the past year," and Founder Kerry Ganofsky was quoted as stating "We believe that third-party developers need to step up to the plate and deliver. The Wii platform is capable of a lot more than what consumers have seen so far. We're hoping to raise a new bar." [ [http://wii.ign.com/articles/867/867498p2.html IGN: The Conduit Preview ] ] CCO Eric Nofsinger also mentioned Florida attorney Jack Thompson in a recent interview. Nofsinger expressed his belief that Jack Thompson will have issues with the content in "Animales de la Muerte," specifically stating "I suspect Jack Thompson may have a thing or two to say about Animales de la Muerte. And let him say all he wants. That's the wonderful thing about First Amendment rights. It allows us creators to express ourselves while we entertain millions and it affords him the opportunity to prey off of the suffering of a few victims' families and espouse misinformed diatribes against artists and creators..." [ [http://wii.ign.com/articles/869/869222p2.html IGN: Animales de la Muerte Preview ] ] To date, Jack Thompson has not made any comments related to Animales de la Muerte, and the content featured within Animales is planned to be drastically different than that which exists in the past and current Grand Theft Auto products.

Company layoff

After terminating thirty six employees in January of 2006, High Voltage Software reported to Gamasutra that the company had "right sized" their staff from 156 employees to 120. Post layoff, Founder Kerry Ganofsky stated to Gamasutra editors "High Voltage has long been one of the biggest and most established independent game developers, but we had grown to a size where our focus and quality was suffering. It’s imperative that we have the right people and the right critical awareness to make certain that we make great games." [ [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7824 Gamasutra - High Voltage Software Lays Off Staff ] ]

Quantum3 engine

"Quantum3" is a Wii-specific game engine developed by High Voltage Software.cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6193374.html?tag=latestnews;title;2 |title=Q&A: Eric Nofsinger channels The Conduit |date=2008-07-07|accessdate=2008-07-07 |last=Magrino |first=Tom |publisher=Gamespot ] The engine itself had been used in several previous titles made by the developer, but was heavily upgraded for higher performance on the Wii.cite web |url= http://www.gamecyte.com/interview-high-voltage-softwares-eric-nofsinger-explains-how-freedom-feedback-and-fans-channel-into-the-conduit |title=High Voltage Software’s Eric Nofsinger Explains How Freedom, Feedback and Fans Channel into The Conduit |date=2008-10-06 |accessdate=2008-10-08 |publisher=GameCyte ] This engine allows for "full 16-TEV stage material pipeline using up to eight texture sources and a host of innovative blend operations," and "allows the developer to create graphic effects normally seen on other consoles with vertex and pixel shaders." These effects include bump-mapping, reflection and refraction, light and shadow maps and projections, specular and Fresnel effects, missive and iridescent materials, advanced alpha blends, gloss and detail mapping, motion blur, interactive water with complex surface effects, and animated textures, among other things.cite web |url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/867/867498p1.html |title=Exclusive First Look: The Conduit |date=2008-04-17 |accessdate=2008-04-18 |last=Casamassina |first=Matt |publisher=IGN ] The Quantum3 engine also includes advanced artificial intelligence, allowing for entities in a game using the engine to possess "human-like behavior." According to High Voltage Software CCO Eric Nofsinger, "Our [High Voltage Software's] goal is to be the most technically innovative Wii developer on the planet."

Games

Current projects

High Voltage Software is currently working on one Wii title, the first-person shooter "The Conduit", and two Wiiware games, "Animales de la Muerte" and "High Voltage Hot Rod Show". These games will use the Quantum3 engine, developed specifically by High Voltage Software for the Wii. [ [http://wii.ign.com/articles/867/867498p1.html IGN: The Conduit Preview ] ] [ [http://wii.ign.com/articles/869/869222p1.html IGN: Animales de la Muerte Preview ] ] [http://gonintendo.com/?p=58918 High Voltage Software announces High Voltage Hot Rod Show for WiiWare] ]

Developed games

References

External links

* [http://www.high-voltage.com/ Official website]
* [http://wii.ign.com/dor/objects/14248157/the-conduit/videos/hightechwii.html Quantum3 Tech Demo]