They’ve got a site up, and they’re looking for talented, experienced people to apply.  Please share with as many people as possible!

www.jobsinnola.com

It’s a great opportunity to be part of a new studio in an exciting city.  I’m actually a recent transplant, and I’m loving it here.  If you’ve got any questions, let me know.
Paul

As always, I’m using gamedevmap as a starting point.  I filter out anyone with a dead link,  and then dig around to see what other companies I can find that they don’t have.  Because the list is so long, I’m going to split this into 2 posts.  On to part 1…

Game Studios

• Arkane Studios – Arkane got its start in Lyon, France, and opened their Austin branch in 2006.  Their focus is “first-person immersive games with depth.”
• Armature Studios - Armature was founded by 3 Retro Studios veterans.
• Aspyr – Aspyr has worked on a large number of licensed and original titles over the years, and they’ve been involved with porting several titles to the Mac.
• Bioware Austin – The Austin division of Bioware has been hard at work on the upcoming Star Wars – The Old Republic title.
• Black Lantern Studios – Black Lantern is an independent developer with studios in both Austin and Springfield, MO.
• Blizzard Entertainment – The Austin office is a customer service center, and doesn’t actually handle any internal development.
• Certain Affinity – Founded by an ex-Bungie employee in 2006, Certain Affinity got their start working on new maps for Halo 2.  They’ve grown to 35 FT employees, according to their site.
• Challenge Games – Developers of Facebook titles, including a recently released 3D football game.
• Critical Mass Interactive – Contract developer who has worked on a variety of UE3 related projects.
• Edge of Reality – Looks like they recently wrapped up some work with Bioware on Dragon Age.  Nice!
• EA Pogo – One of the original casual game sites.
• Ghostfire Games – They’re working on an upcoming WiiWare title.
• Heatwave Interactive – New developer that received VC backing in 2008.  They’re working on an upcoming title called Platinum Life.
• Junction Point (Disney Interactive) – Warren Spector’s studio, and developers of the upcoming Epic Mickey title.  This Mickey Mouse reboot looks very cool.
• KingsIsle Entertainment – Creators of online titles, including their first release, Wizard 101.
• Semi Secret Software – I’m going out of order for now, but I found these guys while looking at Last Chance Media.  It looks like Last Chance is now part of Semi Secret – they released the awesome iPhone game Canabalt.
• Midnight Studios – not sure what they’re working on, but it looks like they moved into new office space in early 09.
• Mock Science – They’ve been helping out with some social network games lately.  A few of us at GJH used to work with one of the co-founders, so it’s great to see them achieving success.

That’s it for part 1 – I’ll get to work on part 2 some time in the very near future.  Stay tuned….

I haven’t featured a Canadian city up until now, so I figured it was time to end that drought.  It looks like the city features a respectable number of indie studios, which are just the kinds of companies we like to feature.    On to the Toronto list – as always, if I leave someone out or make an error, please let me know! (*Edit 08/01/09 – I found another awesome list on an IGDA forum, and I’m using that to update this list with more companies.  Check out:  http://www.gamecensus.ca/)

Game Studios

• Battlegoat Studios – Developer of a variety of military sim titles.
• Bedlam Games – Looks like a relatively new studio founded by industry vets.  I don’t see any info on their site about their titles, other than some interesting concept shots of a gladiator-type game.
• Capcom Mobile – Developer of several mobile titles based on the Capcom library of IP
• Capybara Games – Very cool looking indie studio.  Their site says they “began life in the local igda chapter” – nice!  I dig the visual style of this title they did for PSN:

• Cerebral Vortex Games – Developer of casual games, including a title based on Oak Island.  Nice.
• DreamCatcher – They’ve put out a big library of PC and handheld titles over the years.
• DrinkBox Studios - They’ve got a cool logo, for starters.    They’re working on an interesting looking title called “About a Blob”, and they all so do contract development for a variety of AAA studios.
• G4Box – Publisher of free-to-play MMOs
• Groove Games – They’re working on sports titles and a few other games for social networking sites and the iPhone.
• Ketsujin Studios – Developers of “Fighter Ace”, an aerial combat MMO title.
• Koei Canada – Koei has a studio in downtown Toronto.  Their site says they are working on 3 unannounced action titles.
• Longbow Digital Arts – Indie company with a storied history – the IGF’s grand prize for excellence was renamed in honor of one of Longbow’s founders – Seumas McNally.
• Magitech Corporation – Looks like they’ve developed several titles that have been published throughout Asia.
• Metanet Software – Indie developer behind award-winning titles “N” and “N+.”  Their site mentions they enjoy making tutorials about their development process – nice way of giving back to the community.
• Parlay Group – I can’t help but saying their name in a pirate voice, thanks to Pirates of the Caribbean.  Besides their catchy name, they’ve developed a nice portfolio of casual titles.
• Queasy Games – Jonathan Mak’s studio.  He created Everday Shooter for the PS3 and PC.
• Rockstar Toronto – Rockstar, you know.  These guys were behind the very cool action title “The Warriors.”
• Silicon Knights – Ambitious developer of Too Human and Eternal Darkness.  Actually located in St. Catharines, Ontario, but I figured I’d include them since they were close.
• Splashworks – Developer of flash-based web games.
• Ubisoft Toronto – Not sure when the studio will actually open, but I’ll update with a link when it does.
• Vast Studios – Developer of casual titles.
• Veil Entertainment - Development house that focuses on web-based MMOs

Other Organizations

• IGDA Toronto – Their site indicates that they’ve had meetings the last 2 months.  That’s a good sign
• The Hand Eye Society – These guys look very cool.  It’s a local collective of Toronto developers who look to help each other with creating and promoting their games.

I’d especially like to hear from any indie studios I might have missed – feel free to contact me and I’ll get you added.

(updated 11.01.10)

Game Studios

• Barking Lizards Technologies – A work-for-hire developer who has worked on some big name kid-friendly IP
• Cornered Rat/Playnet – it looks these guys are one and the same, and they’ve built an immersive looking WWII title
• Escalation Studios – They’ve got a title called “Dr. Awesome.”  Tough to argue with that.  They’ve also worked on Samba De Amigo – cool!
• Gearbox Software – They just released the visually striking Borderlands to much acclaim
• id Software – The guys behind that awesome freeware game, Doom
• KingsIsle Entertainment – They’ve built a pretty big following with their MMO, Wizard101.  They’ve got another unannounced title in the works
• Method Solutions - Sims 3 for iPhone!   They’ve done lots of cool mobile game development
• MumboJumbo – developers and resellers of “premium casual games”
• Nerve Software – these guys have worked on some top-notch FPS titles – Doom, Quantam of Solace, Wolfenstein and Quake Wars
• SpiderMonk – Indie developer with a cool looking art style.  They just released a title for Wii and DS called Roogoo
• Terminal Reality – Game developer who has also released their own engine – the Infernal Engine.  Also worth noting that their site says their developers were the Guitar Hero champs of Dallas in 2006
• Sickhead Games – I’ve actually worked with these guys before, and they’re a great team.  They’re an indie developer that does a lot of work with the Garage Games/Torque community
• Windstorm Studios – An independent developer that’s working on unannounced MMO title.  Founded and run by industry/MMO vet Dusty Monk (follow him on Twitter)
• Bottle Rocket – Bottle Rocket Apps is a prolific iPhone and iPad game/app developer.

Game Schools

• SMU Guildhall – One of the leading game development programs in the nation is just up the road in Plano

Other Organizations

• Dallas IGDA - the Dallas chapter looks very active.  It actually looks like they held an event focusing on pointers to finding jobs in the gaming industry.  Very cool!

As always, let me know if I’m missing anyone.

As you can tell by the headline, I’ve decided to go with Salt Lake City as the next local profile.  SLC is definitely a hub for game development – not a mega hub like Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver, etc., but it’s no slouch (I have a secret sauce formula I use to determine varying degrees of hub-dom).

I don’t have much first hand experience with the scene in Salt Lake, but I know a bunch of people who either started there or ended up there.  They should be able to help me get my facts straight.

Game Studios

• 7 Studios – These guys are based out of the LA area, and have worked on a bunch of movie IP.  Looks like they also have a SLC office, although I don’t see it referenced on their site.
• Avalanche Software – Acquired by Disney Interactive in 2005, they had previously worked on several Midway and Sega titles.
• Chair Entertainment – Chair released the XBLA title Undertow, and then was acquired by Epic Games in 2008.  They’re actually down the road a bit in Provo.
• Eat Sleep Play – First time I’ve heard of these guys, but it looks like their team members have impressive resumes.  Veterans of God of War, Twisted Metal, Calling all Cars and War of the Monsters on the team.  They’ve got a 3 game deal lined up with Sony.
• EA Salt Lake – Not hard to find info on EA, obviously, but I’m not seeing much about this specific location.  I’m going to follow up with a few leads and see if I can get some of the deets on the studio.
• Fall Line Studios – Another Disney Interactive studios, working primarily (exclusively?) on titles for Nintendo systems.
• React! Games – their site says they’ve secured the rights to the classic title Archon
• Sensory Sweep – They’ve done some DS and Wii work, and it looks like they’re working on an upcoming title for XBLA.
• Silverlode Interactive – Founded in 2005, and it looks like they’ve put out an RTS, and MMO and have an iPhone title on the way. Also located in Orem.
• Smart Bomb Interactive - They’ve developed their own internal engine, and have used it to put out some family-friendly titles based on some familiar IP (Snoopy, Bee Movie and Pac-Man).
• Wahoo Studios – Responsible for two well-known XBLA titles – Cloning Clyde and Outpost Kaloki X.  Another Orem studio.

Other

• IGDA Salt Lake City – Looks like an active chapter, several meetings over the past year.

Well, that looks like everyone!  If I left anyone out, let me know and I’ll update the list.

I wavered between a few cities for the next local profile – the finalists were Denver, Madison, Pittsburgh (which made a late push) and Eugene.  I decided on Eugene for a few reasons.  Firstly, I’ve actually been there.    Secondly, I know a few people from the city and local game scene, so I figured they could point out any glaring mistakes or omissions I’ve made.

The Eugene game scene is interesting because it’s not initially obvious WHY there would be a bustling collection of developers in a relatively small northwest college town.  From what I can tell, everything started with Dynamix.  When Sierra shut them down in 2001, the ripple effect led to the creation of several new companies and studios.  It seems that just about all of thse companies have a bit of Dynamix DNA in their make-up, and Eugene appears to have been able to both retain that talent and attract lots of new blood.

On to the list…

Game Studios

• Garage Games – Founded by several members of the Dynamix founding team.  Producers of the Torque Engine, and developers of the Instant Action web-based gaming platform.  Huge supporters of the indie game development community
• PushButton Labs – Started by 2 of the Garage Games (and Dynamix) founders and some other key GG vets, these guys have created a FREE Flash gaming engine called PushButton Engine.  In addition to the engine, they’re also working on their own title, Grunts: Skirmish.  I’ve met a few of the guys on the team, and I’m also a fan of Jeff Tunnell’s blog on making it in the game industry.
• Buzz Monkey – Grabbing this directly from their site:  “The company was founded in 2001 by four senior Dynamix employees — Randy Thompson, Jon Milnes, Steve Cordon, and Barry Drew.”  I actually worked on a game with them, but not at the same time.  The last game I worked on at Tiburon was NFL Street 3, which Buzz Monkey ended up helping on after I left.  That means they ended up with some of my design docs – I’m hoping that’s a good thing, and not a reason for them to hunt me down.
• Pipeworks – A member of the Foundation 9 family of developers.  Looks like they’ve worked with some cool IP over the years – Godzilla, Rampage and Prince of Persia.
• Black Jacket Studios – I’m cheating a bit, because these guys are actually in Portland.  But I’ve met a few of the guys on the team, and I like what they’re up to.  Plus, they relocated from Eugene, so they make the list.  I’ve played an early demo of their game Metal Drift, and it was fun as hell!
• Mad Otter Games – Thanks to James Wiley for making this catch.  Mad Otter is behind the Instant Action title “Ace of Aces.”  Looks like another Dynamix co-founder is behind this studio.  From their site – “The seven Mad Otters have over 103 years of combined game development experience!”  A century of experience behind their games!

Other?

I wasn’t able to find any local game schools or an IGDA chapter – am I just missing them?  It seems odd that a community like Eugene wouldn’t have an IGDA presence, but I couldn’t find it.  If you know of anything I’m leaving out, let me know and I’ll update.

I mentioned a while back that I thought it would be interesting to start putting together some “local game industry” profiles, with an emphasis on cities that weren’t the first 4 or 5 you think of when you think development hubs.  I’ll try and make these as detailed as I can, but feel free to ping me if I leave anyone out.

Game Studios

• EA Tiburon – by far the largest player in town.  This is the studio responsible for Madden, Tiger Woods, and more.
• n-Space- mid-sized studio that’s been around for quite a while.  They’ve worked on a lot of DS and Wii titles recently.
• ZeeGee Games – these guys are up to all sorts of interesting things.  Virtual worlds, casual titles, a DS game.  You name it, they’ve probably dabbled in it
• Row Sham Bow – Social gaming start-up located in downtown Orlando.  They’re made up of several former high-level EA Tiburon employees.
• Dot Matrix Interactive – a new developer of iPhone titles.  The studio was founded by several EA vets – check out their first title, Croke
• 360ed – surprise surprise, ex-EA people involved.    They’re working on some interesting educational games.
• Firebrand Games – developers of racing titles like Track Mania.  They’ve got a studio just outside of Orlando in Merritt Island.

Defunct

The Dreamhive – RIP, Dreamhive

Game Schools

• Full Sail - big campus, great facilities.  Heavily involved in local IGDA
• FIEA – really nice campus, and great people to boot
• DAVE School

Other Organizations

• IGDA - the local chapter meets about once a month.  It’s a fun group, with people from all over the industry

Hope this (and future city profiles) is helpful!  If I left anyone out, let me know.