Cavedog Entertainment
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Cavedog Entertainment, or Cavedog, was a computer game developer based in Bothell, Washington. Cavedog released the real-time strategy games Total Annihilation; its two expansion packs (The Core Contingency and Battle Tactics); and Total Annihilation: Kingdoms, and its expansion pack The Iron Plague.
Cavedog Entertainment was a label used by Humongous Entertainment, a developer of children's computer games founded by Ron Gilbert and Shelley Day. In 1996, the Cavedog label was created in order to pursue the creation of mainstream titles like Total Annihilation. Humongous Entertainment was itself a division of GT Interactive, a video game publisher that was later acquired by Infogrames (now Atari).
Cavedog gained the attention of gamers and the gaming press alike with the 1997 release of Total Annihilation, winning many accolades such as multiple "Game of the Year" honors. TA's creator, Chris Taylor, left the company shortly thereafter and founded his own development house, Gas Powered Games. Despite the loss, Cavedog released two expansion packs for its debut game in quick succession, as well as releasing many free, downloadable enhancements and patches, and built strong community support with the Boneyards, an online service that matched opponents and provided a continuing campaign for TA players.
In 1999, Cavedog released the eagerly anticipated Total Annihilation: Kingdoms. Kingdoms largely re-used the TA game engine, replacing the science fiction theme with a fantasy theme. Despite initial success, Kingdoms did not resonate as well with critics or fans of the original title.
The closure of Cavedog came as the game industry began to experience a downturn in sales, and its parent company, GT Interactive, was no exception. Besides the TA franchises, Cavedog had three ambitious games in development, but only Total Annihilation and TA: Kingdoms made it to store shelves.
The unfinished projects were Amen: The Awakening, a promising first-person shooter; Elysium, a fantasy adventure title featuring a unique episodic distribution model; and Good & Evil, an adventure title from Ron Gilbert. With GT Interactive spiraling into debt and no ship dates in sight, all three were discontinued by the fall of 1999. GT Interactive was purchased by Infogrames and the Cavedog label was discarded by Humongous Entertainment, which renewed its focus on children's games. Humongous is now a division of Atari.
Cavedog's developers have played significant roles at Gas Powered Games and Beep Industries.
