Gremlin Interactive

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Gremlin Interactive
Type Defunct
Founded 1984
Headquarters Sheffield, UK
Industry Computer and video game industry

Not to be confused with Gremlin Industries

Gremlin Interactive was a British software house based in Sheffield and working mostly in the home computer market. The company was established in 1984 as Gremlin Graphics Software Ltd. and renamed in 1994. Gremlin's early success was based on games like Monty on the Run and Thing on a Spring. Their primary market then was 8-bit computers like the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64.

Gremlin scored big with the Premier Manager series in the early 1990s, and then with Actua Soccer, the first football game in full 3D, while having success with other games such as the Lotus series, Zool, Motorhead or Hardwar. Following EA's success with the EA Sports brand, Gremlin also released their own sports videogame series, adding Golf, Tennis and Ice Hockey to their Actua Sports series. In 1996 Gremlin also released a stunt car racing game called Fatal Racing.

In 1996 Gremlin acquired DMA Design (creators of Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings).

In 1999 they themselves were bought by Infogrames and renamed "Infogrames Sheffield House", for a reported fee of around £21m, but the studio closed in 2003. The building they occupied has since been demolished.

[edit] See also

  • Moonpod — Indie game developer started by ex Gremlin employees.
  • Zoo Digital — Digital media company founded by Ian Stewart (founder of Gremlin Interactive).
  • Sumo Digital — Game developer founded by former members of Gremlin management.

[edit] External links