| Type | Video game developer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer and video games |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada |
| Key people | Denis Dyack and Michael Mays |
| Products | Video games |
| Employees | Approx 40 |
| Website | http://siliconknights.com/ |
Silicon Knights is an independent Canadian video game developer. Founded in 1992 by Denis Dyack, the company is headquartered in St. Catharines, Ontario, Dyack's hometown.
Silicon Knights first games were real-time strategy/action hybrids for the PC, Amiga and Atari. Silicon Knights’ last PC game, Dark Legions™ was published in 1994. Since that time, Silicon Knights has moved from creating PC games to console titles, such as Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain for the original PlayStation. In 2000, Silicon Knights was signed by Nintendo to create games exclusively for its consoles, during which time it produced Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. Together with Nintendo, Silicon Knights worked with Konami to create Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. In 2004, the company ended exclusivity with Nintendo. However, it remains open to the idea of developing a game for the Wii.[1] In 2005, it partnered with publisher Microsoft Game Studios for the Too Human trilogy, though Nintendo still owns stock in the company. In 2008, the company released Too Human™, which was published by Microsoft for the Xbox 360. It recently developed X-Men: Destiny in September, 2011, published by Activision and available for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s Playstation 3 and Wii.
The company is lead by its founder and president, Denis Dyack (B. Phed, H. B.Sc, M. Sc.), who was just inducted into the Canadian Gaming Hall of Fame by the Canadian Game Development Talent Awards in November, 2011. He is a member of the Peter Drucker Society, on the board of the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, and advises several universities and colleges, including MIT, McMaster University and Brock University.
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Denis Dyack is the president of Silicon Knights. He directed the production of Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem as well as Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. He has gained some notoriety by expressing controversial opinions about the role of the gaming press[4] and about the effects of forum culture on the video game industry.[5] Denis was inducted into the Canadian Gaming Hall of Fame by the Canadian Game Development Talent Awards in November, 2011.[6]
Dyack is also a noted speaker, who has spoken at the several influential conferences worldwide:
Silicon Knights has been a strong proponent of collaboration with academia and was a key player in the formation of Eight. [15]
Eight: The Hamilton Institute for Interactive Digital Media is a collaboration between Silicon Knights, McMaster University, the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH) and Mohawk College. Eight is a new university program that creates a novel academic and research model around interactive digital media and will help pioneer and shape cutting-edge advances in the interactive entertainment arena. Eight is located at McMaster Innovation Park in Hamilton.
Eight centers on the development of the “8th Art,” art that develops technology and creativity beyond the moving image, i.e. film, and adds interactivity. The program’s focus will be on the creation and integration of new technologies, new design and innovative artistic concepts for digital media applications. It will provide a nucleus where students, staff of Silicon Knights, McMaster University, the AGH, and Mohawk College can move seamlessly between organizations on shared research projects and digital media development. Qualified staff of Silicon Knights and AGH will have adjunct professorships at McMaster University, and Silicon Knight’s staff will participate fully in research and curriculum development at the new institute.
In 2007, Silicon Knights sued Epic Games for failure to "provide a working game engine", causing the Ontario based game developer to "experience considerable losses." Silicon Knights' suit alleged that Epic was "sabotaging" Unreal Engine 3 licensees, withholding an improved version of that game engine while also using licensing fees to fund development of Gears of War, not to improve the Unreal Engine. Silicon Knights calls a recent ruling in its case a "victory in their litigation against Epic." That's because a federal court has agreed with Silicon Knights that it can go before a jury with its allegations of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, unfair competition, breach of contract, and breach of warranty against the Unreal Engine maker. The case is proceeding to trial but no date is currently set. [16]
In February 2008, Silicon Knights was granted $500,000 by the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) through its Video Game Prototype Initiative. Using this funding, they were to create a prototype for a "third-person action/psychological thriller".[17]
In April 2010, it was announced that the company would receive nearly $4 million through the Canadian government's Community Adjustment Fund. The purpose of the loan was to allow the hiring of 65 new staff members, who would be working on a new game targeting multiple platforms. The game was estimated to take two to five years to complete.[18]
In July 2011, Silicon Knights was awarded $2.5 million to be distributed over five years in provincial funding to improve its technology, create new products and become a self-publishing company. The investment will allow the company to improve its technology, hire 80 new people while keeping 97 current jobs and allow the company to become "self sustaining." As of Nov 5, 2011, Silicon Knights has not received any of this funding. [19]
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