Elixir Studios
| Former type | Video game developer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer and video game industry |
| Fate | Closed |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Defunct | 2005 |
| Headquarters | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Key people | Demis Hassabis |
| Products |
Republic: The Revolution Evil Genius |
Elixir Studios was a British video game developer. The company was founded in 1998 by Demis Hassabis, formerly a prominent figure at Lionhead Studios. At its height, it employed around sixty people, and was based in London. It aimed to be an independent developer, creating its own intellectual properties rather than licencing established ones. The company's first game, Republic: The Revolution, was released in 2003, and a second game, Evil Genius, was released in 2004.[1]
In 2005, however, the company announced that it would be closing. This followed the cancellation of development on a major project due to its "perceived high-risk", which had been underway for two years. The company, citing "the current risk averse publishing climate", concluded that its goal of exploring new territory was not possible. In a press release, Hassabis said: "It seems that today's games industry no longer has room for small independent developers wanting to work on innovative and original ideas. ... [T]his was the sole purpose of setting up Elixir and something we could never compromise on." Elixir stated that it had sufficient resources to pay redundancy packages to its staff and ensure that the company was wound down in an orderly manner.[2][3][4][5]
Rebellion Developments bought Elixir's intellectual property in March 2006, including Evil Genius.[6][7][8]
Games
| Release Date | Titles | Genre | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Republic: The Revolution | Strategy | Windows, Mac OS X |
| 2004 | Evil Genius | Strategy | Windows |
| Canceled | Blue Vault[9] | Real-time strategy | Windows |
| Republic Dawn: The Chronicles of the Seven | Persistent Online Strategy | Windows | |
| Republic: The Revolution | Strategy | Xbox | |
| Evil Genius 2[10] | Strategy | Windows |
References
- ↑ "Games Developed by Elixir Studios". Strategy Informer. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ↑ Fahey, Rob (28 April 2005). "Elixir Studios to close following cancellation of key project". Game Industry. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ↑ Jenkins, David; Simon Carless (28 April 2005). "Elixir Studios To Close Doors". GamaSutra. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ↑ "Elixir Studios is no more". Fragland. 18 April 2005. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ↑ Goldstein, Maarten (28 April 2005). "Elixir Studios Closes". ShackNews. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ↑ "Rebellion - Bought EG Rights!". 2 March 2006. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ↑ Sefton, Jamie (14 July 2006). "Demis Hassabis, part two". Computer and Video Games. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ↑ Remo, Chris (14 July 2009). "Rebellion Acquires Vivendi Licenses, Considers New Franchise Titles". GamaSutra. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ↑ "Preview: Blue Vault". Computer and Video Games. 5 April 2004. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ↑ Van Autrijve, Rainier (14 December 2004). "Evil Genius 2 In The Works". GameSpy. Retrieved 2008-09-25.