BulkyPix
{{Short description|French game developer and publisher (2008–2016)}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Bulkypix
| type = Société par actions simplifiée
| foundation = {{Start date|2009|1|12}} (registration)
| founder =
| key_people = Olivier Pierre (CEO)
Vincent Dondaine (COO)
Élodie Martinaud (VP Prod)
Roch Roustan (CFO)
Bertrand Pierre (VP Sales)
| location_city = Vélizy-Villacoublay
| location_country = France
| industry = Video game development and publishing
| num_employees = 27 (2014)
| revenue = {{Euro|2,589,000}} (2014)
| net_income = {{Euro|-871,900}} (2014, loss)
| equity = {{Euro|1,681,700}} (2014)
}}
BulkyPix was a French company specializing in the development and publishing of video games, founded in December 2008 and dissolved in August 2016.{{Cite web |title=BULKYPIX (VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY) Chiffre d'affaires, résultat, bilans sur SOCIETE.COM - 509796314 |url=https://www.societe.com/societe/bulkypix-509796314.html |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=www.societe.com}} The company published over 200 games, primarily for the mobile market and also for web browsers and PC.{{Cite web |last=Chièze |first=Julien |date=2012-07-25 |title=BulkyPix : 3 millions de dollars pour les développeurs indés |url=https://www.gameblog.fr/jeu-video/ed/news/bulkypix-3-millions-de-dollars-pour-les-developpeurs-indes-27799 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=gameblog.fr}} It went into liquidation in August 2016.{{Cite web |date=2016-08-10 |title=En liquidation judiciaire, l'éditeur Bulkypix tire sa révérence |url=https://www.jeuxvideo.com/news/524434/en-liquidation-judiciaire-l-editeur-bulkypix-tire-sa-reverence.htm |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Jeuxvideo.com |language=fr}}
Notable successes include the games My Brute, Saving Private Sheep, Autumn Dynasty, The Sandbox, Type:Rider, Joe Dever's Lone Wolf, Penumbear and Please, Don't Touch Anything.
History
BulkyPix was founded in December 2008 by former employees of Vivendi Games Mobile.{{Cite web |date=2010-08-31 |title=Une première levée de fonds pour BulkyPix qui s’installe aux Etats-Unis |url=http://www.afjv.com/press1008/100831_bulkypix.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903171809/http://www.afjv.com/press1008/100831_bulkypix.php |archive-date=2010-09-03 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=afjv.com}} BulkyPix was managed by a management committee.{{Cite web |date=2011-01-20 |title=BulkyPix est pressé de croître |url=https://www.latribune.fr/journal/edition-du-2001/pme-en-croissance/1103095/bulkypix-est-presse-de-croitre.html |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=La Tribune |language=fr}} The company began by developing and publishing games on the iPhone before diversifying.
Starting in 2010, the company had an office in San Francisco.{{Cite web |date=2010-09-06 |title=Bulkypix s'étend aux Etats-Unis |url=https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/bulkypix-s-etend-aux-etats-unis-87257.html |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=www.gamekult.com |language=fr}} The American market accounted for over 40% of the company's business. In early January 2011, the company acquired the studio Uacari.
18 months after the company was founded, Bulkypix raised its first round of funding with Oterma, an investment holding company in SMEs. The goal was to expand the game catalog and accelerate research and development. In 2012, for the same purpose, Axa Private Equity (renamed Ardian in 2013) became a shareholder in the company.{{Cite web |date=2012-05-29 |title=AXA Private Equity entre au capital de BulkyPix |url=https://afjv.com/news/1089_axa-private-equity-capital-bulkypix.htm |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=AFJV |language=fr}} That same year, the company announced a budget of several million dollars for independent developers.
The company began judicial restructuring proceedings on March 29, 2016,{{Cite web |title=Annonce n° 2465 du BODACC A n° 20160071 publié le 04/10/2016 |url=https://www.bodacc.fr/pages/annonces-commerciales-detail/?q.id=id:A201600712465 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=www.bodacc.fr}} and without finding a buyer, it went into liquidation in August 2016.
Activities
= Developer and publisher =
BulkyPix's main activity was the development and publishing of video games. Among its original licenses created and developed in-house, its most famous games include Hysteria Project, My Brute, and Saving Private Sheep. The list of the most famous published games of the company also includes Babel Rising in 2009, Pix'n Love Rush in 2010, Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition and PyramidValley Adventure in 2011, Autumn Dynasty and The Sandbox in 2012, CandyMeleon and Type:Rider in 2013.
= Service and consulting activities =
One of BulkyPix's main activities was creating games and applications for clients:
- Licensed games: Tout le monde veut prendre sa place Online, Questions pour un champion Online, Fort Boyard, Le Village de Calimero, Le Petit Nicolas: La Grande Course;
- Advergames: EDF, Veolia, Siemens, Hachette, Française des Jeux, M6, France Télévisions;
- Serious games: recruitment game for the French Navy,{{Cite web |date=2012-02-07 |title=BulkyPix développe le Serious Game "Dans la peau d'un marin" |url=https://afjv.com/news/681_dans-la-peau-dun-marin.htm |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=AFJV |language=fr}} awareness game for CODAH, learning game for the Association for Research in Cardiology from Fetus to Adult;
- Others: official applications for the Louvre Museum,{{Cite web |date=2011-12-16 |title=Le Louvre se développe sur les nouveaux supports mobiles |url=https://afjv.com/news/525_application-musee-du-louvre.htm |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=AFJV |language=fr}} the Musée Fabre, the Charles de Gaulle Foundation.
= Research and development =
BulkyPix worked on several research and development projects in the field of interactivity and video games. In 2011, a research project on interactive video on smartphones was funded by an innovation grant from Oséo.{{Cite web |date=2011-11-28 |title=BulkyApps. Partenaires institutionnels |url=http://www.bulkyapps.com/index.php?section=partners&cat=institutional |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128010339/http://www.bulkyapps.com/index.php?section=partners&cat=institutional |archive-date=2011-11-28 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=bulkyapps.com}} BulkyPix collaborated with the Institut de recherche en informatique de Toulouse (IRIT) on topics such as augmented reality and geolocation. In 2012, the company led the "Polymathic" project labeled by Cap Digital as part of the call for projects "Digitization and valorization technologies for cultural, scientific, and educational contents" developed in partnership with CNAM, Kylotonn, MocapLab, and XediX.{{Cite web |date=2012-09-25 |title=Polymathic : projet de R&D collaborative dans le jeu vidéo |url=https://afjv.com/news/1617_polymathic-projet-recherche-et-developpement.htm |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=AFJV |language=fr}}{{Cite web |date=2013-07-24 |title=Appel d'offre dans le cadre du projet Polymathic |url=https://afjv.com/news/2722_appel-d-offre-dans-le-cadre-du-projet-polymathic.htm |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=AFJV |language=fr}}
References
Category:Video game development companies
Category:Video game publishers
Category:Video game companies of France
Category:Video game companies established in 2008
Category:Defunct video game companies of France
Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2016
Category:Companies based in Paris-Saclay