Fishlabs

Michael Schade and Christian Lohr opened Fishlabs in 2004, incorporated under the name Fishlabs Entertainment GmbH.{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/2/5166254/report-fishlabs-purchased-by-koch-media |title=Galaxy on Fire developer Fishlabs purchased by Koch Media |first=Alexa Ray |last=Corriea |date=2 December 2013 |website=Polygon |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203084933/https://www.polygon.com/2013/12/2/5166254/report-fishlabs-purchased-by-koch-media |archive-date=3 February 2019 |url-status=live }} That same year, the company received a round of financing, which allowed them to pay for development expenses for several years while generating revenue from their releases.{{cite web |url=https://www.mcvuk.com/development/it-was-the-hardest-time-weve-ever-gone-through-how-fishlabs-came-back-from-the-brink |title='It was the hardest time we've ever gone through': How Fishlabs came back from the brink |first=Craig |last=Chapple |date=14 May 2014 |website=MCV |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209210135/https://www.mcvuk.com/development/it-was-the-hardest-time-weve-ever-gone-through-how-fishlabs-came-back-from-the-brink |archive-date=9 February 2019 |url-status=live }} It developed advergames like Barclaycard's Waterslide Extreme.{{Cite web |last=Dredge |first=Stuart |date=27 July 2009 |title=Fishlabs reveals Waterslide Extreme iPhone stats |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/14595/fishlabs-reveals-waterslide-extreme-iphone-stats/ |access-date=9 February 2024 |website=pocketgamer.biz}} In May 2010, Fishlabs planned a series B round and announced its plans to move into the massively multiplayer online games market.{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/05/11/next10-fishlabs-to-move-into-mobile-mmogs-series-b-round-planned/ |title=Next10: Fishlabs to move into mobile MMOGs, Series B round planned |author=vaughn597 |date=12 May 2010 |website=TechCrunch |access-date=27 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216204454/https://techcrunch.com/2010/05/11/next10-fishlabs-to-move-into-mobile-mmogs-series-b-round-planned/ |archive-date=16 February 2018 |url-status=live }}

By mid-2013, Fishlabs had run out of money; in October, 25 jobs were cut before the company went into self-administration. On 2 December, media company Koch Media announced that it had acquired Fishlabs, which would henceforth operate as the dedicated mobile studio for its game publishing label, Deep Silver. As the agreement was an asset deal, all of Fishlabs' assets, including 52 employees, were transferred to Koch Media and incorporated in a new division, called Deep Silver Fishlabs. The company's former legal entity, Fishlabs Entertainment GmbH, was to be dissolved, and both founders left the company. Schade and Lohr left the company and founded Everspace developer Rockfish Games.{{Cite web |last=Handrahan |first=Matthew |date=31 January 2018 |title=Rockfish Games: Building success, piece by piece |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-01-31-rockfish-games-building-success-piece-by-piece |access-date=7 March 2022 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}} As result of the change in ownership, and the associated financial stability, Fishlabs also moved into video game publishing.

In March 2022, Fishlabs received €5.5 million in funding from the German government for the company's Project Black. Described as a third-person action game, the project was expected to be completed by August 2026.{{Cite web |last=Gameswirtschaft |date=2023-04-04 |title=Games-Förderung: 5,5 Mio. € für Chorus-Studio Fishlabs |url=https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/politik/games-foerderung-bmwk-fishlabs/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=GamesWirtschaft.de |language=de-DE}} By January 2023, the company employed 95 people.{{cite web |url=https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/wirtschaft/groesste-games-studios-deutschland-2023/ |title=Die größten Games-Studios in Deutschland 2023 (Update) |language=de |trans-title=The largest game studios in Germany in 2023 (update) |first=Petra |last=Fröhlich |date=16 January 2023 |website=GamesWirtschaft |access-date=21 January 2023 |archive-date=21 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121163037/https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/wirtschaft/groesste-games-studios-deutschland-2023/ |url-status=live}} In September, Embracer Group, the parent company of Koch Media (now known as Plaion), underwent cost cutting restructuring. Project Black was cancelled and about 12 employees were laid off.{{Cite news |last=Evans-Thirlwell |first=Edwin |date=2024-06-20 |title=How Embracer's cuts killed a potential Red Faction sequel and gutted a promising studio |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/how-embracers-cuts-killed-a-potential-red-faction-sequel-and-gutted-a-promising-studio |access-date=2024-06-21 |work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |language=en}}

Fishlabs then pitched a new Red Faction game following the closure of series developer Volition. Despite initial positive reception, the title was cancelled in November 2023 and around 50 Fishlabs employees were laid off.{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/layoffs-hit-galaxy-on-fire-chorus-developer-fishlabs |title=Layoffs hit Galaxy on Fire, Chorus developer Fishlabs - sources |first=Tom |last=Phillips |date=28 November 2023 |website=Eurogamer |access-date=28 November 2023}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.dsfishlabs.com}}

{{Deep Silver}}

{{Embracer Group}}

Category:German companies established in 2004

Category:Companies based in Hamburg

Category:Deep Silver

Category:Video game companies established in 2004

Category:Video game companies of Germany

Category:Video game publishers

Category:Video game development companies

Category:2013 mergers and acquisitions