Liquid Entertainment
{{Short description|American video game developer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Liquid Entertainment
| logo = Liquid Entertainment logo.png
| type = Private
| genre =
| foundation = April 1999
| defunct = 2018
| founders = Ed Del Castillo, Mike Grayford
| location_city = La Cañada Flintridge, California
| location_country = U.S.
| location =
| locations =
| area_served =
| key_people = Ed Del Castillo, Holly Newman
| industry = Video games
| products = Battle Realms
Dragonshard
Desperate Housewives
| services =
| revenue =
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| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| num_employees =
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| subsid =
| slogan =
| homepage = {{URL|goliquid.us}}
| footnotes =
| intl =
| fate = Dissolved[https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/Document/RetrievePDF?Id=199903210059-24600528 DISSOLUTION], California Secretary of State
}}
Liquid Entertainment was an American independent video game developer based in Pasadena, California. The studio was founded in April 1999 by Ed Del Castillo and Mike Grayford.
History
Liquid Entertainment was founded in April 1999 by Ed Del Castillo and Mike Grayford.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/697/697083p19.html |title=GameSpy Retro: Developer Origins, Page 19 of 19 |first=John |last=Keefer |date=March 31, 2006 |website=GameSpy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609133230/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/697/697083p19.html |archive-date=June 9, 2007 |url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamespy.com/company/027/027172.html|title=Liquid Entertainment|last=|date=|publisher=GameSpy|access-date=May 17, 2018}}
Liquid's first game was Battle Realms, published by Crave Entertainment in November 2001 to critical acclaim.{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/battle-realms/details/?platform=pc |title=Battle Realms Details and Credits for PC |last= |date= |publisher=Metacritic |access-date=May 17, 2018}} Battle Realms is a real-time strategy PC game for Windows that features an unconventional approach to resource management and unit development. It was well received by reviewers,{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages4/256847.asp |title=Battle Realms for PC |last= |date= |publisher=GameRankings |accessdate=May 17, 2018}} many of whom praised its at-the-time state of the art 3D engine and East Asian-inspired setting and aesthetics but sale numbers were disappointing. It was also chosen for Computer Gaming World's Top 10 Games of E3 2001.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamershell.com/news_2879.html |title=Battle Realms Winter of the Wolf announced |publisher=gamershell.com |access-date=May 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414201614/http://www.gamershell.com/news_2879.html |archive-date=April 14, 2012 |url-status=dead }} Battle Realms was followed up with a stand-alone expansion pack, Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf in April 2002. Winter of the Wolf was received with less enthusiasm than Battle Realms by the gaming community;{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/561880.asp |title=Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf reviews |publisher=GameRankings |accessdate=November 5, 2006}} some reviewers compared it unfavorably to 2002's blockbuster real-time strategy titles Warcraft III and Age of Mythology.{{cite web |last=Kasavin |first=Greg |title=Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf review |author-link=Greg Kasavin |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/battlerealmswinteroftw/review.html |publisher=GameSpot |date=November 21, 2002 |accessdate=November 5, 2006 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061202141834/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/battlerealmswinteroftw/review.html |archivedate=December 2, 2006}}{{cite web |title=Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf review |url=http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3103232 |publisher=1UP.com |date=January 1, 2000 |accessdate=November 5, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927192652/http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3103232 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead }}
Since the release of Winter of the Wolf, Liquid has developed two real-time strategy PC games based on intellectual property licenses: In November 2003, Sierra released The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring, based on Vivendi Universal's license to Tolkien's literary works, and in October 2005 Atari published the Dungeons & Dragons PC game Dragonshard. Dragonshard has since been re-released on GOG.com.
In October 2006, Buena Vista Games released Desperate Housewives: The Game, a life simulation computer game adaptation of the popular television series Desperate Housewives. Desperate Housewives: The Game won PC Gamer Adventure Game of the Year for 2007.
Liquid's next game Rise of the Argonauts, released in December 2008 and published by Codemasters, is a Greek mythology-themed action role-playing game for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 that received mixed reviews,{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/rise-of-the-argonauts/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Rise of The Argonauts PC Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |accessdate=3 October 2023}} with criticisms centering on technical problems, derivative art direction and repetitive gameplay.{{cite web |title=Rise of the Argonauts Review |website=Eurogamer|date=February 2, 2009|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/rise-of-the-argonauts-review_1}} In 2011 Sega published Liquid's second console game for Xbox 360 and PS3 Thor: God of Thunder that coincided with Marvel Studios's release of the film Thor in May 2011.
In 2012 Liquid pivoted into developing casual games for Facebook. They did some contract work on InstantJam, a music rhythm game for Facebook, Deadline Hollywood: Game based on the popular Hollywood news blog Deadline Hollywood by Nikki Finke and Paramount Digital Entertainment for Facebook and iOS and Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter, a turn-based strategy game published by Atari on Facebook.
Later in 2013 and 2014 they continued their pivot into mobile games with titles like Karateka (console and mobile), Cuddle Pets, Paper Galaxy, and Max Steel. By the end of 2014, Ed decided to downsize Liquid to its current position as a holding company and consultancy; selling off some of its holdings, licensing some of its technology, and keep the rest for future opportunities.
Liquid currently manages a number of properties that are available online and published Battle Realms: Zen Edition as Early Access on Steam in December, 2019.{{cite web |title=Battle Realms Steam Page is Up and Future Plan of Ed Del Castillo for the Game Franchise (Interview) |url=https://gamingph.com/2019/11/battle-realms-steam-page-is-up-and-future-plan-of-ed-del-castillo-for-the-game-franchise-interview/ |website=GamingPH |date=November 2019 |last=Bantilan |first=Erwin
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703063001/https://gamingph.com/2019/11/battle-realms-steam-page-is-up-and-future-plan-of-ed-del-castillo-for-the-game-franchise-interview/ |archive-date=July 3, 2022 |url-status=live |accessdate=October 3, 2023 }}
Games developed
| class="wikitable"
! Year !! Title !! Publisher | ||
| 2001 | Battle Realms | rowspan="2" | Crave Entertainment Ubisoft |
| 2002 | Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf | |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring | Sierra Entertainment |
| 2005 | Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard | Atari |
| 2006 | Desperate Housewives: The Game | Buena Vista Games |
| 2008 | Rise of the Argonauts | Codemasters |
| 2011 | Thor: God of Thunder | Sega |
| rowspan="5" | 2012 | Instant Jam: Facebook | GarageGames |
| Deadline Hollywood: The Game | Paramount Digital Entertainment | |
| Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter | Atari | |
| Paper Galaxy | Liquid Entertainment | |
| Karateka | Karateka, LLC | |
| 2013 | Cuddle Pets | Digital Capital |
| 2014 | Max Steel | Mattel |
= Nominations =
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official|http://www.liquidentertainment.net/}}
- [http://www.mobygames.com/company/liquid-entertainment Liquid Entertainment] on MobyGames
- [http://www.giantbomb.com/liquid-entertainment/65-4402/ Liquid Entertainment] on GiantBomb
{{Authority control}}
Category:American companies established in 1999
Category:American companies disestablished in 2018
Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States
Category:Video game companies established in 1999
Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2018
Category:Video game development companies
Category:Companies based in Pasadena, California
Category:1999 establishments in California