Lost Toys
{{Short description|British video game developer}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Lost Toys Ltd.
| logo = Lost Toys.png
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| fate = Dissolved
| predecessor = Bullfrog Productions
| successors =
| foundation = March 1999
| founders = {{unbulleted list|Glenn Corpes|Jeremy Longley|Darran Thomas}}
| defunct = {{end date|2003|10|2|df=yes}}
| location_city = Guildford
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| key_people = {{unbulleted list|Glenn Corpes (director and lead designer)|Jeremy Longley (managing director)|Darran Thomas (director and head of art)}}
| industry = Interactive entertainment
| products = {{unbulleted list|Ball Breakers|Battle Engine Aquila}}
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| homepage = {{Official URL}}
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}}
Lost Toys Ltd. was a British video game developer founded in March 1999 by Glenn Corpes, Jeremy Longley, and Darran Thomas, all of whom had previously worked for Bullfrog Productions. Les Edgar helped by providing financial support. Lost Toys was the third Bullfrog break-off group, after Mucky Foot Productions and Lionhead Studios, and was founded due to disillusionment after Electronic Arts purchased Bullfrog.
The company produced two games: Ball Breakers (Moho in Europe), and Battle Engine Aquila. In May 2003, Geoff Crammond chose Lost Toys as a partner to develop Stunt Car Racer Pro. Lost Toys closed on 2 October of the same year, and the game was never released.
History
Thomas stated that Bullfrog's working culture changed considerably after Electronic Arts' takeover, and Corpes believed that is more efficient to develop games on one's own.{{cite magazine|magazine=Edge|publisher=Future plc|title=Inside... Lost Toys|pages=38–42|issue=107|date=February 2002|ISSN=1350-1593|location=Bath}} He also said that, with Mucky Foot Productions and Lionhead Studios running their own affairs the way Bullfrog used to, it was "quite embarrassing to still be working for the Borg". Alex Trowers, a designer at Bullfrog who joined Lost Toys, said that the reason people were leaving Bullfrog was "because it was EA, not Bullfrog", and that Lost Toys intended to go back to developing games for its own sake rather than to keep shareholders satisfied. Corpes also commented that Lost Toys was partially his take on what Bullfrog was, as opposed to Mucky Foot, which he said was Guy Simmons, Mike Diskett, and Fin McGechie's take, and Lionhead, which he said was Peter Molyneux's take.{{cite magazine|magazine=PC Zone|publisher=Dennis Publishing|ISSN=0967-8220|pages=158–161|issue=88|date=April 2000|title=The World According To Lost Toys|location=London}} Longley believed that small teams (Corpes said that they intended to have a maximum of 20 employees) were valuable to the gaming industry and that they could work creatively like Bullfrog. He also said that it was encouraging to see Mucky Foot and Lionhead break off from Bullfrog successfully.{{cite magazine|magazine=Edge|publisher=Future plc|ISSN=1350-1593|department=Audience|pages=107–111|issue=71|date=May 1999|title=An Audience With Lost Toys|location=Bath}} Early on, Les Edgar provided financial support to the group.{{cite magazine|magazine=Edge|publisher=Future plc|ISSN=1350-1593|department=Audience|pages=120–125|issue=74|date=August 1999|title=An Audience With Les Edgar|location=Bath}}
Lost Toys' first title, MoHo (known in North America as Ball Breakers{{cite web|author1=Sam Bishop|title=Ball Breakers|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2000/08/29/ball-breakers|website=IGN|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=28 August 2000}}) was released by Take Two Interactive for the Sony PlayStation in August 2000 under the Rockstar label,{{cite magazine|magazine=Edge|publisher=Future plc|title=Moho|department=Testscreen|pages=88, 89|issue=87|date=August 2000|ISSN=1350-1593|location=Bath}}{{cite web|author1=Yukiyoshi Ike Sato|title=Take Two to Publish Lost Toys|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/take-two-to-publish-lost-toys/1100-2541641/|website=GameSpot|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=26 April 2000}}{{cite web|title=Toys Lost on PS|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2000/03/03/toys-lost-on-ps|website=IGN|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=2 March 2000}} with PC and Sega Dreamcast versions following later that year.{{cite web|title=MoHo Review - Lost Toys' oddball action game reaches the PC - we check it out|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_moho_pc|website=Eurogamer|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=26 December 2000}}{{cite magazine|title=Coming Soon - November 2000|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=136 |publisher=Ziff Davis|date=November 2000|issn=1058-918X|page=57|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/c/c0/EGM_US_136.pdf#page=63|accessdate=4 November 2017}} European president of Take Two, Kelly Summer, stated that they were impressed with the game's style and design, and that they had found "the best of the best" with Lost Toys. Corpes said that it was "a cool little game" and that it was inspired by Marble Madness. In April 2000, Longley said that MoHo is "a next-generation game on a now-generation platform".{{cite web|author1=Tom Bramwell|title=MoHo|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/moho_psx_prev|website=Eurogamer|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=20 April 2000}} MoHo is targeted toward all gamers, and the minimal violence was in line with Bullfrog's philosophy. By early 2002, Lost Toys had 17 employees.
Lost Toys's second title, Battle Engine Aquila was released on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 by Infogrames in January 2003.{{cite magazine|magazine=Edge|publisher=Future plc|ISSN=1350-1593|department=Testscreen|page=931|issue=119|date=January 2003|title=Battle Engine Aquila|location=Bath}}{{cite web|title=Battle Engine Aquila|url=http://uk.ign.com/games/battle-engine-aquila/ps2-17314|website=IGN|accessdate=4 November 2017}} According to Edge, Lost Toys' philosophy and small team structure influenced its inception. Longley said that Lost Toys were tempted to have it feature an apple with a worm, referring to Black & White demos.{{cite magazine|magazine=Edge|publisher=Future plc|title=Battle Engine Aquila|page=38|issue=111|date=June 2002|ISSN=1350-1593|location=Bath|department=Prescreen}} In May 2003, it was revealed that Lost Toys had created an enhanced version for NVIDIA's GeForce FX 5900 and signed an OEM deal,{{cite web|author1=Rob Fahley|title=Lost Toys sign NV35 OEM deal for Battle Engine|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/lost-toys-sign-nv35-oem-deal-for-battle-engine|website=GamesIndustry.biz|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=20 May 2003}} and that Geoff Crammond has selected Lost Toys to be his company Simergy's partner in developing Stunt Car Racer Pro, and would be responsible for its art and graphics. Crammond chose Lost Toys because of their "proven track record of producing great multiformat titles on time and to budget".{{cite web|author1=Justin Calvert|title=Lost Toys to work on Stunt Car Racer Pro|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/lost-toys-to-work-on-stunt-car-racer-pro/1100-6026300/|website=GameSpot|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=6 May 2003}} In August, Encore signed a publishing deal with Lost Toys to publish the PC version of Battle Engine Aquila.{{cite web|title=Encore Signs Publishing Agreement with Lost Toys|url=http://www.gamezone.com/news/encore_signs_publishing_agreement_with_lost_toys|website=GameZone|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=20 August 2003}} Corpes said that Battle Engine Aquila was "the best thing I ever worked on".{{cite magazine|magazine=Retro Gamer|publisher=Imagine Publishing|location=Bournemouth|ISSN=1742-3155|title=In The Chair With Glenn Corpes|pages=92–97|issue=160|date=October 2016}}
On 2 October of the same year, Lost Toys closed, and all staff were made redundant.{{cite web|author1=Andrew Burnes|title=Lost Toys Latest UK-Based Studio To Close|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2003/10/02/lost-toys-latest-uk-based-studio-to-close|website=IGN|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=2 October 2003}}{{cite web|author1=Rob Fahley|title=More UK development woe as Lost Toys shuts its doors|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/more-uk-development-woe-as-lost-toys-shuts-its-doors|website=GamesIndustry.biz|accessdate=4 November 2017|date=2 October 2003}}{{cite web|author1=David Jenkins|title=Lost Toys Studio Closes|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/lost-toys-studio-closes|website=Gamasutra|access-date=4 November 2017|date=2 October 2003}} Stunt Car Racer Pro was cancelled, and Crammond's business manager said it was "the best game he never sold".{{cite magazine|magazine=Retro Gamer|publisher=Imagine Publishing|location=Bournemouth|ISSN=1742-3155|title=In The Chair With Geoff Crammond|pages=82–89|issue=69}} According to Crammond, the game had reached a "working demo stage".