Surreal Software
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{short description|American video game developer}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Surreal Software
| logo = Surreal Logo2.jpg
| type = Subsidiary
| founders = {{Unbulleted list|Stuart Denman|Mike Nichols|Alan Patmore|Nick Radovich}}
| successor = Monolith Productions
| defunct = 2010
| fate = Merged into Monolith Productions
| key_people = Alan Patmore (co-founder and studio head)
Stuart Denman (co-founder and studio technology director)
| industry = Video games
| products =
| parent = Midway Games (2004–2009)
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (2009–2010)
| homepage = {{URL|surreal.com}}
| caption =
| foundation = {{start date and age|1995}} in Seattle, Washington, U.S.
| location = Kirkland, Washington, U.S.
}}
Surreal Software was an American video game developer based in Kirkland, Washington, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, known for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Suffering and Drakan series. Surreal Software employed over 130 designers, artists, and programmers. Surreal was acquired by Warner Bros. Games during the bankruptcy of Midway Games in July 2009. After a significant layoff in January 2011, the remaining employees were integrated into WBG's Kirkland offices, along with developers Monolith and Snowblind.
The studio last worked on This Is Vegas, a title which was scheduled to be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows.[http://investor.midway.com/us/pr/mpr_12819.html Midway Press Release: GC 2008: Midway Promises Show Line-Up with Extra Punch and Two European Premieres] The first screenshots, video and game information for This Is Vegas were unveiled the week of February 4, 2008, at IGN.[http://www.ign.com/ IGN.com: Games, Cheats, Movies and More]
History
Surreal Software was founded in 1995 as an independent video game development studio by Stuart Denman, Mike Nichols, Alan Patmore and Nick Radovich. Patmore, Nichols and Radovich attended Eastside Catholic High School in Bellevue, Washington together.{{cite news| url=http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=btinterface18&date=20020318&query=alan+patmore | work=The Seattle Times | title=A Surreal Seattle approach to producing video games | date=March 18, 2002}} They found Stuart Denman, a University of Washington grad, through an online message board. The group began operating in 1995 in an office in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood. Previously, Radovich sold real estate, Patmore worked at a wireless company, Nichols was working at local game company Boss Studios, and Denman had just interned at Microsoft on the Excel team.
Their first contract was with Bothell-based children's game developer Humongous, which found Denman's website and called to recruit programmers for Humongous. Surreal instead offered to do contract work. Surreal developed the Riot Engine for its games in 1996. First receiving critical acclaim with the 1999 release of Drakan: Order of the Flame,{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E2D91639F931A2575BC0A96F958260|title=GAME THEORY; The Feel of Cinema, but a Game at Heart|author=J. C. Herz|work=New York Times|date=August 12, 1999}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3178/postmortem_surreal_softwares_.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227075801/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3178/postmortem_surreal_softwares_.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 27, 2008|title=Postmortem: Surreal Software's Drakan: Order of the Flame|author=Stuart Denman|publisher=Gamasutra}} Surreal Software continued its success with Drakan: The Ancients' Gates in early 2002, both games selling in excess of 250,000 units. Having grown to two development teams, Surreal released The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring later that same year, selling over 1.8 million units.
In March 2004, Surreal Software released The Suffering,{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2110/postmortem_the_game_design_of_.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227075412/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2110/postmortem_the_game_design_of_.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 27, 2008|title=Postmortem: The Game Design of Surreal's The Suffering|author=Richard Rouse III|publisher=Gamasutra}} an original concept action-packed horror game set in a secluded island prison, with monster designs by Stan Winston. Gamers and critics alike enjoyed this bold new contribution to the horror genre and in 2005, The Suffering: Ties That Bind followed.{{Cite web|url=http://ps3.ign.com/articles/724/724526p1.html|title=Original PS3 IP From Surreal|author=Jeremy Dunham|publisher=IGN}} In April 2004, Midway Games acquired Surreal Software as an in-house game studio.{{cite press release |title=PR 2004-04-06: Midway Raises First Quarter 2004 Guidance |url=http://www.investor.midway.com/rxpage/mpr_968.html |publisher=Midway Games |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061103024621/https://www.investor.midway.com/rxpage/mpr_968.html |archive-date=3 November 2006 |date=6 April 2004 |url-status=dead}} In 2006, the Surreal Software staff moved from Fremont to their new waterfront studio on Elliott Avenue next to the Olympic Sculpture Park. In 2009, Surreal Software was among the Midway Games assets purchased by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. In 2010, the company was merged into the nearby studio Monolith Productions.
Founders
All of the founders had left the company prior to its merging with Monolith.
- Stuart Denman – CTO
- Alan Patmore – CEO and Creative Director
- Nick Radovich – CFO
- Mike Nichols – Art Director
List of games
| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" | Year ! rowspan="2" | Title ! colspan="2" | Platform(s) |
| scope="col"| PC
!scope="col"| Console |
|---|
| 1999
| — |
| 2002
| — | rowspan="2" | PlayStation 2 |
| 2002
| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | rowspan="3" | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004
| rowspan="2" | PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| 2005 |
= Canceled =
- Gunslinger
- The Lord of the Rings: The Treason of Isengard
- This Is Vegas
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/19981202071839/http://www.surreal.com/ Official Surreal website]
- [http://www.wbgames.com/ Official WB Games website]
- [http://wbgamesjobs.com/ Career page]
- [http://www.gametrailers.com/game/6139.html/ GDC 08 Interview – This Is Vegas]
- [http://www.firingsquad.com/games/drakaninterview/ Drakan interview]
- [http://ps2.ign.com/objects/724/724939.html/ Screenshots and video clips from The Suffering: Ties That Bind]
- [http://www.gamespot.com/news/6093775.html?tag=result;title;0/ GameSpot interview]
- [http://www.stuartdenman.com/ Stuart Denman's Game Development Blog]
{{Surreal Software}}
{{Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment}}
{{Monolith games}}
{{Warner Bros.}}
Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States
Category:Video game development companies
Category:Video game companies based in Washington (state)
Category:Defunct companies based in Kirkland, Washington
Category:Video game companies established in 1995
Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2010
Category:1995 establishments in Washington (state)