Titus Interactive

The company was founded by brothers Eric Caen and Hervé Caen in France in 1985.{{cite web | author=IGN Staff | year=1998 | title=Eric Caen of Titus Software (interview) | url=http://ign64.ign.com/articles/060/060237p1.html | work=IGN | access-date=June 21, 2010}} In 1991, Titus purchased Palace Software, the gaming division of the Palace Group.{{cite magazine

| last = Carroll

| first = Martyn

| date = 30 March 2006

| title = Company Profile: Palace Software

|magazine= Retro Gamer

| issue = 23

| pages =66–69

| publisher = Imagine Publishing

| location = Bournemouth, United Kingdom

| issn = 1742-3155}}

In 1998, the company purchased the developers BlueSky Software[https://web.archive.org/web/20121103074247/http://www.ign.com/companies/titus IGN] and Digital Integration Ltd.

In late 1999, the company acquired shares in struggling publisher Interplay Entertainment, including a stake in publisher/distributor Virgin Interactive.

Throughout the next few years, Titus signed North American distribution deals with smaller publishers. They signed a deal with Cryo Interactive in March 2000,{{Cite web |date=2004-06-03 |title=Titus Interactive Group |url=http://www.titus-interactive.com/index.php?lang=en&pg=press/000314 |access-date=2024-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040603221133/http://www.titus-interactive.com/index.php?lang=en&pg=press/000314 |archive-date=2004-06-03 }} with Rage Software in September 2000,{{Cite web |date=2004-02-24 |title=Titus Interactive Group |url=http://www.titus-interactive.com/index.php?lang=en&pg=press/000918 |access-date=2024-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040224032424/http://www.titus-interactive.com/index.php?lang=en&pg=press/000918 |archive-date=2004-02-24 }} and Microids in May 2001.{{Cite web|url=https://www.actionco.fr/Thematique/strategie-commerciale-1218/Breves/Titus-Interactive-signe-Microids-164079.htm|title = Titus Interactive signe avec Microïds| date=22 May 2001 }}{{cite web | url=http://www.titus-interactive.com/index.php?lang=en&pg=press/010518 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040224032644/http://www.titus-interactive.com/index.php?lang=en&pg=press/010518 | archive-date=2004-02-24 | title=Titus Interactive Group }} In 2002, Titus Japan K.K. signed a similar distribution deal with Konami for Japan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.boursier.com/actions/actualites/news/titus-interactive-accord-avec-konami-35448.html|title=Titus interactive : Accord avec Konami|date=24 May 2002 }}

In August 2000, they signed a deal with Viacom Consumer Products to publish games based on the Top Gun franchise.{{cite web | url=http://www.titus-interactive.com/index.php?lang=en&pg=press/000829 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040608180314/http://www.titus-interactive.com/index.php?lang=en&pg=press/000829 | archive-date=2004-06-08 | title=Titus Interactive Group }}

In August 2001, Titus took the control of Interplay.{{cite news | title=Titus Takes Control of Irvine's Interplay | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-aug-17-fi-35052-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | access-date=June 21, 2010 | date=August 17, 2001}} However prior to this, Titus took over distributing their own titles in the North American market as well as Virgin's from them.{{cite web | url=http://www.titus-interactive.com/index.php?lang=en&pg=press/010605 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040229125857/http://www.titus-interactive.com/index.php?lang=en&pg=press/010605 | archive-date=2004-02-29 | title=Titus Interactive Group }}

In June 2004, Titus filed for bankruptcy, declaring an unseeable future for Interplay.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/titus-goes-into-receivership-as-interplay-goes-back-to-work|title = Titus goes into receivership as Interplay goes back to work| date=10 June 2004 }} On January 9, 2005, a French district commercial court declared Titus bankrupt with a €33 million (US$43.8 million) debt.{{cite web |url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/titus-bankrupt-interplays-future-uncertain-6115737 |title=Titus bankrupt, Interplay's future uncertain |publisher=Gamespot |date=2005-01-05 |access-date=2013-05-06}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/interplays-position-unclear-as-titus-is-declared-bankrupt|title=Interplay's position unclear as Titus is declared bankrupt|date=6 January 2005 }} Titus' French subsidiaries were later closed down, while their assets were soon purchased by Interplay.

{{list to table|date=March 2025}}

Titus began releasing titles for home computers such as the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and IBM PC compatibles before moving on to consoles like the Master System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color, PlayStation, Dreamcast and Nintendo 64, followed by games for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.

Titus designed games such as Virtual Kasparov, Automobili Lamborghini, Virtual Chess 64, Roadsters (the Nintendo 64 version), Incredible Crisis (developed by Polygon Magic), Prehistorik Man and Lamborghini American Challenge, that were given positive reviews. Titus however was also involved in the creation of games that were notable due to their negative reception. Superman for the Nintendo 64 was notorious for its negative status among gamers. GameTrailers called it the worst game of all time.{{cite web | date=2006-11-17| title=Top 10 Best and Worst Video Games of All Time | url=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/15147.html | access-date=June 21, 2010}} As of 2018, it holds a score of 23% at GameRankings.{{cite web|publisher=GameRankings|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/198862.asp|title= Superman Reviews|access-date=January 18, 2018}} Similarly, the 2003 game RoboCop also received negative reviews. GameSpot gave it 2.2/10 saying "RoboCop has a bevy of horrible problems that render the game practically unplayable".{{cite news|title=Robocop Review|work=Gamespot|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox/action/robocop/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716030146/http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox/action/robocop/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 16, 2012|access-date=June 21, 2010}}

1988

• Crazy Cars
• Fire and Forget
• Galactic Conqueror
• Off Shore Warrior

1989

• Crazy Cars 2
• Titan
• Knight Force

1990

• Crime Does not Pay
• Dark Century
• Dick Tracy
• Fire & Forget II
• Un Indien dans la ville (Little Indian: An Indian in the City for US release), developed by TF1 Video and Titus
• Wild Streets

1991

• The Blues Brothers
• Prehistorik

1992

• Battlestorm
• Crazy Cars 3
• Titus the Fox (aka Moktar)

1993

• Ardy Lightfoot (developed by ASCII and published by Titus in North America)
• Prehistorik 2
• Super Cauldron

1994

• Monster Max
• Lamborghini American Challenge
• Quik the Thunder Rabbit

1995

• Virtua Chess

1996

• Metal Rage
• The Brainies
• Incantation
• Oscar (SNES version)
• Power Piggs of the Dark Age
• Prehistorik Man
• Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame (SNES version)
• Realm

1997

• Virtual Chess 2
• Superman (Game Boy)
• Automobili Lamborghini

1998

• Virtual Chess 64
• Quest for Camelot (published by Nintendo America Inc.)

1999

• Rival Realms (developed by Activ Pub)
• Roadsters
• Superman: The New Superman Adventures
• Evil Zone (developed by YUKE's Future Media Creators)
• Xena: Warrior Princess: The Talisman of Fate (developed by Saffire)

2000

• Incredible Crisis
• Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
• Carmageddon 64
• Blues Brothers 2000
• Kao the Kangaroo (Dreamcast/PC versions)
• F/A-18E Super Hornet
• Rox (GBA version only)

Titus had several subsidiaries. The United States subsidiary, Titus Software Corporation, had its head office in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. The Japanese subsidiary, Titus Japan K.K., had its head office on the eighth floor of the Kotubuki Dogenzaka Building in Dōgenzaka (JA), Shibuya, Tokyo. The UK subsidiary, Titus Software UK Limited, had its head office in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire."[https://web.archive.org/web/20020203191517/http://www.titus-interactive.com/contacts/ Contacts]". Titus Interactive. 3 February 2002. Retrieved on 4 September 2012.

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Portal|France|Video games|Companies}}

• [https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.titus-interactive.com/ Titus Interactive] (Archive)
• [https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.titusgames.com Titus Games] (Archive)

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Category:Defunct video game companies of France

Category:Video game companies established in 1985

Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2005

Category:Video game development companies

Category:Video game publishers

Category:French companies established in 1985

Category:French companies disestablished in 2005