Ubisoft Blue Byte

In 1988, Thomas Hertzler and Lothar Schmitt left Rainbow Arts, a German video game developer, and founded their own, Blue Byte, in October that year.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamestar.de/artikel/die-geschichte-von-blue-byte-vom-dachgeschoss-nach-duesseldorf,3026349.html |title=Die Geschichte von Blue Byte – Vom Dachgeschoss nach Düsseldorf |first=Jonas |last=Gössling |date=18 August 2013 |website=Gamestar}} To do so, Hertzler and Schmitt used a starting capital of 10,000 Deutsche Mark borrowed from Hertzler's parents and established an office in the attic of Hertzler's home in Mülheim.

Blue Byte's first published game was the tennis simulation Great Courts, released in 1989 by Ubi Soft (later renamed Ubisoft).{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} Blue Byte's first big success in Germany and Europe was the turn-based strategy game Battle Isle, completed in 1991. Inspired by the Japanese game Nectaris for the PC Engine, Battle Isle spawned numerous add-ons and sequels, such as the World War I game History Line: 1914-1918.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} The company's next big success followed in 1993 with the release of the managerial game Die Siedler, marketed internationally as The Settlers. The Settlers also had numerous sequels and became the most well-known of Blue Byte's products.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

Over the years, Blue Byte developed and/or published numerous innovative titles including Chewy: Escape from F5 and Albion, but most of them were not successful internationally. Efforts to break into the American market, usually aided with publishing by Accolade, failed and success was limited to Germany and parts of Europe.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} In 1995 a Chicago-based entrepreneur named Julian Pretto travelled to Germany and convinced the founders to open a North American office. Following the successful release of Battle Isle 2220 in the United States, Pretto left the firm to pursue other interests. Three years later, Blue Byte moved from Chicago, Illinois, to its new facilities in Austin, Texas.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

The popular turn-based strategy Battle Isle series from the early 1990s achieved cult status similar to Settlers. However, when it was revised in 1997 as a 3-D tactical game Incubation similar to X-COM: UFO Defense and later in 2001 Battle Isle: The Andosia War, which tried to bridge the gap between turn-based strategies and real-time strategies, it alienated many players who came to expect that the Battle Isle brand would represent traditional turn-based strategies.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}

In February 2001, Blue Byte was acquired by Ubi Soft and tasked to focus on Blue Byte's two most popular series. At the time of the acquisition, Blue Byte had a staff of 64 people and was active in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubi-soft-acquires-blue-byte-software/1100-2683947/ |title=Ubi Soft acquires Blue Byte Software |last=Ho |first=Jennifer |date=8 February 2001 |website=GameSpot}}

Around 2013, Blue Byte worked with Related Designs on two of its titles including Might & Magic Heroes Online.{{cite news |last=Sarkar |first=Samit |date=11 April 2013 |title=Ubisoft takes full ownership of Anno developer Related Designs |url=https://www.polygon.com/2013/4/11/4213900/ubisoft-acquires-related-designs-anno |website=Polygon}} Related Designs was acquired by Ubisoft in April 2013, from which point on the company would develop projects in tandem with Blue Byte.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-11-ubisoft-completes-related-designs-acquisition |title=Ubisoft completes Related Designs acquisition |website=gamesindustry.biz|date=11 April 2013 }} Related Designs was merged into Blue Byte in June 2014, becoming Blue Byte's second internal studio.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamezone.de/Ubisoft-Firma-15823/News/Ubisoft-Ehemaliges-Related-Designs-Studio-ab-sofort-unter-Blue-Byte-Flagge-1125838/ |title=Ubisoft: Ehemaliges Related Designs-Studio ab sofort unter Blue Byte-Flagge |website=gamezone.de|date=18 June 2014 }} In 2014, Blue Byte developed The Settlers: Kingdoms of Anteria.{{cite news |last=Prescott |first=Shaun |date=24 June 2014 |title=The Settlers: Kingdoms of Anteria confirmed for 2014 release |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-settlers-kingdoms-of-anteria-confirmed-for-2014-release/ |website=PCGamer}} In 2015, the studio worked on Anno 2205.{{cite news |last=Sykes |first=Tom |date=29 October 2015 |title=Anno 2205's modular buildings detailed |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/anno-2205s-modular-buildings-detailed/ |website=PC Gamer}}{{cite news |last=Newhouse |first=Alex |date=23 June 2014 |title=Ubisoft Promises Next City-Building PC Game Settlers Will Offer a "New Game Experience" |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-promises-next-city-building-pc-game-settlers-will-offer-a-new-game-experience/1100-6420688/ |website=GameSpot}} In 2016, the studio worked on Champions of Anteria, replacing The Settlers: Kingdoms of Anteria. The new game was a change from the original The Settlers series, with new gameplay.{{cite news |last=Tiongco |first=Santiago |date=25 April 2016 |title='Champions Of Anteria' Is The New PC RTS From Ubisoft: Release Date, Gameplay And More |url=https://www.techtimes.com/articles/153222/20160425/champions-of-anteria-is-the-new-pc-rts-from-ubisoft-release-date-gameplay-and-more.htm |website=Tech Times}} In 2017, the studio helped on the development for the game Skull & Bones.{{cite news |last=Zhang |first=Lim Min |date=15 June 2017 |title=Made-in-Singapore Skull & Bones: All you need to know about online pirate sea battle game |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/games-apps/made-in-singapore-skull-bones-all-you-need-to-know-about-online-pirate-sea-battle }}{{cite news |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=19 June 2018 |title=Ubisoft's Skull & Bones is a surprisingly good pirate naval battle game |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/06/19/ubisofts-skull-bones-is-a-surprisingly-good-pirate-naval-battle-game/ |website=TechCrunch}} By late 2017, it had also worked on For Honor and Rainbow Six: Siege.{{cite news |last=Chang |first=Stephanie |date=16 November 2017 |title=Ubisoft Berlin will open in early 2018 and help on Far Cry series |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/16/ubisoft-berlin-will-open-in-early-2018-and-help-on-far-cry-series/ |website=VentureBeat}} In 2018, the studio announced The Settlers, the eighth game in the series.{{cite news |last=Skrebels |first=Joe |date=21 August 2018 |title=Ubisoft Announces New Settlers Game |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/08/21/ubisoft-announces-new-settlers-game |website=IGN}} Blue Byte is also developing Anno 1800.{{cite news |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=20 August 2018 |title=Anno 1800 hands-on — being a capitalist in the age of industrialization |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/08/20/anno-1800-hands-on-being-a-capitalist-in-the-age-of-industrialization/ |website=VentureBeat}} The studio is also working on Beyond Good and Evil 2 together with Ubisoft Montpellier.{{Citation|title=Beyond Good and Evil 2: Space Monkey Report #4 Live Stream {{!}} Ubisoft [NA]|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YzEozG5EYs|language=en|access-date=21 August 2019}}

In 2017, Blue Byte was rebranded Ubisoft Blue Byte, with a new logo introduced just prior to the Gamescom event in August.{{cite web |url=https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/wirtschaft/ubisoft-blue-byte-berlin-grindel-merkel-gamescom-2017/ |title=Ubisoft Berlin: Was wird aus der Marke "Blue Byte"? |language=de |trans-title=Ubisoft Berlin: What will become of the brand "Blue Byte"? |first=Petra |last=Fröhlich |date=31 August 2017 |website=GamesWirtschaft}} A third Blue Byte studio in Berlin was announced in April 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/wirtschaft/ubisoft-blue-byte-deutschland-expansion/ |title=Ubisoft Blue Byte: "Potenzial für 1.000 Jobs in Deutschland" |language=de |trans-title=Ubisoft Blue Byte: "Potential for 1,000 jobs in Germany" |first=Petra |last=Fröhlich |date=26 April 2018 |website=GamesWirtschaft}} The studio was formed out of a building formerly occupied by the Berliner Bank. Ubisoft Blue Byte's studio operations manager, Istvan Tajnay, became the new studio's studio manager. Although part of Ubisoft Blue Byte, the Berlin-based studio was intentionally named "Ubisoft Berlin". Ubisoft Berlin began operating in early 2018 and held its official opening on 25 September 2018, then employing 60 people.{{cite web |url=https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/wirtschaft/ubisoft-berlin-eroeffnung/ |title=Ubisoft Berlin offiziell eröffnet |language=de |trans-title=Ubisoft Berlin official opened |first=Petra |last=Fröhlich |date=26 September 2018 |website=GamesWirtschaft}} At the same time, Blue Byte's Düsseldorf and Mainz studios had 230 and 100 employees, respectively. At Gamescom in August 2019, Ubisoft Blue Byte revealed a new corporate identity in which its self-branded studios were renamed Ubisoft Düsseldorf and Ubisoft Mainz.{{cite web |url=https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/wirtschaft/ubisoft-studios-deutschland-1000-jobs/ |title=1.000 Jobs bis 2023: Ubisoft will Belegschaft verdoppeln |language=de |trans-title=1,000 jobs by 2023: Ubisoft wants to double workforce |first=Petra |last=Fröhlich |date=19 August 2019 |website=GamesWirtschaft}} The move primarily aimed at attracting further employees as Ubisoft Blue Byte expected to expand from 520 staff members at the time to 1,000 by 2023. All three studios remain under the Ubisoft Blue Byte legal umbrella.{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-08-20-ubisoft-rebrands-its-german-studios | title = Ubisoft rebrands its German studios | first= Rebekah | last =Valentine | date = 20 August 2019 | access-date = 20 August 2019 | work = GamesIndustry.biz }} By December 2020, the "Ubisoft Blue Byte" branding was mostly phased out, with the previously stale social media channels deactivated. However, Ubisoft Blue Byte remained the legal parent to its three studios.{{citation |url=https://www.gameswirtschaft.de/marketing-pr/ubisoft-blue-byte-studios-deutschland/ |title=Ubisoft-Kultmarke Blue Byte verschwindet |date=8 December 2020 |website=GamesWirtschaft}}

{{Portal|Germany|Video games}}

• List of companies in Germany
• List of video game developers

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://bluebyte.ubisoft.com/}}

{{Ubisoft Blue Byte}}

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Category:Companies based in Düsseldorf

Category:Ubisoft divisions and subsidiaries

Category:Video game companies established in 1988

Category:Video game companies of Germany

Category:Video game development companies

Category:Video game publishers

Category:German companies established in 1988

Category:2001 mergers and acquisitions