Zoink
{{Short description|Swedish video game developer}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Zoink AB
| logo =
| type = Subsidiary
| industry = Video games
| fate = Merged
| successor = Thunderful Development
| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2001}}
| founder = Klaus Lyngeled
| defunct = {{End date|2020}}
| hq_location_city = Gothenburg
| hq_location_country = Sweden
| key_people = Brjánn Sigurgeirsson (CEO)
| num_employees = 25
| num_employees_year = 2018
| parent = Thunderful Group (2018–2020)
| website = {{URL|http://www.zoinkgames.com/|zoinkgames.com}}
}}
Zoink AB was a Swedish video game developer based in Gothenburg. The company was founded by Klaus Lyngeled in 2001 and formed the Thunderful group with Image & Form in 2017. In 2020, Zoink was integrated into Thunderful Development.
History
Zoink was founded in 2001 by Klaus Lyngeled, who acted as its chief executive officer.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-07-03-thunderful-acquires-uk-and-us-publisher-rising-star-games |title=Thunderful acquires UK and US publisher Rising Star Games |first=Christopher |last=Dring |date=3 July 2018 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |access-date=12 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510045233/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-07-03-thunderful-acquires-uk-and-us-publisher-rising-star-games |archive-date=10 May 2019 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://www.redbull.com/int-en/flipping-death-zoink-games-interview |title=How Zoink Games combined Monkey Island and Rayman to make Flipping Death |first=Aron |last=Garst |date=23 May 2018 |website=Red Bull |access-date=12 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711225303/https://www.redbull.com/int-en/flipping-death-zoink-games-interview |archive-date=11 July 2019 |url-status=live}} Lyngeled had initially started developing games when he and some friends produced a pinball game for the Amiga.{{cite web |url=https://it24.idg.se/2.2275/1.522906/speldoldis-fran-goteborg-kliver-fram |title=Speldoldis från Göteborg kliver fram |language=sv |trans-title=Game-gambling from Gothenburg is emerging |first=Thomas |last=Arnroth |date=13 September 2013 |website=Computer Sweden |access-date=12 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711230041/https://it24.idg.se/2.2275/1.522906/speldoldis-fran-goteborg-kliver-fram |archive-date=11 July 2019 |url-status=live}} They later got together with a similar team based in Norrköping and, together, founded Unique Development Studios. When Lyngeled got tired of working for Unique Development Studios, he moved to the United States to work for Shiny Entertainment. He worked on Messiah and Sacrifice but when he began working on Enter the Matrix, he faced, among other things, issues with his visa, wherefore he returned to Sweden, where he founded Zoink. By 2003, Zoink was working on animated films, later advertisement films, and finally advertisement games; clients for the latter included Sony, The Coca-Cola Company, Cartoon Network, and Google. Zoink's first full game was The Kore Gang, revived after its original Xbox version had been cancelled for six years.{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/interview_ripstone_and_zoink_on_prioritising_fun_in_stick_it_to_the_man |title=Interview: Ripstone and Zoink on Prioritising Fun in Stick It To The Man |first=Thomas |last=Whitehead |date=20 February 2014 |website=Nintendo Life |access-date=12 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711230044/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/interview_ripstone_and_zoink_on_prioritising_fun_in_stick_it_to_the_man |archive-date=11 July 2019 |url-status=live}} Zoink's break-out title was Stick It to the Man!, later spawning a spiritual successor, Flipping Death. Bergsala Holding acquired half of Zoink in 2014, after Image & Form's Brjánn Sigurgeirsson introduced Lyngeled to the company.{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/01/25/two-best-friends-are-running-two-of-europes-most-exciting-developers |title=Two Best Friends Are Running Two of Europe's Most Exciting Developers |first=Joe |last=Skrebels |date=25 January 2018 |website=IGN |access-date=12 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711223802/https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/01/25/two-best-friends-are-running-two-of-europes-most-exciting-developers |archive-date=11 July 2019 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://thunderfulgroup.com/about-us/history |title=History |publisher=Thunderful Group |year=2020 |access-date=24 February 2021 |archive-date=30 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130133531/https://thunderfulgroup.com/about-us/history |url-status=live}} Lyngeled, Sigurgeirsson, and Bergsala Holding decided to merge the two studios and created Thunderful as their parent company in December 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/uk-publisher-rising-star-games-acquired-by-thunderful |title=UK publisher Rising Star Games acquired by Thunderful |first=Chris |last=Kerr |date=3 July 2018 |website=Gamasutra |access-date=12 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930174731/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/321253/UK_publisher_Rising_Star_Games_acquired_by_Thunderful.php |archive-date=30 September 2018 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/01/image_and_form_and_zoink_games_join_forces_under_new_company_thunderful |title=Image & Form And Zoink! Games Join Forces Under New Company Thunderful |first=Damien |last=McFerran |date=25 January 2018 |website=Nintendo Life |access-date=12 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006075445/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/01/image_and_form_and_zoink_games_join_forces_under_new_company_thunderful |archive-date=6 October 2018 |url-status=live}} In May 2018, Zoink had 25 employees. That year, Zoink released a new game, Fe. Its next title, Lost in Random, was released in 2021.{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/06/zoink_teams_up_with_ea_to_release_lost_in_random_on_switch_next_year |title=Zoink Teams Up With EA To Release Lost In Random On Switch Next Year |first=Liam |last=Doolan |date=19 June 2020 |website=Nintendo Life |access-date=24 February 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126044238/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/06/zoink_teams_up_with_ea_to_release_lost_in_random_on_switch_next_year |url-status=live }} In 2020, Thunderful (now called Thunderful Group) merged Zoink with Image & Form and Guru Games to create Thunderful Development.{{cite web |url=https://thunderfulgroup.com/about-us/history |title=History |year=2020 |publisher=Thunderful Group |access-date=24 February 2021 |archive-date=30 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130133531/https://thunderfulgroup.com/about-us/history |url-status=live }}
Games developed
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Platform(s) |
|---|
| scope="row" rowspan="3" | 2010
| rowspan="2" | Wii |
| WeeWaa |
| Billions: Save them All! |
| scope="row" rowspan="4" | 2012
| Reality Fighters Dojo! |
| Fair Place
| Browser |
| EnergyMix
| rowspan="5" | Android, iOS |
| WeeWaa: Rock On! |
| scope="row" rowspan="4" | 2013
| Adventure Time: Rock Bandits |
| Swing King |
| PlayStation All-Stars Island |
| Stick It to the Man!
| Microsoft Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox One |
| scope="row" | 2015
| Zombie Vikings | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
| scope="row" | 2016
| Zombie Vikings: Stab-a-thon | Microsoft Windows |
| scope="row" rowspan="2" | 2018
| Fe | rowspan="2" | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
| Flipping Death |
| scope="row" | 2019
| PlayStation 4 |
| scope="row" | 2021
| Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One{{cite web |url=https://www.ea.com/fr-fr/games/lost-in-random|title=Explorez Lost in Random™, un titre EA Originals proposé par le studio primé Zoink Games|date=17 June 2021}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.zoinkgames.com/}}
Category:2001 establishments in Sweden
Category:Companies based in Gothenburg
Category:Privately held companies of Sweden
Category:Video game companies established in 2001