Difference between revisions of "Virgin Interactive"

From Sega Retro

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The British studio operations were acquired in a management buyout led by former Managing Director Tim Chaney in 1998. The U.S. operations were sold to [[Electronic Arts]] as part of its acquisition of Westwood Studios that same year. The company's assets were acquired in 1999 by the French publisher Titus Software—its name was changed to Avalon Interactive on July 1, 2003.
 
The British studio operations were acquired in a management buyout led by former Managing Director Tim Chaney in 1998. The U.S. operations were sold to [[Electronic Arts]] as part of its acquisition of Westwood Studios that same year. The company's assets were acquired in 1999 by the French publisher Titus Software—its name was changed to Avalon Interactive on July 1, 2003.
  
In May 2002, the Spanish division of Virgin Interactive, known as Virgin Interactive España, was purchased by Tim Chaney along with former Spanish president and founder Paco Encinas. The branch was then separated from the main Virgin Interactive company, already part of [[Titus Software]], and kept its own identity as a Virgin brand. Renamed Virgin Play in October 2002, this Spanish publisher remains as the sole representation of the Virgin Group in the video game industry.
+
In May 2002, the Spanish division of Virgin Interactive, known as Virgin Interactive España, was purchased by Tim Chaney along with former Spanish president and founder Paco Encinas. The branch was then separated from the main Virgin Interactive company, already part of [[Titus Software]], and kept its own identity as a Virgin brand. Renamed Virgin Play in October 2002, this Spanish publisher remained as the sole representation of the Virgin Group in the video game industry until it filed for liquidation in 2009. Virgin Play distributed the PSP version of [[Puyo Pop Fever]] in the spanish market.
  
 
==Softography==
 
==Softography==
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* ''[[Grid Runner]]'' (1996)
 
* ''[[Grid Runner]]'' (1996)
 
* ''[[hyper 3-D Pinball]]'' (1996)
 
* ''[[hyper 3-D Pinball]]'' (1996)
*''[[Ryougae Puzzle Game Moudjiya]]'' (1996)
+
* ''[[Ryougae Puzzle Game Moudjiya]]'' (1996)
 
* ''[[Spot Goes to Hollywood (Saturn)|Spot Goes to Hollywood]]'' (1997)
 
* ''[[Spot Goes to Hollywood (Saturn)|Spot Goes to Hollywood]]'' (1997)
 
* ''[[Crimewave]]'' (1997)
 
* ''[[Crimewave]]'' (1997)
 
* ''[[Grand Slam (Saturn)|Grand Slam]]'' (1997)
 
* ''[[Grand Slam (Saturn)|Grand Slam]]'' (1997)
 
* ''[[NHL Powerplay '96]]'' (1997)
 
* ''[[NHL Powerplay '96]]'' (1997)
 +
 +
===[[Saturn]] (Capcom Titles Europe)===
 +
* ''[[Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams]]'' (1996)
 +
* ''[[Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge]]'' (1996)
 +
* ''[[Mega Man X3]]'' (1996)
 +
* ''[[Street Fighter Alpha 2]]'' (1996)
 +
* ''[[Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo]]'' (1996)
 +
* ''[[Marvel Super Heroes]]'' (1997)
  
 
===[[Dreamcast]]===
 
===[[Dreamcast]]===
* ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]'' (2000)
+
* ''[[Jimmy White's 2: Cueball]]'' (2000)
 +
* ''[[Mr. Driller]]'' (2000, Europe Only)
 
* ''[[European Super League]]'' (2001)
 
* ''[[European Super League]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Jimmy White's 2: Cueball]]'' (2002)
+
 
 +
===[[Dreamcast]] (Capcom Titles Europe)===
 +
* ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes]]'' (1999)
 +
* ''[[Street Fighter Alpha 3]]'' (1999)
 +
* ''[[Giga Wing]]'' (1999)
 +
* ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]'' (1999)
 +
* ''[[Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein]]'' (1999)
 +
* ''[[Street Fighter III: Double Impact]]'' (1999)
 +
* ''[[Resident Evil 2]]'' (1999)
 +
* ''[[Tech Romancer]]'' (2000)
 +
* ''[[Gunbird 2]]'' (2000)
 +
* ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes]]'' (2000)
 +
* ''[[Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike]]'' (2000)
 +
* ''[[Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000]]'' (2000)
 +
* ''[[Dino Crisis]]'' (2000)
 +
* ''[[Resident Evil 3: Nemesis]]'' (2000)
 +
* ''[[Project Justice]]'' (2000)
 
}}
 
}}
  

Revision as of 07:33, 7 June 2017

Virgin Interactive was a British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing budget label Mastertronic in 1988 to form Virgin Mastertronic. It was part of the Virgin Group. In 1994, it was renamed Virgin Interactive.

It published games for PC and systems, including the Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, C64, Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast.

It helped the career of many developers, including Westwood Studios (who developed the Command & Conquer series and the PC port of Resident Evil) and Synergistic. Also, many workers for Shiny Entertainment, including David Perry, worked for Virgin before splitting off to create Earthworm Jim. Also among Virgin Interactive alumni are famed video game composer Tommy Tallarico, artist Doug TenNapel, designer David Bishop, animator Bill Kroyer, animator/artists Andy Luckey and Mike Dietz and programmer Andy Astor.

In 1993 Virgin Interactive created the "Digicel" process, originally for an unpublished game called "Dynoblaze". Key to developing the process were Dr. Stephen Clarke-Willson, David Perry, designer David Bishop, animator Bill Kroyer, animator artists Andy Luckey, animator Mike Dietz and programmer Andy Astor. The technology was first released to the general public in Disney's Aladdin for the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis and subsequently on such projects as The Lion King video game.

The British studio operations were acquired in a management buyout led by former Managing Director Tim Chaney in 1998. The U.S. operations were sold to Electronic Arts as part of its acquisition of Westwood Studios that same year. The company's assets were acquired in 1999 by the French publisher Titus Software—its name was changed to Avalon Interactive on July 1, 2003.

In May 2002, the Spanish division of Virgin Interactive, known as Virgin Interactive España, was purchased by Tim Chaney along with former Spanish president and founder Paco Encinas. The branch was then separated from the main Virgin Interactive company, already part of Titus Software, and kept its own identity as a Virgin brand. Renamed Virgin Play in October 2002, this Spanish publisher remained as the sole representation of the Virgin Group in the video game industry until it filed for liquidation in 2009. Virgin Play distributed the PSP version of Puyo Pop Fever in the spanish market.

Softography

Master System

Mega Drive

Mega CD

Game Gear

Saturn

Saturn (Capcom Titles Europe)

Dreamcast

Dreamcast (Capcom Titles Europe)

Promotional material

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Mega Drive/Master System software library print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #134: "January 1993" (1992-12-15)
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References

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NEC Retro has more information related to Virgin Interactive Entertainment