Vicarious Visions

Vicarious Visions, Inc.
Subsidiary
Industry Computer and video games
Founded 1990 (1990)
Founders Karthik Bala
Guha Bala
Headquarters Menands, New York, U.S.
Key people
 Jennifer Oneal
Products List of Vicarious Visions video games
Number of employees
 200+
Parent Activision (2005–present)
Website Official website

Vicarious Visions, Inc. is a video game developer, based in Menands, New York.

Studio history

The studio was founded by brothers Karthik and Guha Bala in 1990 while both were in high school.

In the late 1990s, Vicarious Visions appointed Michael Marvin, an Albany-based investor and entrepreneur, and founder and former CEO of MapInfo Corporation; and Charles S. Jones, investor, who sat on the boards of various software and industrial companies including Geac and PSDI, to its board of directors. Under their leadership, a sale of the company was negotiated to Activision, earning the original investors over 20x their initial investment.

In January 2005, Vicarious Visions was acquired by publisher Activision. On April 5, 2016, the Bala brothers announced that they had left the company.[1]

Game history

Terminus, an online multiplayer space trading and combat simulation game, won two Independent Games Festival Awards in 1999. They became known as a leading developer of handheld games breaking ground by the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, developing every Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS title in the franchise's main series as well as one spin off. They developed the first three Crash Bandicoot GBA games. They are also known for many games including Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, Ultimate Spider-Man, Crash Nitro Kart, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, and Doom 3 for the Xbox. Vicarious Visions developed for the Guitar Hero series on the Nintendo DS and Wii platforms. For Guitar Hero: On Tour, Vicarious Visions created the "Guitar Grip" peripheral for the Nintendo DS, which emulates the guitar controller for the portable system.

It was revealed on June 10, 2011, that Vicarious Visions was working on the 3DS version of Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure.[2]

On December 8, 2016, Vicarious Visions announced that they are partnering with Bungie to work on the Destiny franchise.[3]

Games developed

YearGamePlatform(s)
1996SynnergistMicrosoft DOS (PC CD-ROM)
1997Dark AngaelMicrosoft Windows
1999Zebco Fishing!Game Boy Color
Vigilante 8Game Boy Color
2000Polaris SnoCrossGame Boy Color, Nintendo 64, PlayStation
TerminusMicrosoft Windows, MacOS, Linux
Spider-ManGame Boy Color
The Wild Thornberrys: Rambler
Pro Darts
Barbie: Magic Genie Adventure
Jimmy White's Cue Ball
2001Wanadoo SnowCrossGame Boy Color, Microsoft Windows
2001Rescue Heroes: Fire FrenzyGame Boy Color
2001Blue's Clues: Blue's Alphabet Book
2001SpongeBob SquarePants: Legend of the Lost Spatula
2001Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2Game Boy Advance
2001Sea-Doo HydrocrossPlayStation
2001Power Rangers: Time ForceGame Boy Advance
2001Spider-Man: Mysterio's MenaceGame Boy Advance
2001Zoboomafoo: Playtime in ZoboolandGame Boy Color
2001Spider-Man 2: Enter ElectroPlayStation
2001Monsters, Inc.Game Boy Color
2001Kelly Club: Clubhouse FunGame Boy Color
2002Crash Bandicoot: The Huge AdventureGame Boy Advance
2002Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3Game Boy Advance
2002Frogger Advance: The Great QuestGame Boy Advance
2002SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying DutchmanGame Boy Advance
2002Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4Game Boy Advance, PlayStation
2002The Powerpuff Girls: Him and SeekGame Boy Advance
2002Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi OutcastGameCube, Xbox
2002WhiteoutMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox
2003Crash Bandicoot 2: N-TrancedGame Boy Advance
2003The Muppets: On With The Show!Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows
2003Bruce Lee: Return of the LegendGame Boy Advance
2003X2: Wolverine's RevengeGame Boy Advance
2003Finding NemoGame Boy Advance
2003Jet Set RadioGame Boy Advance
2003Disney's Extreme Skate AdventureGame Boy Advance
2003Disney's The Lion King 1½Game Boy Advance
2003Tony Hawk's UndergroundGame Boy Advance
2003SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini BottomGame Boy Advance
2003Disney's Brother BearGame Boy Advance
2003Crash Nitro KartGame Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, N-Gage
2003Spy Muppets: License to CroakGame Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows
2003Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi AcademyXbox
2004RivetMobile phone
2004Shrek 2Game Boy Advance
2004Spider-Man vs. Doc OckMobile phone
2004Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage and Spyro Orange: The Cortex ConspiracyGame Boy Advance
2004Shark TaleGame Boy Advance
2004Tony Hawk's Underground 2Game Boy Advance
2004That's So RavenGame Boy Advance
2004Shrek 2: Beg For Mercy!Game Boy Advance
2004Kids Next Door: Operation S.O.D.A.Game Boy Advance
2004Spider-Man 2Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable
2005Doom 3Xbox
2005MadagascarGame Boy Advance, Nintendo DS
2005Batman BeginsGame Boy Advance
2005Ultimate Spider-ManGame Boy Advance, Nintendo DS
2005X-Men Legends II: Rise of ApocalypsePlayStation Portable
2005Tony Hawk's American Sk8landGame Boy Advance, Nintendo DS
2005Madagascar: Operation PenguinGame Boy Advance
2006Over the HedgeGame Boy Advance, Nintendo DS
2006Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes NutsGame Boy Advance
2006Tony Hawk's Downhill JamNintendo DS
2006Marvel: Ultimate AlliancePlayStation Portable, Wii
2007Shrek the ThirdGame Boy Advance, Nintendo DS
2007Spider-Man 3Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii
2007Transformers: DecepticonsNintendo DS
2007Transformers: AutobotsNintendo DS
2007Guitar Hero III: Legends of RockWii
2007Tony Hawk's Proving GroundNintendo DS
2007Bee Movie GameNintendo DS
2008Kung Fu PandaNintendo DS
2008Guitar Hero: On TourNintendo DS
2008Guitar Hero: AerosmithWii
2008Guitar Hero World TourWii
2008Quantum of SolaceNintendo DS
2008Guitar Hero On Tour: DecadesNintendo DS
2009Mixed MessagesDSiWare
2009Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - DecepticonsNintendo DS
2009Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - AutobotsNintendo DS
2009Guitar Hero 5Wii
2009Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2009Band HeroNintendo DS, Wii
2009Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern HitsNintendo DS
2010Guitar HeroiOS
2010Transformers War for Cybertron: DecepticonsNintendo DS
2010Transformers War for Cybertron: AutobotsNintendo DS
2010Guitar Hero: Warriors of RockWii
2011Skylanders: Spyro's AdventureNintendo 3DS
2012Skylanders: Cloud PatroliOS, Android, Kindle Fire
2012Skylanders: Lost IslandsiOS, Android
2012Skylanders: BattlegroundsiOS, Android
2012Skylanders: GiantsWii U
2013Skylanders: Swap ForcePlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U,[4] Xbox 360, Xbox One
2014Skylanders: Trap TeamiOS, Android, Kindle Fire
2015Skylanders: SuperChargersPlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, iOS
2016Skylanders: ImaginatorsNintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One
2017Crash Bandicoot N. Sane TrilogyPlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
2017Destiny 2Microsoft Windows

Canceled games

YearGamePlatform(s)
2000AMF Xtreme BowlingGame Boy Color
2000CarnivaleGame Boy Color
2001Sea-Doo HydrocrossDreamcast, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64
2008Call of Duty: Roman WarsMicrosoft Windows, PS3, Xbox 360
2010DJ Hero 3DNintendo 3DS
2011Guitar Hero 7PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
2012Untitled Crash Bandicoot gamePS3, Xbox 360, Wii
2017Untitled Skylanders gamePS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, Wii U

References

  1. ↑ Futter, Mike (April 5, 2016). "Vicarious Visions Co-Founder Brothers Depart After 25 Years". Game Informer. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Report: Job Losses At Vicarious Visions". Nintendo World Report. June 10, 2011.
  3. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (December 8, 2016). "Destiny Development Team Expands With Vicarious Visions". Polygon. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  4. ↑ East, Thomas (July 2, 2013). "Skylanders Swap Force Wii will be very close to the HD versions". Official Nintendo Magazine. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
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