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| − | [[Image:Argonaut software.png|thumbnail|150px|The logo of Argonaut Games from 1986 to 2004.]] |
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| − | '''Argonaut Games plc''' was a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[video game developer]]. Founded as Argonaut Software by teenager [[Jez San]] in 1982 the company name is a play on his name (J. San) and the movie title ''[[Jason and the Argonauts (film)|Jason and the Argonauts]]''. It had its head offices in [[Edgware]], [[London]].<ref>"[http://web.archive.org/web/19980113110914/http://www.argonaut.com/ Argonaut Contact information]." Argonaut Games. 13 January 1998. Retrieved on 9 November 2009.</ref> |
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| + | |type = Private (Defunct as of 2004) |
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| + | |image = Agronaut games logo.jpg |
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| − | ==History== |
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| + | |founded = [[1982]] |
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| − | The company produced its first game ''Skyline Attack'' for the [[Commodore 64]]. It later produced the [[3-D computer graphics|3D]] ''[[Starglider]]'' games for the [[Amiga]] and [[Atari ST]] platforms. |
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| + | |hqcountry = UK |
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| + | |products = |
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| − | In 1993 Argonaut were working with Nintendo during the early years of the NES and SNES. They developed a prototype of the game ''[[Star Fox (SNES)|Star Fox]]'', initially codenamed "NesGlider" and inspired by their earlier 8-bit game ''[[Starglider]]'', that they had running on the NES and then some weeks later on a prototype of the SNES. [[Jez San]] told Nintendo that this was as good as it could get unless they were allowed to design custom hardware to make the SNES better at 3D. Nintendo said yes, and San hired chip designers and made the [[Super FX]] chip (originally codenamed by then the “MARIO chip”).<ref>{{cite web | last = Bolton | first = Syd | authorlink = Syd Bolton | title = Interview with Jez San, OBE | publisher = [[Armchair Empire]] | url = http://www.armchairempire.com/Interviews/jez-san-interview.htm | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2007-12-28 }}</ref> So powerful was the Super FX chip that was used to create the graphics and gameplay that they joked that the Super Nintendo was just a box to hold the chip.<ref>{{cite web | title=Interview with Jez San | publisher=arwinglanding.net | url=http://www.arwinglanding.net/articles.php?page=writeups/jezsan | accessdate=2007-09-04}}</ref> |
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| + | |parent = N/A |
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| − | After building the Super FX they went on to design a chip for Philips for a videogame machine that never came out (codenamed ''GreenPiece'' aka ''CD-I 2'') and also designed one for [[Apple Inc.]] which was also for a videogame machine that never appeared (codenamed ''VeggieMagic'') – and one for Hasbro – for a Virtual Reality game machine that similarly never appeared (codenamed ''MatriArc''). |
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| + | }} |
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| + | '''Argonaut Games''' was also known as Argonaut Software Ltd. from 1982 to 2000. |
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| − | In 1996, Argonaut Software was split into Argonaut Technologies Limited (ATL) and Argonaut Software Limited (ASL). With space being a premium at the office on Colindale Avenue, ATL was relocated to an office in the top floor of a separate building; Capitol House on Capitol Way, just around the corner, where they continued the design of CPU and GPU products and maintained '[[BRender]]', Argonaut's proprietary software 3D engine. |
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| − | In 1997 the two arms of the company once again shared an office as the entire company was moved to a new building in Edgware. |
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| − | In 1998 ATL was rebranded ''ARC'' after the name of their main product (aka ''[[ARC International|Argonaut RISC Core]]'') and became an embedded IP provider. |
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| − | Argonaut Software Limited became Argonaut Games and was [[Public limited company|floated]] in 1999. |
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| − | In late October 2004 Argonaut Games called in receivers David Rubin & Partners, made 100 employees redundant and was put up for sale. Lack of a constant stream of deals with publishers led to cashflow issues and a profit warning earlier in the year. This company still exists today [http://www.arc.com], but it is no longer connected with the videogame industry. |
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| − | ==BRender== |
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| − | {{unreferencedsection|date=December 2009}} |
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| − | ''BRender'' (abbreviation of ''Blazing Renderer'') is a development toolkit and a real-time 3D [[Game engine|graphics engine]] for [[Video game|computer games]], simulators and graphic tools. It was developed and licensed by Argonaut Software.<ref>{{cite web | title=Web Archive copy of BRender Web page | publisher=Argonaut Software | url=http://web.archive.org/web/19961029050559/www.argonaut.com/brender/index.html | accessdate=2010-06-22}}</ref> The engine had support for [[Intel|Intel's]] [[MMX (instruction set)|MMX]] instruction set and it supported [[Microsoft Windows]], [[MS-DOS]] and Sony [[PlayStation]] platforms. Support for 3D hardware [[Graphics card|graphics accelerator cards]] was added.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Wave Report on Digital Media Issue 606 8/16/96 | publisher=4th WAVE, Inc. | url=http://www.3dlinks.com/waveissue.cfm?issue=606#voodoo | accessdate=2010-06-22}}</ref> Well-known games made with BRender include [[Carmageddon]], [[Croc: Legend of the Gobbos]], [[FX Fighter]] and [[I-War (Independence War)]]. |
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| − | ==Selected games== |
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| − | *''[[Skyline Attack]]'', 1984 (Commodore 64) |
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| − | *''[[Alien (video game)|Alien]]'', 1984 (Commodore 64) |
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| − | *''[[Starglider]]'', 1985 |
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| − | *''[[Starglider 2]]'', 1988 |
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| − | *''[[Days of Thunder (video game)|Days of Thunder]]'', 1990 (Atari ST, Amiga) |
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| − | *''[[Race Drivin']]'', 1992 (Atari ST, Amiga) |
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| − | *''[[A.T.A.C]]'', 1992 (PC CDROM) |
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| − | *''[[Birds of Prey (video game)|Birds of Prey]]'', 1992 (AMIGA) |
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| − | *''[[X (handheld game)|X]]'', 1992 (Game Boy) |
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| − | *''[[Star Fox (SNES)|Star Fox]]'', 1993 (SNES) (programming) |
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| − | *''[[King Arthur's World]]'', 1993 (SNES) |
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| − | *''[[Vortex_(video_game)|Vortex]]'', 1994 (SNES) |
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| − | *''[[Stunt Race FX]]'', 1994 (SNES) (assistance in programming) |
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| − | *''[[Creature Shock]]'', 1994 (PC CDROM) |
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| − | *''[[Ren & Stimpy: Fire Dogs]]'', 1994 (SNES) |
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| − | *''[[FX Fighter]]'', 1995 (PC CDROM) |
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| − | *''[[Alien Odyssey]]'', 1995 (PC CDROM) |
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| − | *''[[FX Fighter Turbo]]'', 1996 (PC CDROM) |
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| − | *''[[Scooby Doo Mystery]]'', 1996 (SNES) |
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| − | *''[[Croc: Legend of the Gobbos]]'', 1997 (PS1, SAT, PC) |
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| − | *''[[Buck Bumble]]'', 1998 (N64) |
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| − | *''[[Croc 2]]'', 1999 (PS1, PC) |
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| − | *''[[The Emperor's New Groove (video game)|The Emperor's New Groove]]'', 2000 (PS1, PC) |
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| − | *''[[Alien: Resurrection (video game)|Alien: Resurrection]]'', 2000 (PS1) |
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| − | *''[[Red Dog: Superior Firepower]]'', 2000 (DC) |
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| − | *''[[Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge]]'', 2000 (PS1, PC) |
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| − | *''[[Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)|Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]'', 2001 (PS1) (''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' in the US) |
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| − | *''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'', 2002 (PS1) |
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| − | *''[[Bionicle: Matoran Adventures]]'', 2002 (GBA) |
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| − | *''[[Bionicle: The Game]]'', 2003 (Xbox, PC, PS2, GameCube) |
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| − | *''[[I-Ninja]]'', 2003 (Xbox, PC, PS2, GameCube) |
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| − | *''[[SWAT: Global Strike Team]]'', 2003 (Xbox, PS2) |
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| − | *''[[Carve (video game)|Carve]]'', 2004 (Xbox) |
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| − | *''[[Catwoman_(video_game)|Catwoman: The Game]]'', 2004 (Xbox, PC, PS2, GameCube) |
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| − | *''[[Power Drome]]'', 2004 (Xbox, PS2) |
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| − | *''[[Malice (video game)|Malice]]'', 2004 (Xbox, PS2) |
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| − | ==References== |
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| − | {{reflist}} |
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| − | ==External links== |
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| − | *[http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.argonaut.com/ Different versions of the official Argonaut Games' homepage archived by Wayback Machine] |
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| − | *[http://www.gamesinvestor.com/Companies/Past_Coverage/Argonaut/Argonaut_Overview/argonaut_overview.html An overview of Argonaut Games at Games Investor] |
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| − | *[http://www.mobygames.com/company/argonaut-games-plc ''{{PAGENAME}}''] profile on [[MobyGames]] |
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[[Category:Companies established in 1982]] |
[[Category:Companies established in 1982]] |
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| − | [[Category:Defunct companies of the United Kingdom]] |
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| − | [[Category:Defunct video game companies]] |
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| − | [[Category:Companies disestablished in 2004]] |
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| − | [[de:Argonaut Games]] |
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| − | [[es:Argonaut Games]] |
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| − | [[fr:Argonaut Games]] |
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| − | [[it:Argonaut Games]] |
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| − | [[nl:Argonaut Software]] |
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| − | [[pt:Argonaut Software]] |
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| − | [[ru:Argonaut Games]] |
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Latest revision as of 19:06, 31 January 2021
Argonaut Games was also known as Argonaut Software Ltd. from 1982 to 2000.
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