Mediatonic

2020-07-27T19:54:37Z

Vapid9: /* History */

{{Use British English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{short description|British video game developer}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Mediatonic Limited
| logo = Mediatonic.svg
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| founded = {{Start date and age|2005|09}} in [[Uxbridge]], England
| founders = {{Unbulleted list|Dave Bailey|Paul Croft}}
| hq_location_city = [[London]]
| hq_location_country = England
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Dave Bailey (CEO)|Paul Croft (CGO)}}
| num_employees = 230
| num_employees_year = 2020
| parent = Tonic Games Group (2020–present)
| website = {{URL|https://mediatonicgames.com/}}
}}

'''Mediatonic Limited''' is a British [[video game developer]] based in [[London]]. The company was founded in September 2005 by [[Brunel University]] students Dave Bailey and Paul Croft, releasing their first game, ''Snowman Salvage'' in December that year. Initially a [[work-for-hire]] studio for [[Flash games]], Mediatonic has developed original games for other platforms, including ''[[Foul Play (video game)|Foul Play]]'' and ''[[Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout]]''. As of June 2020, Mediatonic employs 230 people in four studios and is part of Tonic Games Group.

== History ==
Mediatonic was founded in September 2005 by friends Dave Bailey and Paul Croft, both aged 21 at the time, during their final year at [[Brunel University]].<ref name="Mediatonic: Company">{{cite web |url=https://www.mediatonicgames.com/company |title=Company |year=2019 |website=Mediatonic}}</ref><ref name="Gamasutra: From Flash">{{cite web |url=https://gamasutra.com/view/news/121584/From_Flash_To_Minis_Mediatonic_On_Creating_Tiny_Wonders.php |title=From Flash To Minis: Mediatonic On Creating Tiny Wonders |first=Simon |last=Parkin |date=8 October 2010 |website=[[Gamasutra]]}}</ref> They decided on the opening in a drunken conversation at the university's student union bar.<ref name="Edge: Rise p1">{{cite web |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/mediatonics-rise/ |title=Mediatonic's Rise |author=Edge Staff |date=30 September 2010 |website=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403182001/http://www.edge-online.com/features/mediatonics-rise/ |archive-date=3 April 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> With an office near the campus, they set up the company as a [[work-for-hire]] studio to create [[Flash game]]s and sometimes skipped lectures to accept calls from clients.<ref name="Gamasutra: From Flash" /><ref name="VentureBeat: Tonic Games Group">{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/18/tonic-games-group-forms-to-oversee-game-publishing-and-development/ |title=Tonic Games Group will manage multiple game studios and publishing operations |first=Dean |last=Takahashi |date=18 June 2020 |website=[[VentureBeat]]}}</ref> ''Snowman Salvage'', a game that was part of Croft's [[dissertation]], was Mediatonic's first release in December 2005.<ref name="Mediatonic: Company" /><ref name="VentureBeat: Tonic Games Group" />

[[PopCap Games]], [[Big Fish Games]] and [[PlayFirst]] were early Mediatonic clients and, among others, Mediatonic produced Flash conversions of ''[[Bejeweled]]'', ''[[Bookworm (video game)|Bookwork]]'', ''[[Diner Dash]]'' and ''Poppit!''. It also created ''Amateur Surgeon'', an original game, for [[Adult Swim Games]].<ref name="Gamasutra: From Flash" /><ref name="Edge: Rise p1" /><ref name="VentureBeat: Tonic Games Group" /> Mediatonic was profitable enough in its first year that, following Bailey and Croft's graduation, the studio moved to a former government building in [[Westminster]] in February 2006 and hired ten employees.<ref name="Mediatonic: Company" /><ref name="Gamasutra: From Flash" /> Other early games by Mediatonic included ''Meowcenaries'', ''Gigolo Assassin'', ''Must Eat Birds'', and ''Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/mediatonics-rise/2/ |title=Mediatonic's Rise – Page 2 of 2 |author=Edge Staff |date=30 September 2010 |website=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618041022/http://www.edge-online.com/features/mediatonics-rise/2/ |archive-date=3 April 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Heaving reached 25 employees, Mediatonic moved to new offices near [[Covent Garden]] in February 2008.<ref name="Mediatonic: Company" />

In July 2009, Mediatonic opened a studio in [[Brighton]] to act as a digital media agency, later spun out into a company named Graphite.<ref name="Mediatonic: Company" /> Mediatonic received funding from entrepreneurs [[Kelly Sumner]], [[Ian Livingstone]] and Geoff Heath in April 2010, and from Frog Capital in January 2012.<ref name="Mediatonic: Company" /> Pete Hickman, a former [[executive producer]] for [[Eidos Interactive]], joined Mediatonic as its head of production in July 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gamasutra.com/view/news/125895/Eidos_Pete_Hickman_Joins_Mediatonic_As_Head_Of_Production.php |title=Eidos' Pete Hickman Joins Mediatonic As Head Of Production |first=Kyle |last=Orland |date=11 July 2011 |website=[[Gamasutra]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-07-11-eidos-exec-producer-joins-mediatonic |title=Eidos exec producer joins Mediatonic |first=Rachel |last=Weber |date=11 July 2011 |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]]}}</ref> Planning to double its 50-strong headcount, Mediatonic moved its London headquarters to [[Soho]] in May 2012.<ref name="Mediatonic: Company" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-04-02-mediatonic-planning-to-double-headcount |title=Mediatonic planning to double headcount |first=Rachel |last=Weber |date=2 April 2012 |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]]}}</ref> Mediatonic opened a Brighton development studio that October.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-10-02-new-brighton-studio-for-mediatonic |title=New Brighton studio for Mediatonic |first=Rachel |last=Weber |date=2 October 2012 |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]]}}</ref> According to Bailey, Mediatonic began giving original games and work-for-hire projects equal weight and the company grew as a result.<ref name="MCV: Tonic Games Group">{{cite web |url=https://www.mcvuk.com/business-news/mediatonic-launches-300-strong-tonic-games-group-it-means-that-we-can-all-be-much-more-resilient-and-stand-the-test-of-time/ |title=Mediatonic launches 300-strong Tonic Games Group – "It means that we can all be much more resilient and stand the test of time" |first=Chris |last=Wallace |date=18 June 2020 |website=[[MCV/Develop]]}}</ref> It later branched out into publishing, opening The Irregular Corporation as a sister company in December 2015.<ref name="Mediatonic: Company" /><ref name="MCV: Tonic Games Group" />

Mediatonic moved into [[Shell Mex House]], London, in April 2017.<ref name="Mediatonic: Company" /> In July, a five-person team was established in a co-working space in [[Madrid]], and expanded into a proper office in July 2019.<ref name="Mediatonic: Company" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-07-08-mediatonic-opens-new-spanish-studio |title=Mediatonic opens new Spanish studio |first=James |last=Batchelor |date=8 July 2019 |website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]]}}</ref> A sister development studio, Fortitude Games, was established in [[Guildford]] in 2018.<ref name="VentureBeat: Tonic Games Group" /> Frog Capital sold its share in Mediatonic to [[Synova Capital]], making a 7.4-times return on its investment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://frogcapital.com/think-frog/frog-news/frogs-stake-in-mediatonic-acquired/ |title=7.4 x return on the sale of Frog’s stake in Mediatonic |first=Mike |last=Reid |date=6 June 2019 |website=Frog Capital}}</ref> A fourth studio for Mediatonic in [[Leamington Spa]] was announced in February 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gamasutra.com/view/news/357533/Fall_Guys_developer_Mediatonic_to_open_new_UK_studio.php |title=''Fall Guys'' developer Mediatonic to open new UK studio |first=Chris |last=Kerr |date=3 February 2020 |website=[[Gamasutra]]}}</ref> Also in early 2020, Mediatonic established its headquarters in an office above [[London Victoria station]].<ref name="MCV: Tonic Games Group" /> Bailey and Croft established Tonic Games Group as a [[parent company]] for Mediatonic, The Irregular Corporation, and Fortitude Games, moving 35 employees to Tonic Games Group, while Mediatonic had a staff of 230.<ref name="VentureBeat: Tonic Games Group" /><ref name="MCV: Tonic Games Group" />

== Games developed ==
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Publisher
! Platform(s)
|-
! rowspan="2" | 2005
| ''Snowman Salvage''
| [[Shockwave (game portal)|Shockwave]]
| Web
|-
| ''Beetle Bomp''
| iWin
| Web
|-
! 2006
| ''Air Control''
| [[Lufthansa]]
| Web
|-
! rowspan="19" | 2007
| ''Lego Pirates: Quest for Brickbeard's Bounty''
| [[The Lego Group]]
| Web
|-
| ''Operation Challenge''
| [[Pogo.com]]
| Web
|-
| ''Mystery Case Files: Millionheir''
| [[Nintendo]]
| Web
|-
| ''PlaySega Blackjack''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Mah Jong Amazon Adventure''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Brain Assist!''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Letter Linker''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Addiction Solitaire''
| [[Shockwave (game portal)|Shockwave]]
| Web
|-
| ''Tequila Trouble''
| [[William Grant & Sons]]
| Web
|-
| ''Mole Hunt''
| [[Pogo.com]]
| Web
|-
| ''Homerun Hero''
| [[Shockwave (game portal)|Shockwave]]
| Web
|-
| ''Horizon''
| [[AstraZeneca]]
| Web
|-
| ''SiteAdvisor Challenge''
| [[McAfee]]
| Web
|-
| ''Diamond Detective''
| [[Gamehouse]]
| Web
|-
| ''Battleships!''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Meat Match''
| [[Boonty]]
| Web
|-
| ''Bubble Bubble''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Super Collapse!''
| [[Gamehouse]]
| Web
|-
| ''Little Shop of Treasures''
| [[Gamehouse]]
| Web
|-
! rowspan="38" | 2008
| ''Turbo Solitaire''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Text Twist''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Sudoku''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Greedy Gang''
| Mediatonic
| Web
|-
| ''Portal Peril''
| [[Nickelodeon]]
| Web
|-
| ''Penguin Panic''
| Mediatonic
| Web
|-
| ''Word Whomp Mini''
| [[Pogo.com]]
| Web
|-
| ''Poppit! Mini Stressbuster''
| [[Pogo.com]]
| Web
|-
| ''Poppit! Stressbuster''
| [[Pogo.com]]
| Web
|-
| ''[[Bookworm (video game)|Bookworm]]''
| [[PopCap Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''[[Bejeweled 2]]''
| [[PopCap Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''[[Diner Dash]]''
| [[PlayFirst]]
| Web
|-
| ''Bejeweled 2''
| [[PopCap Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Inca Quest''
| iWin
| Web
|-
| ''[[Talismania]]''
| [[PopCap Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Manor Mystery''
| [[Boonty]]
| Web
|-
| ''Gigolo Assassin''
| [[Adult Swim]]
| Web
|-
| ''Aquatic Word Burst''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Ice Shuffle''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Greek Island Solitaire''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Beijing 2008, High Dive''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Beijing 2008, Archery''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Beijing 2008, Weightlifting''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Hidden Expedition Titanic''
| [[Big Fish Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Bureaucracy Buster''
| [[AstraZeneca]]
| Web
|-
| ''Amateur Surgeon''
| [[Adult Swim]]
| Web, iOS
|-
| ''Trivial Pursuit Quiz''
| [[Electronic Arts]]
| Web
|-
| ''Crestor Challenge''
| [[Astrazeneca]]
| Web
|-
| ''Travelogue 360 Rome''
| [[Big Fish Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Azada''
| [[Big Fish Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Sonic at the Olympics''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Music, Melodies and Rockstars''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''The Quiz of Culinary Delights''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Back to the 80s Quiz''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Hollywood Adventure Quiz''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Three Reel Slots''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Columns''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Sega Pool''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
! rowspan="25" | 2009
| ''Commanders''
| [[Sierra Entertainment]]
| Web
|-
| ''Diego’s Underwater Adventures''
| [[Nickelodeon]]
| Web
|-
| ''Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training 2''
| [[Namco Bandai Games]]
| Feature Phones
|-
| ''Dr. Kawashima's Brain Exercise, Line Up''
| [[Namco Bandai Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Dr. Kawashima's Brain Exercise, Reverse Dice''
| [[Namco Bandai Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Dr. Kawashima's Brain Exercise, Follow the Pencil''
| [[Namco Bandai Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Dr. Kawashima's Brain Exercise, Predominant Number''
| [[Namco Bandai Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Hidden Expedition Titanic''
| [[Big Fish Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Hidden Expedition Titanic MSN Search Special''
| [[Big Fish Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Hidden Expedition Everest MSN Search Special''
| [[Big Fish Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Hidden Expedition Everest''
| [[Big Fish Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Travelogue 360 London''
| [[Big Fish Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Travelogue 360 Paris''
| [[Big Fish Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Amateur Surgeon Christmas''
| [[Adult Swim]]
| Web, iOS
|-
| ''Fast & Furious''
| [[Sierra Entertainment]]
| Facebook, Myspace
|-
| ''SpongeBob SquarePants: Hooked on You''
| [[Nickelodeon]]
| Web
|-
| ''Sonic Level Creator''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Steamweavers''
| Mediatonic
| Myspace
|-
| ''Toy Story: Woody’s Great Escape''
| [[Pixar]]
| Web
|-
| ''Suite Life on Deck: Smoothie Service''
| [[Disney]]
| Web
|-
| ''Kid Vs. Kat: Katapult Katastrophe''
| [[Disney]]
| Web
|-
| ''Biker Blast-Off!''
| [[The Gadget Show]]
| iOS
|-
| ''Meowcenaries''
| [[Adult Swim]]
| Web, iOS
|-
| ''Extreme Lawn Bowls''
| Mediatonic
| Web
|-
| ''Must.Eat.Birds''
| Mediatonic
| iOS, Android
|-
! rowspan="13" | 2010
| ''Amateur Surgeon 2''
| [[Adult Swim]]
| Web, iOS, Android
|-
| ''Vancouver 2010, Slalom''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Vancouver 2010, Ski Jump''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Vancouver 2010, Speed Skating''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Vancouver 2010, Snowboarding''
| [[Sega]]
| Web
|-
| ''Moshling Boshling''
| [[Mind Candy (company)|Mind Candy]]
| Web
|-
| ''Boom Bandits''
| [[Spil Games]]
| Web
|-
| ''Who’s That Flying!?''
| Mediatonic
| iOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3
|-
| ''Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess''
| Mediatonic
| PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
|-
| ''MicroGP''
| Mediatonic
| Facebook
|-
| ''Pirate King''
| Mediatonic
| Facebook
|-
| ''Ocean Snapper''
| Mediatonic
| Myspace, Facebook
|-
| ''Back to the Future: Blitz Through Time''
| [[Telltale Games]]
| Facebook, Online
|-
! rowspan="3" | 2011
| ''1000 Tiny Claws''
| Mediatonic
| PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3
|-
| ''Amateur Ninja''
| [[Adult Swim]]
| Web
|-
| ''Thundercats: Tree of the Ancients''
| [[Warner Bros.]]
| Web
|-
! rowspan="3" | 2012
| ''Robot Unicorn Attack: Evolution''
| [[Adult Swim]]
| Facebook
|-
| ''Amateur Surgeon Hospital''
| [[Adult Swim]]
| Facebook
|-
| ''Superbia''
| [[Disney]]
| Web
|-
! rowspan="4" | 2013
| ''Moshi Monsters: Lost Islands''
| [[GREE]]
| iOS
|-
| ''Qwirkle''
| [[Square Enix]]
| iOS, Android, Facebook
|-
|''[[Foul Play (video game)|Foul Play]]''
| [[Devolver Digital]]
| Xbox Live Arcade, Steam
|-
| ''Amateur Surgeon 3: Tag Team Trauma''
| [[Adult Swim]]
| iOS, Android
|-
! rowspan="4" | 2014
| ''Delivery Outlaw''
| [[Adult Swim]]
| iOS
|-
| ''Secrets and Treasure''
| [[Microsoft Studios]]
| Windows 8
|-
| ''[[Hatoful Boyfriend]]''
| [[Devolver Digital]]
| Windows, OS X, [[Linux]], [[PlayStation 4]], [[PlayStation Vita]]
|-
| ''Heavenstrike Rivals''
| [[Square Enix]]
| [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[iOS]], [[Microsoft Windows]]
|-
! rowspan="2" | 2016
| ''Bounty Stars''
| [[DeNA|DeNA West]]
| [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[iOS]]
|-
| ''Fantastic Beasts: Cases from the Wizarding World''
| [[WB Games]]
| [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[iOS]]
|-
! rowspan="2" | 2017
| ''[[Fable Fortune]]''
| [[Microsoft Studios]]
| [[Microsoft Windows]], [[Xbox One]]
|-
| ''New Yahtzee with Buddies''
| [[Scopely]]
| [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[iOS]]
|-
! 2018
| ''[[Gears Pop!]]''
| [[Xbox Game Studios]]
| [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[iOS]]
|-
! rowspan="2" | 2020
| ''[[Murder by Numbers (video game)|Murder by Numbers]]''
| The Irregular Corporation
| [[Nintendo Switch]], [[Microsoft Windows]]
|-
| ''[[Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout]]''
| [[Devolver Digital]]
| [[PlayStation 4]], [[Microsoft Windows]]
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|https://mediatonicgames.com/}}

[[Category:British companies established in 2005]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 2005]]
[[Category:Video game companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]
[[Category:Companies based in London]]
[[Category:2005 establishments in England]]

Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Mediatonic