About
About Category:
[About Pivotal Games]
[Company Directors]
[History]
[Softography]
[Image - Pumpkin Studios logo]
Following the demise of Pumpkin Studios, Jim Bambra, Nick Cook and Alex McLean decided to pool their knowledge of computer games and, in 2000, together with 12 other ex-Pumpkin Studios veterans, formed Pivotal Games.
This core team of 15 industry professionals has expanded over the years to a team of 70 staff, all sharing the same unhealthy love of strategy and shoot 'em up games, but what went before? Nick Cook fills in the gaps...
History
Where did we come from?
[Image - Pumpkin Studios logo]
Following the demise of Pumpkin Studios, Jim Bambra, Nick Cook and Alex McLean decided to pool their knowledge of computer games and, in 2000, together with 12 other ex-Pumpkin Studios veterans, formed Pivotal Games.
This core team of 15 industry professionals has expanded over the years to a team of 70 staff, all sharing the same unhealthy love of strategy and shoot 'em up games, but what went before? Nick Cook fills in the gaps...
Jim Bambra and myself established Pumpkin Studios in August 1996 as part of Eidos PLC. Before then we had both been development managers at MicroProse UK running the design and art studios and were involved in nearly every product that came out of MicroProse.
Building on this expertise, we decided to cut loose from MicroProse and set up Pumpkin Studios in 1996. [Image - Pumpkin Studios team]
As Pumpkin we specialised in fast action-strategy games that combined state-of-the-art graphical effects with speedy game play, highly developed Artificial Intelligence systems, and exhilarating full motion video (FMV) cut scenes.
Our first title was Warzone 2100 for PC CD-ROM and PlayStation�. Warzone 2100 received masses of critical acclaim and helped to put the studio on the map.
Eidos closed down Pumpkin in March 2000 as part of a cost-cutting exercise. Although a sad moment for the team, this proved to be a catalyst for major positive change, as is often the case, and later that month we set up Pivotal Games Ltd. With a highly talented and experienced team, we immediately set about producing a brand new 3D engine for Conflict: Desert Storm and in August 2000, we became part of the Kaboom group.
Conflict: Desert Storm went on to hit the Number One slot when it was released in September 2002. Following this, in August 2003, The Great Escape also went to Number One. During this same period we won the highly prestigious Develop Industry Excellence Award for 'Best New Development Studio'.
Conflict: Desert Storm II, released in September 2003, replicated the success of our previous products and once more 'stormed' to the top of charts around the world.
That month also marked another major milestone for the studio with the aquisition of Pivotal by SCi. SCi is a publisher that has proved to be an excellent compliment to the Pivotal Games production philisophies. They share our strong design and development principles. As they say, "The future has never looked so bright!".
As Pumpkin we specialised in fast action-strategy games that combined state-of-the-art graphical effects with speedy game play, highly developed Artificial Intelligence systems, and exhilarating full motion video (FMV) cut scenes.
Our first title was Warzone 2100 for PC CD-ROM and PlayStation�. Warzone 2100 received masses of critical acclaim and helped to put the studio on the map.
Eidos closed down Pumpkin in March 2000 as part of a cost-cutting exercise. Although a sad moment for the team, this proved to be a catalyst for major positive change, as is often the case, and later that month we set up Pivotal Games Ltd. With a highly talented and experienced team, we immediately set about producing a brand new 3D engine for Conflict: Desert Storm and in August 2000, we became part of the Kaboom group.
Conflict: Desert Storm went on to hit the Number One slot when it was released in September 2002. Following this, in August 2003, The Great Escape also went to Number One. During this same period we won the highly prestigious Develop Industry Excellence Award for 'Best New Development Studio'.
Conflict: Desert Storm II, released in September 2003, replicated the success of our previous products and once more 'stormed' to the top of charts around the world.
That month also marked another major milestone for the studio with the aquisition of Pivotal by SCi. SCi is a publisher that has proved to be an excellent compliment to the Pivotal Games production philisophies. They share our strong design and development principles. As they say, "The future has never looked so bright!".