High Voltage Software

High Voltage Software
Private
Industry Video game industry
Founded 1993
Founder Kerry Ganofsky
Headquarters Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States
Key people
  • Kerry Ganofsky, CEO
  • Jake Fitch, CFO
  • Eric Nofsinger, CCO
Products Video games
Number of employees
 95+
Subsidiaries
  • Red Eye Studios
  • FLAME-SIM
  • HVS NOLA
Website High-Voltage.com

High Voltage Software is an American independent game development company located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Established in 1993, High Voltage Software is known for Hunter: The Reckoning video games and the creation of the major self-funded Wii titles The Conduit, and its sequel. The company most recently released two Virtual Reality titles in partnership with Oculus Studios titled Damaged Core and Dragon Front.

History

Wii development

In 2008 interviews, High Voltage leadership expressed interest in improving the quality of contemporary third-party Wii games. Founder Kerry Ganofsky was quoted as stating "We believe that third-party developers need to step up to the plate and deliver. The Wii platform is capable of a lot more than what consumers have seen so far. We're hoping to raise a new bar."[1] According to Chief Creative Officer Eric Nofsinger, "Our [High Voltage Software's] goal is to be the most technically innovative Wii developer on the planet."[2]

Quantum3 is a Wii-specific game engine developed by HVS.[3] The engine itself had been used in several previous titles made by the developer, but was heavily upgraded for higher performance on the Wii.[4] This engine allows for "full 16-TEV stage material pipeline using up to eight texture sources and a host of innovative blend operations," and "allows the developer to create graphic effects normally seen on other consoles with vertex and pixel shaders." These effects include bump-mapping, reflection and refraction, light and shadow maps and projections, specular and Fresnel effects, emissive and iridescent materials, advanced alpha blends, gloss and detail mapping, motion blur, interactive water with complex surface effects, and animated textures, among other things.[5] The Quantum3 engine also includes advanced artificial intelligence, allowing for NPCs and enemies in a game using the engine to possess "human-like behavior."

Mobile titles

Le Vamp, the company’s first mobile title, earned an Editor's Choice selection by Apple.[6] The title underwent a full compatibility update in 2016 for iOS and Android devices. The company's second title, Zoombies, was also released for iOS devices.[7] The company's last mobile game, Conduit HD (a mobile port of the original game, The Conduit) was released for Android devices in 2013, to some praise.[8]

Virtual Reality Titles

In 2016 High Voltage Software released Damaged Core and Dragon Front in partnership with Oculus Studios.

Damaged Core is a futuristic first-person-shooter that was first announced at E3 in 2015. The game received a "Comfortable" rating from publisher Oculus for it's ability to keep motion sickness at bay without sacrificing the frenetic experience of the classic first-person-shooter. The game accomplishes this by incorporating a teleportation movement mechanic into the story line. The user plays as a line of code that must inhabit enemy robot bodies or tactical cameras to navigate the game world.

Dragon Front is a collectible card game that incorporates classic board game elements in cross-platform, multiplayer gameplay. The game entered open beta when it was announced during the Oculus Connect 3 opening keynote in San Jose, California.[9] Dragon Front was designed as a VR exclusive title that includes four thematically different base armies, each with unique powers, traits, and creative strategies.[10] The game's art style is described as diesel-punk meets high-fantasy, and includes original epic music from award-winning composer Winifred Phillips (Assassin's Creed, God of War).[11]

Recent work

Since that time, High Voltage Software has been active in Generation 8 software, co-developing Injustice: Gods Among Us, Mortal Kombat X and Saint’s Row: Re-Elected[12] – as well as primary development on Saints Row: Gat out of Hell. Recent titles have been larger in scope than previous titles by the company. This larger size is indicative of the sizable investment to develop on the newer consoles.

High Voltage Software remains focused on emerging technology and new markets. At E3 2015, High Voltage Software and Oculus VR announced the development of Damaged Core. A playable demo was available at the Oculus booth, featuring hands-on gameplay which showcased the first-person shooter genre on the Oculus hardware. The title released as an Oculus Rift exclusive in August of 2016 to critical acclaim.[13] The company's second VR title, Dragon Front, released less than three months later as a cross-platform title on Oculus Rift and Samsung GearVR.

Awards

The Conduit, in particular, was hailed as a break-out game for the Wii Console, and won numerous awards both prior to, and after, launch.[14] The game eventually spawned a sequel, Conduit 2, which was also released on the Wii. In 2009, High Voltage Software earned a top spot in Into the Pixel’s annual exhibition. The piece selected was titled “Ford Pursued,” by artist, Bob Nelson.[15]

Subsidiaries

Red Eye Studios

Red Eye Studios, a motion capture facility, is a wholly owned subsidiary of HVS. The 5000-square-foot space is located across the street from the main Hoffman Estates building, and utilizes Vicon T160 cameras.[16][17] Red Eye Studios has worked on both High Voltage Software products, as well as motion capture for television and movies. Some of its credits include: Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude, Spider-Man 3, Call of Duty, BioShock, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, Gnomeo & Juliet, Human Weapon and multiple NBA titles.

FLAME-SIM

FLAME-SIM is a training simulation software developed in 2007 which allows fire departments across the US and Canada to create virtual scenarios in which to train their incident commanders and firefighters. The real time, dynamic environment simulates the stress, obstacles and decision points that arise on the fireground in order to better prepare incident commanders.[18] Studies conducted on the effectiveness of the software have shown an improvement of test scores of 20% for incident commanders that trained using FLAME-SIM as opposed to traditional training methods. Additionally, firefighters and officers that trained with FLAME-SIM liked the training and felt more confident when acting as incident command.[19]

HVS NOLA

In 2014, High Voltage Software announced that a sister studio, HVS NOLA, would open in the New Orleans area. The company committed to the creation of 80 jobs over the course of three years. The studio opened in January 2015 featuring Altair Lane as the first employee. With the new studio, the company is actively focused on developing new technology and IP’s for the newest console generation.[20]

Games developed

Year Title Publisher(s) Platform(s) Genre(s) Rating
2016 Dragon Front Oculus VR Oculus Rift, Samsung GearVR Strategy CCG N/A
2016 Damaged Core Oculus VR Oculus Rift First-person shooter 80%[21]
2015 Mortal Kombat X (with NetherRealm Studios and QLOC S.A.) Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Microsoft Windows Fighting 76%[22]
2015 Saints Row: Gat out of Hell (with Volition) Deep Silver Xbox One, PlayStation 4 Action-adventure 64.50%[23][24]
2015 Saints Row IV: Re-Elected (with Volition) Deep Silver Xbox One, PlayStation 4 Action-adventure 74%[25][26]
2014 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (with Beenox) Activision Nintendo 3DS Action-adventure
2013 Ben 10: Omniverse 2 D3 Publisher Wii U, Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Fighting 33%[27]
2013 Injustice: Gods Among Us (with NetherRealm Studios) Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 Fighting 80%[28]
2013 Saints Row IV: Enter the Dominatrix (with Volition) Deep Silver Xbox One, PlayStation 4 Action-adventure 68%
2013 Mortal Kombat (with NetherRealm Studios) Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Microsoft Windows Fighting 82%[29]
2013 Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte High Voltage Software iOS Shoot 'em up 79.67%[30]
2013 Le Vamp High Voltage Software iOS Platform 71.98%[31]
2012 Victorious: Taking the Lead D3 Publisher Wii Adventure [32]
2012 Nickelodeon Dance 2 2K Play Wii, Xbox 360 Dancing 40%[33]
2012 Toy Story Mania! MicroProse, Disney Interactive Studios Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Party 31%[34]
2012 Zone of the Enders: HD Collection Konami Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Action, third-person shooter 77.27%[35]
2012 Kinect Star Wars LucasArts, Microsoft Studios Xbox 360 Action 53.32%[36]
2012 Country Dance All-Stars GameMill Entertainment Xbox 360 Dancing N/A[37]
2011 Country Dance 2 GameMill Entertainment Wii Dancing 60%[38]
2011 Country Dance GameMill Entertainment Wii Dancing N/A[39]
2011 Nicktoons MLB 2K Play Wii, Xbox 360 Sports 65%[40]
2011 Captain America: Super Soldier Sega Wii, Nintendo 3DS Action 58%[41]
2011 Conduit 2 Sega Wii First-person shooter 66%[42]
2010 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (video game) Red Wagon Games Wii, Nintendo DS Adventure N/A
2010 Tournament of Legends Sega Wii Fighting 49%[43]
2010 Iron Man 2 Sega Wii, PlayStation Portable Action-Adventure 51%[44]
2009 The Conduit Sega Wii First-person shooter 72%[45]
2009 Evasive Space Akinai Games Wii Shoot 'em up 58%[46]
2009 High Voltage Hot Rod Show High Voltage Software Wii Racing 69%[47]
2008 Gyrostarr High Voltage Software Wii Shooter 71%[48]
2008 V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack High Voltage Software Wii Casino 49%[49]
2008 Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue 2K Play PlayStation 2, Wii Adventure 72%[50]
2007 America's Army: True Soldiers (with Red Storm Entertainment) Ubisoft Xbox 360 First-person shooter 44%[51]
2007 Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Ubisoft PlayStation Portable Shooter 63%[52]
2007 Ben 10: Protector of Earth D3 Publisher PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable Action-adventure 58%[53]
2007 Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law Capcom PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable Visual novel 62%[54]
2006 Family Guy Video Game! 2K Games, Fox Interactive PlayStation 2, Xbox, PlayStation Portable Adventure 50%[55]
2006 Blitz: Overtime Midway Games PlayStation Portable Sports 61%[56]
2006 The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Midway Games GameCube, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Wii Fighting 60%[57]
2005 Codename: Kids Next Door – Operation: V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E. Global Star Software GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2 Platform 53%[58]
2005 Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (content port) Activision GameCube FPS 79%[59]
2005 50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition Vivendi Games PlayStation Portable Action 54%[60]
2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Global Star Software PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, GameCube Action-adventure 39%[61]
2005 Zathura 2K Games PlayStation 2, Xbox Action-adventure 45%[62]
2004 Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude Sierra Entertainment PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Adventure 61%[63]
2004 Duel Masters Atari, Inc. PlayStation 2 Collectible card game 65%[64]
2003 The Haunted Mansion TDK Mediactive PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube Action-adventure 69%[65]
2003 NBA Inside Drive 2004 Microsoft Game Studios Xbox Sports 75%[66]
2003 Hunter: The Reckoning: Redeemer Vivendi Universal Xbox Action, Hack and slash 73%[67]
2003 Hunter: The Reckoning: Wayward Vivendi Universal PlayStation 2 Action, Hack and slash 68%[68]
2002 Hunter: The Reckoning Interplay Entertainment Xbox, GameCube Action, Hack and slash 72%[69]
2002 NBA Inside Drive 2003 Microsoft Game Studios Xbox Sports 75%[70]
2002 Disney's Stitch: Experiment 626 Disney Interactive PlayStation 2 Action 63%[71]
2002 NBA Inside Drive 2002 Microsoft Xbox Sports 78%[72]
2002 Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction Ubisoft Microsoft Windows Vehicular combat N/A[73]
2002 Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (content port) Interplay Entertainment GameCube Role-playing video game 79%[74]
2000 NFL Quarterback Club 2001 Acclaim Entertainment Dreamcast, Nintendo 64 Sports N/A
2000 All-Star Baseball 2001 (with KnowWonder) Acclaim Entertainment Nintendo 64 Sports 85%[75]
2000 Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy (with Massive Entertainment) Sierra Studios Microsoft Windows Real-time tactics 81%[76]
2000 NBA Inside Drive 2000 Microsoft Microsoft Windows Sports 74.85%[77]
1999 Lego Racers Lego Media Game Boy Color, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Microsoft Windows Racing 66%[78]
1999 Paperboy Midway Games Nintendo 64 Action 67%[79]
1997 NCAA Final Four '97 Mindscape PlayStation, Microsoft Windows Sports 46%[80]
1997 World League Basketball Mindscape PlayStation, Microsoft Windows Sports 65%[81]
1996 Tempest X3 Interplay Entertainment PlayStation Arcade 63%[82]
1996 Tempest 2000 Interplay Entertainment Sega Saturn, Macintosh Arcade 78%[83]
1996 NBA Hangtime Midway Games Microsoft Windows Sports 57%[84]
1996 Fight For Life Atari Games Atari Jaguar Fighting N/A
1996 NBA Jam: Tournament Edition Midway Games Atari Jaguar Sports 69%[85]
1996 NHL Open Ice Midway Games Microsoft Windows Sports N/A
1995 Vid Grid Atari Games Atari Jaguar, Macintosh Puzzle N/A
1995 Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - Starship Bridge Simulator Interplay Entertainment Sega 32X Simulation N/A
1995 Ruiner Pinball Atari Games Atari Jaguar Arcade 40%[86]
1995 Thea Realm Fighters Atari Games Atari Jaguar Fighting N/A
1995 White Men Can't Jump Atari Games Atari Jaguar Sports 50%[87]

References

  1. ↑ IGN: The Conduit Preview
  2. ↑ IGN: The Conduit Preview
  3. ↑ Magrino, Tom (July 7, 2008). "Q&A: Eric Nofsinger channels The Conduit". Gamespot. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  4. ↑ "High Voltage Software's Eric Nofsinger Explains How Freedom, Feedback and Fans Channel into The Conduit". GameCyte. October 6, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2008.
  5. ↑ Casamassina, Matt (April 17, 2008). "Exclusive First Look: The Conduit". IGN. Retrieved April 18, 2008.
  6. ↑ "LeVamp is an Editor's Choice Game". Aplle.
  7. ↑ Trevor Sheridan. "The 50 Best iOS Games Of 2013 – Complete List With Our Game Of The Year". Apple N Apps.
  8. ↑ Mike Fahey. "The Conduit Was an Average Wii Game. Now It's an Excellent Mobile FPS.". Kotaku.
  9. ↑ "Dragon Front Open Beta Launches Today | VRFocus". VRFocus. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  10. ↑ "The Warring Factions". Dragon Front. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  11. ↑ "Winifred Phillips". IMDb. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  12. ↑ Christopher Grant. "Saints Row 4: Re-Elected coming to PS4 and Xbox One, $30 this January". Polygon.
  13. ↑ "'Damaged Core' Review: Meet The New King of VR Shooters". UploadVR. 2016-08-30. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  14. ↑ Matt Casamassina. "IGN's Best of E3 Awards 2008". IGN.
  15. ↑ "Into the Pixel 2009 Collection". Into the Pixel.
  16. ↑ David Lapekas. "Red Eye Studios is the first North American Company to employ the latest Vicon camera system".
  17. ↑ Damon Brown (April 2003). "Video Games and Animation advance each other". Screen Magazine.
  18. ↑ Doug Seebach. "Canadian Department Thrilled with FLAME-SIM".
  19. ↑ Dr. Kurt Hall. "Effects of Simulation Training in the Fire Service". University of Texas Dallas.
  20. ↑ Jennifer Larino. "Illinois video game developer to open New Orleans studio, hailed as economic development win". NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune.
  21. ↑ vrgamecritic. "Damaged Core for Oculus Rift". vrgamecritic VR Game Reviews. Retrieved 2016-11-14.
  22. ↑ "Mortal Kombat X for PC Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell for PlayStation 4 Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell for Xbox One Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Saints Row IV: Re-Elected for PlayStation 4 Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Saints Row IV: Re-Elected for Xbox One Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Ben 10 Omniverse 2 for PlayStation 3 Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Injustice: Gods Among Us for PlayStation 4 Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. April 16, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition for PC Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. July 3, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte! for iOS (iPhone/iPad)". GameRankings. May 2, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Le Vamp for iOS (iPhone/iPad)". GameRankings. March 14, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  32. ↑ "Victorious: Taking the Lead for Wii". GameRankings. November 13, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Nickelodeon Dance 2 for Xbox 360". GameRankings. November 6, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  34. ↑ "Toy Story Mania! for Xbox 360". GameRankings. October 30, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Zone of the Enders HD Collection for Xbox 360". GameRankings. October 30, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Kinect Star Wars for Xbox 360". GameRankings. April 3, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  37. ↑ "Country Dance All Stars for Xbox 360". GameRankings. March 27, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  38. ↑ "Country Dance 2 for Wii". GameRankings. November 1, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  39. ↑ "Country Dance for Wii". GameRankings. March 29, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Nicktoons MLB for Xbox 360". GameRankings. September 13, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  41. ↑ "Captain America: Super Soldier for Wii". GameRankings. July 19, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  42. ↑ "Conduit 2 for Wii". GameRankings. April 19, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  43. ↑ Tournament of Legends Reviews
  44. ↑ Iron Man 2 Reviews
  45. ↑ The Conduit Reviews
  46. ↑ Evasive Space Reviews
  47. ↑ High Voltage Hot Rod Show Reviews
  48. ↑ Gyrostarr Reviews
  49. ↑ V.I.P. Casino Blackjack Reviews
  50. ↑ Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue Reviews
  51. ↑ America's Army: True Soldiers Reviews
  52. ↑ Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Reviews
  53. ↑ Ben 10: Protector of Earth Reviews
  54. ↑ Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law Reviews
  55. ↑ Family Guy Reviews
  56. ↑ Blitz: Overtime Reviews
  57. ↑ The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Reviews
  58. ↑ Codename: Kids Next Door: Operation V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E. Reviews
  59. ↑ Call of Duty 2: Big Red One Reviews
  60. ↑ 50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition Reviews
  61. ↑ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Reviews
  62. ↑ Zathura Reviews
  63. ↑ Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude Reviews
  64. ↑ Duel Masters Reviews
  65. ↑ The Haunted Mansion Reviews
  66. ↑ NBA Inside Drive 2004 Reviews
  67. ↑ Hunter: The Reckoning Redeemer Reviews
  68. ↑ Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward Reviews
  69. ↑ Hunter: The Reckoning Reviews
  70. ↑ NBA Inside Drive 2004 Reviews
  71. ↑ Disney's Stitch: Experiment 626 Reviews
  72. ↑ NBA Inside Drive 2002 Reviews
  73. ↑ "Monster Jam: Maximum Destruction for PC". GameRankings. December 20, 2002. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  74. ↑ Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance Reviews
  75. ↑ All-Star Baseball 2001 Reviews
  76. ↑ Ground Control: Dark Conspiracy Reviews
  77. ↑ "NBA Inside Drive 2000 for PC". GameRankings. August 17, 2000. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  78. ↑ Lego Racers Reviews
  79. ↑ Paperboy Reviews
  80. ↑ NCAA Final Four 97 Reviews
  81. ↑ "NCAA Basketball Final Four 97 for PlayStation". GameRankings. March 31, 1997. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  82. ↑ Tempest X3 Reviews
  83. ↑ Tempest 2000 Reviews
  84. ↑ NBA Hangtime Reviews
  85. ↑ NBA Jam Tournament Edition Reviews
  86. ↑ Ruiner Pinball Reviews
  87. ↑ White Men Can't Jump Reviews

External links

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