Wanako Studios
Encyclopedia
Wanako Studios is a Chile
an video game developer
wholly owned by Artificial Mind and Movement
. It currently develops downloadable games for Microsoft Windows
, the Xbox 360
's Xbox Live Arcade
, the PlayStation 3
's Playstation Network, and the Nintendo Wii. In the past, they have created several popular games for Wild Tangent including Jewel Thief and Blackhawk Striker 2, and have also worked with THQ
and Ford Motor Company
. More recently, they have developed Tetris
for the PlayStation Network and Doritos Crash Course
(for the Xbox 360
) as part of Microsoft
's Unlock the Xbox contest.
. It had headquarters in New York City
with a primary site in Santiago, Chile
. With a stated goal to leverage Latin American software talent, they are the largest game development studio in Latin America
. According to their own press information, they rely heavily on agile software development
methods such as SCRUM
.
On February 20, 2007, the studio announced that it had been purchased by Vivendi Games
's Sierra Entertainment
. In the same week, Xbox Live Arcade
portfolio manager Ross Erickson left Microsoft
to join sister-organization Sierra Online.
On November 20, 2008, Wanako Studios was acquired by Artificial Mind and Movement
, Canada's largest independent game developer..
On November 8, 2010, Artificial Mind and Movement
reverted its name (and that of all its internal studios, including Wanako) to Behaviour Interactive.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
wholly owned by Artificial Mind and Movement
Artificial Mind and Movement
Behaviour Interactive [formerly Artificial Mind and Movement ], founded in 1992 in Québec City, Québec as Megatoon Entertainment Group, is the largest independent game development studio in Canada, specializing in the production of 2D and 3D action/adventure games for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3,...
. It currently develops downloadable games for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
's Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
, the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
's Playstation Network, and the Nintendo Wii. In the past, they have created several popular games for Wild Tangent including Jewel Thief and Blackhawk Striker 2, and have also worked with THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
and Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. More recently, they have developed Tetris
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
for the PlayStation Network and Doritos Crash Course
Doritos Crash Course
Doritos Crash Course is a 2D platforming advergame developed by Wanako Games for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. It was released on December 8, 2010 for free as one of the finalists of the Doritos-sponsored "Unlock Xbox" competition for 2010, alongside Harms Way...
(for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) as part of Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's Unlock the Xbox contest.
History / Events
The company was founded in 2002 by Esteban Sosnik, Tiburcio de la Carcova, and Wenceslao CasaresWenceslao Casares
Wences Casares is a technology entrepreneur, based in Palo Alto, California, with global business experience specializing in technology and financial ventures....
. It had headquarters in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with a primary site in Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
. With a stated goal to leverage Latin American software talent, they are the largest game development studio in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. According to their own press information, they rely heavily on agile software development
Agile software development
Agile software development is a group of software development methodologies based on iterative and incremental development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams...
methods such as SCRUM
Scrum (development)
Scrum is an iterative, incremental framework for project management often seen in agile software development, a type of software engineering....
.
On February 20, 2007, the studio announced that it had been purchased by Vivendi Games
Vivendi Games
Vivendi Games, formerly known as Vivendi Universal Games, was the holdings company for Sierra Entertainment and Blizzard Entertainment. Vivendi Games was founded as Vivendi Universal Games after Vivendi bought Universal Studios in the early 2000s...
's Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
. In the same week, Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
portfolio manager Ross Erickson left Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
to join sister-organization Sierra Online.
On November 20, 2008, Wanako Studios was acquired by Artificial Mind and Movement
Artificial Mind and Movement
Behaviour Interactive [formerly Artificial Mind and Movement ], founded in 1992 in Québec City, Québec as Megatoon Entertainment Group, is the largest independent game development studio in Canada, specializing in the production of 2D and 3D action/adventure games for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3,...
, Canada's largest independent game developer..
On November 8, 2010, Artificial Mind and Movement
Artificial Mind and Movement
Behaviour Interactive [formerly Artificial Mind and Movement ], founded in 1992 in Québec City, Québec as Megatoon Entertainment Group, is the largest independent game development studio in Canada, specializing in the production of 2D and 3D action/adventure games for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3,...
reverted its name (and that of all its internal studios, including Wanako) to Behaviour Interactive.
Games
- Ghostbusters: Sanctum of SlimeGhostbusters: Sanctum of SlimeGhostbusters: Sanctum of Slime is an action-adventure video game developed by Behaviour Interactive and published by Atari. The game features four-player cooperative gameplay as players control Ghostbusters to defeat enemy ghosts...
(2011) - Tetris PSN (2010)
- Doritos Crash Course (2010)
- 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures 2 (2010)
- Revenge of the Wounded Dragons (2009)
- Assault Heroes 2Assault Heroes 2Assault Heroes 2 is the sequel to Assault Heroes, an arcade-style, top-down shooter video game developed by Chilean Wanako Studios. The game was released on May 14, 2008 for 800 Microsoft Points.-Gameplay:...
(2008) - Arkadian WarriorsArkadian WarriorsArkadian Warriors is an action role-playing game developed by Wanako Studios for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. The title was officially announced during the 2007 Leipzig Games Convention and was later released on December 12, 2007.-Gameplay:...
(2007) - 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures is an arcade style golf title, developed by Wanako Studios. The game features 36 holes, a customizable course editor, and multiplayer for up to 4 players...
(2007) - Sea Life SafariSea Life SafariSea Life Safari is an under water exploration video game originally developed by Wild Tangent for the PC. Sierra Online released the game on Xbox Live Arcade on June 18, 2008 for 800 Microsoft Points.-Reception:...
(2007) - Assault HeroesAssault HeroesAssault Heroes is an arcade-style, top-down shooter video game developed by Wanako Studios. The game has the player driving 4x4 vehicles, piloting speedboats, or proceeding on foot against enemy hordes...
(2006) - Blasterball 3 (2006)
- Tornado Jockey (2005)
- Jewel Thief (2005)
- EverGirl (2005)
- Polar Tubing (2005)
- Phoenix Assault (2004)
- Groove-O-Matic (2004)
- Blackhawk Striker 2 (2004)
- Cut to the Beat (2004)
- Ford Virtual Racing (2004)
External links
- Wanako Studios Official Website
- Wanako Studios (as Wanako Games) from MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...