View source for Cryo Interactive

{{short description|Former French video game development and publishing company}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Cryo Interactive Entertainment
| logo = [[File:Cryo Interactive Entertainment logo (1998-2002).jpeg|The Cryo Interactive Entertainment logo.]]
| type = [[Private company|Private]]
| fate = [[Bankruptcy]], assets acquired by [[DreamCatcher Interactive]], later acquired by [[Microïds]]
| foundation = [[Paris]], [[France]] (1990)
| defunct = October 2002
| location_city = Paris
| location_country = France
| key_people = [[Philippe Ulrich]]
| num_employees = 
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| products = ''[[Dune (video game)|Dune]]''<br />''[[MegaRace]]''<br />''[[Dragon Lore]]''<br />''[[Lost Eden]]''<br />''[[Atlantis: The Lost Tales]]''
| revenue = 
| subsid = 
| website = 
}}

'''Cryo Interactive Entertainment''' was a French [[video game developer|video game development]] and [[video game publisher|publishing]] company founded in 1990, but existing unofficially since 1989 as a developer group under the name Cryo. The company gained recognition for its [[adventure game]]s, such as the commercially successful titles ''[[Dune (video game)|Dune]]'', ''[[Dragon Lore]] and [[Atlantis: The Lost Tales]],'' along with the  [[Racing game|racing]] series ''[[MegaRace]]''.

== History ==
Cryo was formed by members of [[ERE Informatique]] who left [[Infogrames]] (proprietor of ERE since 1986) – among these were [[Philippe Ulrich]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippe Ulrich|url=https://philippeulrich.com/|access-date=2022-01-12|website=Philippe Ulrich|language=fr-FR}}</ref> Rémi Herbulot<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rémi Herbulot Video Game Credits and Biography|url=https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,1760/|access-date=2022-01-12|website=MobyGames}}</ref> and Jean-Martial Lefranc.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jean-Martial Lefranc Video Game Credits and Biography|url=https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,1795/|access-date=2022-01-12|website=MobyGames}}</ref>

The first game developed under the Cryo Interactive moniker was the hit ''Dune'', which granted the newly formed software company both publicity and funding for further games under [[Virgin Group|Virgin]] until 1996, when Cryo started self-publishing inside the European market, and in North America through then partially owned Canadian publisher [[DreamCatcher Interactive]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cryo Interactive Entertainment|url=https://www.mobygames.com/company/cryo-interactive-entertainment|access-date=2022-01-12|website=MobyGames}}</ref>

Cryo made its name mostly through adaptations of already existing [[narrative|stories]] (such as ''[[Riverworld (video game)|Riverworld]]'', based on [[Philip José Farmer]]'s [[Riverworld|novel]] and ''[[Ubik]]'' by [[Philip K. Dick]]) or those based on historical scenarios (like ''[[KGB (computer game)|KGB]]'', a game set days before the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] and several games based in [[Ancient Egypt]], [[Qing Dynasty]]'s [[China]] and [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]]'s [[France]], developed with Cryo's ''Omni3D'' engine). Although most of the post-Virgin games managed to capture and stay true to the original settings, poor interfaces and the lack of worldwide distribution turned little profit from each game.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

By 1997, Cryo had experienced success in the US and France, and wanted to expand into Japan. They had focused their efforts on the US because it was a big market, and experienced difficulties in Japan due to changing distributors between games. They considered creating different sets of characters for the three markets, and setting up a US-based subsidiary.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/PCPowerplay-015-1997-08|title=PC Powerplay Issue 015|last=Next Publishing Pty Ltd|date=August 1997|language=en}}</ref>

=== Cryo Networks ===
A Cryo Interactive subsidiary called Cryo Networks, aimed at developing and publishing online applications exclusively, was established in December 1997. Aside from online [[multiplayer games]] (''[[Deo Gratias]]'', ''[[FireTeam (video game)|FireTeam]]'', ''Treasure Hunt 2001'', ''[[Mankind (video game)|Mankind]]'' and ''Scotland Yard'' being some of the titles released under this label), Cryo Networks also maintained a proprietary online multimedia development framework named SCOL (Standard Cryo On Line).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Download Cryo-Networks - SCOL and read more about it|url=https://file.org/free-download/cryo-networks-scol|access-date=2022-01-12|website=file.org|language=en}}</ref>

=== Cryo Studios North America ===
Cryo Studios North America was a video game design studio based in [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Oregon]], [[United States|USA]], and was a subsidiary of Cryo Interactive. Cryo Studios was founded as Dark Horse Interactive (DHI) in the late 1990s, a joint venture of Cryo Interactive and [[Dark Horse Comics]], and based in Dark Horse's headquarters in [[Milwaukie, Oregon|Milwaukie]], Oregon. In 1999, Cryo Interactive bought out Dark Horse's share of DHI and renamed it Cryo Studios, relocating their offices to the Central Eastside Industrial District of Portland. Cryo Studios existed entirely as Cryo Interactive's American subsidiary, producing games based on licensed properties.{{Citation needed|date=January 2022}}

Their first license (as DHI) was based on [[MTV]]'s animated science fiction series ''[[Aeon Flux]]''. However, the license agreement was terminated before development was completed and the game was re-adapted into its own fictional universe as ''[[Pax Corpus]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Video Game Graveyard |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/vg_graveyard/sony.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208022115/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/vg_graveyard/sony.html |archive-date=February 8, 2009 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> Shortly afterwards, DHI was granted the license to develop an interactive game based on Dark Horse's own comic book series, ''[[Hellboy]]'', written and drawn by [[Mike Mignola]]. The [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] version of ''[[Hellboy: Dogs of the Night]]'' was completed in 2000 after nearly four years of production; the intended [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] version of this game was put on ice. Their next project was to be based on [[Universal Classic Monsters]],  which included [[Dracula]], [[Frankenstein]], and [[The Wolf Man (1941 film)|The Wolf Man]]. However, before any project made it out of pre-production, Cryo Interactive — quickly succumbing to the worldwide [[recession]] of 2001 — closed their North American branch.<ref name=":0" /> Cryo Interactive filed for [[bankruptcy]] a year later. In 2003, [[Canada]]-based [[Dreamcatcher Interactive]] — a former subsidiary of Cryo Interactive — finished development on and released the PlayStation version now retitled to ''Hellboy: Asylum Seeker'' in time for the theatrical release of the [[Hellboy (2004 film)|''Hellboy'' movie]], though the two are unrelated.

=== Demise and aftermath ===
[[File:Cryo Interactive.png|thumb|Recent Cryo logo]]
By July 2002, not long after ''[[Frank Herbert's Dune (video game)|Frank Herbert's Dune]]'' flopped, the value of Cryo shares had plummeted and the financial situation of the company, who had closed its North American branch [[Cryo Studios]] the year before, was no longer sustainable. Cryo failed to negotiate a deal with its creditors,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cryo-shuts-down/1100-2873552/|title=Cryo shuts down|date=2002-07-08|access-date=2013-12-11|publisher=GameSpot|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322004332/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cryo-shuts-down/1100-2873552/|archive-date=2014-03-22}}</ref> consequently filing for [[insolvency]] and making over 80 percent of its workforce redundant.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.clubic.com/actualite-44780-cryo-est-en-cessation-de-paiements.html|title=Cryo goes insolvent|date=2002-07-04|access-date=2013-12-10|publisher=clubic.com|language=fr|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214104121/http://www.clubic.com/actualite-44780-cryo-est-en-cessation-de-paiements.html|archive-date=2015-02-14}}</ref> Subsidiary Cryo Networks ceased operations shortly thereafter,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.zdnet.fr/actualites/cryo-networks-en-liquidation-judiciaire-2119973.htm|title=Cryo Networks files for liquidation|date=2002-07-29|access-date=2013-12-10|publisher=ZDNet|language=fr|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927153818/http://www.zdnet.fr/actualites/cryo-networks-en-liquidation-judiciaire-2119973.htm|archive-date=2013-09-27}}</ref> leaving its then-ongoing projects ''[[DUNE Generations]]'' and ''Black Moon Chronicles: Wind of War'' unfinished. In October 2002, the parent company was put on liquidation,<ref>{{cite news |last=Bouteiller |first=Jérôme |date=2002-10-03 |title=Video game publisher Cryo in liquidation |url=http://www.clubic.com/actualite-45222-l-editeur-de-jeux-cryo-en-liquidation-judiciaire.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305063354/http://www.clubic.com/actualite-45222-l-editeur-de-jeux-cryo-en-liquidation-judiciaire.html |archive-date=2014-03-05 |access-date=2013-12-10 |publisher=clubic.com |language=fr}}</ref> but subsequent negotiations ultimately caused [[DreamCatcher Interactive]] to absorb most of its assets and development teams, thus forming the base for DreamCatcher Europe.<ref name="Moby Cryo">{{cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/company/cryo-interactive-entertainment|title=Overview: Cryo Interactive Entertainment|publisher=MobyGames.com|access-date=March 17, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100110054348/http://www.mobygames.com/company/cryo-interactive-entertainment|archive-date=January 10, 2010}}</ref>

The SCOL technology developed by Cryo Networks was released as an [[open source]] project in late 2002. Also following Cryo's bankruptcy, its partnership with Italian developer [[Trecision]] fell through and Trecision managed to acquire publishing rights to its co-developed games ''Popeye: Hush Rush for Spinach'' and the [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] and [[PlayStation 2]] versions of ''Zidane Football Generation''. However, the former was cancelled and the latter was stripped of its [[Zinedine Zidane]] license and released as ''Calcio 2003'' in Italy and ''Football Generation'' in the rest of Europe,<ref>{{cite web |title=Trecision to release Calcio 2003 |url=http://www.pcgames.it/scheda.asp?id=582 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009125035/http://www.pcgames.it/scheda.asp?id=582 |archive-date=2007-10-09 |publisher=PCGames.it |language=it}}</ref> the PlayStation 2 version not being released until 2006, three years after Trecision itself had filed for voluntary liquidation.<ref name=trecision-goes-into-liquidation>{{cite news|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/trecision-goes-into-liquidation|last=Fahey|first=Rob|date=2003-07-09|title=Trecision goes into liquidation|publisher=gamesindustry.biz|access-date=2013-12-10|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213024254/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/trecision-goes-into-liquidation|archive-date=2013-12-13}}</ref>

Between 2003 and 2006, DreamCatcher division [[The Adventure Company]] released ''[[Salammbo: Battle for Carthage]]'', in development at Cryo Interactive at the time it went bankrupt and completed posthumously, as well as new sequels in the Cryo trademark series of ''Atlantis'' and ''[[Egypt 1156 B.C.]]''. DreamCatcher also completed the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] version of ''[[Hellboy (game)|Hellboy: Dogs of the Night]]'', originally developed for Windows by Cryo Studios, and released it as ''Hellboy: Asylum Seeker'' in 2004, to coincide with the release of the [[Hellboy (2004 film)|first feature film]] of the franchise.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

DreamCatcher was acquired by Austrian publisher [[JoWooD Productions]] in November 2006.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jenkins |first=David |date=2006-11-04 |title=JoWooD acquires DreamCatcher |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/jowood-acquires-dreamcatcher |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131215205905/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/11567/JoWooD_Acquires_DreamCatcher.php |archive-date=2013-12-15 |access-date=2013-12-11 |publisher=Gamasutra}}</ref> By March 2007, the company downsized DreamCatcher Europe to a publishing brand only and laid off its remaining development staff, effectively ending the Cryo legacy.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

On 20 October 2008 [[Microïds]] acquired the brands and [[intellectual property]] of Cryo Interactive.<ref>{{cite web |date=2008-10-20 |title=Microïds acquires the Cryo catalogue and brands |url=http://www.microids.com/en/press/16/microids-acquires-the-cryo-catalogue-and-brands.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306075745/http://www.microids.com/en/press/16/microids-acquires-the-cryo-catalogue-and-brands.html |archive-date=2012-03-06 |access-date=2008-10-27 |publisher=Microïds}}</ref> Microïds also stated that they intended to distribute Cryo's older games digitally, and that they were developing new games based on Cryo's intellectual properties.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adventuregamers.com/newsitem.php?id=1778 |title=Cryo's properties revived in Microïds acquisition |publisher=Adventure Gamers |date=2008-10-22 |access-date=2008-10-28 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202162237/http://www.adventuregamers.com/newsitem.php?id=1778 |archive-date=2009-02-02 }}</ref> Since the acquisition of Microïds by [[Anuman|Anuman Interactive]] in November 2009, one game from the Cryo franchises that Anuman has planned for release is a sequel to ''[[Egypt III]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://worthplaying.com/article/2009/11/29/news/70556/|title=Microids acquired by Anuman Interactive|publisher=Worthplaying|date=2009-11-29|access-date=2013-12-11|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218131258/http://worthplaying.com/article/2009/11/29/news/70556/|archive-date=2013-12-18}}</ref> As of December 2013, [[GOG.com]] had seven Cryo-developed games made available under its digital distribution service, namely ''Dragon Lore'' and the ''MegaRace'' and ''[[Atlantis: The Lost Tales|Atlantis]]'' series.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

== Critical reception ==
{{quote box|quote=One day in the near future, the word "cryo" might become a common term amongst computer gaming types, in memory of the work by the eponymous developers. If so, I tend to think that people won't be saying, "Geez, that was awesome, talk about cryo!". Rather, they'll be saying, "What a pile of cryo! Who could be bothered with this?"|source=- PC Powerplay <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/PCPowerplay-041-1999-10/PCPowerplay-041-1999-10_djvu.txt|title = PC Powerplay Issue 041|date = October 1999}}</ref>|width=300px|align=right}}

In July 2000, Francis Rozange of the French newspaper ''[[Libération]]'' wrote, "[A] few years ago, at the time of ''[[Versailles 1685|Versailles]]'' and ''[[Atlantis: The Lost Tales|Atlantis]]'', [the Cryo name] was a guarantee of quality." However, he argued that the company's name had since become a "pejorative thing, vaguely synonymous with beautiful scenery (when one is lucky) and games that bore to death."<ref name=ulysse>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170717031433/http://next.liberation.fr/guide/2000/07/07/ulysse-peine-et-loupe_332380 | url=http://next.liberation.fr/guide/2000/07/07/ulysse-peine-et-loupe_332380 | title=Ulysse Peine et Loupe | author=Rozange, Francis | date=July 7, 2000 | archive-date=July 17, 2017 | work=[[Libération]] | url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' reported in 2001 that Cryo originally had a reputation for "colorful, graphically opulent and content-wise light adventure games". Discussing Cryo's pivot to online games in the early 2000s, writer Martin Schnelle remarked, "With the decline of this [adventure] genre in general and also due to the low quality of its own products in particular compared to many competitors, the designers were forced to look for alternatives."<ref name="spiegel">{{cite web |author=Schnelle, Martin |date=May 29, 2001 |title=Reich durch Computerspielen |url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/gamers-corner-reich-durch-computerspielen-a-136604.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180721030229/http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/gamers-corner-reich-durch-computerspielen-a-136604.html |archive-date=July 21, 2018 |work=[[Der Spiegel]]}}</ref>

[[John Walker (journalist)|John Walker]], who reviewed most of Cryo's games for ''[[PC Gamer]]'' and gave them all negative reviews, described the studio's work as "always-awful but ever-so-sincere", adding that the studio "defied sense, taste, and coherence to produce an endless stream of the worst, most clumsy, most drearily pre-rendered ''Myst'' clones the world has ever seen". Furthermore, Walker said that Cryo's output consisted of "Deadpan adventure games set in wholly ludicrous reinterpretations of out-of-copyright works of literature, in which nothing made sense, and all puzzles were unfathomable guesswork".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/06/22/i-kind-of-miss-cryo/|title=I Kind Of Miss Dreadful Adventure Developer Cryo|last=Walker|first=John|date=2015-06-22|website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-28|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228172127/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/06/22/i-kind-of-miss-cryo/|archive-date=2017-12-28}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of Cryo Interactive video games]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.mobygames.com/company/cryo-interactive-entertainment ''Cryo Interactive''] profile on [[MobyGames]]
* [http://redmine.scolring.org ''SCOL''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113182018/http://redmine.scolring.org/ |date=2018-11-13 }}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20040803063454/http://adventuregamers.com/article/id,223 Interview with Ghislain Pages, Commercial Director for DreamCatcher Europe]}} at [[Adventure Gamers]] (2003-03-07)

{{Cryo adventures}}{{MegaRace series|state=collapsed}}{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Re-established companies]]
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of France]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]
[[Category:Video game publishers]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1990]]
[[Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2002]]