Data Design Interactive

From RRU Knowledge Base
Logo 2006-2016

Data Design Interactive Ltd was a British video game developer and publisher. The company was founded by in 1983 as Data Design Systems in Halesowen England, acquired by Stewart Green's Green Solutions in May 1990, and incorporated as limited company on 2 August 1999. The opening of a United States office in Sarasota, Florida, Data Design Interactive LLC, was announced on May 23, 2008.[1][2] Due to insolvency, the original United Kingdom office ceased trading in 2009 and was eventually dissolved on August 24, 2012.[3]

History

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Formation and early years

Ref[4]

Work with LEGO and creation of Artworld

Artworld logo c. 2001
Artworld created proprietary plug-ins for LightWave that helped match the color scheme of real LEGO bricks

After the release of Conquest Earth in 1997, the newly-formed LEGO Media International approached Data Design Interactive to work on LEGO Chess and LEGO Rock Raiders. For LEGO Chess, the company's art team animated FMV sequences for the game's opening, and for the opening and closing of each story match, based on scripts by producer Dave Upchurch; Krisalis Software worked on the actual game.[5] For LEGO Rock Raiders, art director Robert Dorney set up sister company Artworld UK to handle work on both pre-rendered FMV sequences and in-game models and animations. Twelve artists worked on LEGO Rock Raiders, using NewTek's LightWave 3D to create models and animations, and Adobe Photoshop and Kai's Power Tools to create textures that kept true to the look and feel of real LEGO bricks. Proprietary plugins for LightWave and a database of official Rock Raiders colors were used to color individually-modeled bricks, which were then assembled in scenes. Assembled models were then downgraded in quality for in-game use.[6][7]

Artworld was incorporated as a limited company on March 8, 2000, as The Artworld Design Group UK Ltd,[8] and later became known as Artworld Studios. Artworld went on to create FMV animations for LEGO Racers, LEGOLAND, LEGO Alpha Team, LEGO Creator: Knights' Kingdom, LEGO Creator: Harry Potter, LEGO Racers 2, and Creator: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Artworld also continued to work with LEGO to create animations for commercials, renders for the LEGO Adventures! magazine, videos for LEGOLAND Resort attractions such as Rocket Racers, a "LEGO Jack Stone" video, and designs for some LEGO sets.

Data Design team meeting

Data Design Interactive worked closely with the LEGO Futura office in Billund, Denmark to design LEGO Rock Raiders sets alongside development of the video game,[9] making this the first LEGO video game not based on already-existing themes or completely original concepts. Design of the sets took eight months to complete.[10]

Later years

On April 9, 2001, the original Artworld company was filed as having been dormant through the financial year ending March 31, 2001.[11] It remained dormant until its name was changed to My Personal Trainer Ltd on March 22, 2011.[12] A new Artworld company, Artworld Studios Ltd, was incorperated on March 27, 2002,[13] but was filed as having been dormant through and since the financial year ending March 31, 2003.[14] Both companies were dissolved on April 3, 2012.[15][16]

Big Future Ltd was incorporated on July 28, 2003; Eamonn Paul Barr, project manager for LEGO Rock Raiders, was appointed as secretary until Christmas 2014.

At some point prior to 2014, the United States office moved to Osprey, Florida.

We are looking forward to the future, it looks very bright!
—Stewart Green, CEO, c. 2014[17]

List of created works

Notes

References

  1. GamesIndustry International (23 May 2008). "Data Design Interactive opens US office". Eurogamer. Retrieved 21 October 2017. Archive from 26 May 2008.
  2. Jenkins, David (27 May 2008). "Data Design Interactive Opens U.S. Office". Gamasutra. UBM TechWeb. Retrieved 21 October 2017. Archive from 12 May 2012.
  3. Insolvency for DATA DESIGN INTERACTIVE LIMITED (03817591). Companies House. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  4. Kidd, Graeme. "This Little Proggy Went To Market...". Crash Issue No. 28, May 1986. p.76. Newsfield Publications Ltd. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  5. Upchurch, David (March 2000). "LEGO Chess (PC)". Retrieved 21 October 2017. Archive from 23 August 2017.
  6. Moltenbrey, Karen (March 2000). "Legos Come to Life". Computer Graphics World. Volume 23. Issue 3. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  7. Younghusband, Paul (1 February 2001). "A One Stop Digital Shop: Data Design Interactive and Artworld UK". Animation World Magazine. Issue 5.11, p. 19-21. Animation World Network. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  8. The Artworld Design Group UK Limited (8 March 2000) Incorporation. Companies House. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  9. "Behind the Scenes: Rock Raiders". LEGO Adventures! Issue 7, October 1999, p. 30-33. Egmont Fleetway Ltd, Egmont House.
  10. "The Design Concept". The Ultimate LEGO Book. Dorling Kindersley, 1999, p. 30-33.
  11. The Artworld Design Group UK Limited: Accounts for a dormant company made up to 31 March 2001. Companies House. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  12. My Personal Trainer Limited: Company name changed the artworld design group uk LIMITED. Companies House. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  13. Artworld Studios Limited: Incorporation. Companies House. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  14. Artworld Studios Limited: Accounts for a dormant company made up to 31 March 2003. Companies House. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  15. My Personal Trainer Limited: Final Gazette dissolved via voluntary strike-off. Companies House. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  16. Artworld Studios Limited: Final Gazette dissolved via voluntary strike-off. Companies House. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  17. Data Design Interactive homepage. Archive from 2 September 2014.

External links

Logo 1998-2006