Virgin Interactive

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Virgin Interactive was a successful and influential British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing the budget label, Mastertronic in 1987. It was part of the Virgin Group. In 1994 it was renamed Virgin Interactive.

It published games for PC as well as other systems, including the Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, C64, Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear, Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sony Playstation.

It helped the career of many developers, including Westwood Studios (who developed Command & Conquer Series and the PC port of Resident Evil) and Synergistic. Also, many workers for Shiny Entertainment, including David Perry, worked for Virgin before splitting off to create Earthworm Jim. Also among Virgin Interactive alumni are famed video game composer Tommy Tallarico, artist Doug TenNapel, designer David Bishop, animator Bill Kroyer, animator/artists Andy Luckey and Mike Dietz and programmer Andy Astor.

In 1994 Virgin Interactive created the "Digicel" process, originally for an unpublished game called "Dynoblaze". Key to developing the process were Dr. Stephen Clarke-Wilson, David Perry, designer David Bishop, animator Bill Kroyer animator/artists Andy Luckey animator Mike Dietz and programmer Andy Astor. The technology was first released to the general public in the Disney's Aladdin for the Sega Mega Drive and, subsequently on such projects as The Lion King Video Game.

The British studio operations were acquired in a management buyout led by former Managing Director Tim Chaney in 1998. The U.S. operations were sold to Electronic Arts as part of its acquisition of Westwood Studios that same year.

The Company's assets were acquired in 1999 by the French publisher Titus Software -- its name was changed to Avalon Interactive on July 1, 2003.

In May 2002, the Spanish division of Virgin Interactive, known as Virgin Interactive España, was purchased by Tim Chaney along with former Spanish president and founder Paco Encinas. The branch was then separated from the main Virgin Interactive company, already part of Titus Software, and kept its own identity as a Virgin brand. Renamed Virgin Play in October 2002, this Spanish publisher remains today as the sole representation of the Virgin Group in the video game industry.

Some popular games published by this company:

• Doriath (1985)
• Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future (1986)
• Realms (1991)
• Corporation (1991)
• M.C. Kids (1991)
• Dune II (1992)
• Global Gladiators (1992)
• Spear of Destiny (1992) (Linux only)
• The 7th Guest (1992)
• Disney's Aladdin (1993)
• Doom (1993-1995) (Playstation and Linux versions only)
• Cannon Fodder (1993)
• Cool Spot (1993)
• Lands of Lore series (1993)
• Goal! (1994)
• Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994-1996) (Playstation and Linux versions only)
• The Lion King (1994)
• Command & Conquer (1995)
• Hyper 3D Pinball (1995)
• Super Karts (1995)
• Zone Raiders (1995)
• Command & Conquer: Red Alert (DOS Version Only) (1996)
• Broken Sword (1996)
• Resident Evil (Europe and PC versions only, PC versions made by Westwood Studios) (1996)
• Quake (Playstation and Linux versions only)
• Agile Warrior F-111X (1997)
• Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror (1997)
• Subspace (1997)
• Ignition (1997)
• Quake II (1997) (Playstation and Linux only)
• Resident Evil 2 (Europe only) (1998)
• Magic & Mayhem (Europe only) (1998)
• Dino Crisis (Europe only) (1999)
• Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (Europe only) (2000)
• Dino Crisis 2 (Europe only) (2000)
• Project Justice (Europe only) (2001)
• Resident Evil: Gaiden (Europe only) (2001)
• Devil May Cry (Europe only) (2001)
• Resident Evil Zero (European Gamecube version only) (2002)
• Resident Evil: Survivor (European PC version only) (2002)
• Devil May Cry 2 (Europe only) (2003)
• Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2003) (Playstation 2 and Linux only)
  • Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (2003) (Linux Only)

External links

• Avalon Interactive Portal
• Virgin Interactive profile on MobyGames