Runecraft (later renamed Gamezlab) was a British video game developer based in the United Kingdom. The company was founded in April 1997 and mostly developed games based on licensed properties.

Runecraft
IndustryVideo games
FoundedApril 1997[1]
DefunctSeptember 2004
SuccessorGamezlab
Headquarters
Yorkshire, England[2]
Number of employees
200 (2001)[3]
ParentBBC Multimedia (2002-2004)
Websiterunecraft.co.uk (archived)

History

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In 2002, the company was commissioned by the BBC to develop a fighting game engine for the company's upcoming FightBox game show project. However, various financial issues, mismanagement, and other problems caused Runecraft to go bust at the end of December 2002. To keep the show alive, BBC Worldwide acquired the developer and a small number of its staff, and renamed the developer under BBC's core-publishing brand "Gamezlab".[2]

Following the failure of FightBox and the completion of the tie-in games, In February 2004, Gamezlab were commissioned to develop a video game based on BBC's Spooks TV series for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows.[4] The game was planned to use a new internal game engine, but at the end of September 2004, BBC Multimedia closed down Gamezlab as part of a restructuring to focus on licensing and ceasing development and publication.

Games developed

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Year Game Platform(s)
1998 Risk Windows, PlayStation
Caesars' Palace II Game Boy Color, PlayStation
1999 Barbie: Race & Ride PlayStation
Y2K: The Game Windows
Barbie Super Sports Windows, PlayStation
2000 Spec Ops: Stealth Patrol PlayStation
Arthur! Ready to Race PlayStation
Caesars Palace 2000 Dreamcast, Windows, PlayStation
Evo's Space Adventures PlayStation
Spec Ops II: Omega Squad Dreamcast
Detective Barbie: The Mystery Cruise PlayStation
2001 Barbie: Explorer
Spec Ops: Covert Assault
Soldier of Fortune Dreamcast
Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX
Tintin: Destination Adventure Windows, PlayStation
Rescue Heroes: Molten Menace PlayStation
Men in Black: The Series – Crashdown
Pajama Sam 3: You Are What You Eat from Your Head to Your Feet
Backyard Soccer
Scrabble Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, PlayStation
2002 Jim Henson's The Hoobs PlayStation
Westlife: Fan-o-Mania Windows, PlayStation
Butt Ugly Martians: B.K.M. Battles Game Boy Advance
Monopoly Party GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Shadow of Memories Windows
Super Bubble Pop Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation, Xbox
Butt-Ugly Martians: Zoom or Doom GameCube, PlayStation 2
2004 FightBox Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2
Cancelled Spooks Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Barbie Treasures in Time PlayStation 2, GameCube
Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends PlayStation
Star Trek: New Worlds[5] Dreamcast

References

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  1. ^ "Overview". runecraft.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2001. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b Yarwood, Jack (22 March 2023). "Remembering FightBox, BBC's Big-Budget Video Game Failure". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  3. ^ Trapp, Roger (11 March 2011). "I see what you say - video conferencing comes of age". The Independent. p. 55. Retrieved 24 March 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "BBC - Worldwide Press Office - Spooks revealed as multi-format computer game". www.bbc.co.uk.
  5. ^ "Star Trek: New Worlds". IGN. 5 October 1999. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
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