GarageGames Acquires BraveTree
by Hokuto · in General Discussion · 06/14/2005 (1:00 am) · 9 replies
Officials from Oregon-based independent publisher and developer GarageGames have announced that the company has acquired developer BraveTree Productions, as part of its ongoing process of expansion and a desire to create a wider range of console and online downloadable games.
BraveTree, which has three main employees who were formerly developers at Sierra's Dynamix studio, is already a part of the GarageGames community, where it is best known for creating independent title ThinkTanks, which uses GarageGames' Torque engine for PC, Mac, and Linux. Other GarageGames titles including Marble Blast are now available via the currently under-publicized Xbox Live Arcade service, which allows 'casual' or smaller-scale titles to be downloaded for an online payment of $10-20.
But with the Xbox 360 believed to have a more robustly built-in Xbox Live Arcade service as default, and other independent titles such as Wik & The Fable Of Souls in development for Xbox 360 Live Arcade, GarageGames, best known itself for Torque, is taking advantage of this coming opportunity by acquiring BraveTree.
"With the expanded opportunities like Xbox 360, it was natural to want to include the BraveTree team. This allows us to work together to support our mutual passion for making fun games benefiting both of us with increased creative collaboration as well as putting more energy and investment directly into games," said Mark Frohnmayer, newly promoted president of GarageGames.
"Getting to focus just on creating games without the distractions of running an indie studio fulfills our original purpose in founding BraveTree," said Joe Maruschak, former Creative Director of BraveTree Productions and currently GarageGames' Creative Director. "The way GarageGames is structured will give us the opportunity to contribute to the success of the games and technology."
-David Jenkins
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This I saw on Gamasutra
Well done guys... it is actaully nice to see more ex Dynamix employees getting together.
No one more then you would know how to make Torque products better and better for indie developers
Can't wait to see the first results of this deal.
Nice one
Hokuto
BraveTree, which has three main employees who were formerly developers at Sierra's Dynamix studio, is already a part of the GarageGames community, where it is best known for creating independent title ThinkTanks, which uses GarageGames' Torque engine for PC, Mac, and Linux. Other GarageGames titles including Marble Blast are now available via the currently under-publicized Xbox Live Arcade service, which allows 'casual' or smaller-scale titles to be downloaded for an online payment of $10-20.
But with the Xbox 360 believed to have a more robustly built-in Xbox Live Arcade service as default, and other independent titles such as Wik & The Fable Of Souls in development for Xbox 360 Live Arcade, GarageGames, best known itself for Torque, is taking advantage of this coming opportunity by acquiring BraveTree.
"With the expanded opportunities like Xbox 360, it was natural to want to include the BraveTree team. This allows us to work together to support our mutual passion for making fun games benefiting both of us with increased creative collaboration as well as putting more energy and investment directly into games," said Mark Frohnmayer, newly promoted president of GarageGames.
"Getting to focus just on creating games without the distractions of running an indie studio fulfills our original purpose in founding BraveTree," said Joe Maruschak, former Creative Director of BraveTree Productions and currently GarageGames' Creative Director. "The way GarageGames is structured will give us the opportunity to contribute to the success of the games and technology."
-David Jenkins
--------------
This I saw on Gamasutra
Well done guys... it is actaully nice to see more ex Dynamix employees getting together.
No one more then you would know how to make Torque products better and better for indie developers
Can't wait to see the first results of this deal.
Nice one
Hokuto
#2
doh! oh well :)
06/14/2005 (8:13 am)
Eh he... I looked on GG to see if it had already been posted... I guess I looked in the wrong places...doh! oh well :)
#3
06/14/2005 (11:55 am)
Hehe, that's ok. It's always nice to see it get picked up in other places and such.
#4
06/15/2005 (6:52 am)
Does this mean that GG is slowly becoming the EA of the indie world? :P 
#5
06/15/2005 (7:15 am)
There is a news post on the GG What's New site... post your concerns (after reading the thread) there. 
#6
06/15/2005 (8:11 am)
No, it just means that conspiracy theorists like yourself can get worked up over another item. The fact of the matter is that Bravetree and GG have worked hand in hand so much that its only natural that this would happen and will more than likely benefit everyone who is here to seriously make a game and start down the pathway of indie revolution.
#7
06/15/2005 (9:19 am)
Yeah, bravetree is not 21-6 or maxgaming, bravetree has always been so close to gg that they've practically been part of gg anyway. I always thought they were across the street from gg or something, but no, they're right inside the gg office anyway!
#8
Joe and Clark are ex-Dynamix.. and... well, I guess I count as the third since I took a couple tours of Dynamix back in the day... Played ping pong there once... I guess John and Matt get left out.. :P
This is what happens when you don't update your website...
06/15/2005 (1:55 pm)
"BraveTree, which has three main employees who were formerly developers at Sierra's Dynamix studio.."Joe and Clark are ex-Dynamix.. and... well, I guess I count as the third since I took a couple tours of Dynamix back in the day... Played ping pong there once... I guess John and Matt get left out.. :P
This is what happens when you don't update your website...
#9
From everything I've read it sounds like the next logical step in the evolution of GG. I'm looking forward to what the new team up produces.
As for being serious on idie design and the "revolution". I am baby, oh I am. I'm investing all my spare time and cash into it while braving the wrath of wife.
viva la GG!
- Alan
06/17/2005 (4:44 am)
@ L Foster & Joshua Dallman - relax guys, I was just kidding. I love GG and I've bought most of Bravetree's content packs. I also always found their customer support to be stellar. Didn't you notice my ":P" after my question?From everything I've read it sounds like the next logical step in the evolution of GG. I'm looking forward to what the new team up produces.
As for being serious on idie design and the "revolution". I am baby, oh I am. I'm investing all my spare time and cash into it while braving the wrath of wife.
viva la GG!
- Alan
Associate Craig Fortune