League of Geeks
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | January 2011 |
| Founder | Ty Carey Blake Mizzi Trent Kusters Jacek Tuschewski |
| Headquarters | , Australia |
| Products | |
Number of employees | 30[1](2023) |
| Website | leagueofgeeks |
League of Geeksis avideo game developmentcompany founded in 2011. Based inMelbourne,Australia, the studio was most known for developingArmello,adigital board gamein 2015. The studio's games includeJumplight OdysseyandSolium Infernum.
History
[edit]League of Geeks was founded by Ty Carey, Blake Mizzi, Trent Kusters and Jacek Tuschewski in January 2011.[2]All four of them previously worked atTorus Gameson various licensed titles.[3]Based inMelbourne,Australia, the studio received fundings from governmental funding agenciesScreen AustraliaandFilm Victoriafor their first project,Armello.Developed by about 15 people,Armellowas described by the team as a "natively-digital card and board game set in a fairy-tale animal kingdom".[4]Initially set to be released only for iPad, League of Geeks launched a successfulKickstartercampaign for the game for its release on additional platforms.[5]Armellowas released in 2015 to generally positive reviews, though its commercial performance was a disappointment for the studio, selling only a quarter of what League of Geeks had expected. According to the studio, it was not successful enough for them to greenlight new titles, so they decided to continue to work on updates forArmelloinstead. Following years of updates, the game was able to generate more revenue than when it was first launched.[6]
In 2020,Private Divisionannounced that it had signed a contract with League of Geeks for the development of a new game.[7]The game, then codenamedBlackcat,was cancelled during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[8]FollowingBlackcat's cancellation, the studio then concurrently worked on two titles: a remake ofSolium Infernum,and simulation gameJumplight Odyssey.Development of both games started in mid 2021, and both projects were partly funded byKowloon Nights.[9]Each game had a team size of about 25 people. League of Geeks adopted the "triple-I" development model, with the team aiming to create games with high production values with a lower budget and staff count when compared with traditionaltriple-Amodel.[10][11]Jumplight Odysseywas released viaearly accessin August 2023.[12]By November 2023, the development team had about 70 people.[13]The studio was in talks with investors to keep the studio afloat, though negotiations fell apart. In December 2023, it was announced that 31 people had been laid off, roughly accounting for 50% of its staff. The entireJumplight Odysseydevelopment team was laid off, and its development was paused indefinitely. The development teams forSolium InfernumandArmellowere not affected.[1]TheSolium Infernumremake released for Windows in February 2024.[14]
In June 2024, the studio announced it would be entering "hibernation" indefinitely.[15]
Games
[edit]| Year | Title | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Armello | Linux,macOS,Windows,PlayStation 4,Xbox One,Nintendo Switch,iOS,Android |
| 2023 | Jumplight Odyssey | Windows (early access) |
| 2024 | Solium Infernum | Windows |
References
[edit]- ^abDealessandri, Marie (December 5, 2024)."League of Geeks:" We'll fight till the last breath "".Gameindustry.biz.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^"League of Geeks Presskit".League of Geeks.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^Andreadis, Kosta (September 7, 2015)."Making Armello".IGN.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^"League of Geeks Announces Armello".IGN.September 20, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^Pitcher, Jenna (May 5, 2014)."League of Geeks surpasses $200K Kickstarter goal to fund digital board game Armello".Polygon.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^Handrahan, Matthew (February 7, 2019)."League of Geeks:" We are a response to what was before "".Gameindustry.biz.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^Bolding, Jonathan (August 4, 2020)."Take-Two's Private Division to publish games from the makers of Ori, Armello, and OlliOlli".PC Gamer.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^Ryan, Jack (December 6, 2023)."League of Geeks games studio lays off half its workforce, 'indefinitely pauses' production on Jumplight Odyssey".ABC.com.RetrievedJanuary 26,2024.
- ^Shiel, Emily (June 23, 2023)."League of Geeks talks Jumplight Odyssey, Solium Infernum, and learning as a studio".GamesHub.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^J. Williams, Leah (March 17, 2022)."League of Geeks signs with publisher Kowloon Nights".GamesHub.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^Dealessandri, Marie (September 22, 2012)."Life after Armello: How League of Geeks wants to" nip at the revenue of the big guys "".Gameindustry.biz.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^Sein, Kaan (July 27, 2023)."Spaceship colony sim Jumplight Odyssey zooms into early access next month".Rock, Paper, Shotgun.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^Dealessandri, Marie (November 14, 2023)."League of Geeks:" It's a very serious time for a studio of our size "".Gameindustry.biz.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^Smith, Graham (November 30, 2023)."Solium Infernum remake will hit PC in February 2024".Rock, Paper, Shotgun.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
- ^Chalk, Andy (2024-06-12)."Armello studio League of Geeks is 'going into hibernation for the foreseeable future' and may not be back".PC Gamer.Archivedfrom the original on 2024-06-13.Retrieved2024-06-13.
