Heavy Iron Studios, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Manhattan Beach, California. It was founded in August 1999 within THQ after the publisher acquired Steve Gray's Chemistry Entertainment. As part of a series of cost reductions within THQ, Heavy Iron Studios was spun off as an independent company in June 2009. Keywords Studios acquired the developer in January 2021.
History Early during his career, Steve Gray worked for the visual effects companies Robert Abel and Associates, Rhythm & Hues, and Digital Domain. As Digital Domain was trying to get into the video game industry, Gray and the company's chief financial officer, Chris McKibbin, pitched their services to various larger video game companies. Although they were turned down due to Digital Domain's lack of experience in the field, Gray and McKibbin were offered positions at the game developer, EA Canada, which both accepted. Gray quickly discovered his dislike the studio's sports games and soon switched to Square USA, where he managed the development team for Parasite Eve. As the game was completed, Gray and several of the game's developers believed they could easily obtain publishing contracts from outside companies if they set up their own studio. In 1997, Gray established Chemistry Entertainment. The studio worked on several unreleased games, including a Godzilla game for Electronic Arts. Chemistry Entertainment was briefly part of Rainmaker Entertainment Group, which also housed Rainmaker Digital Effects, as Rainmaker Interactive. Eventually, the studio landed a deal with THQ for a game based on the Evil Dead franchise. Gray sold his studio to THQ, which then established Heavy Iron Studios as an internal developer on August 31, 1999. The finished game, Evil Dead: Hail to the King, was released in late 2000.
Following significant financial losses at THQ, the company announced that it would spin off several of its developers, including Heavy Iron Studios. The studio's independence was effective on June 1, 2009. Through a series of layoffs, its headcount was reduced from 120 to 60 by December. In September 2020, Keywords Studios announced that it had agreed to acquire Heavy Iron Studios with its 43 employees for . The acquisition was complete on January 13, 2021.
Games developed Year released Title Platform(s) 2000Evil Dead: Hail to the KingMicrosoft Windows, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2002Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube 2003SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom 2004The SpongeBob SquarePants MovieThe Incredibles Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X 2005The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer 2007RatatouilleXbox 360, PlayStation 3 2008WALL-E Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii 2009UpSpongeBob's Truth or Square Xbox 360, Wii 2011UFC Personal TrainerXbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii 2012Harley Pasternak's Hollywood Workout Xbox 360, WiiFamily Guy: Back to the Multiverse Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 2015Fat CityMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, OS X, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation VR, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch 2017Amazon Odyssey Microsoft Windows (Requires HTC Vive) 2020 Pac-Man Mega Tunnel BattleStadia
Games co-developed Year released Title Platform(s) 2007RatatouilleMicrosoft Windows, Mac OS X, Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Wii 2008WALL-E Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable 2009Up 2012Epic Mickey 2: The Power of TwoWii U 2013Disney InfinityMicrosoft Windows, Wii U, Wii, iOS 2014South Park: The Stick of Truth Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo SwitchDisney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes Microsoft Windows, Wii U, iOS, Android 2015Disney Infinity 3.0 2016Call of Duty: Infinite WarfareMicrosoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4The Martian VR ExperienceMicrosoft Windows (Requires either HTC Vive or Oculus Rift), PlayStation VR 2017Call of Duty: WWII Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4Road RageDreadnoughtMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 42018Ocean CasinoiOS, AndroidH1Z1Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4Star Wars: Jedi ChallengesiOS, Android 2019The Grand Tour GameXbox One, PlayStation 4 2020Marvel's AvengersMicrosoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, StadiaCrash Bandicoot 4: It's About TimeMicrosoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo SwitchCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 2021Call of Duty: Vanguard 2022Call of Duty: Warzone 2023Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III 2024Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 2025AvowedMicrosoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S
Cancelled games Year Title Platform(s) Notes 2000Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 FrightsPlayStationEarly version of the game with a different plot and gameplay style. 2007Toy Story 3Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, WiiEarly rejected version. Final game was developed by Avalanche Software. 2008SpongeBob SquarePants: Happiness SquaredPlayStation 2, WiiAltered and retooled into SpongeBob's Truth or Square. 2010Saints Row: The CoolerXbox 360, PlayStation 3Fighting game spin-off of the Saints Row series that required the Kinect/PlayStation Move.Disney’s E-TicketXbox 360Early rejected version of what eventually became Kinect: Disneyland Adventures, developed by Frontier Developments.Family Guy: Road to DeathXbox 360, PlayStation 3Altered and retooled into Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse. 2011Family Guy: Back to the MultiverseWii, Nintendo 3DSAlternative versions of the game for Nintendo consoles with a different gameplay style.
References
External links