Gamezlab (formerly Runecraft) was a British video game developer based in Yorkshire. The company was founded in April 1997 and mostly developed games based on licensed properties.
History 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".
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. 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 Year Game Platform(s) 1998 Risk 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 DreamcastDetective Barbie: The Mystery CruisePlayStation 2001 Barbie: ExplorerSpec 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, XboxBarbie Treasures in TimePlayStation 2, GameCubeThomas the Tank Engine and FriendsPlayStationStar Trek: New WorldsDreamcast
References
External links (archived)