Rockstar Vancouver

Moby ID: 2769

AKA +
  • Barking Dog Studios, Ltd. (from 1998 to 2002-07-31)

Overview edit · view history

The company was founded as Barking Dog Studios, Ltd. in Gastown, Vancouver, British Columbia, by six ex-Radical employees: Brian Thalken, Peter Grant, Sean Thompson, Christopher Mair, Glenn Barnes and Michael Gyori.

Their first project was the Cataclysm expansion for Relic Entertainment's Homeworld in 2000. Next, they developed their first standalone game, the FPS Global Operations, released in 2002. In August 2002, Take-Two Interactive acquired the company and renamed it Rockstar Vancouver, as one of the many Rockstar divisions.

Their first game as Rockstar Vancouver is Bully, released in October 2006.

Rockstar Vancouver was merged to Rockstar Toronto in July 2012.

Credited on 8 Games from 2000 to 2012

Max Payne 3 (2012 on Windows, Xbox 360, Macintosh...)
Bully: Scholarship Edition (2008 on Windows, Xbox 360, Wii...)
Bully (2006 on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4)
Counter-Strike (2003 on Linux, Windows, Xbox...)
Disney's Treasure Planet: Battle at Procyon (2002 on Windows)
Global Operations (2002 on Windows)
Half-Life: Counter-Strike (2000 on Windows)
Homeworld: Cataclysm (2000 on Windows)

History +

August 1st, 2002

Through Take-Two's acquisition of the company, Barking Dog Studios, Ltd., a new Rockstar division is formed: Rockstar Vancouver. Take-Two acquired Barking Dog for $3 million in cash, as well as 242,450 shares of restricted common stock.

1998

Company founded as Barking Dog Studios, Ltd. in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Brian Thalken, Peter Grant, Sean Thompson, Christopher Mair, Glenn Barnes and Michael Gyori.

Trivia +

Dan McBride explains how they decided on the original name:

"In a brain storming session it was decided that our studio should have a name that reflects what we are all about -- non-corporate, non-pretentious, and devoted to a fun work environment where we can all make fun products. One of the company founders recalled a pub in California called the Barking Dog, and the name caught on right from the start."

Related Web Sites +

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