A brief history of Stainless Games
A long-term partnership with Terra Virtua is announced, to develop games based on the brand’s VFLECT characters. The first title - already underway - is an action/puzzler game for PC and mobile.
Other previously-announced projects remain in development.
Stainless commissioned to carry out consultancy and design work for a branded CCG, and separately engaged in design and pre-production of a big-brand NFT-based CCG title. Later in the year, Colony Online - a further NFT-based title - is signed up for development.
Stainless signs a development deal for a new CCG title based on a major Sci-Fi TV franchise.
A major AAA co-development project with a well-known tech giant commences production.
In the background, development begins on an all-new title based on Patrick Buckland’s classic Crystal Quest game.
Stainless Games announces ShockRods – a 6v6 or 12 player free-for-all arena shooter, which will bring all the blisteringly fast-paced action, mayhem and overpowered weapons you would expect from the Stainless studio. Green Man Games release the title on PC, while Stainless self-publish on the Apple Arcade platform.
Also this year, Stainless sign up to develop two titles for Intellivision’s innovative Amino console: a new version of Atari’s classic Missile command, and a fun-for-all-the-family Liar’s Dice game.
Other unannounced projects in development include including an innovative VR title and a Collectible Card Game for mobile platforms.
TVR contracts Stainless Games to design and develop dashboard and infotainment software for their new sports car.
At the end of the year THQ Nordic AB announced the acquisition of the Carmageddon intellectual property from Stainless Games Ltd.
Following a successful closed Beta period, the next Carmageddon title, Carmageddon: Crashers, is released. A number of other unannounced projects are being worked on, including an innovative title which fully utilises a new generation of Stainless’s driving tech and physics engine.
Carmageddon: Max Damage is released on 8th July for Playstation 4 and Xbox One consoles. The Max Damage release has more cars, more levels, more pedestrians and numerous visual and performance improvements. It also features trailers, wheelchairs, bikes and mobility scooters.
Carmageddon: Max Damage is released on 27th October for PC, via the Steam client. All players who already own a copy of Carmageddon: Reincarnation receive the new game for free as it is automatically added to their Steam Games Library.
Five separate expansions are released for Magic Duels through the year, on PC, iPad, iPhone, and Xbox One. They add new unique earnable cards, new Story Quests, new Skill Quests, and new customizable items. The continued release of expansion packs throughout the whole of 2016 and into 2017 ensures the title continues to enjoy a long tail.
At the same time, work is ongoing on another Carmageddon title for mobile (Android and iOS), with release slated for Q1/2 2017.
Carmageddon: reincarnation for the PC is released on Steam on 21st May 2015. This is the culmination of three years’ design and development of an all-new Carmageddon title, following Stainless Games’ acquisition of the original Carmageddon rights.
Meanwhile, Magic: The Gathering moves to a new Stainless-designed Free-to-Play model with the release of Magic Duels.
'Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers' launched on iPad, PC via Steam, Xbox 360, Amazon Kindle, Android on Google Play and later in the year on Xbox One. Carmageddon: Reincarnation for the PC is released on Steam Early Access on 27 March 2014. The CLINT app is also released in this year as a companion app for all the latest Carmageddon news.
With added investment from Bullfrog founder Les Edgar the team get busy developing a bigger, better Carmageddon: Reincarnation.
Magic 2014 is also released on Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PC via Steam®, PlayStation® Network, iPad and - for the first time - Android. Later in the year an Expansion pack is released.
May and June 2012 saw Stainless launch and complete a highly successful Kickstarter Campaign, raising funding for an all-new Carmageddon game. Later in the year the original Carmageddon 1 PC Game was released by GOG, shortly followed by a highly polished port of the same title for Apple iOS devices. The amusing Carmageddon Pratcam app was also released.
The next iteration of our Magic: The Gathering title, Magic 2013, is released in the middle of the year.
Probably the busiest year to date for Stainless. The big news in the spring is that Max is Back! Stainless announces that Carmageddon has come home: Stainless now owns all IP in the brand, including all past games, all characters, trademarks and designs. Carmageddon.com is resurrected and a thriving community is rapidly established.
RISK: Factions is released on PS3 and Steam, extending this popular title across multiple platforms.
Strong sales of Duels of the Planeswalkers and its content packs mean the title rarely leaves the top ten best seller lists. In June its long awaited sequel Magic 2012 (or Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 to give it its full title) is released on Xbox Live Arcade, the Playstation Network and Steam, hitting the number one spot yet again!
Further downloadable content packs are released for Duels of the Planeswalkers, propelling the main title back to #1 for the third time since release. The PC version of Duels of the Planeswalkers is released on Steam in June.
In June, RISK: Factions is released by EA on XBLA, giving Stainless yet another XBLA #1!
Another year of Stainless-developed releases begins with the Electronic Arts' official Hasbro-licensed Scrabble title for DS and PSP in Q1.
Red Baron Arcade for PS3 is released soon after, while Magic the Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers for Xbox Live Arcade is released in June. It heads straight to the #1 position, and at that moment is the fastest-selling XBLA title in history.
A title update to Stainless' well-received Xbox Live Arcade classic Crystal Quest is released in January featuring enhanced gameplay and new leaderboards.
The Wizards of the Coast collaboration is revealed to be an Xbox Live Arcade title based on the hugely popular Magic: the Gathering trading card game.
Stainless-developed Happy Tree Friends is released by SEGA on Xbox Live Arcade during the summer, while other Stainless-developed titles released through 2008 include Sierra Online's Red Baron, and Atari's Battlezone and Warlords.
The first Atari coin-op classic package - Centipede and Millipede - is released on Xbox 360 Live Arcade in May, with Missile Command following in July. Missile Command tops the charts on release. Asteroids/Asteroids Deluxe and Tempest follow later in the year.
During Q4, Stainless and Wizards of the Coast (a subsidiary of Hasbro) jointly announce a collaboration based on a globally-renowned Wizards property.
And a successful year is rounded off in December as the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) title Atari Classics Evolved is released.
The popular Stainless-developed classic Crystal Quest is released on the Xbox 360 Live Arcade platform.
Novadrome, a premium Xbox 360 Live Arcade driving game based on Stainless' own IP is released by publisher Buena Vista Games.
Atari announces that 6 of its classic arcade coin-op titles will be coming to the XBox 360 Live Arcade platform during 2007. Developed by Stainless, each title features an evolution version which brings the gameplay and graphics to exciting new heights. A nanosecond-perfect emulation of the original is included with each title.
SCi (now Eidos) - the original publishers of Carmageddon - commission Stainless to work on an undisclosed project. In parallel to this, Stainless develops a budget PC and PS2 racing title for the Dutch publisher Davilex, which was completed on time and to budget.
Stainless are chosen as the developer for a high profile Internet based game for the PC which launches to considerable media interest (unfortunately confidentiality clauses preclude us from naming the product).
Stainless starts work on a driving game for Sony's new PSP handheld with an undisclosed US publisher. Following the closure of the VIS IOW studio in July 2003, more of the original team rejoin Stainless, including its original co-founder Neil Barnden.
Stainless Games signs a major contract with Midway Home Entertainment to develop an arcade-action driving game on PS2, Xbox and GameCube.
Buckland is appointed executive director and design consultant on the State of Emergency project being developed internally by VIS. State of Emergency wins Game of the Show awards at E3 and shoots to number one in the all-formats charts on both sides of the Atlantic.
Later this year, Stainless Games Ltd. is spun off from the VIS group. The new company, headed by Patrick Buckland and backed by Bullfrog founder Les Edgar incorporates all of the proprietary technology developed since 1993, including the industry-renowned physics engine that gave the Carmageddon series its edge.
The Stainless team becomes part of the VIS entertainment group and begins work on a high-profile racing title for EA on PS2 and PC.
There are approximately 200 Carmageddon fan-sites on the Internet. The game - and the company - win numerous awards. Carmageddon 2 is completed ahead of schedule and again tops charts worldwide. SCi subsequently release PlayStation, N64 and Gameboy versions of Carmageddon.
Carmageddon enters the UK charts at the number one position, and proceeds to top charts worldwide. The company expands to develop Carmageddon 2 and other titles, as well as an add-on pack to Carmageddon called the Splat Pack which also tops charts around the world.
Stainless lands its first full-scale games contract with SCi, for the game which became Carmageddon.
Stainless founded by Patrick Buckland, an industry veteran with extensive games programming experience dating back to 1982, and Neil Barnden, previously a senior designer at Conran and The Body Shop. The company starts by performing sub-contracted 3D engine work for Argonaut, and developing medical multimedia titles for the Times Mirror Group.