Underground Development
| Subsidiary of Activision | |
| Industry | Computer and video games |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Defunct | February 11, 2010 |
| Headquarters | Redwood Shores, California |
| Owner | Activision Blizzard |
| Parent | Activision |
| Website | Underground Development Homepage |
Underground Development (formerly known as Z-Axis Games) was a video game developer founded in 1994 by David Luntz. The first game they began developing was Madden NFL '96 for the Sega Genesis.[1] The studio continued to make primarily sports and extreme sport games for the rest of its career. The first extreme sports game Z-Axis created was Thrasher: Skate and Destroy, published by Rockstar Games.
They were later acquired by Activision in May 2002, and in 2005 Z-Axis relocated to Foster City, California.[2] In early 2008, the studio was renamed to Underground Development in response to changes in both direction and personnel. On April 19, 2008, parent company Activision announced that the studio would close after completing development on the PlayStation 3 version of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.[3] However, the studio remained open and moved to a new office in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City, California[4] in February 2009.
Activision closed the studio on February 11, 2010 as part of a cost-cutting plan under Vivendi.
Contents
Developed games (as Z-Axis Games)[edit]
| Game title | Year released | Platform(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madden NFL '96 | 1996 | Sega Genesis | The first game created by Z-Axis |
| Fox Sports College Hoops '99 | 1998 | Nintendo 64 | |
| Rollerball | Cancelled | Planned for release in on the N64 during or after 1998.
Was based on the movie Rollerball. |
|
| Alexi Lalas International Soccer | 1999 | PlayStation | Released as "Three Lions" in Europe.
Europe edition was also released for the Game Boy Color. |
| Space Invaders | 1999 | PlayStationMicrosoft Windows | A redesigned 3D version of the arcade classic.
It contained competitive and co-op multiplayer modes. |
| Thrasher presents Skate and Destroy | 1999 | PlayStation | |
| Freestyle Motocross: McGrath vs. Pastrana | 2000 | PlayStation | |
| Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX | 2000 | PlayStationGame Boy Color | |
| Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 | 2001 | PlayStation 2GameCube | GameCube and Xbox versions contain extra content
not found in GameBoy and PS2 versions. |
| Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX: Maximum Remix | 2001 | PlayStation | Contained both Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 1 & 2 but
added extra levels, characters, and other content. |
| Aggressive Inline | 2002 | PlayStation 2 |
|
| BMX XXX | 2002 | PlayStation 2 GameCube | A very controversial game for containing nudity, adult
humor, and inappropriate language. |
| Iron Man | Cancelled | Planned to be based on and released with
the Iron Man movie in 2006 (movie was eventually released in 2008). |
|
| X-Men: The Official Game | 2006 | PlayStation 2Xbox | Z-Axis' final game before their name change. |
Developed games (as Underground Development)[edit]
- Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (PS3 version)
- Guitar Hero: Van Halen
- Call of Duty: Devil's Brigade[5] (cancelled)
References[edit]
- ^ "Z-Axis Games - IGN". IGN.com. Retrieved 2014-12-22.
- ^ "Activision’S Z-Axis Moves Headquarters To Foster City To Accommodate Expansion Plans". Armchairempire.com. 2005-02-10. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
- ^ "Activision confirms Underground closure". Gamesindustry.biz. 2008-04-19. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
- ^ "Underground Development website". Undergrounddev.com. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
- ^ "Terry Allen's Portfolio". Pixelanium.com. 2010-05-14. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
External links[edit]
- Activision website
- Z-Axis Ltd. profile on MobyGames
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