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{{Short description|Company}}
'''Ratbag Games Pty Ltd''' was an Australian developer of computer games such as ''[[Powerslide (video game)|Powerslide]]'', ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee]]'' and ''[[World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars 2002]]''.


{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
==About the company==
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2015}}
Ratbag was founded in 1993 in [[Adelaide]], [[South Australia]] by Richard Harrison and [[Greg Siegele]]. Known initially as Emergent Games, the company took 3 years to prototype their first title ''[[Powerslide]]''. Following its acquisition by [[Midway Games]] on 4 August 2005, the company was known as '''Midway Studios - Australia'''. On 13 December 2005, employees at the studio were told that Ratbag was going to be closed by its parent company. Two days later on the 15th, the studio was closed, leaving the staff employed there without a job. Subsequently, [[Krome Studios]] rehired many of the ratbag staff and established Krome Studios Adelaide.
{{Infobox company
| name = Ratbag Games
| logo = RatbagGamesLogo.jpg
| image =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang = <!-- Use ISO 639-1 code, e.g. "fr" for French. For multiple names in different languages, use {{lang|[code]|[name]}}. -->
| former_name =
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| founded = {{start date and age|1993}} in [[Adelaide]], [[Australia]]
| founder = Richard Harrison<br>[[Greg Siegele]]
| fate = Acquired and shut down by [[Midway Games]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wallis|first=Alistair|title=Q&A: Krome Studio's Robert Walsh on Melbourne House Acquisition|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/102492/QA_Krome_Studios_Robert_Walsh_on_Melbourne_House_Acquisition.php|access-date=2020-06-26|website=www.gamasutra.com|date=2 November 2006|language=en|archive-date=28 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200628222734/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/102492/QA_Krome_Studios_Robert_Walsh_on_Melbourne_House_Acquisition.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Dominguez|first=James 'DexX'|date=2015-04-24|title=The fall of the great Australian video games studio|url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/the-fall-of-the-great-australian-video-games-studio-20150424-1mshm2.html|access-date=2020-06-26|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|archive-date=3 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210103053926/https://www.smh.com.au/technology/the-fall-of-the-great-australian-video-games-studio-20150424-1mshm2.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| defunct = {{end date|df=yes|2005|12|15}}
| hq_location =
| key_people =
| num_employees = 60 (2001)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010820/mnm009.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20011004143550/http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010820/mnm009.html|title=Infogrames, Inc. Unleashes 'World of Outlaws(R) Sprint Cars 2002' For PlayStation(R)2 Computer Entertainment System|website=[[Business Wire]]|publisher=[[Berkshire Hathaway]]|via=[[Yahoo! Finance|Yahoo.com]]|archivedate=October 4, 2001|date=August 20, 2001|accessdate=June 29, 2019}}</ref>
| products =
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| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
}}


'''Ratbag Games Pty Ltd''' was a [[video game developer]] based in Australia.
==About the games==


== History ==
Ratbag made a name for itself with its debut title ''[[Powerslide]]''. The arcade racer, set in a post-apocalyptic future, is powered by a highly advanced rendering system for its time, allowing for up to 300,000 polygons on-screen at once. Powerslide was met with critical if not commercial success, receiving a lot of publicity from the Australian gaming media. Several PC racing titles followed over the years, and before too long Ratbag found itself "typecast" as a simulation racing developer.
Ratbag was founded in 1993 in [[Adelaide]], South Australia, by Richard Harrison and [[Greg Siegele]]. Known initially as "Emergent Games", the company took three years to prototype their first title ''[[Powerslide (video game)|Powerslide]]''. Following its acquisition by [[Midway Games]] on 4 August 2005, the company was known as "Midway Studios - Australia".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A134814514/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=c52247cb|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209071946/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&u=wikipedia&id=GALE%7CA134814514&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-GPS&asid=c52247cb|title=Midway Acquires Australian Developer Ratbag|website=[[Business Wire]]|archivedate=December 9, 2024|date=August 4, 2005|accessdate=December 9, 2024|via=[[Gale Research]]|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Jenkins|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=6120|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051119062051/https://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=6120|title=Midway Acquires Australian Developer Ratbag|website=[[Gamasutra]]|archivedate=November 19, 2005|date=August 4, 2005|accessdate=June 29, 2019}}</ref>


⚫
=== Games ===
With the arrival of the [[PlayStation 2]] in late 2000, Ratbag saw an opportunity to move into the lucrative console market. ''[[World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars 2002]]'' was the first of several PlayStation 2 titles developed and released, with a handful of titles going unpublished, most notably the follow-up to Powerslide, ''[[Powerslide: Slipstream]]''.
* ''[[Powerslide (video game)|Powerslide]]'' – Windows

* ''[[Dirt Track Racing (video game)|Dirt Track Racing]]'' – Windows
The last title developed by Ratbag (prior to their acquisition) was ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee]]'' for the PlayStation 2 and ''[[Xbox]]''. The "Adventure/Racing" title was the first Ratbag title to break from the simulation tradition set forth by previous titles and features simple "on-foot" gameplay in addition to various story-driven racing missions. Coming after a wave of similar mission-based driving games and with a rushed development, ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee]]'' received a lukewarm response from the gaming press.
⚫
* ''[[Dirt Track Racing: Sprint Cars]]'' – Windows

⚫
* ''[[Dirt Track Racing 2]]'' – Windows
⚫
==Games releases==
* [[Powerslide (video game)|Powerslide]] PC
* ''[[Leadfoot (video game)|Leadfoot]]'' – Windows
* [[Dirt Track Racing (computer game)|Dirt Track Racing]] PC
* Dirt Track Racing: Australia – Windows
* [[Dirt Track Racing: Sprint Cars]] PC
* ''[[World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars 2002]]'' – PS2, Windows
⚫
* ''Saturday Night Speedway'' – PS2, Windows
⚫
* [[Dirt Track Racing 2]] PC
⚫
* ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee]]'' – PS2, Xbox
* [[Leadfoot (computer game)|Leadfoot]] PC
⚫
* [[Holden Dirt Track Racing Australia]] PC
* [[World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars 2002]] PS2
⚫
* [[Saturday Night Speedway]] -PS2 & PC
⚫
* [[The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee]] PS2 & Xbox


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Greg Siegele]]
* [[Greg Siegele]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.tsumea.com/tsumeaFlashback/Website_Ratbag/index.html Ratbag Games] Last version of Ratbag Games official website reproduced by Australian video game website Sumea for archives purposes.
* [http://www.tsumea.com/tsumeaFlashback/Website_Ratbag/index.html Ratbag Games] Last version of Ratbag Games official website reproduced by Australian video game website Sumea for archive purposes.
* [http://www.gamerwithin.com/?view=article&article=909 News Report] Midway closes Ratbag
* [http://blog.funkyj.com/2005/12/midway-shafts-ratbag-studios.html Midway shafts Ratbag Studios] Employee's account of company closure
* [http://blog.funkyj.com/2005/12/midway-shafts-ratbag-studios.html Midway shafts Ratbag Studios] Employee's account of company closure


{{Authority control}}
⚫
[[Category:Video game companies of Australia]]

[[Category:Companies established in 1993]]
[[Category:Defunct technology companies of Australia]]
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of Australia]]
[[Category:Defunct video game companies]]
[[Category:Midway Games]]
[[Category:Video game developers]]
[[Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2005]]
⚫
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1993]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]

Latest revision as of 07:29, 9 December 2024

Ratbag Games
Company typePrivate
IndustryVideo games
Founded1993; 31 years ago (1993) in Adelaide, Australia
FounderRichard Harrison
Greg Siegele
Defunct15 December 2005 (2005-12-15)
FateAcquired and shut down by Midway Games[1][2]
Number of employees
60 (2001)[3]

Ratbag Games Pty Ltd was a video game developer based in Australia.

History

[edit]

Ratbag was founded in 1993 in Adelaide, South Australia, by Richard Harrison and Greg Siegele. Known initially as "Emergent Games", the company took three years to prototype their first title Powerslide. Following its acquisition by Midway Games on 4 August 2005, the company was known as "Midway Studios - Australia".[4][5]

Games

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Wallis, Alistair (2 November 2006). "Q&A: Krome Studio's Robert Walsh on Melbourne House Acquisition". www.gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  2. ^ Dominguez, James 'DexX' (24 April 2015). "The fall of the great Australian video games studio". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Infogrames, Inc. Unleashes 'World of Outlaws(R) Sprint Cars 2002' For PlayStation(R)2 Computer Entertainment System". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. 20 August 2001. Archived from the original on 4 October 2001. Retrieved 29 June 2019 – via Yahoo.com.
  4. ^ "Midway Acquires Australian Developer Ratbag". Business Wire. 4 August 2005. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024 – via Gale Research.
  5. ^ Jenkins, David (4 August 2005). "Midway Acquires Australian Developer Ratbag". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on 19 November 2005. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
[edit]
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