Digital Pictures was an American video game developer founded in 1991 by Lode Coen, Mark Klein, Ken Melville, Anne Flaut-Reed, Kevin Welsh and Tom Zito.[1]
The company originated from an attempt to produce a game for the failed VHS-based NEMO game system. One of its first titles, Night Trap, was originally produced as a title for the NEMO, before being converted for use with Sega's new Sega CD. The mature-themed content of Night Trap made it the source of some controversy. Nevertheless, the title was a bestseller. Digital Pictures went on to create other full motion video-based titles primarily for Sega hardware, and are regarded as a pioneer of the interactive movie genre.[2] The company declined in the mid-1990s due to waning interest in full motion video games. Its final title, Maximum Surge, went unreleased and was later repurposed into a film called Game Over.
The founders of Digital Pictures met in the late 1980s while working at a division of the toy manufacturer Hasbro originally called Hasbro Interactive and later renamed Isix. The Isix team developed a video game system called NEMO (a code name abbreviation for "never ever mention outside")[citation needed] that used VHS tapes rather than cartridges, which allowed games to offer live action and interactivefull motion video. They also developed a software prototype called Scene Of The Crime, which led to the production of two full-length titles, Night Trap and Sewer Shark.
After Hasbro executives declined to bring the NEMO system to market, closing its Isix division, key members of the Isix team founded Digital Pictures in 1991 and purchased the NEMO software assets from Hasbro. Digital Pictures converted Night Trap and Sewer Shark from their video-tape-based format to the Sega CD platform.
We're betting, ultimately, when there's an interactive cable converter sitting atop everyone's TV set, that something that feels like Citizen Kane (or at least Leave It to Beaver) will have more legs than something that feels like Mario or Princess Toadstool.[3]
In the early 1990s, Night Trap was singled out by numerous interest groups and by U.S. senators Joseph Lieberman and Herbert Kohl as evidence that the video game industry was marketing games with graphic violence and other adult content to minors. Concern about Night Trap and several other games such as Mortal Kombat helped to bring about the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board video game rating system.
Decline
By the late 1990s, consumer interest in full-motion video games, which accounted for the majority of the company's profits, was in decline. After the collapse of the company, its assets were acquired by Cyber Cinema Interactive. The new company intended to re-release the games for DVD but that never came about.[5] The only actual production for Cyber Cinema was the direct to video film Game Over – also known as Maximum Surge Movie. It used footage from an unreleased video game called Maximum Surge as well as clips from other Digital Pictures games. Although the film boasted stars such as Yasmine Bleeth and Walter Koenig, they only appear in the segments that had been pulled from the FMV sequences of the game, which suffer from lower image quality than the original footage.[6]
Re-releases
Flash Film Works later acquired the rights to some of the games. They remastered and re-released Double Switch and Quarterback Attack for iTunes and Google Play in late 2016 before partnering with Screaming Villains and Limited Run Games to release PlayStation 4 remasters starting in 2018 with Double Switch and 2019 with Corpse Killer.[7] Screaming Villains separately re-released Night Trap and Ground Zero Texas (two of the games not owned by Flash Film Works) through Limited Run Games.
Games developed
List of games developed by Digital Pictures and all subsequent releases of the games either by them or successor companies.
Title
Cast
Date of release
Format
Reference
Citizen X
Sharee Gregory, Charley Hayward, Peter Kent, Rob Narita, Mark Withers
digital, pictures, pictures, created, digitally, digital, photography, american, video, game, developer, founded, 1991, lode, coen, mark, klein, melville, anne, flaut, reed, kevin, welsh, zito, industryvideo, game, industryfounded1991, 1991, founderslode, coen. For pictures created digitally see Digital photography Digital Pictures was an American video game developer founded in 1991 by Lode Coen Mark Klein Ken Melville Anne Flaut Reed Kevin Welsh and Tom Zito 1 Digital PicturesIndustryVideo game industryFounded1991 1991 FoundersLode CoenMark KleinKen MelvilleAnne Flaut ReedKevin WelshTom ZitoDefunct1996 1996 HeadquartersSan Mateo California U S 1 ProductsInteractive moviesThe company originated from an attempt to produce a game for the failed VHS based NEMO game system One of its first titles Night Trap was originally produced as a title for the NEMO before being converted for use with Sega s new Sega CD The mature themed content of Night Trap made it the source of some controversy Nevertheless the title was a bestseller Digital Pictures went on to create other full motion video based titles primarily for Sega hardware and are regarded as a pioneer of the interactive movie genre 2 The company declined in the mid 1990s due to waning interest in full motion video games Its final title Maximum Surge went unreleased and was later repurposed into a film called Game Over Contents 1 Full motion video games 2 Controversy 3 Decline 4 Re releases 5 Games developed 6 References 7 External linksFull motion video games EditThe founders of Digital Pictures met in the late 1980s while working at a division of the toy manufacturer Hasbro originally called Hasbro Interactive and later renamed Isix The Isix team developed a video game system called NEMO a code name abbreviation for never ever mention outside citation needed that used VHS tapes rather than cartridges which allowed games to offer live action and interactive full motion video They also developed a software prototype called Scene Of The Crime which led to the production of two full length titles Night Trap and Sewer Shark After Hasbro executives declined to bring the NEMO system to market closing its Isix division key members of the Isix team founded Digital Pictures in 1991 and purchased the NEMO software assets from Hasbro Digital Pictures converted Night Trap and Sewer Shark from their video tape based format to the Sega CD platform We re betting ultimately when there s an interactive cable converter sitting atop everyone s TV set that something that feels like Citizen Kane or at least Leave It to Beaver will have more legs than something that feels like Mario or Princess Toadstool 3 Tom Zito Throughout the 1990s Digital Pictures continued to design interactive full motion video games for the CD ROM format 2 Steve Russell worked for the company for a time 4 Several celebrities including actors Steve Eastin Corey Haim Debbie Harry Yasmine Bleeth R Lee Ermey and Dana Plato sports stars Scottie Pippen and Mike Ditka and musical acts INXS Kris Kross C C Music Factory and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch appeared in Digital Pictures games Controversy EditIn the early 1990s Night Trap was singled out by numerous interest groups and by U S senators Joseph Lieberman and Herbert Kohl as evidence that the video game industry was marketing games with graphic violence and other adult content to minors Concern about Night Trap and several other games such as Mortal Kombat helped to bring about the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board video game rating system Decline EditBy the late 1990s consumer interest in full motion video games which accounted for the majority of the company s profits was in decline After the collapse of the company its assets were acquired by Cyber Cinema Interactive The new company intended to re release the games for DVD but that never came about 5 The only actual production for Cyber Cinema was the direct to video film Game Over also known as Maximum Surge Movie It used footage from an unreleased video game called Maximum Surge as well as clips from other Digital Pictures games Although the film boasted stars such as Yasmine Bleeth and Walter Koenig they only appear in the segments that had been pulled from the FMV sequences of the game which suffer from lower image quality than the original footage 6 Re releases EditFlash Film Works later acquired the rights to some of the games They remastered and re released Double Switch and Quarterback Attack for iTunes and Google Play in late 2016 before partnering with Screaming Villains and Limited Run Games to release PlayStation 4 remasters starting in 2018 with Double Switch and 2019 with Corpse Killer 7 Screaming Villains separately re released Night Trap and Ground Zero Texas two of the games not owned by Flash Film Works through Limited Run Games Games developed EditList of games developed by Digital Pictures and all subsequent releases of the games either by them or successor companies Title Cast Date of release Format ReferenceCitizen X Sharee Gregory Charley Hayward Peter Kent Rob Narita Mark Withers 2002 Sega CD 8 9 Corpse Killer Vincent Schiavelli Jeremiah Birkett Bridget Butler 1994 Sega CD 10 Sega 32X 11 1995 3DO 12 Macintosh 13 Sega Saturn 14 2019 PlayStation 4 15 Microsoft Windows 16 2020 Nintendo Switch 17 Double Switch Corey Haim Deborah Harry R Lee Ermey Irwin Keyes Camille Cooper 1993 Sega CD 18 1995 Sega Saturn 19 Windows 95 20 2016 Google Play 21 iTunes 22 2018 PlayStation 4 23 Microsoft Windows 24 2019 Nintendo Switch 25 Ground Zero Texas Steve Eastin Leslie Zemeckis Scott Lawrence Christopher Bradley Rick Aiello 1993 Sega CD 26 2021 PlayStation 4 27 Microsoft Windows 28 Kids on Site Larry Grennan Scott McClain Robin Joss 1994 DOS 29 Macintosh 30 Sega CD 31 2022 PlayStation 4 32 Microsoft Windows 33 Make My Video INXS INXS 1992 Sega CD 34 Make My Video Kris Kross Kris Kross 1992 Sega CD 35 Make My Video Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch 1992 Sega CD 36 Maximum Surge Yasmine Bleeth Walter Koenig Michael Champion Andy Hirsch N A 3DO 37 MacintoshSega SaturnWindows 95Night Trap Dana Plato Tracy Matheson Debra Parks Allison Rhea Christy Ford 1992 Sega CD 38 1994 3DO 39 DOS 40 Sega 32X 41 1995 Macintosh 42 2017 PlayStation 4 43 Microsoft Windows 44 2018 Nintendo Switch 45 PlayStation Vita 46 2022 PlayStation 5 47 Power Factory Featuring C C Music Factory C C Music Factory 1992 Sega CD 48 Prize Fighter Jimmy Nickerson Manny Perry Billy Lucas Ben Bray 1993 Sega CD 49 Quarterback Attack with Mike Ditka Mike Ditka Keith Neubert Peter Kent 1995 3DO 50 Sega Saturn 51 1996 DOS 52 2016 Google Play 53 iTunes 54 Sewer Shark David Underwood Robert Costanzo Kari G Peyton 1992 Sega CD 55 1994 3DO 56 Slam City with Scottie Pippen Scottie Pippen Keith Gibbs Malcolm Ian Cross Keith Neubert Dana Wilkerson 1994 Sega CD 57 1995 DOS 58 Sega 32X 59 Supreme Warrior Vivian Wu Richard Norton Roger Yuan Chuck Jeffreys Ron Yuan Chaplin Chang 1994 3DO 60 Sega 32X 61 Sega CD 62 1996 DOS 63 Macintosh 64 What s My Story Jill Wright 1996 Macintosh 65 References Edit a b The Making of Edge 215 111 113 June 2010 a b Is This the End of FMV as We Know It Next Generation No 10 Imagine Media October 1995 pp 6 7 Zito Tom March 1995 Dispatches Next Generation Imagine Media 3 106 7 The Next Generation 1996 Lexicon A to Z Russell Steve Next Generation No 15 Imagine Media March 1996 p 40 Maximum Surge flashfilmworks com Retrieved November 5 2019 Digital Pictures Unreleased FMV Game Maximum Surge Went To DVD As Game Over 8 Bit Central November 5 2012 Retrieved November 5 2019 William Mesa Presents Flash Film Works flashfilmworks com Retrieved November 5 2019 Citizen X for the SEGA CD Good Deal Games Citizen X Hardcore Gaming 101 Corpse Killer Sega CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Corpse Killer Sega 32x Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Corpse Killer 3DO Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Corpse Killer Macintosh Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Corpse Killer Sega Saturn Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Limited Run 279 Corpse Killer PS4 PREORDER Limited Run Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Corpse Killer 25th Anniversary Edition Steam Retrieved November 5 2019 Switch Limited Run 87 Corpse Killer Collector s Edition Limited Run Games Retrieved October 28 2020 Double Switch Sega CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Double Switch Sega Saturn Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Double Switch Windows Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Double Switch Android Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Double Switch iphone Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Limited Run 194 Double Switch 25th Anniversary Edition PS4 Limited Run Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Double Switch 25th Anniversary Edition Steam Retrieved November 5 2019 Double Switch 25th Anniversary for Nintendo Switch limitedgamenews July 18 2019 Retrieved November 5 2019 Ground Zero Texas Sega CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Limited Run 385 Ground Zero Texas Nuclear Edition Classic Edition PS4 Limited Run Games Retrieved January 15 2021 Ground Zero Texas Nuclear Edition Steam Retrieved March 24 2021 Kids on Site DOS Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Kids On Site MAC CD ROM Macintosh Amazon Retrieved November 5 2019 Kids on Site Sega CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 LIMITED RUN 457 KIDS ON SITE PS4 Limited Run Games Retrieved June 9 2022 Kids On Site Hard Hat Edition Steam Retrieved September 28 2022 Make My Video INXS SEGA CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Make My Video Kriss Kross SEGA CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Make My Video Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch SEGA CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Maximum Surge Sega Retro June 4 2019 Retrieved November 5 2019 Night Trap SEGA CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Night Trap 3DO Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Night Trap DOS Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Night Trap SEGA 32X Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Night Trap Macintosh Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Limited Run 74 Night Trap PS4 Limited Run Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Night Trap 25th Anniversary Edition Steam Retrieved November 5 2019 Switch Limited Run 8 Night Trap PREORDER Limited Run Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Limited Run 193 Night Trap Classic Edition Vita Limited Run Games Retrieved November 5 2019 PS5 LIMITED RUN 27 NIGHT TRAP Limited Run Games Retrieved June 9 2022 Power Factory featuring C C Music Factory SEGA CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Prize Fighter SEGA CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Quarterback Attack 3DO Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Quarterback Attack Sega Saturn Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Quarterback Attack DOS Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Quarterback Attack Android Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Quarterback Attack itunes Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Sewer Shark Sega CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Sewer Shark 3DO Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Slam City with Scottie Pippen SEGA CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Slam City with Scottie Pippen DOS Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Slam City with Scottie Pippen SEGA 32X Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Supreme Warrior 3DO Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Supreme Warrior SEGA 32X Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Supreme Warrior SEGA CD Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Supreme Warrior DOS Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 Supreme Warrior Macintosh Moby Games Retrieved November 5 2019 What s My Story FMV World Retrieved November 5 2019 External links EditDigital Pictures at MobyGames History of Digital Pictures at Sega 16 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Digital Pictures amp oldid 1112858241, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
