Panic Inc.
Panic Inc. is an American software and video game company based in Portland, Oregon. The company specializes in macOS and iOS applications and began publishing video games in 2016.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founders | Steven Frank Cabel Sasser |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
Key people | Steven Frank Cabel Sasser |
| Products | Transmit, Coda, Playdate |
| Website | panic |
Products edit
Software edit
Panic is known for their flagship app Transmit,[3] as well as their Audion media player, Unison usenet client, and Nova code editor (a successor to their web development app Coda). The company has won multiple Apple Design Awards for their products.[4][5][6]
In 1999, Audion was introduced as a skinnable MP3 media player. One of its competitors, SoundJam MP, was acquired by Apple in 2000 and was further developed into iTunes 1.0, which became available in 2001.[7] Panic retired Audion in 2004 and began distributing it free of charge.[8]
After Audion, Panic focused development on two other software applications. In 2004, they released Unison, a Usenet reader,[9] and Stattoo, a tool that shows "digital statistics" overlayed on the Mac OS X desktop wallpaper.[10] In 2007, the web development application Coda was introduced.[11] In 2019, Panic announced a successor to Coda named Nova.[12]
| App | Platform | Type | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active development | |||
| Transmit | macOS | FTP client | |
| Nova | macOS | Web development | |
| Prompt | iOS | Command line | |
| Panic Pals | iOS | iMessage stickers | |
| Playdate Sticker Pack | iOS | iMessage stickers | |
| Discontinued | |||
| “Code Editor” | iOS | Web development | |
| Audion | macOS | Music player | [8] |
| CandyBar | macOS | Icon customization | [13] |
| Coda | macOS | Web development | |
| Desktastic | macOS | Desktop annotation | |
| Stattoo | macOS | Computer statistics | |
| Status Board | iOS | Information display | [14] |
| Transmit | iOS | FTP client | [15] |
| Unison | macOS | Usenet client | [16] |
Video games edit
The company published their first video game, Firewatch, on February 9, 2016.[17] Panic published their second game, Untitled Goose Game, on September 20, 2019.[18]
| Title | Platform(s) | Developer | Release date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firewatch | PC (Windows, macOS, Linux), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Campo Santo | February 9, 2016 | [17] |
| Untitled Goose Game | PC (Windows, macOS), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | House House | September 20, 2019 | [19] |
| Nour: Play with Your Food | PC (Windows, macOS), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 | Terrifying Jellyfish | September 12, 2023 | [20] |
| Despelote | PC (Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena | 2024 | [21] |
| Thank Goodness You're Here! | PC (Windows), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch | Coal Supper | 2024 | [22] |
| Arco | PC (Windows) | Franek Nowotniak, Max Cahill, José Ramón “Bibiki” García, Antonio “Fáyer” Uribe | 2024 | [23] |
| Time Flies | PC (Windows), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch | Playables | 2024 | [24] |
| Big Walk | PC (Windows, macOS) | House House | 2025 | [25] |
Playdate edit
On May 22, 2019, Panic unveiled Playdate, a handheld gaming device, designed by Panic in collaboration with the Swedish firm Teenage Engineering. The device features a 400x240 pixel 1-bit screen, a directional pad on the left, two buttons on the right, and a mechanical crank on the right edge of the device.[26]
Games will be released in "seasons", at a rate of two games per week for twelve weeks.[27] Games will automatically download to the device when available. While some video games for Playdate are being produced at Panic, most games are created by indie game developers such as Keita Takahashi, Zach Gage, Bennett Foddy, and Shaun Inman.[28]
Awards edit
| Year | App | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Transmit 2 | Apple Design Awards | Best Mac OS X User Experience | Runner-up | |
| 2004 | Unison 1.0.2a | Apple Design Awards | Best Mac OS X Product | Runner-up | |
| 2004 | Unison 1.0.2a | Apple Design Awards | Best Mac OS X User Experience | Won | |
| 2005 | Transmit 3 | MacWorld | MacWorld Best of Show | Won | [29] |
| 2005 | Transmit 3.2 | Apple Design Awards | Best Mac OS X Tiger Technology Adoption | Won | [4] |
| 2007 | Coda 1 | Apple Design Awards | Best Mac OS X User Experience | Won | [5] |
| 2013 | Coda 2 | Apple Design Awards | Mac OS X | Won | [6] |
| 2021 | Nova | Apple Design Awards | Interaction | Nominated | [30] |
References edit
- ^ Rosmarin, Rachel (June 8, 2007). "Developers To Jobs: Give Me My iPhone!". Forbes. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ^ Tach, Dave (October 2, 2013). "How Panic got into video games with Campo Santo". Polygon. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ Sorrel, Charlie (May 13, 2010). "Video: iPad Loading Software onto Apple ][e". Wired. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ^ a b "WWDC: Apple Design Award 2005 winners announced". Macworld. June 10, 2005. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ a b "Apple Design Awards 2007 winners announced". Macnn. June 13, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ^ a b "The 2013 Apple Design Award Winners". Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ "The Song Is Over for SoundJam". Macworld. May 1, 2001. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ a b Gibson, Brad (November 11, 2004). "Panic "Retires" Audion; Reveals Inside Story". The Mac Observer. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ^ "Panic unveils Unison, Usenet reader for Mac OS X". Macworld. January 28, 2004. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ Cohen, Peter (April 28, 2004). "Panic's Stattoo 'tattoos' info on your desktop". Macworld. Retrieved February 5, 2023.
- ^ Martellaro, John (April 24, 2007). "Panic Releases Coda 1.0". Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ^ "Panic Blog » Nova. Our next big thing". Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^ "Panic's Candy Bar is now free, goes to Iconfactory". Engadget. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ Miller, Chance (November 29, 2016). "Panic discontinuing Status Board stats app following final iOS 10 support update". 9to5Mac. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ "Panic Stops Development of Transmit for iOS & Removes it from Sale • Beautiful Pixels". Beautiful Pixels. January 6, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ^ "Panic discontinues Unison gracefully – Marco.org". marco.org. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ a b "Firewatch: hope and heartbreak in the American wilderness". The Guardian. February 1, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
- ^ Radulovic, Petrana (August 28, 2018). "Mischief-filled Untitled Goose Game is coming to Nintendo Switch". Polygon. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
- ^ Radulovic, Petrana (August 28, 2018). "Mischief-filled Untitled Goose Game is coming to Nintendo Switch". Polygon. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ "Upcoming Indie Game Nour: Play With Your Food Wants To Make You Hungry". Kotaku. September 2, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ "First-person soccer adventure game despelote announced for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC". Gematsu. May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
- ^ "Thank Goodness You're Here! - Reveal Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- ^ "Arco - Reveal Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
- ^ "Time Flies - new trailer August 2023". YouTube. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
- ^ Valentine, Rebekah. "Big Walk Is the Next Game From the Developers of Untitled Goose Game". IGN. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ Fahey, Mike (May 22, 2019). "The People Who Published Firewatch Are Now Making A Game Console With, Uh, A Crank". Kotaku. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
- ^ Webster, Andrew (May 22, 2019). "Playdate is an adorable handheld with games from the creators of Qwop, Katamari, and more". The Verge. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
- ^ "Playdate, a new handheld console backed by indie royalty, unveiled in new issue of Edge magazine". GamesRadar. May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ^ "Best of Show: Macworld Expo San Francisco". January 15, 2005. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
- ^ "Meet the 2021 Apple Design Award Finalists". Retrieved June 4, 2021.