Rocket Science Games

Rocket Science Games was an American independent video game developer and publisher active from 1993 until its closure in April 1997. Founded by serial entrepreneur Steve Blank and Peter Barrett, the company was established around an ambitious idea: combine the creative practices and production values associated with Hollywood, comics, computer software, and Silicon Valley to create more cinematic and compelling interactive entertainment. Its formation coincided with the early- to mid-1990s enthusiasm for full-motion video, CD-ROM storage, and multimedia games, technologies that encouraged publishers and investors to imagine games as an emerging form of film and television. The studio attracted considerable attention before releasing its first products. Its staff included recognized designers and developers such as Brian Moriarty and Will Harvey, and its public positioning emphasized high-concept, auteur-driven projects rather than conventional arcade or home-computer software. In May 1994, Sega Enterprises and Bertelsmann Music Group invested a reported $12 million in the company and became its publishing partners in North America and Europe, respectively. The investment gave Rocket Science Games substantial visibility and suggested that the studio could become a major force in the rapidly expanding CD-ROM games market. Rocket Science Games released Loadstar: The Legend of Tully Bodine and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysm in 1994, followed by Wing Nuts: Battle in the Sky in 1995. These early games relied heavily on full-motion video and were promoted as technologically and artistically distinctive. Their commercial performance, however, was poor. Contemporary reporting cited sales of fewer than 20,000 units for each of the first three games by 1997, while reviews frequently criticized their gameplay, production decisions, and limited replay value. The contrast between the company’s publicity campaign and the reception of its products made Rocket Science Games a prominent example of the risks involved in treating multimedia presentation as a substitute for refined game design. After the disappointing early releases, SegaSoft became the principal publisher for projects still in development. SegaSoft canceled approximately half of the studio’s in-progress titles in an effort to reduce costs and accelerate the remaining releases. The restructuring affected the quality and completeness of the surviving projects. Rocket Jockey, released in 1996, shipped without the local-area-network multiplayer functionality that had been promoted to the press and advertised on its packaging; the feature was added later through a patch. Obsidian, an ambitious adventure game released in 1997, reached the market with significant bugs, including defects that could prevent players from completing it. Neither title achieved the commercial success expected from its advance publicity. The company also explored online and micropayment businesses. In February 1996, it announced a partnership with CyberCash to develop a virtual arcade using Rocket Science Games’ V3 Internet game engine. The proposed service was intended to offer at least 20 classic arcade games and use CyberCash’s electronic payment infrastructure. Although the announcement attracted attention during the early Internet-commerce boom, the service never received a firm launch date and no subsequent release followed. The partnership did not produce a known public arcade product. Rocket Science Games closed in April 1997 after failing to secure additional funding. The Space Bar, designed by Steve Meretzky and developed by Boffo Games, was originally intended for publication by Rocket Science Games but moved to SegaSoft after the closure and appeared in 1997. Several other projects, including Dark Ride, Darwin Pond, Ganymede, Loadstar II: Showdown on Phobos, Pest!, and Rocket Boy, were never commercially completed or released by the company. Darwin Pond was later made available free online by its creator, Jeffrey Ventrella. Rocket Jockey has continued to attract retrospective coverage and unofficial remake or modification efforts, while the studio itself is remembered as a high-profile failure of the 1990s full-motion-video game movement.

Rocket Science Games emerged in 1993 as an independent studio founded by Steve Blank and Peter Barrett. Its central proposition was to bring together Hollywood storytelling, Silicon Valley technology, and experienced creators from the computer and entertainment industries. The company was created during the CD-ROM and full-motion-video boom, when publishers and investors believed that increased storage capacity and filmed video could move games toward a more cinematic form. The studio recruited prominent creative personnel, including designers Brian Moriarty and Will Harvey, and generated substantial publicity before bringing a product to market. Its early identity was built less around a single established franchise than around the promise of ambitious, visually rich interactive experiences. That attention intensified in May 1994, when Sega Enterprises and Bertelsmann Music Group invested a reported $12 million. The companies became Rocket Science Games’ publishing partners in North America and Europe, giving the studio access to major distribution channels. Rocket Science Games’ first releases were Loadstar: The Legend of Tully Bodine and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysm in 1994, followed by Wing Nuts: Battle in the Sky in 1995. The games made extensive use of full-motion video, reflecting the company’s technological and cinematic ambitions. Their sales and reviews did not match the scale of the pre-release promotion. Contemporary accounts reported that each of the first three titles sold fewer than 20,000 units by 1997. The studio consequently became associated with the gap between high-profile marketing and underdeveloped or commercially unsuccessful software. The company’s later operating model changed after these weak results. SegaSoft assumed sole publishing responsibility for titles in development and canceled about half of the projects in order to reduce costs and shorten development schedules. This process placed additional pressure on the remaining games. Rocket Jockey, released in 1996, lacked the LAN multiplayer mode that had been publicized and printed on its packaging; the feature was eventually delivered in a patch. Obsidian, released in 1997, contained multiple bugs, including some that could block completion. Although both games had attracted attention before launch, neither performed strongly enough to stabilize the business. Rocket Science Games also pursued an Internet-business opportunity. In February 1996, the studio and CyberCash announced plans for a virtual arcade supported by micropayments. The proposed service would use Rocket Science Games’ V3 Internet game engine and was expected to include at least 20 classic arcade titles. The plan received attention amid widespread optimism about online payments and electronic commerce, but no firm launch date or named game lineup followed, and the service was never publicly established. The studio closed in April 1997 when it could not secure further funding. The Space Bar, created by Boffo Games and written by Infocom designer Steve Meretzky, was initially associated with Rocket Science Games but was transferred to SegaSoft and released after the closure. Six other listed projects—Dark Ride, Darwin Pond, Ganymede, Loadstar II: Showdown on Phobos, Pest!, and Rocket Boy—were never commercially released by Rocket Science Games. Darwin Pond was later distributed online for free by creator Jeffrey Ventrella. The company’s short existence has since been treated as a case study in the difficulties of building a sustainable game business around expensive multimedia production, aggressive promotion, and unproven online distribution models.

• 1997

  Obsidian and The Space Bar released

  [1]Rocket Science Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Obsidian is released with serious bugs, while The Space Bar is published by SegaSoft after its publishing relationship with Rocket Science Games ends.

• 1997

  Company closes

  [1]Rocket Science Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Rocket Science Games shuts down in April after failing to secure additional financing.

• 1996

  CyberCash virtual arcade partnership announced

  [1]Rocket Science Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Rocket Science Games announces a proposed micropayment-based online arcade using its V3 Internet game engine, but the service never launches publicly.

• 1996

  Rocket Jockey released

  [1]Rocket Science Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Rocket Jockey reaches the market amid substantial pre-release attention but initially lacks its advertised LAN multiplayer feature.

• 1995

  Wing Nuts: Battle in the Sky released

  [1]Rocket Science Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  The studio releases its third early full-motion-video-oriented title.

• 1994

  Strategic funding and publishing agreements

  [1]Rocket Science Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Sega Enterprises and Bertelsmann Music Group invest a reported $12 million and become the company’s North American and European publishing partners.

• 1994

  First games released

  [1]Rocket Science Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Loadstar: The Legend of Tully Bodine and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysm become the studio’s first published titles.

• 1993

  Rocket Science Games is founded

  [1]Rocket Science Gamesen.wikipedia.org

  Steve Blank and Peter Barrett establish Rocket Science Games as an independent studio focused on cinematic and technologically ambitious interactive entertainment.

An ambitious, cinematic game studio that sought to merge Hollywood-style production, Silicon Valley technology, and auteur-led game design, particularly through full-motion video and CD-ROM-based experiences.

• Video game · 1994

  Loadstar: The Legend of Tully Bodine

  A 1994 Rocket Science Games title and one of the studio’s first releases. It represented the company’s early emphasis on cinematic presentation and CD-ROM-era multimedia production.

• Video game · 1994

  Cadillacs and Dinosaurs: The Second Cataclysm

  Released in 1994, this game adapted the Cadillacs and Dinosaurs property into a technologically ambitious interactive production associated with Rocket Science Games’ early full-motion-video strategy.

• Video game · 1995

  Wing Nuts: Battle in the Sky

  A 1995 action title that formed part of Rocket Science Games’ initial run of multimedia-focused releases. Like the company’s earlier products, it received attention but performed poorly commercially.

• Video game · 1996

  Rocket Jockey

  A 1996 game built around a distinctive rocket-riding concept. It attracted substantial pre-release interest, but shipped without its promoted LAN multiplayer support and received later attention primarily through retrospective coverage and unofficial remake efforts.

• Adventure video game · 1997

  Obsidian

  An ambitious 1997 adventure game released with multiple technical problems. Some bugs reportedly prevented players from completing the game, contributing to the difficulties surrounding Rocket Science Games’ final commercial period.

• Adventure video game · 1997

  The Space Bar

  A game written by Infocom designer Steve Meretzky and developed by Boffo Games. It was initially planned for publication by Rocket Science Games but transferred to SegaSoft after the studio closed and was released in 1997.

• Experimental video game

  Darwin Pond

  A completed but commercially unreleased project associated with Rocket Science Games. Creator Jeffrey Ventrella later distributed it freely online, allowing the work to survive outside the company’s original publishing plans.

• Video game

  Dark Ride

  One of the projects listed among Rocket Science Games’ unfinished or unreleased titles. No commercial release by the company is recorded in the supplied reference material.

• Video game

  Ganymede

  An unfinished Rocket Science Games project that did not receive a commercial release before the company’s closure.

• Video game

  Loadstar II: Showdown on Phobos

  A planned follow-up to Loadstar that remained among the studio’s unreleased projects.

• Video game

  Pest!

  A planned Rocket Science Games title that was not commercially completed or released by the company.

• Video game

  Rocket Boy

  An unreleased project listed among the games affected by Rocket Science Games’ closure and publishing restructuring.

• 1997

  Closure after failed financing effortsOther

  Background

  The studio’s weak sales, development difficulties, and inability to secure additional funding left it unable to continue operating.

  Action taken

  Rocket Science Games closed in April 1997.

  Aftermath

  The Space Bar moved to SegaSoft for publication, while several other projects remained unreleased. The company became a frequently cited example of a high-profile 1990s game-development failure.

  Source

• 1996

  Planned CyberCash virtual arcadeStrategy

  Background

  The company sought to participate in the emerging Internet-commerce and micropayment market.

  Action taken

  Rocket Science Games announced a partnership with CyberCash for an online arcade based on its V3 Internet game engine and intended to feature at least 20 classic arcade games.

  Aftermath

  The service never received a firm launch date and no public product followed the announcement.

  Source

• 1996

  SegaSoft becomes sole publisher for projects in developmentStrategy

  Background

  Weak sales from Rocket Science Games’ early products created pressure to reduce development costs and accelerate delivery.

  Action taken

  SegaSoft assumed sole publishing responsibility and canceled approximately half of the titles under development.

  Aftermath

  The cuts and compressed schedules were associated with quality problems in surviving releases, including missing functionality and serious bugs.

  Source

• 1994

  Pursuit of cinematic full-motion-video gamesStrategy

  Background

  Rocket Science Games was founded during the 1990s CD-ROM and full-motion-video boom, when the company believed film-style presentation could help redefine interactive entertainment.

  Action taken

  The studio recruited creators from several entertainment and technology fields and built its early releases around extensive multimedia and filmed-video content.

  Aftermath

  The first three releases sold poorly, exposing the commercial and design risks of the strategy.

  Source

1. 1Rocket Science Gamesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Rocket Science Games archived websiterocketsci.com