Raven Software Corporation

Moby ID: 580

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Raven Software is a computer game developer based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company was founded in 1990 by brothers Brian and Steve Raffel, and initially had a staff of five people. Their first game was Black Crypt (1992). Later, they shifted their focus from first-person RPGs to first-person shooters, a genre in which they created their best-known works such as Heretic and Hexen, Soldier of Fortune and other series, primarily in engines made by id Software or their derivatives.

In 1997, Raven Software made an exclusive publishing deal with Activision and was eventually acquired by that company.

During the time they shared a published with id Software in Activision, the two companies would closely collaborate, and Raven would even lead the development of Quake 4 and Wolfenstein (2009) instead of id Software. Additionally, Raven Software would develop several games making use of Activision's Marvel license in the mid-to-late-2000s.

After id Software was acquired by ZeniMax Media in 2009, Raven Software would no longer use id Tech engines. Their last standalone title was Singularity from 2010, which used Unreal Engine 3. After this, Raven Software would assist in development and support of the Call of Duty franchise, starting with Call of Duty: Black Ops in 2011.

Credited on 46 Games from 1992 to 2023

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023 on Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series...)
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 (2022 on Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series...)
Call of Duty: MWII - Modern Warfare II (2022 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War (2020 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
Call of Duty: Warzone (2020 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII (2018 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Call of Duty: WWII (2017 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016 on Windows, Windows Apps, PlayStation 4...)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Remastered (2016 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3...)
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3...)
Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3...)
Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3...)
Call of Duty: MW3 (2011 on Windows, Xbox 360, Macintosh...)
Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3...)
Singularity (2010 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Wolfenstein (2009 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Uncaged Edition (2009 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

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History +

June 29, 2004

Kenn Hoekstra, Project Administrator of games such as Heretic, Soldier of Fortune and Jedi Knight II, resigns from Raven, as he wants to pursue new challenges.

1997

Acquired by Activision, Inc..

1990

Company founded by Brian Raffel and Steve Raffel.

Trivia +

Raven Software is the first computer game company to build its own motion capture studio.

Within games, Raven established the practice of marking locked doors with red symbols and unlocked doors with green ones. It's a practice seen in several of their games.

Related Web Sites +

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