Realtime Associates, Inc.

Overview

Founded in 1986, Realtime Associates is one of the longest standing independent interactive entertainment development studios in operation today. Having released over 80 titles since its inception, Realtime Associates has the longevity and stability to insure, reliable, professional console video game production.

In 1986, David Warhol brought together a loosely-knit group of ex Mattel Electronics employees to develop new game cartridges for the Intellivision system, which was successfully re-introduced into the retail channel by INTV Corporation prior to the Nintendo Entertainment System’s market introduction. Eventually writing about 25 new, enhanced, and licensed Intellivision game cartridges, Realtime Associates was born.

Shortly thereafter, with the NES taking the market by storm, Realtime began supporting that platform, notably developing the critically acclaimed NES version of Maniac Mansion (in conjunction with LucasArts games) as well as licensed games for Dick Tracy and The Rocketeer. As systems advanced, so did Realtime; adapting LucasArts, Loom to the NEC TurboGraphics, extending Q*Bert gameplay and graphics onto the SNES, and developing a number of licensed and original SNES and Genesis games.

After having successfully developed a number of titles for Sega of America, Realtime Associates was selected by Sega as one of its "Tiger Team" for the Saturn. BUG!, the first U.S.-developed Saturn title to be released, became Realtime Associates first break-through original title. Realtime also started to specialize in younger childrens' software, having developed or converted nearly 1/3 of all of the commercially available Sega Pico titles, including The Lion King, Pocahontas, and Richard Scarry's Busiest Day Ever.

Realtime Associates has since continued to develop original games such as, Battle Stations for the Saturn and PlayStation, and original games based on licensed characters, Rugrats Scavenger Hunt for the N64, and conversion titles, Gex 2 for the N64, and also continues to develop titles for the younger audience, Elmo's Letter Adventure and Elmo’s Number Journey for the PSX and N64.

Realtime Associates has developed products for the Sony Playstation, Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, NEC TurboGraphics, Sega Pico, Nintendo Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and the original Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as PC and Macintosh platforms. Future plans bring Realtime Associates onto the next-generation consoles as well as into internet-enabled console games.

In April 1994, David Warhol asked Steve Ettinger to establish a new division of the company in the Seattle area. That became Realtime Associates Seattle Division. In 1999 it was sold to Amaze Entertainment and it currently lives on as Griptonite Games, a subsidiary of the Foundation 9 Entertainment group.

Realtime Associates is extremely familiar with industry practices, having worked with large and small publishers, old and emerging publishers alike. Past clients include Sega of America, Electronic Arts, Mattel Media, Midway, and THQ, among others.

Realtime Associates is a type "C" privately held corporation with a high performance board of directors and 30% of its stock reserved for its employees.


Contributed by Indra was here... (13184) on Aug 06, 2003.