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Firetoad Software, Inc.

Overview

Firetoad Software, Inc. is a Canadian game development studio based in Toronto, Ontaria. Incorporated on 6th May 2000, the studio was previously called NSD Entertainment and worked on web design and software creation. It was founded by Nathan d'Obrenan and Chad Sterling. The company's first game was the DOS/Windows title Hong Pong (1998), provided as freeware.

While also creating screensavers, the studio started work on the Windows hovercraft racing title Everglade Rush. On 31st June 2001 it became known Midway had contacted the team to have the name changed because of the Rush series. From then on the game was known as FUEL, set to be published by DreamCatcher in the Fall of 2002. Along with the name change, it had also been turned into a racing game with regular vehicles. The release date was missed and even though the game was exhibited at E3 in 2003, in October of that year Firetoad announced that they had taken it back to the drawing board. The game eventually reappeared as an Xbox title with a tentative release date of Spring 2006. Prominent features included an open-world environment and destructible terrain. It was still backed by DreamCatcher as the publisher and Telefilm Canada had previously provided a pre-production budget.

On 12th February 2007 it was officially announced FUEL had been cancelled. Firetoad blamed itself for pursuing the Xbox platform, instead of Windows, for which Microsoft had already started pulling support. Secondly DreamCatcher producer George Chastain was blamed for requiring Firetoad to redo the entire menu system, which cost a lot of time.

The team's second game was quickly released on 5th May 2007 when the Guitar Hero techno clone sEx, DruGs & t3chno! was created in three days for the 2007 TOJam festival.

In September 2007 Firetoad presented a new studio, Lighter Studios, Inc, focused on viral marketing advergames. On 1st October 2007 a first title was released, Carts of Fury for the Canadian Tire chain of stores. A second game, Seek Your Fortune, was created for Telus and was launched on 15th November 2007. On 8th November 2008 a Golf.com Facebook game was made available, developed together with Gusto Games. In that same year, the studio also created the game (concept) Lightspeed for the 2008 TOJam event.

The last news of the company was heard in February 2009, when it was announced the studio was working on a game for the Burger King chain together with DNA Design. In June 2009 Codemasters' game FUEL was released, with slightly similar gameplay as the game Firetoad had been working on. There were no lawsuits, Firetoad simply asked to be mentioned in the credits for inspiration.

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Also Known As

NSD Entertainment (from 1998 to May 06, 2000)

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Games

Hong Pong

(1998)

Trivia

Contact information (June 2009)

Firetoad Software Inc.
174 Spadina Ave, Unit #411
Toronto, ON, M5T 2C2
Canada

Contact information (since 29th August 2000)

Firetoad Software, Inc.
#222 6125 11th Street SE
Calgary, Alberta
T2H 2L6
Canada
Phone: +1-403-686-6732

Former company website: www.nsdentertainment.com

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