Forums > MobyGames > ZOO Digital: A Bit of a Mess
firefang9212 (81834) on 11/12/2018 6:49 AM · Permalink · Report
So I stumbled upon a bit of a mess regarding publisher ZOO Digital, particularly the entry for ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd which after a some investigation appears to be three different companies. I think this may be too complex for a correction submission so I thought I'd just post it all here. This post will basically be a timeline of this companies history with assorted sources, which hopefully can be used to decide what needs to be split/merged.
Timeline
Ian Stewart, one of the founders of Gremlin, founds a software developer by the name of Fantastic Sports Company Ltd. on August 1999. This company is renamed to On-World Ltd. on October 1999, then to Vox Media UK Ltd. on December 1999, and finally to The Zoo Media Corporation Ltd. on January 2000.
Another software developer by the name of Launchstrong plc is found in the same city on October 1999. They are renamed to Kazoo3D plc shortly after on March 2000.
A video game publisher by the name of Digital Sales Ltd. is founded by former Gremlin employee Barry Hatch on May 2000. They are then renamed to Digital Worldwide Ltd. on September 2001.
On May 2001, Kazoo3D plc acquires The Zoo Media Corporation, and renames itself to the ZOO Digital Group plc. Zoo Media is left as a dormant company under the ZOO Digital Group. Ian Stewart become the CEO of the ZOO Digital Group.
On June 2002, the ZOO Digital Group acquires Digital Worldwide and renames them to ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd.
On October 2003, the ZOO Digital Group acquires the rights to Gremlin and their games.
On March 2004, ZOO Digital Publishing acquires game developer Hothouse Creations.
On April 2006, the ZOO Digital Group announces it is pulling out of the video game business, shutting down developer Hothouse and renaming ZOO Digital Publishing to ZOO Interactive Video Ltd. with the intention of focusing on interactive DVD content. The various assets of the game's publishing business (including those of Gremlin) are sold to Barry Hatch, who founds a new independent ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd.
Shortly after on October 2006, ZOO Interactive Video is closed and becomes a dormant company. Despite being dormant, they are renamed to Scope Seven Ltd. in 2007 after ZOO Digital Group's acquisition of US company Scope Seven, Inc.. They are then renamed to ZOO Digital Productions in 2012.
On April 2008, another one of ZOO Digital Group's subsidiaries, ZOO Interactive Entertainment Ltd. enters liquidation.
For some reason, on December 2008 the long dormant Zoo Media is renamed to ZOOtech Ltd. despite continuing to remain dormant. To add to the confusing, ZOOtech Ltd. was the name of one of ZOO Digital Group's active subsidiaries, which was renamed to ZOO Digital Ltd. on the same day.
On March 2009, Barry Hatch's ZOO Digital Publishing is renamed to Zushi Games Ltd.
On May 2010, Zushi Games goes into liquidation, and some of its IP is transferred to Barry Hatch & Ian Stewart's new company Urbanscan Ltd.
Links
Companies House: ZOO Digital Group, Zoo Media, ZOO Digital Publishing, Zushi Games, ZOO Interactive Entertainment, ZOOtech
News Posts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Zoo Media acquisition proposal.
ZOO Digital Group
Simon Carless (1834) on 11/16/2018 2:49 AM · Permalink · Report
Oi, that's complicated. Is my main comment!
piltdown_man (244604) on 11/20/2018 4:26 PM · Permalink · Report
A lot of good work has gone into this. I've submitted some of the DVD games that Zoo and associated companies published and I have more to come, this could come in very handy so some 'Thanks' in advance are in order.
Are you going to add some kind of link from the companies involved to this post so that anyone adding a game to the database will be able to reap the benefits of your investigations?
firefang9212 (81834) on 11/22/2018 3:48 AM · Permalink · Report
That sounds like a good idea but I would need an admin to do the necessary splitting and merging of the various companies involved as they are currently all mixed up. The ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd entry currently consists of three companies, though it only needs to be split into two as one of them (the main company, ZOO Digital Group plc) didn't publish any games.
Entry one would be for the first ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd. (formally Digital Sales & Digital Worldwide). The games that should be credited to them are all the games released between 2001-2005 (the two game from 2001 were released under the Digital Sales name), plus some games from 2006 (American Chopper, Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2, Chicken Shoot 2, & Guilty Gear Isuka). If the name is just set to the companies last name (ZOO Digital Production Ltd., with a start date of October 15th 2012) I can submit the remaining alt. names myself and then once they're approved adjust the name used on individual games to what it was at the time.
Entry two would be for the second ZOO Digital Publishing Ltd. (who later renamed themselves to Zushi Games). The games that should be credited to them are all the games released between 2007 & 2010, plus the remaining games from 2006. If the name is just set to the companies last name (zushi games Ltd., with a start date of March 19th 2009 and end date of December 24th 2012) I can submit the remaining alt. names myself and then once they're approved adjust the name used on individual games to what it was at the time.
After that, the entries for Digital Worldwide and ZOO Interactive Video would need to be merged with the first ZOO Digital. I can take care of sorting out the description for the two companies after this is all done.
Patrick Bregger (303488) on 11/30/2018 9:13 AM · Permalink · Report
I'd recommend filing a correction and link to this post. I like nerding out on fixing companies from time to time (e.g. I spent two full days on Midway), but I go to the correction queue then.