Aspyr

Aspyr Media, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded by Michael Rogers and Ted Staloch in Austin, Texas. Originally founded to bring top gaming titles to Mac OS,[1] the company, since 2005, has become a publisher and developer of entertainment for multiple gaming platforms.[2]

Aspyr Media, Inc.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
FoundedSeptember 27, 1996 (1996-09-27)
Headquarters
Austin, Texas
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Michael Rogers (President)

Ted Staloch (Executive Vice President Publishing)

Elizabeth Howard (Vice President Publishing)
ProductsList of games ported by Aspyr
ParentSaber Interactive
Websiteaspyr.com

Aspyr works with partners including LucasArts, 2K Games, Activision, Gearbox Software; their catalog includes franchises Call of Duty, Sid Meier's Civilization, SimCity, Borderlands and Star Wars.[3]

Aspyr was acquired by Embracer Group in February 2021 and placed within the Saber Interactive holding label.

History
Aspyr's logo from 1996 to 2005
Aspyr's logo from 2005 to 2019

In 1996, Aspyr Media, Inc., was established by Michael Rogers and Ted Staloch in Austin, Texas. Staloch, who had a background in sales and marketing and Rogers, who worked with TechWorks, noticed that there was a lack of gaming titles available to Mac owners and set out to change it.[1] According to Rogers, when naming the company, they “wanted something meaning ‘to aspire and be great’” and also “memorable and unique.” Aspyr made its name specializing in porting video games from Microsoft Windows to macOS,[4] including popular franchises Call of Duty, Sid Meier's Civilization, Star Wars, Borderlands, and SimCity.[3]

By 2003, they owned 60 percent of the Mac entertainment market.[5] In 2005, Aspyr partnered with Alex Seropian of Wideload Games and released their first originally-published AAA game, Stubbs The Zombie, to Mac OS, Windows and Xbox.[6] In 2015, Aspyr Media expanded their platform catalog again by releasing an iOS port of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic[7] and later, Bioware's classic-action RPG, Jade Empire - a title they extended to Android as well.[8] In 2015, Aspyr developed and published Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered, a remaster of a game developed by Quantic Dream, to a worldwide audience with enhanced game features, updated visuals and controls, as well as content that was censored in the original North American release.[9]

According to Elizabeth Howard, vice president of publishing at Aspyr Media, the company's current focus is less on internal IP and more on company growth, establishing bigger undertakings with big brands.[10] Aspyr has published over 190 games, and have added 90 plus members to their team since 1996.[2]

In February 2021, Aspyr was acquired by Embracer Group. The company was added as a studio under the Saber Interactive label within Embracer.[11]

Games

Main article: List of games ported by Aspyr

Currently, Aspyr's catalog includes popular games such as Sid Meier's Civilization VI, developed in 2018 on Mac, Linux, iOS and Nintendo Switch,[12] Layers of Fear,[3] Observer,[3] Torn,[13] and the re-releases of LucasArts titles: Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast and Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy.[10]

References
  1. Savlov, Marc; Fri.; Nov. 19; 2004. "Controlling Their Own Destiny". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved October 12, 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. "Aspyr Media". Aspyr Media. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  3. "Ted Staloch Video Game Credits and Biography". MobyGames. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  4. August 29, Jon Carr-; 2013. "MacGameStore Feature: Aspyr Media Interview with Michael Rogers". www.macgamestore.com. Retrieved October 12, 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. Bungie Founder Finds Publisher - IGN, retrieved October 12, 2019
  6. "Aspyr ships Stubbs the Zombie for Mac". Macworld. November 23, 2005. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  7. "Use The Force - And A Controller - With KOTOR For iOS, Now On Sale". Cult of Mac. March 6, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  8. "BioWare Action RPG Jade Empire Now Available On iOS". Kotaku. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  9. "Aspyr Announces Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy Remastered Available Now". www.businesswire.com. January 29, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  10. "Aspyr spreads beyond Mac with classic Star Wars game for the Switch and PS4". VentureBeat. September 24, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  11. Romano, Sal (February 2, 2021). "Embracer Group to acquire Aspyr Media". Gematsu. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  12. "Sid Meier's Civilization® VI Coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on November 22, 2019". www.businesswire.com. September 24, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  13. Hayden, Scott (August 31, 2018). "'Torn' Review: Masterful 'Black Mirror' Style Storytelling Tarnished by Repetitive Puzzles". Road to VR. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
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