Big Ant Studios

Big Ant Studios Pty Ltd is an Australian video game developer founded by chief executive officer Ross Symons in 2001. The studio focus on niche sporting titles, including video game recreations of Cricket,[1] Rugby League,[2] Lacrosse[3] and Tennis.[4] Some of the developer's notable titles include the first AFL Live,[5] as well as the Don Bradman Cricket series[6] and Ashes Cricket franchises, which includes Ashes Cricket and Cricket 19.

Big Ant Studios Pty Ltd
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Founded2001 (2001)
FounderRoss Symons
Headquarters
Melbourne
,
Australia
Key people
Ross Symons (CEO)
Number of employees
Approximately 50
ParentNacon
Websitebigant.com

In January 2021, French video game publisher Nacon announced that it had acquired Big Ant for €35 million.[7]

History

Big Ant Studios was founded by Ross Symons in 2001. Based in Melbourne, Victoria, the company started working predominantly on popular titles for third party publishers, including The Legend of Spyro for Vivendi Games, and Hellboy: The Science of Evil for Konami. The company also worked closely with THQ, which also had an office in Melbourne up until 2011,[8] on a range of racing titles, including World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars.

The studio also has a close relationship with fellow Australian developer, Halfbrick Studios, and has produced console ports for that company's mobile titles, Jetpack Joyride and Fruit Ninja.

In 2010, Big Ant Studios collaborated with Tru Blu Entertainment for the first time to produce the original Rugby League Live. It was the first collaboration in the category that would become Big Ant Studio's main focus in sports games. Tru Blu Entertainent and Big Ant would also collaborate on AFL (AFL Live) and Cricket (Don Bradman Cricket) titles.

In 2013, Big Ant Studios and Crosse Studios announced a collaboration and Kickstarter to produce Lacrosse 14.[9] Though that Kickstarter was ultimately unsuccessful,[10] the project was able to find the finance necessary to be completed and became Casey Powell Lacrosse 16, released in 2016, which was then followed up with a second collaboration for Casey Powell Lacrosse 18.

In 2017, Big Ant Studios self-published a sports game for the first time, with Ashes Cricket. This would be followed with two other self-published titles, AO Tennis, and Cricket 19.

In 2020, Big Ant Studios collaborated with French publisher, Nacon, to publish the second in the AO Tennis series (AO Tennis 2), and Big Ant signed on to also develop Tennis World Tour 2 for Nacon. Nacon subsequently announced the intention to acquire Big Ant Studios in January 2021.[7]

Games developed
Year Title Platform(s)
2006 Sprint Cars: Road to Knoxville PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows
2006 The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning Game Boy Advance
2007 The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night PlayStation 2, Wii
2008 Hellboy: The Science of Evil PlayStation Portable
2008 Sprint Cars: Showdown at Eldora PlayStation 2
2009 Short Track Racing: Trading Paint PlayStation 2
2010 World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Rugby League Live PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Truth or Lies PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
2011 Pirate Blast Wii
AFL Live PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2012 AFL Live: Game of the Year Edition PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Rugby League Live 2 PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Rugby League Live 2: Game of the Year Edition PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Jetpack Joyride PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita
2013 Fruit Ninja PlayStation Vita
Rugby League Live 2: The World Cup Edition PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2014 Don Bradman Cricket 14 PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
2015 Tabletop Cricket PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Rugby League Live 3 PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
2016 Casey Powell Lacrosse 16 PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Big Bash Cricket 2016 Android, Tablet, Mobile
Don Bradman Cricket 17 PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
2017 Rugby League Live 4 PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Ashes Cricket PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Big Bash Cricket Android, iOS
2018 Casey Powell Lacrosse 18 PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
AO Tennis Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Big Bash Boom PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
AO International Tennis PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
2019 Cricket 19 Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2020 AO Tennis 2 Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Tennis World Tour 2 Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Advocacy

Big Ant Studios has been a vocal supporter of the Australian games industry. In 2016, the company's CEO, Ross Symons, penned an article for the Australian Financial Review on the need to properly compensate interns for their work,[11] and in 2020, Big Ant Studios worked with AFL SportsReady to supply a First Peoples candidate with a traineeship program.[12]

In 2015 Big Ant Studios joined iGEA,[13] the leading industry association for game developers and publishers in Australia. In 2020, Symons, acting as the industry representative for iGEA, made a presentation on the games industry challenges and opportunities to the Australian government's new Parliamentary Friends of Video Games group.[14] In 2021 Symons was named to iGEA's board of directors.[15]

Big Ant Studios also sponsors the women's team at the Carlton Football Club.[16]

References
  1. Cricket 19 Review - IGN, retrieved 26 January 2021
  2. "Rugby League Live 4 Review - Improvements All Round". Press Start. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  3. "Casey Powell Lacrosse 18". GameSpot. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  4. AO Tennis 2 Review - IGN, retrieved 26 January 2021
  5. AFL Live Review - IGN, retrieved 26 January 2021
  6. Don Bradman Cricket 14 Review - IGN, retrieved 26 January 2021
  7. "Nacon Acquires AO Tennis, Cricket 19 Developer Big Ant". IGN. 22 January 2021.
  8. "Game over: THQ shutters THQ Studio Australia and Blue Tongue Entertainment". ARN. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  9. Corriea, Alexa Ray (15 October 2013). "Lacrosse 14 video game seeks funding through Kickstarter". Polygon. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  10. "kickstarter — Blog". laxvideogame. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  11. "Video game companies must start paying interns for fairness and good business". Australian Financial Review. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  12. "Junior Quality Assurance Tester Traineeship - AFL SportsReady". KariER.co. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  13. "Big Ant Studios Join The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association". IGEA. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  14. Maxwell, Jini. "First Look at the Parliamentary Friends of Video Games". screenhub Australia. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  15. "Welcome to our new members and welcome to 2021". IGEA. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  16. "Big Ant becomes Platinum Partner". www.carltonfc.com.au. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
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