Empire Interactive

Empire Interactive was a British video game developer and publisher based in London. Founded in 1987 by Ian Higgins and Simon Jeffrey, it was acquired by Silverstar Holdings in 2006 and collapsed in 2009.

History
Empire Interactive was founded by Ian Higgins (chief executive officer) and Simon Jeffrey (managing director) in 1987. In November 2000, the company acquired development studio Razorworks.

As well as full priced titles, Empire also had a budget range of titles, Xplosiv, for PC and PS2. Initially launched for PC in January 2000, Xplosiv also published titles in Europe from third parties such as Sega and Microsoft. Later, in 2003, Empire began launching titles for PS2.

In March 2002 Empire acquired music creation software eJay. The company sold internal development studio Strangelite, responsible for Starship Troopers (2005) and various PC ports of Sega games, to Rebellion Developments on 1 June 2006.

Silverstar Holdings, a U.S. public company listed on NASDAQ, offered a deal to acquire Empire Interactive in late October 2006. The deal was accepted by 90% of Empire Interactive's shareholders by late November, and so Silverstar Holdings acquired 85% of Empire Interactive's shares. The deal was valued at approximately GB£4.5 million. Admissions of further Empire Interactive shares on the Alternative Investments Market of the London Stock Exchange, were expected to be cancelled, effective by 20 December. Higgins stepped down from his position in May 2008. In July, Empire Interactive reduced its staff count by 30%, with the intent to sell Razorworks. Razorworks was sold to and absorbed by Rebellion Developments a few days later. Two months after Silverstar Holdings was delisted from NASDAQ in March 2009, Empire Interactive was placed into administration on 1 May 2009, with KPMG Restructuring appointed as administrator. Subsequently, 49 out of 55 employees were laid off, with the remaining six staying to aiding KPMG Restructuring in the winding-down of the company. Empire Interactive's intellectual property was sold to U.S.-based company New World IP. Shortly thereafter, U.S. publisher Zoo Publishing acquired an exclusive licence for the publishing and distribution of Empire Interactive from New World IP.

Games
• 101st Airborne in Normandy

• 911: First Responders

• Adventures of Yogi Bear

• Animal Paradise

• Animal Paradise 2

• Antz Extreme Racing

• Big Mutha Truckers

• Big Mutha Truckers 2: Truck Me Harder

• Campaign

• Campaign II

• The Civil War

• Coala

• Combat Chess

• Crazy Taxi (PC)

• Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller (PC)

• Dino Crisis 2 (PC)

• Double Dragon (XBLA version)

• Dreamfall: The Longest Journey

• DreamWeb

• Endgame (PS2)

• Enemy Engaged: Apache vs Havoc

• Enemy Engaged: RAH-66 Comanche vs. KA-52 Hokum

• Enemy Zero (PC)

• FlatOut series

• Flying Corps Gold

• Ford Racing

• Ford Racing 2

• Ford Racing 3

• Ford Racing Full Blown (developed for SEGA Amusements Europe)

• Ford Racing Off Road

• Ford Street Racing

• Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy

• Ghost Master

• The Golf Pro

• Go Go Copter

• Hanna Barbera's Turbo Toons

• Heavy Gear II (PC)

• Hello Kitty: Big City Dreams (DS)

• Hot Wheels: Beat That! (unpublished)

• The House of the Dead (PC)

• The House of the Dead 2 (PC)

• International Cricket Captain

• Jackass: The Game (PS2, PSP and DS versions)

• Jacked (PS2, Windows, and Xbox)

• The Longest Journey

• Mashed (aka Drive To Survive)

• Midtown Madness 2 (PC)

• Navy Strike (PC)

• Picture Perfect Golf (Windows)

• Panzer Dragoon (PC)

• Paraworld

• Pepsi Max Extreme Sports (PC)

• Pipe Mania

• Pro Pinball series

• RayStorm (PC)

• Sega Bass Fishing (PC)

• Sega Marine Fishing (PC)

• Sega Rally 2 (PC)

• Sega Rally Championship (PC)

• Sega Touring Car Championship (PC)

• Sheep

• Sleeping Gods Lie

• Solid Ice (PC)

• Space Ace (SNES)

• Speedball

• Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe

• Spin Jam (PS1)

• Stars!

• Starship Troopers

• Starsky & Hutch

• Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory

• Taito Legends 2

• Taito Legends

• Team Yankee and its sequels Pacific Islands and War in the Gulf

• Total Immersion Racing

• Unsolved Crimes (DS)

• Victorious Boxers (PS2)

• Victorious Boxers 2 (PS2)

• Virtua Cop 2 (PC)

• Virtua Tennis (PC)

• Volfied

• War Along the Mohawk

• Warrior Kings: Battles