Rage Software

Rage Software plc
Company typePublic company
IndustryVideo games
Founded1992[1][2]
Defunct2003
FateBankrupt
HeadquartersLiverpool, England, UK

Rage Software plc (formerly Rage Games Limited) was a British video game developer. Formed in Liverpool in 1992, its video games were marked by an emphasis on graphical effects with arcade gameplay.

Rage's first title Striker sold more than one million copies throughout its two-year life cycle and established Rage as a major creative force in the interactive entertainment industry. The company went through rapid expansion in the 1990s and partnered with multiple third party software publishers for distribution of its titles.

Rage Games Limited was floated on the stock exchange in 1996 as Rage Software plc. Rage continued to form commercial partnerships with major publishing houses, including Microsoft, Intel, Dell, Compaq, Nintendo, Sony and Sega, and re-registered as a private company as Rage Software Limited in 1999.

In 2000, Rage began to expand into publishing. However, the costs of publishing and a run of games that did not sell as expected (most notably the David Beckham franchise) eventually led to the company closing in January 2003 due to bankruptcy. At its peak, it had offices in Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Bristol, Dundee and Warrington.

Some of the former development staff have formed other game development companies such as Realtime Worlds in Dundee, Swordfish Studios in Birmingham, Juice Games in Warrington and Venom Games in Newcastle.

Games developed

[edit]
List of games developed or published by Rage Software
Title Release details Platform(s)
Microsoft Nintendo Sega Sony Others
Striker MS-DOS SNES Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear Atari ST, Amiga, CD32
Ultimate Soccer Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, Game Gear
World Soccer '94: Road to Glory
  • Publisher: Atlus
  • Release date: 1993
SNES
Power Drive MS-DOS SNES Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear Amiga, CD32
Striker Pro
  • Release date: 1994
CD-i
World Cup Striker
  • Release date: 1994
SNES
Power Drive Rally Jaguar
Revolution X (all ports) MS-DOS SNES Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn PlayStation
Striker '95 MS-DOS
Striker – World Cup Special 3DO
FIFA Soccer 97 SNES
Striker '96 MS-DOS, Windows PlayStation
AYSO Soccer '97 Windows
Darklight Conflict MS-DOS, Windows Saturn PlayStation
Doom (Sega Saturn port) Saturn
Jonah Lomu Rugby
  • Publisher: Codemasters
  • Release date:
    • PlayStation: March 31, 1997
    • MS-DOS & Saturn: September 1997
Saturn PlayStation
Trash It MS-DOS Saturn PlayStation
Dead Ball Zone PlayStation
Incoming Windows Dreamcast
Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds Windows
Microsoft International Soccer 2000
  • Publisher: Microsoft
  • Release date:
    • UK: August 27, 1999
    • NA: December 3, 1999
Windows
Millennium Soldier: Expendable Windows Dreamcast PlayStation
UEFA Striker
  • Publisher: Infogrames
  • Release date:
    • PlayStation
      • EU: October 22, 1999
      • NA: April 2000
    • Dreamcast
      • EU: October 22, 1999
      • NA: May 15, 2000
Dreamcast PlayStation
Space Debris PlayStation
Wild Wild Racing PlayStation 2
Rage Rally
  • Genre: Racing
  • Publishers: Rage Software, Global Software Publishing Ltd.
  • Release date: 2000
Windows
David Beckham Soccer (all versions except GBA)
  • Developers: Rage Software, Yoyo Entertainment, Majesco Entertainment
  • Release date:
    • PlayStation
      • EU: November 23, 2001
      • NA: June 2002
    • Game Boy Color
      • EU: February 8, 2002
    • PlayStation 2, Xbox
      • EU: June 7, 2002
Xbox Game Boy Color PlayStation, PlayStation 2
Denki Blocks Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance
e-Racer
  • Release date:
    • EU: April 27, 2001
    • NA: April 30, 2001
Windows
Eurofighter Typhoon Windows
Global Touring Challenge: Africa PlayStation 2
Hostile Waters Windows
Off-Road Redneck Racing Windows
Pocket Music Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance
Go! Go! Beckham! Adventure on Soccer Island
  • Developer: Denki
  • Release date: 2002
Game Boy Advance
Gun Metal Windows, Xbox
Incoming Forces
  • Publisher: Hip Interactive
  • Release date:
    • EU: March 8, 2002
    • NA: September 25, 2002
Windows
Midnight GT
  • Genre: Racing
  • Publishers: Rage Software, Funbox Media, Global Software Publishing Ltd.
  • Release date: 2002
Windows
Mobile Forces Windows
Rocky Xbox GameCube, Game Boy Advance PlayStation 2
Totaled! Xbox PlayStation 2
Twin Caliber
  • Release date: November 1, 2002
PlayStation 2
Rolling Xbox PlayStation 2
Lamborghini Xbox PlayStation 2

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Majesco Signs Exclusive North American Publishing and Distribution Agreement With Rage Software". Business Wire. Berkshire Hathaway. 10 December 2001. Archived from the original on 24 January 2002. Retrieved 21 June 2019 – via Yahoo.com.
  2. ^ Lafferty, Michael. "Get ready for smash 'em-up fun with Rage Software's Totaled!! - a GZ Interview". gamezone.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2005. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
[edit]
  • Football in the New Media Age, Raymond Boyle, Richard Haynes, 2004. ISBN 0-415-31790-8