Nixxes Software

Nixxes Software B.V. is a Dutch video game developer based at the World Trade Center in Utrecht.[2] It was founded by former demoscene developer Jurjen Katsman in 1999 to port the game Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver to the Dreamcast. In July 2021, the company was acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment to help bring its games from PlayStation platforms to personal computers. As of 2020, 40% of Nixxes' work comprises game ports, with the remainder being co-development efforts like the production of art assets.[2]

Nixxes Software B.V.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Founded1999 (1999)
FounderJurjen Katsman
Headquarters
Utrecht
,
Netherlands
Number of employees
55[1] (2022)
ParentPlayStation Studios (2021–present)
Websitenixxes.com

History

During the mid-1990s, Jurjen Katsman was a computer science student, gamer, and demoscene developer in the Netherlands. During one weekend, he was invited to meet Dutch developers working for the British publisher Eidos Interactive. Without his knowledge, these developers had arranged a job interview for him. He was hired by Eidos and asked to relocate to London within three weeks, forcing him to cease his studies. Katsman remained in London for two years before being transferred to Crystal Dynamics in the United States, which Eidos had acquired in 1998. After some time of living in hotels, Katsman chose to return to the Netherlands. By this time, Crystal Dynamics was developing Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and sought a developer capable of porting it to the Dreamcast. Believing that Katsman had the right skill set, the company hired him for the conversion. At their behest, Katsman founded Nixxes Software in 1999, deriving the name from "nix", his demoscene nickname. The Dreamcast port of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was Nixxes' first project, which Katsman completed on his own.[2]

By 2013, when Nixxes was working on Thief, the company employed seventeen people.[2]

The company faced some hardships during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic because a lot of hardware had to remain in the office while most employees transitioned to remote work, and many workflows required a high-speed connection to the company servers.[3] On 1 July 2021, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced its acquisition of Nixxes Software to undisclosed terms.[4] In a statement to Famitsu later that month, Sony Interactive Entertainment's CEO, Jim Ryan, stated that the acquisition aimed at bringing first-party PlayStation games to personal computers.[5] After initially assisting Guerilla Games in patching the Microsoft Windows version of Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition throughout 2020 and 2021,[6] their first standalone project as a PlayStation Studios subsidiary was revealed in June 2022 to be the PC ports of Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, developed in collaboration with sister studio Insomniac Games.[7]

In 2023, Nixxes confirmed that it would start working on more remasters while also continuing their work on PC ports.[8]

List of games
YearTitlePlatform(s)Original developerNotesRef(s).
2000Legacy of Kain: Soul ReaverDreamcastCrystal DynamicsPorted to Dreamcast[9]
2001Mad Dash RacingXboxDeveloped new renderer[10]
Soul Reaver 2Microsoft WindowsPorted to Microsoft Windows[11]
2002Blood Omen 2GameCube, Microsoft Windows, XboxPorted to GameCube, Microsoft Windows and Xbox[12]
2003Legacy of Kain: DefianceMicrosoft Windows, XboxPorted to Microsoft Windows and Xbox, helped build developer tools[13]
WhiplashPlayStation 2, XboxDeveloped new renderer[14]
2005Project SnowblindMicrosoft Windows, XboxPorted to Microsoft Windows and Xbox, integrated Xbox Live support[15]
2006Tomb Raider: LegendGameCube, Microsoft Windows, XboxPorted to GameCube, Microsoft Windows and Xbox, helped build developer tools[16]
2007Tomb Raider: AnniversaryMicrosoft WindowsPorted to Microsoft Windows[17]
2008Tomb Raider: UnderworldMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 3Ported to Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3[18]
2010Kane & Lynch 2: Dog DaysMicrosoft WindowsIO InteractivePorted to Microsoft Windows[19]
Lara Croft and the Guardian of LightMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 3Crystal DynamicsPorted to Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3[20]
2011Deus Ex: Human RevolutionMicrosoft WindowsEidos-MontréalPorted to Microsoft Windows, Added DX11 Support[21]
2012Hitman: AbsolutionIO Interactive[22]
2013Tomb RaiderMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4Crystal DynamicsPorted to Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3, also ported Definitive Edition to PlayStation 4, added higher quality physics, textures and 60fps support.[23][24]
Killzone Shadow FallPlayStation 4Guerrilla GamesDevelopment Assistance[25]
2014ThiefMicrosoft WindowsEidos-MontréalPorted to Microsoft Windows[26]
Lara Croft and the Temple of OsirisMicrosoft Windows, PlayStation 4Crystal DynamicsPorted to Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4[27]
2015Rise of the Tomb RaiderMicrosoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4Ported to Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360, also ported 20th Anniversary to PlayStation 4, helped with VR content[28][29]
2016Deus Ex: Mankind DividedMicrosoft WindowsEidos-MontréalPorted to Microsoft Windows[30]
2018Shadow of the Tomb Raider[31]
2020Marvel's AvengersCrystal Dynamics[32]
2021Horizon Zero Dawn Complete EditionGuerrilla GamesDeveloped patches[6]
2022Marvel's Spider-Man RemasteredInsomniac GamesPorted to Microsoft Windows[33]
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
2023Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart[34]
2024 Horizon Forbidden West Complete EditionGuerrilla Games[35]

References
  1. "Sony Business Segment Briefings Game & Network Services Segment" (PDF). Sony.com. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  2. van Ammelrooy, Peter (13 December 2020). "Gamestudio Nixxes in Utrecht is de hofleverancier van internationale topgames" [Gamestudio Nixxes in Utrecht is the main supplier of international top games]. Volkskrant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  3. van Otterlo, Alessandra (28 May 2020). "Thuiswerken in coronatijd • "Niet alle hardware kan zomaar mee naar huis"" [Working from home in times of corona • "Not all hardware can just be taken home"]. Control (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  4. Taylor, Mollie (1 July 2021). "Sony acquires PC port developer Nixxes Software". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  5. Peppiatt, Dom (28 July 2021). "Nixxes acquisition will help bring more PlayStation games to PC, Sony confirms". VG247. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  6. Croft, Liam (16 December 2021). "Nixxes Responsible for Recent Horizon Zero Dawn PC Patches". Push Square. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  7. Schneider, Ryan (2 June 2022). "Marvel's Spider-Man series is coming to PC". PlayStation.Blog. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  8. "Sony's PC port dev Nixxes under the microscope in studio profile video". 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  9. "Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  10. "Mad Dash Racing". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  11. "Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  12. "Blood Omen 2". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  13. "Legacy of Kain: Defiance". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 8 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  14. "Whiplash". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  15. "Project Snowblind". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  16. "Tomb Raider: Legend". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  17. "Tombraider: Anniversary". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  18. "Tombraider: Underworld". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  19. "Kane & Lynch 2: Dog days". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  20. "Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  21. "Deus Ex: Human Revolution". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  22. "Hitman: Absolution". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  23. "Tomb Raider". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  24. "Tomb Raider Definitive Edition". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  25. Carcasole, David (July 2021). "Nixxes Software Helped Development On Killzone: Shadow Fall, Herman Hulst Reveals". PlayStation Universe. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  26. "Thief". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 7 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  27. "Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  28. "Rise of the Tomb Raider". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  29. "Rise of the Tomb Raider 20 year Celebration". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  30. "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  31. "Shadow of the Tomb Raider". Nixxes. Archived from the original on 7 September 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  32. "Marvel's Avengers". Nixxes. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  33. Romano, Sal (2 June 2022). "Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered coming to PC on August 12, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales this fall". Gematsu. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  34. Romano, Sal (30 May 2023). "Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart coming to PC on July 26". Gematsu. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  35. Romano, Sal (27 September 2023). "Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition launches October 6 for PS5, in early 2024 for PC". Gematsu.
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