XGen Studios

XGen Studios, Inc (stylized as XGen Studios) is an independent video game development studio based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

XGen Studios, Inc
TypePrivate
IndustryVideo games
Founded2001
FounderSkye Boyes
HeadquartersEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
Key people
Kaelyn Boyes (Owner)
ProductsSuper Motherload
Defend Your Castle
Websitexgenstudios.com

Since 2001, XGen Studios has released 14 internally developed titles for consoles, mobiles, and the web, including the WiiWare title Defend Your Castle[1][2]

History

XGen Studios was founded by Skye Boyes in 2001. Boyes was interested in programming in his childhood, and was studying computer science at the University of Alberta.[3] While in university in 2003, he published a browser game made with Adobe Flash called Stick RPG. This game amassed one million plays in the first month.[4] Skye dropped out of his computer science program, incorporated the company, and began to accumulate staff.[5] XGen Studios followed up Stick RPG by releasing another Flash game called Motherload in 2004.[4]

An offer to acquire the company for $8 million was made to XGen in 2007, but Boyes declined the deal.[4] That same year, XGen Studios announced that they had obtained a license to develop for Nintendo's Wii system, and intended to develop a WiiWare title.[6][7] It was revealed in 2008 that Defend Your Castle would be part of Nintendo's WiiWare launch line up.[1][5][8][9]

In 2011, XGen Studios announced that they would take Amanita Design's Machinarium to WiiWare.[10][11] The project was eventually cancelled as of November 2011, due to the WiiWare platform's game size limit.[12][13][14]

In 2013, Sony announced that Super Motherload would be a day one title for the PlayStation 4.[15]

On October 12, 2015, founder and CEO Boyes died in Vancouver after experiencing cardiac arrest.[16][17] His wife Kaelyn, who had worked on the operations side of the business, took over XGen Studios, overseeing the development of The Low Road.[17][18] The Low Road launched on July 26, 2017 on Valve's Steam available for PC, Mac and Linux.[19][20] The following year, The Low Road was released on the Nintendo Switch.[21]

Console games developed
TitleYearPlatform(s)Notes
Defend Your Castle2008Nintendo Wii, iPad, iPhone, MacOS, Windows, Android, Nintendo Switch
Machinarium2011WiiWarePort - Cancelled
Super Motherload2013PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Windows
The Low Road2017 & 2018Windows, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch

References
  1. Boyes, Skye (2008). "From Freeware to WiiWare". Casual Connect. No. Fall. p. 27. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  2. "Our Games". XGen Studios. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  3. Sperounes, Sandra (2015-11-27). "Life and Times: Video game developer and musician was fearless". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  4. Mouallem, Omar (2010-02-11). "Up in the Skye". Avenue Edmonton. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  5. Mouallem, Omar (March 12, 2014). "Need to Know: Skye Boyes". Alberta Venture. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  6. rawmeatcowboy (January 17, 2008). "XGen Studios Announces Nintendo Developer Status, Upcoming WiiWare Title". GoNintendo. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  7. McFerran, Damien (January 22, 2008). "XGen Studios WiiWare title in 'Early 2008'". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  8. Savino, Candace (May 10, 2008). "Nintendo reveals WiiWare launch List". Engadget. Verizon Media. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  9. Fletcher, JC (February 29, 2008). "Defend Your Castle: new awesome date, new awesome look". Engadget. Verizon Media. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  10. Newton, James (September 9, 2019). "XGen Studios Readying Machinarium and Super Motherload for WiiWare". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  11. "Amanita Design and XGen Studios bring Machinarium to WiiWare" (Press release). Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. September 9, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  12. Newton, James (November 1, 2011). "Machinarium Finally, Officially Cancelled". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  13. McElroy, Griffin (September 10, 2010). "XGen Studios bringing the adorable Machinarium to WiiWare". Engadget. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  14. Yin-Poole, Wesley (November 1, 2011). "PlayStation 3 Machinarium "the ultimate version"". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  15. "PlayStation 4 Launch Titles". IGN. November 3, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  16. Kerr, Chris (October 19, 2015). "Obituary: XGen Studios founder Skye Boyes". Gamasutra. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  17. "'He would be very proud': Edmonton developer's videogame completed after death". CBC. 2017-07-31. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  18. Sapieha, Chad (2017-07-25). "How Edmonton's XGen Studios overcame the tragic loss of its founder en route to this week's launch of The Low Road". Financial Post. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  19. Loeffler, Jordan (July 26, 2017). "The Low Road Launches on Steam with a Musically Heightened Trailer". DualShockers. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  20. Graney, Juris (2017-08-04). "Edmonton indie game producer releases The Low Road, realizing dream of founder who died in 2015". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
  21. The Low Road - Official Nintendo Switch Trailer (Trailer). August 10, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
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