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Tantalus Media

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Tantalus Interactive)

Tantalus Media Pty Ltd
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Founded1994; 32 years ago (1994)
Founders
  • Andrew Bailey
  • Trevor Nuridin
Headquarters
Fitzroy, Melbourne
,
Australia
Number of locations
3 (2022)
Key peopleTom Crago (CEO)
ParentPerfect Entertainment (1995–1998)
Keywords Studios (85%; 2021–present)
Divisions
  • Tantalus North
  • Tantalus South
Websitewww.tantalus.com.au

Tantalus Media (formerly Tantalus Entertainment and Tantalus Interactive) is an Australian video game developer based in Melbourne. Since its inception, Tantalus has developed almost 100 games and has won multiple game awards.[1] Keywords Studios acquired 85% of Tantalus Media in March 2021.

History

[edit]

Tantalus Entertainment was founded in 1994 by programmers Andrew Bailey and Trevor Nuridin, who previously worked at Beam Software.[2][3] Perfect Entertainment acquired the company in 1995 and tasked it with porting Stargate to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Wipeout to the Sega Saturn.[4][5] The directors bought the company back in 1999 and renamed it Tantalus Interactive. The studio's first original game was South Park Rally, released for the PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, and Sega Dreamcast by Acclaim Entertainment in 2000.[6][7]

By 2001, the company faced bankruptcy until Tom Crago joined as CEO.[3] Tantalus developed a game engine that enabled 3D graphics on the Game Boy Advance, releasing conversions of ATV Quad Power Racing in 2002[8] and Monster Truck Madness in 2003.[9] Top Gear Rally was released in 2003[10] and won 'Best Game' at the 2003 Australian Game Developer Conference (AGDC) Awards in Melbourne.[11] Between 2003 and 2009, the company released several games under its Black Market Games banner.[12] Tantalus ported Unreal II to the Xbox in 2004[4] and Bailey won a 2004 AGDC award for his contributions to the CRIS GBA game engine.[13] That year, the company established Tantalus Asia, a joint venture based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to develop games for mobile devices.[14][15]

Tantalus began developing Anaka as a jump 'n' run title for the Game Boy Advance in 2003.[16] However, unable to find interest from a publisher, Tantalus and Act3animation made an AU$300,000 animated short film to attract investors.[17] It ultimately aired on Nickelodeon in 2005.[18] In 2006, a touch-only Nintendo DS demo was created. Players could control the character indirectly by touching the screen where they wanted them to go. It was a mix between a jump 'n' run and a traditional adventure game.

Tantalus then began developing for the Nintendo DS, releasing Pony Friends in 2007. The game sold one million units in a year, making it the highest-selling single-format game developed in Australia.[19] The studio was the only independent developer that year to have three games among the 100 top-selling titles worldwide.[20] Crago bought out the company's shareholders, renamed it Tantalus Media, and immediately sold a stake to private equity company Netus.[3][4][19] A second studio was opened in Brisbane in 2008.[21][22]

However, the 2007-2009 financial crisis heavily impacted Tantalus and the broader Australian video games industry. In 2009, Tantalus closed its Brisbane office[23][24] and reduced staff at its Melbourne headquarters.[25] In 2010, CEO Tom Crago reacquired the studio from Netus.[4]

That same year, the company launched Straight Right, a new label targeting the core gaming market. Straight Right released Need for Speed: Shift 2 - Unleashed for iOS in 2011,[26][27][28] followed by Wii U ports of Mass Effect 3 in 2012 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution in 2013.[26] Nintendo approached Tantalus to develop the HD remaster of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which was released in 2016.[4][29] The studio ported Cities: Skylines to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in 2017[30][31] and to the Nintendo Switch in 2018.[32] In 2018, Tantalus announced it would bring the grand strategy game Stellaris to Xbox and PlayStation.[33]

In March 2021, Keywords Studios acquired 85% of Tantalus Media for US$46.8 million.[34] The two companies formed Keywords Australia as a joint venture overseen by Crago.[35] In 2022, the company established Tantalus South in Adelaide and Tantalus North in Brisbane alongside its Melbourne studio.[36][37] In 2024, Tantalus partnered with Google to develop games for the Fitbit Ace LTE activity tracker[38] and created new DLC for Cities: Skylines.[39] At the end of that year, Crago stepped down as CEO of Tantalus and Keywords Australia.[40]

Games

[edit]
Title Year Platform Ref.
Stargate 1995 SNES [4]
Area 51 PC, PlayStation, Saturn [41]
Wipeout 1996 Saturn [42]
Krazy Ivan PC [43]
Manx TT Super Bike 1997 PC, Saturn [42][44]
Maximum Force PC, PlayStation, Saturn [42]
Wipeout 2097 Saturn [45]
The House of the Dead 1998 [42]
Mary King's Riding Star 1999 PlayStation
South Park Rally 1999 Dreamcast, N64, PC, PlayStation [42]
Equestriad 2001 2001 PC, PlayStation [46]
Mary-Kate and Ashley: Winners Circle PlayStation [42]
ATV: Quad Power Racing 2002 Game Boy Advance [8]
Men in Black II: Alien Escape GameCube [47]
Woody Woodpecker in Crazy Castle 5 Game Boy Advance [48]
Monster Truck Madness 2003
Unreal II: The Awakening Xbox [26]
Top Gear Rally Game Boy Advance [10]
AMF Bowling 2004 (as Black Market Games) Xbox [12]
The Polar Express 2004 Game Boy Advance [49]
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius: Attack of the Twonkies [4]
Black Market Bowling (as Black Market Games) 2005 PlayStation 2
Payload N-Gage [50][51]
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Yellow Avenger 2005, 2006 DS, PSP [4]
Trick Star 2006 Game Boy Advance [52]
MX vs. ATV: On the Edge PSP [53]
Cars Mater-National Championship 2007 DS, Game Boy Advance [3]
MX vs. ATV: Untamed DS, PSP [54][55]
Pony Friends DS [20]
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon 2008 [3]
Heat Shield (as Black Market Games) 2009 iOS
Pony Friends 2 DS, PC, Wii [56]
MX vs. ATV Reflex DS, PSP [57]
Cars Race-O-Rama [26]
Drift Street International 2010 DS [58]
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole [59]
Megamind DS, PSP [60]
Super Speed Machines DS
Ben 10: Galactic Racing 2011 [61]
Shift 2: Unleashed iOS [62]
Funky Barn 2012 3DS, Wii U [26][27]
Pony Trails iOS [63]
Mass Effect 3: Special Edition Wii U [64]
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut 2013
Zombi 2015 PC, PS4, Xbox One [65]
Pony Trails Android [66]
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD 2016 Wii U [67]
Sonic Mania 2017 Switch [64]
Rime
Cities: Skylines 2017, 2018, 2022 PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition 2018 PC
Stellaris: Console Edition 2019 PS4, Xbox One [68]
Jupiter & Mars PS4 [69]
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition PC [70]
Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition 2020 [71]
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD 2021 Switch [72]
Cities: Skylines - Remastered 2023 PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S [73]
Lego 2K Drive PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One [74]
Age of Mythology: Retold 2024 PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One [75]
Luigi's Mansion 2 HD Switch [76]
Guilty Gear Strive 2025 [77]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Keywords Studios acquires 85% interest in Tantalus Media for up to $46.8 million - NewsnReleases". 18 March 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "Business cards and contacts". Video Game History Foundation Library. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Parker, Laura (21 August 2008). "Oz Developer Watch: Tantalus". GameSpot. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 O'Brien, Lucy (29 August 2016). "The Amazing Survival Story of Tantalus, The Studio That Ports Your Favourite Games". IGN. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Leadbetter, Rich (March 1997). "Manx TT Super Bike". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 17. Emap International Limited. p. 14.
  6. ↑ Cochrane, Nathan (25 July 2000). "Tantalus and a driving ambition". The Age. p. 45. Retrieved 14 January 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Staff, I. G. N. (30 June 1999). "South Park to Rally Again". IGN. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  8. 1 2 Harris, Craig (31 July 2002). "ATV Quad Power Racing". IGN. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  9. ↑ Harris, Craig (19 August 2003). "Monster Truck Madness - IGN". IGN. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  10. 1 2 Provo, Frank (5 November 2003). "Top Gear Rally". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011.
  11. ↑ "Top Gear Rally Award". Archived from the original on 6 July 2011.
  12. 1 2 XBOX Manual: AMF Bowling 2004. p. 12 – via The Internet Archive.
  13. ↑ Jenkins, David (6 December 2004). "Australian Game Developer Award Winners Announced". Game Developer. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  14. ↑ Calvert, Justin (4 May 2004). "Tantalus opens Malaysian Studio". GameSpot. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "Nokia unveils first view of Payload for the N-Gage platform at www.payload-game.com". GamesIndustry.biz. 28 February 2006. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  16. ↑ "Anaka (Cancelled GBA Game)". The Internet Archive.
  17. ↑ Hill, Jason (10 May 2005). "Paradise lost". www.theage.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  18. ↑ "Anaka on NickToons". Tantalus.com.au. Archived from the original on 28 March 2011.
  19. 1 2 Hill, Jason (30 April 2008). "Screenplay: Developer Dreams". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  20. 1 2 Hill, Jason (22 May 2008). "Local Hero". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  21. ↑ "Tantalus Brisbane Studio". www.tantalus.com.au. 14 November 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  22. ↑ Parker, Laura (27 April 2009). "Aussie developer Tantalus opens new studio". GameSpot. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  23. ↑ Curtin, Michael; Sanson, Kevin (2016). Precarious Creativity: Global Media, Local Labor. University of California Press. p. 187 – via JSTOR.
  24. ↑ "Chapter 2: Overview of the Australian video game industry" (PDF). Parliament of Australia. p. 11. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  25. ↑ Graft, Kris (22 October 2012). "Mass Effect 3 Wii U developer faced a tough reality". gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 "Tantalus Turns Twenty" (PDF). Tantalus. 21 October 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  27. 1 2 Philips, Tom (29 August 2012). "Mass Effect 3 Wii U developer is Need for Speed iOS studio". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  28. ↑ Graft, Kris (26 October 2012). "How One Studio Saved Itself From the Downturn". Game Developer. Archived from the original on 25 January 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  29. ↑ Otero, Jose (12 November 2015). "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD Announced for Wii U". IGN. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  30. ↑ Dayus, Oscar (17 February 2017). "Cities: Skylines Xbox One Edition Coming This Year". GameSpot. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  31. ↑ Purchese, Robert (21 June 2017). "Paradox bringing Pillars of Eternity and Cities: Skylines to console this year". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  32. ↑ "Hands On Cities: Skylines For Nintendo Switch". www.thesixthaxis.com. 14 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  33. ↑ Purchese, Robert (20 August 2018). "Stellaris to be the first grand strategy game on console". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  34. ↑ Dealessandri, Marie (18 March 2021). "Keywords Studios acquires 85% interest in Tantalus Media". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 18 March 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  35. ↑ Maxwell, Jini (8 July 2021). "Keywords Studios acquires Tantalus, will create 130 more gamedev jobs". Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  36. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (4 October 2022). "Keywords Studios further expands in Australia". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  37. ↑ "Keywords Studios announces new studios and expansion in Australia alongside MIGW". Keywords Studios Limited. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  38. ↑ "Fitbit Ace LTE games". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  39. ↑ Wales, Matt (25 October 2024). "Cities: Skylines 1 gets new paid DLC 18 months after its supposedly final update". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  40. ↑ Blake, Vikki (4 December 2024). "Tantalus Keywords Australia CEO steps down". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  41. ↑ "Area 51". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  42. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Product". www.tantalus.com.au. Archived from the original on 22 April 2001. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  43. ↑ "Krazy Ivan". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  44. ↑ "Q&A". Sega Saturn Magazine (20): 40. June 1997 – via The Internet Archive.
  45. ↑ North, Dale (5 July 2012). "Tantalus working on unannounced AAA Wii U port". Destructoid. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  46. ↑ "Equestriad 2001". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  47. ↑ "Men In Black 2: Alien Escape". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  48. ↑ Harris, Craig (13 May 2003). "E3 2003: Tantalus @ E3". IGN. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  49. ↑ "The Polar Express". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  50. ↑ "Payload". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  51. ↑ "Payload Offers The Ride Of A Lifetime On The N-Gage Platform". GamesIndustry.biz. 9 March 2005. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
  52. ↑ Harris, Craig (8 May 2006). "E3 2006: Trick Star Finds a Publisher". IGN. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  53. ↑ "Tantalus Interactive". E3 2006 Directory: Official Exhibit Guide: 145. May 2006 – via The Video Game History Foundation.
  54. ↑ Miller, Greg (7 December 2007). "MX Vs. ATV Untamed Info". IGN. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  55. ↑ Bozon (17 December 2007). "MX vs. ATV Untamed Review". IGN. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  56. ↑ Staff, I. G. N. (27 January 2010). "Have a Perfect Pony as Your Best Friend with Pony Friends 2". IGN. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  57. ↑ "MX vs ATV: Reflex". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  58. ↑ Staff, I. G. N. (27 July 2010). "DSiWare Capsule Reviews: Third Week of July". IGN. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  59. ↑ "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  60. ↑ "Megamind". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  61. ↑ "Ben 10: Galactic Racing". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  62. ↑ Staff, I. G. N. (15 March 2010). "Tantalus Announces Drift Street International for Nintendo DSi". IGN. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  63. ↑ "Pony Trails". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  64. 1 2 Taylor, Jes (29 January 2019). "An Interview with Tantalus Media: Zelda, Switch, and More". Gaming Respawn. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  65. ↑ Sarkar, Samit (30 July 2015). "ZombiU coming to PC, PS4, Xbox One in August as Zombi (update)". Polygon. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  66. ↑ "Pony Trails". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  67. ↑ "In Real Life A HD Remake Of Twilight Princess Is Being Developed In Australia". kotaku.co.au. 12 November 2015. Archived from the original on 13 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  68. ↑ Hall, Charlie (22 January 2019). "Stellaris: Console Edition arrives in February, the first grand strategy title on PS4, Xbox One". Polygon. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  69. ↑ Donlan, Christian (12 July 2018). "Jupiter & Mars is a VR treat with a vital message". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  70. ↑ Wright, Steve (19 June 2019). "Aussie devs Wicked Witch, Tantalus working on Age of Empires 2". Stevivor. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  71. ↑ Borger, Will (17 October 2020). "Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition Review – To the New World". GamingBolt. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  72. ↑ Vuckovic, Daniel (14 July 2021). "Aussie developers Tantalus return to Hyrule with Skyward Sword HD". Vooks. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  73. ↑ "Cities: Skylines - Remastered". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  74. ↑ "Lego 2K Drive". www.tantalus.com.au. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  75. ↑ Romano, Sal (23 February 2024). "Age of Mythology: Retold launches in 2024 for Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  76. ↑ Lyles, Taylor (25 June 2024). "Luigi's Mansion 2 HD Developer Revealed to be Studio That Worked on Skyward Sword HD". IGN. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  77. ↑ Hasri, Danial (13 March 2025). "Guilty Gear Strive Just Excels Being Itself On The Nintendo Switch". Gamer Matters. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
[edit]
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