Starbreeze Studios
Swedish ambition
Swedish developer Starbreeze created The Chronicles of Riddick and Payday, demonstrating that licensed games could achieve genuine excellence.
Overview
Starbreeze Studios emerged from the Swedish demo scene and proved that licensed games didn’t have to be shovelware. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay received acclaim that rivalled its source film. The studio later found success with the cooperative heist series Payday, though financial difficulties would follow expansion attempts.
Fast facts
- Founded: 1998 in Uppsala, Sweden (from demo group Triton).
- Demo scene origins: members from Triton and other groups.
- Breakout title: The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (2004).
- Franchise: Payday series (2011-present).
- Recent history: financial restructuring (2019).
Riddick: the exception
A licensed game done right:
- Quality surprise: exceeded expectations for tie-in game.
- First-person immersion: Vin Diesel-voiced protagonist.
- Critical acclaim: scored higher than the film it promoted.
- Technical achievement: impressive visuals for original Xbox.
Payday success
Cooperative heist action:
- Four-player co-op: coordinated robbery gameplay.
- GaaS model: ongoing content updates.
- Payday 2 (2013): major commercial success.
- Community: dedicated player base.