Arcen Games

Arcen Games is a small video game company founded in 2009 by Chris McElligott Park, known as Christopher M. Park prior to remarriage in 2020.[6] The company launched their first product, AI War: Fleet Command, in mid 2009 for Windows PCs.[7]

Arcen Games
TypeLLC
IndustryVideo games
Founded2009
HeadquartersUnited States
Key people
  • Chris McElligott Park
  • Pablo Vega
  • Keith LaMothe
  • Daniette Shinkle
ProductsAI War: Fleet Command
Tidalis
A Valley Without Wind 1&2
Shattered Haven
Skyward Collapse
Bionic Dues
The Last Federation
Stars Beyond Reach
Starward Rogue
In Case of Emergency, Release Raptor
AI War 2
Number of employees
Websitewww.arcengames.com

The company became one of the early notable examples of heavy procedural generation in almost all their games.[8] They are also known for taking unusual gameplay ideas in an idiosyncratic range of genres,[9] and exploring to the extreme ends of each idea.[10] Most of Arcen's titles include some form of overarching goals with a lot of freedom as to how the player goes about reaching said goals.[11] The company founder has a stated aversion to being stuck into any one genre.[12]

Arcen Games is best known for its real time strategy game AI War: Fleet Command,[13] which had six DLC expansions released between 2010 to 2014.[14] Arcen released the puzzle game Tidalis in July 2010,[15][16] 2D side scrolling game A Valley Without Wind in April 2012,[17] its divergent sequel A Valley Without Wind 2 in February 2013,[18] environmental puzzle game Shattered Haven in March 2013,[19] turn-based god game Skyward Collapse in May 2013[20] with an expansion called Nihon no Mura later that year,[21] and tactical mech game Bionic Dues in October 2013.[22]

In April 2014, Arcen released The Last Federation, a space-themed strategy/simulation game.[23][24][25] This title did well enough to get two expansions by the end of 2015.[26] The Last Federation put the company in a "relatively cash-rich position," after which a major project by the name of Stars Beyond Reach was undertaken.[27] In October 2016, after an 18-month development cycle with the company's largest-yet team of staff and contractors, and with funds dwindling as long-term sales from other titles tapered, Stars Beyond Reach was put on indefinite hold.[28]

Arcen then rapidly developed and released the SHMUP roguelite Starward Rogue for January 2016,[29] but the title was a commercial failure that led to the layoff of all but three of their staff.[30] In August 2016, they released and then pulled from sale a 3D dino-vs-robots game, In Case of Emergency, Release Raptor due to overwhelmingly poor sales.[31] In January 2018, a mostly-independent group of former contractors dubbed the "Extended Team"[32] finished their work on a "labor of love" expansion for Starward Rogue, which was also well-received without generating much income.[33]

After one failed kickstarter in late 2016, a followup successful kickstarter the next month,[34] and then an extended period of early access starting in October 2018,[35] Arcen Games released AI War 2 in October 2019[36] to positive reviews.[37] The first expansion for AI War 2 was released in February 2020.[38]

References
  1. Honaker, Rob (November 14, 2019). "Chris Park of Arcen Games Interview". eXplorminate. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  2. Wawro, Alex (January 28, 2016). "Arcen to lay off 'almost all' staff after poor sales of its latest game". Gamasutra. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  3. "Sad news for Arcen Games now laying off most of their staff". Linux Game Consortium. January 29, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  4. O'Connor, Alice (April 8, 2015). "Have A Gander At Arcen's Space 4X Stars Beyond Reach". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  5. Hillier, Brenna (August 4, 2012). "Living the Dream: Arcen Games and the Indie Recipe, Pt 1". vg247. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  6. "v2.012 Released! "Populous"". March 26, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  7. Love, Jason (2009). "Interview with Christopher Park - AI War Lead Designer". Co-Optimus. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  8. Sigl, Rainer (2012). ""The Process"-Footnotes: An interview with Chris Park of Arcen Games". Video Game Tourism. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  9. Pearson, Craig (April 12, 2014). "Win The Space Race: The Last Federation's Out Soon". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  10. Parker, Rob (February 17, 2016). "First Person Podcast Interviews Chris Park". First Person Scholar. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  11. Ellison II, Scott (April 25, 2014). "The Last Federation Review". Saving Content. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  12. Cameron, Phill (February 8, 2011). "Arcen Games Talk A Valley Without Wind". Kotaku. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  13. Chick, Tom (August 13, 2009). "Rush, Boom, Turtle: And Now for Something Completely Different". Crispy Gamer. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  14. Smith, Adam (August 8, 2014). "Downloadable Cunning: AI War - Destroyer Of Worlds". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  15. Rick, Christophor. "Tidalis Review (PC, Mac)". Gamers Daily News. Archived from the original on August 17, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  16. Reed, Kristan (August 13, 2010). "Download Games Roundup". Eurogamer. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  17. Cox, Kate (April 25, 2012). "A Valley Without Wind Still Managed to Blow Me Away". Kotaku. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
  18. Chick, Tom (February 19, 2013). "Valley Without Wind 2 transformed by the winds of change". Quarter To Three. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  19. Porter, Matt (March 25, 2013). "Shattered Haven Review - Danger lurks everywhere". Hooked Gamers. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  20. Savillo, Rob (May 29, 2013). "Skyward Collapse truly reinvents the god game (review)". VentureBeat. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  21. Savage, Phil (August 9, 2013). "Skyward Collapse to get first expansion, Nihon no Mura". PC Gamer. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  22. Tamburro, Paul (October 10, 2013). "Bionic Dues Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  23. Bain, John (Apr 21, 2014). "WTF Is... - The Last Federation?". TotalBiscuit. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  24. Bain, John (June 3, 2014). "The Co-Optional Podcast Animated: The Biscuit Federation Pt. 1". This is Polaris. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  25. Bain, John (June 17, 2014). "The Co-Optional Podcast Animated: Biscuit Federation Pt. 2". This is Polaris. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  26. Wulf, Happy (December 9, 2015). "Review: The Last Federation 3.0 + The Lost Technologies DLC". Game Revolution. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  27. Varfalvy, Edward (June 18, 2015). "Stars Beyond Reach – Interview with Arcen Games". Space Sector. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  28. Grant, James (January 29, 2016). "Arcen Games cuts staff following sales slump". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  29. Cunningham, James (February 15, 2016). "Review: Starward Rogue". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  30. Chalk, Andy (January 29, 2016). "Arcen lays off nearly all staff despite successful Starward Rogue launch". PC Gamer. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  31. Smith, Graham (August 30, 2016). "In Case Of Emergency, Release Raptor Pulled From Sale". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  32. Tarason, Dominic (January 28, 2018). "Starward Rogue's Augmented expansion buffs up the shmuppy roguelike". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  33. Barnhart, M. Charles (January 25, 2018). "Starward Rogue AuGMENTED Review – A Roguelite to Really RogueLIKE". BagoGames. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  34. O'Connor, Alice (December 20, 2016). "AI War 2 aims for Oct 2017 after Kickstarter success". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  35. Haselden, Stephen (October 18, 2018). "AI War 2 Early Access Release and Why Arcen Are a Model Indie Dev". PixelJudge. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  36. Williams, Alexander (2019-10-22). "AI WAR 2 REVIEW". Strategy Gamer. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  37. "AI War 2 For PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  38. Williams, Alexander (March 11, 2020). "AI War 2: The Spire Rises Review". StrategyGamer. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
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