Big Ant Studios
Big Ant Studios Pty Ltd is an Australian video game developer founded by chief executive officer Ross Symons in 2001. The studio focus on niche sporting titles, including video game recreations of Cricket,[1] Rugby League,[2] Lacrosse[3] and Tennis.[4] Some of the developer's notable titles include the first AFL Live,[5] as well as the Don Bradman Cricket series[6] and Ashes Cricket franchises, which includes Ashes Cricket and Cricket 19.
Type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Video games |
Founded | 2001 |
Founder | Ross Symons |
Headquarters | , Australia |
Key people | Ross Symons (CEO) |
Number of employees | Approximately 50 |
Parent | Nacon |
Website | bigant.com |
In January 2021, French video game publisher Nacon announced that it had acquired Big Ant for €35 million.[7]
History
Big Ant Studios was founded by Ross Symons in 2001. Based in Melbourne, Victoria, the company started working predominantly on popular titles for third party publishers, including The Legend of Spyro for Vivendi Games, and Hellboy: The Science of Evil for Konami. The company also worked closely with THQ, which also had an office in Melbourne up until 2011,[8] on a range of racing titles, including World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars.
The studio also has a close relationship with fellow Australian developer, Halfbrick Studios, and has produced console ports for that company's mobile titles, Jetpack Joyride and Fruit Ninja.
In 2010, Big Ant Studios collaborated with Tru Blu Entertainment for the first time to produce the original Rugby League Live. It was the first collaboration in the category that would become Big Ant Studio's main focus in sports games. Tru Blu Entertainent and Big Ant would also collaborate on AFL (AFL Live) and Cricket (Don Bradman Cricket) titles.
In 2013, Big Ant Studios and Crosse Studios announced a collaboration and Kickstarter to produce Lacrosse 14.[9] Though that Kickstarter was ultimately unsuccessful,[10] the project was able to find the finance necessary to be completed and became Casey Powell Lacrosse 16, released in 2016, which was then followed up with a second collaboration for Casey Powell Lacrosse 18.
In 2017, Big Ant Studios self-published a sports game for the first time, with Ashes Cricket. This would be followed with two other self-published titles, AO Tennis, and Cricket 19.
In 2020, Big Ant Studios collaborated with French publisher, Nacon, to publish the second in the AO Tennis series (AO Tennis 2), and Big Ant signed on to also develop Tennis World Tour 2 for Nacon. Nacon subsequently announced the intention to acquire Big Ant Studios in January 2021.[7]
Games developed
Year | Title | Platform(s) |
---|---|---|
2006 | Sprint Cars: Road to Knoxville | PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows |
2006 | The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning | Game Boy Advance |
2007 | The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night | PlayStation 2, Wii |
2008 | Hellboy: The Science of Evil | PlayStation Portable |
2008 | Sprint Cars: Showdown at Eldora | PlayStation 2 |
2009 | Short Track Racing: Trading Paint | PlayStation 2 |
2010 | World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |
Rugby League Live | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows | |
Truth or Lies | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii | |
2011 | Pirate Blast | Wii |
AFL Live | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | |
2012 | AFL Live: Game of the Year Edition | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows |
Rugby League Live 2 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | |
Rugby League Live 2: Game of the Year Edition | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | |
Jetpack Joyride | PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita | |
2013 | Fruit Ninja | PlayStation Vita |
Rugby League Live 2: The World Cup Edition | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | |
2014 | Don Bradman Cricket 14 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows |
2015 | Tabletop Cricket | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows |
Rugby League Live 3 | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows | |
2016 | Casey Powell Lacrosse 16 | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows |
Masquerade: The Baubles of Doom | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows | |
Big Bash Cricket 2016 | Android, Tablet, Mobile | |
Don Bradman Cricket 17 | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows | |
2017 | Rugby League Live 4 | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows |
Ashes Cricket | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows | |
Big Bash Cricket | Android, iOS | |
2018 | Casey Powell Lacrosse 18 | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows |
AO Tennis | Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | |
Big Bash Boom | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows | |
AO International Tennis | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows | |
2019 | Cricket 19 | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
2020 | AO Tennis 2 | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
Tennis World Tour 2 | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
Advocacy
Big Ant Studios has been a vocal supporter of the Australian games industry. In 2016, the company's CEO, Ross Symons, penned an article for the Australian Financial Review on the need to properly compensate interns for their work,[11] and in 2020, Big Ant Studios worked with AFL SportsReady to supply a First Peoples candidate with a traineeship program.[12]
In 2015 Big Ant Studios joined iGEA,[13] the leading industry association for game developers and publishers in Australia. In 2020, Symons, acting as the industry representative for iGEA, made a presentation on the games industry challenges and opportunities to the Australian government's new Parliamentary Friends of Video Games group.[14] In 2021 Symons was named to iGEA's board of directors.[15]
Big Ant Studios also sponsors the women's team at the Carlton Football Club.[16]
References
- Cricket 19 Review - IGN, retrieved 26 January 2021
- "Rugby League Live 4 Review - Improvements All Round". Press Start. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- "Casey Powell Lacrosse 18". GameSpot. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- AO Tennis 2 Review - IGN, retrieved 26 January 2021
- AFL Live Review - IGN, retrieved 26 January 2021
- Don Bradman Cricket 14 Review - IGN, retrieved 26 January 2021
- "Nacon Acquires AO Tennis, Cricket 19 Developer Big Ant". IGN. 22 January 2021.
- "Game over: THQ shutters THQ Studio Australia and Blue Tongue Entertainment". ARN. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- Corriea, Alexa Ray (15 October 2013). "Lacrosse 14 video game seeks funding through Kickstarter". Polygon. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "kickstarter — Blog". laxvideogame. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Video game companies must start paying interns for fairness and good business". Australian Financial Review. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Junior Quality Assurance Tester Traineeship - AFL SportsReady". KariER.co. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Big Ant Studios Join The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association". IGEA. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- Maxwell, Jini. "First Look at the Parliamentary Friends of Video Games". screenhub Australia. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Welcome to our new members and welcome to 2021". IGEA. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- "Big Ant becomes Platinum Partner". www.carltonfc.com.au. Retrieved 31 January 2021.