Underground Development

Underground Development, Ltd. (formerly Z-Axis, Ltd.) was an American video game developer based in Foster City, California. The company was founded in 1994 by David Luntz and sold to Activision in May 2002. Following a rebranding to Underground Development in February 2008, the company was closed in February 2010.

Underground Development, Ltd.
FormerlyZ-Axis, Ltd. (1994–2008)
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
FateDissolved
Founded1994 (1994) in San Mateo, California, U.S.
FounderDavid Luntz
DefunctFebruary 12, 2010 (2010-02-12)
Headquarters
Foster City, California
,
U.S.
Number of employees
<45 (2008)
ParentActivision (2002–2010)

History

Z-Axis was founded by David Luntz in 1994,[1] originally located in San Mateo, California.[2] On May 22, 2002, Activision announced that they had acquired Z-Axis in exchange for a payment of US$20.5 million in cash and stock, and up to 93,446 additional shares in Activision linked to the studio's performance.[3][4] At the time, the studio was located in Hayward, California.[3] In February 2008, Z-Axis was rebranded as Underground Development.[5][6]

Activision reported in April 2008 that they were closing Underground Development, which had the time had under 45 employees in a Foster City, California office, at the end of the coming May.[7][8][9] The studio was fully closed on February 12, 2010.[10][11]

Games developed as Z-Axis
Year Title Platform(s)
1996 Madden NFL '96 Sega Genesis
1998 Fox Sports College Hoops '99 Nintendo 64
1999 Alexi Lalas International Soccer PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Color
Space Invaders PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64
Thrasher Presents Skate and Destroy PlayStation
2000 Freestyle Motocross: McGrath vs. Pastrana PlayStation
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows
2001 Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX: Maximum Remix PlayStation
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2 PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox
2002 Aggressive Inline PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox
BMX XXX PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox
2006 X-Men: The Official Game PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360

Games developed as Underground Development
Year Title Platform(s)
2009 Guitar Hero: Van Halen PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
Cancelled Call of Duty: Devil's Brigade[12] Xbox 360

References
  1. Nutt, Christian. "Q&A: Nunchuck Games' Luntz On Testing His Ninja Reflex". gamasutra.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  2. IGN Staff (February 18, 1998). "Z-Axis Dunks High". ign.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  3. "Activision Acquires Dave Mirra Developer, Z-Axis". gamasutra.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  4. "Activision goes straight up". eurogamer.net. June 3, 2002. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  5. "Z-Axis renamed to Underground Development - VG247". vg247.com. February 14, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  6. "Activision rebrands one of its internal studios". mcvuk.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  7. "Activision confirms Underground closure". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  8. "Activision closing Underground Developments?". mcvuk.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  9. "Activision closes Underground Development studio". engadget.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  10. Plunkett, Luke. "Activision Shutters Guitar Hero Creators, GH: Van Halen Developers [Update]". kotaku.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  11. "Activision shuts down RedOctane, Underground Development". engadget.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  12. https://kotaku.com/what-was-call-of-duty-devils-brigade-5539160


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