Lucid Games Limited is a British

video game developer A video game developer is a broad term for a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large ...

based in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

. The studio was founded in February 2011 by former employees of

Bizarre Creations Bizarre Creations Limited was a British video game development studio based in Liverpool, best known for their racing video game, racing titles ''Metropolis Street Racer'' (Dreamcast) and the follow-up Project Gotham Racing, ''Project Gotham Rac ...

, which had been shut down a week earlier. Notable games developed by Lucid Games include '' Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions'' (2014) and ''

Destruction AllStars ''Destruction AllStars'' is a vehicular combat game developed by Lucid Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released for the PlayStation 5 on 2 February 2021. It received mixed reviews. Gameplay According to Lucid Game ...

'' (2021).

History

Lucid Games was founded by Mark Craig, Andy Davidson, Chris Davie, Nick Davies, Craig Howard, Jeff Lewis, Paul Morrissey, Pete O'Brien, Pete Wallace, and Chad Wright. Most of them had previously been employed at the developer

in various capacities, including Wallace as development manager and O'Brien as senior producer. Following the poor commercial performance of its game '' Blur'', Bizarre Creations'

parent company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...

Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...

, had sought to sell the studio but was unsuccessful in finding a buyer, consequently announcing in January 2011 that it would shut down the studio. According to Wallace, Bizarre Creations' staff had been aware of impending layoffs but had not expected the studio to be closed. Bizarre Creations was disestablished on 18 February 2011, leaving 200 people unemployed. Lucid Games was subsequently formed in

on 21 February 2011. Wallace and Davidson became the new company's

managing director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

and commercial director, respectively. The establishment was supported by

Liverpool Vision Liverpool Vision was an Economic Development Company based in Liverpool, England. Set up in 1999, Liverpool Vision was the first Urban Regeneration Company to be founded in the United Kingdom and was tasked with leading the physical transfor ...

, a local

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...

company that sought to keep Bizarre Creations' talent in the Liverpool area. Wallace stated that he intended for Lucid Games to "get back to the levels of innovation and creativity at Bizarre reationsthat made Activision so keen to acquire it" and hoped to employ up to fifty former Bizarre Creations staff. Within its first year, the company grew from eight employees to twenty-eight and moved from a temporary office to a permanent one in the

Liverpool city centre Liverpool city centre is the commercial, cultural, financial and historical centre of Liverpool, England. The inner city districts of Vauxhall, Liverpool, Vauxhall, Everton, Liverpool, Everton, Edge Hill, Merseyside, Edge Hill, Kensington, Liv ...

. Lucid Games hired Brian Woodhouse, Bizarre Creations' former

studio director Studio manager, studio director, or studio head is a job title in various media-related professions, including design, advertising, and broadcasting. Design and advertising A design or advertising studio manager's responsibilities will typically ...

, as head

business development Business development entails tasks and processes to develop and implement growth opportunities within and between organizations. It is a subset of the fields of business, commerce and organizational theory. Business development is the creation of ...

in July 2016. By 2019, after eight years of expansion, the company had grown past 100 employees. In October 2020, Lucid Games and its separately held publishing arm, Lucid Publishing, were organised as subsidiaries of Lucid Group Entertainment. By June 2021, Lucid Games employed 150 people.

Games developed

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://www.lucidgames.co.uk/ 2011 establishments in England British companies established in 2011 Companies based in Liverpool Privately held companies of England Video game companies established in 2011 Video game companies of the United Kingdom Video game development companies