WayForward Technologies, Inc. is an American
independent video game developer
An indie game, short for independent video game, is a video game typically created by individuals or smaller development teams without the financial and technical support of a large game publisher, in contrast to most "AAA" (triple-A) games. ...
and
publisher
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
based in
Valencia, California
Valencia is an unincorporated community in northwestern Los Angeles County, California. This area, with major commercial and industrial parks, straddles State Route 126 and the Santa Clara River.
Development projects continue to be built in ...
. Founded in March 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, WayForward started by developing games for consoles such as the
Super NES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in ...
and
Sega Genesis, as well as TV games and PC educational software. In 1997, they relaunched their video games arm, placing the company as a contractor for publishers and working on a variety of licensed assets.
The company has created a variety of original game properties such as their flagship
''Shantae'' series, including the first title in the series which appeared on the
Game Boy Color and was published by
Capcom. WayForward Technologies has worked on games for the
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, ...
,
Nintendo DS,
Nintendo 3DS and
PlayStation Vita handheld consoles,
WiiWare
WiiWare was a service that allowed Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii ...
games for Nintendo's
Wii and
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
Th ...
,
Nintendo Switch consoles and games for
personal computer
A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tec ...
and mobile phones.
History
WayForward Technologies was founded in 1990 by Voldi Way as an independent video game design company, following on from a previous company he started that specialized in software for sheet metal fabrication.
Early on, the company focused on producing software for the
Super NES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in ...
,
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
,
Game Gear
The is an 8-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear pri ...
and
Game Boy Color. They branched out into educational games for the
personal computer
A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tec ...
and
Leapster
The Leapster Learning Game System is an educational handheld game console aimed at 5 to 10-11 year olds (preschool to fourth grade), made by LeapFrog Enterprises. Its games teach the alphabet, phonics, basic math (addition, subtraction, multi ...
.
During this time, many of the staff were doing other jobs in order to support their ambition to become game developers.
In 1994, WayForward Technologies entered into a partnership with American Education Publishing in order to focus on developing further educational video games.
The partnership was successful, with the company winning awards for innovation at the 1995
Consumer Electronics Show. During this time, WayForward focused on licensed assets such as the
Muppets for their educational games.
WayForward restarted their video game development business in April 1997, working as a "developer for hire" by providing services to software publishers.
John Beck, CEO, stated that by providing services on small projects the company has managed to remain a stable level of work. In mid-2002, WayForward released their first internally developed game based on their own intellectual property ''
Shantae
''Shantae'' is a series of platform games developed by WayForward. The eponymous heroine of the series, a half-genie, was created by Erin Bozon, while the games were created from this character by her husband Matt Bozon. The series consists of ...
''. While it achieved critical acclaim, it was one of the last games to be released for the
Game Boy Color and as a result only enjoyed limited success.
When Nintendo announced the dual-screen handheld console that became the Nintendo DS in early 2004, WayForward began examining the various options the new console offered. Work started on a sequel to ''Shantae'' using the two screens. Despite presenting the concepts to a number of publishers, they were ultimately unsuccessful at securing a deal.
Because of the large number of ''Shantae'' related assets that were produced, including 3D models, WayForward frequently uses them when trying out new technology or development platforms.
In 2004, the company was contracted by
THQ
THQ Inc. was an American video game company based in Agoura Hills, California. It was founded in April 1990 by Jack Friedman, originally in Calabasas, and became a public company the following year through a reverse merger takeover. Initi ...
to produce a chat game called ''
Ping Pals
''Ping Pals'' is a chat/accessory program developed by WayForward Technologies and published by THQ for the Nintendo DS. It was released on December 8, 2004 in North America & It was released in Europe in early 2005. The program allows the user t ...
'' for the Nintendo DS. Despite the tight timescales involved in developing the game, WayForward used the opportunity to obtain development kits for the platform.
The game was received unfavourably by the majority of critics and gained only a single positive review.
In 2006, the company produced and released ''
Justice League Heroes: The Flash'' just as the
Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, ...
was reaching the end of its commercial life cycle, which met with largely positive reviews.
WayForward has gone on to develop further titles for the Nintendo DS. ''
Looney Tunes: Duck Amuck'', based on the 1951
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
cartoon ''
Duck Amuck
''Duck Amuck'' is an American animated surreal comedy short film directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on January 17, 1953 as part of the ''Merrie Melodies'' series, and stars Daffy Duck.
In the cartoon, D ...
''
received mixed reviews upon release.
On February 19, 2008, John Beck and Matt Bozon were speakers at the Independent Games Summit, part of the 2008
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is an annual conference for video game developers. The event includes an expo, networking events, and awards shows like the Game Developers Choice Awards and Independent Games Festival, and a variety of tuto ...
, discussing a range of issues facing independent games companies.
''
Lit'' was announced on March 5, 2008, and was released on February 9, 2009, for the
WiiWare
WiiWare was a service that allowed Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii ...
online shop platform.
A new game in the ''Shantae'' series was considered for the platform.
WayForward introduced a new character named Alta, who is a pink-haired girl that wields a scepter. She represented a new intellectual property. This was revealed on March 9, 2009, to be a DSiWare game called ''
Mighty Flip Champs!
''Mighty Flip Champs!'' is a puzzle-platform game, developed and published by WayForward Technologies for the Nintendo DSi's DSiWare digital download service. It was first announced on March 9, 2009, and was released on June 1, 2009 in North Ame ...
''. WayForward created ''
Mighty Milky Way
''Mighty Milky Way'' was an action puzzle video game for the Nintendo DSi. It was the second title after ''Mighty Flip Champs!'' in the ''Mighty'' series from WayForward, WayForward Technologies. The game was released for download through Ninten ...
'', another puzzle platformer with a new character named Luna. Its sequel, ''
Mighty Switch Force!
''Mighty Switch Force!'' is a puzzle-platform game developed by WayForward Technologies for Nintendo 3DS. It is the third game in WayForward's ''Mighty'' series, following ''Mighty Flip Champs!'' and ''Mighty Milky Way''. The game was released o ...
'', was released on the 3DS eShop on December 22, 2011, with a sequel two years later called ''
Mighty Switch Force! 2
''Mighty Switch Force! 2'' is a puzzle platformer developed and published by WayForward Technologies for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the fourth game in WayForward's ''Mighty'' series and the sequel to 2011's '' Mighty Switch Force!''. The game was ...
'' on the
Nintendo 3DS' eShop.
''
Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!'' was released on November 20, 2012. A sequel, ''
Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I Don't Know!'', as well as ''
Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land'', were released in 2013. A sequel to ''
Mighty Switch Force!
''Mighty Switch Force!'' is a puzzle-platform game developed by WayForward Technologies for Nintendo 3DS. It is the third game in WayForward's ''Mighty'' series, following ''Mighty Flip Champs!'' and ''Mighty Milky Way''. The game was released o ...
'' was released on June 13, 2013.
A new ''Shantae'' game was revealed via ''Nintendo Power'', ''
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse'', which was released on October 23, 2014, on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop. Another game in the series, ''
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero'', was
crowdfunded
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by crow ...
via
Kickstarter and released in December 2016.
On
April Fool's Day
April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which ma ...
2013, Wayforward made a fake announcement for a game called ''Cat Girl Without Salad!'' Fans responded positively to the game's concept, leading WayForward to later develop it into a full title, which was released via a
Humble Bundle
Humble Bundle, Inc. is a digital storefront for video games, which grew out of its original offering of Humble Bundles, collections of games sold at a price determined by the purchaser and with a portion of the price going towards charity and t ...
in June 2016.
Games
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wayforward Technologies
American companies established in 1990
Companies based in Los Angeles County, California
Video game companies established in 1990
1990 establishments in California
Privately held companies based in California
Video game companies of the United States
Video game development companies
Video game publishers
Santa Clarita, California