History
Denki was founded on 20 March 2000 by four former DMA Design employees. The company was set up to be a design-driven development studio, focused on the creation of video games. Denki's intention was to develop games for a variety of smaller platforms, including the Game Boy Advance, which the company saw as opening the games market up to a new, more "casual" audience.
The company created two original new games for the Game Boy Advance. The first was a puzzle game called Denki Blocks! Published by Rage Software in September 2001.[2] This was followed by a platform-style game called Go! Go! Beckham! Adventure on Soccer Island – based on the famous English footballer – also published by Rage in August 2002.[3] Both games picked up widespread critical acclaim[4][5] and Denki Blocks! received several awards.[6] However sales for both titles did not meet expectations.
As part of the promotional campaign for Denki Blocks!, the company created a version of the game for the newly launched games service on Sky Television in the UK. The response to the game was positive and Denki made the decision to focus on this new platform.[7]
Digital Interactive Television games
Denki Blocks!, Denki's first title for Sky Television was released on 9 October 2001 when Sky Gamestar launched. It was accessible by all Sky digital subscribers, using only the standard set-top box and controller. Given the favourable response to this initial title,[8] Denki was asked to create a number of other titles for Sky – both original and based on brands from television and movies.
Over the next seven years, Denki focused on DiTV games. The company refined their design and development process to the point where it could take an agreed design document and produce a completed title in under ten weeks.[9]
Brands and licences
Denki has worked with many of the world's largest media companies, releasing games based upon famous characters, brands and licenses from across the movie, television and videogames industries.
In May 2007, Denki signed a deal with Waterfront, to provide games to DirecTV in North America[10] for DirecTV's new Games Lounge service. Denki initially provided nine games[10] though that number has grown.
In September 2008, Denki announced that DiTV games would become a much smaller part of the company's output,[11] as the company returned to its original philosophy of creating original new games, focused specifically on toys, fun and drama.
In January 2009, Denki launched DenkiOrNot.com, an online game which challenges players to identify the most "Denki" image from several pairs. Participants who successfully identify the majority of the images, are then offered the opportunity to contact the company's recruitment department.
Non-DiTV projects
While the majority of the titles created by Denki during this period were for DiTV platforms, the company also worked on two other significant projects
InQuizitor is a game-based learning tool, created in conjunction with educational gaming company 3MRT.[12] lDenki provided graphic design services to the company then developing the game with 3MRT. InQuizitor was released in September 2008. It is used by educational establishments across the UK and Europe.[13] InQuizitor has won a number of trophies, including the 2007 eLearning Award.[14]
Crackdown is a sandbox game developed by Realtime Worlds for the Xbox 360.[15] When Realtime Worlds first created the concept, Denki provided design and audio consultancy for the project. Denki's input was instrumental in helping Realtime Worlds to secure its publishing agreement with Microsoft for the title. Crackdown was released in February 2007. The game received positive critical reviews[16] and a number of awards.[17]
Console projects
Following the company's decision to focus on the new generation of platforms, Denki was working on two original new games.
Quarrel is a strategy word puzzle game, described as "Countdown meets Risk".[18] It is being developed for Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA). In August 2009, Denki showed Quarrel in public for the first time, at the Dare to be Digital ProtoPlay event. Several hundred people were invited to play the game and give feedback to the company. Denki is using this information to polish and shape the final months of development. In 2011, Quarrel was picked up by UTV Ignition Entertainment for iOS devices, XBLA and Facebook.
Other games
On 20 May 2010, Denki released Denki Blocks! for iOS devices,[19] followed by Denki Blocks! HD specifically for the iPad on 23 July 2010.[20] This was followed by a brand new game on 19 June 2010 called Juggle!.[21]
On 16 July 2010, Denki released Denki Blocks! Daily Workout for Facebook.[22]
On 2 August 2010, Denki announced that they had submitted Juggle! for peer review on the Xbox Live Indie Games service.[23] It was released on 7 September 2010.
On 7 June 2011, UTV Ignition Entertainment announced they were bringing Quarrel to iOS devices, XBLA and Facebook.[24] Quarrel was released on iOS on 25 August 2011.[25] On 17 October 2011, the game was announced as a nominee for a BAFTA Scotland award.[26]
On 17 September 2012, Denki announced that Ludometrics was creating a new version of Bips!, based on an existing Denki prototype.[27] The game eventually launched on Facebook in January 2013.[28]
On 8 November 2012, Denki announced that Save the Day was live.[29]
On 10 December 2012, Denki announced the launch of Denki Word Quest!.[30] On 22 November 2013, Denki announced the launch of Monster Force 5.[31] On 14 January 2014, Denki announced the launch of All Over The Place: Australia for the BBC.[32]
On 5 July 2017 Denki announced the public release of its "Autonauts" demo via the Itch.io gaming platform.[33] After a successful launch the game attracted funding from the UK Games Fund,[34] won Best Educational Game at that year's TIGA awards,[35] and quickly became one of Itch.io's top rated free games where it has remained in the top 100 ever since.[36]
On 11 February 2019 Denki announced to members of its Autonauts Discord server that it had signed a deal that would see Autonauts published for PC via Steam "towards the end of the year". This was followed by an announcement on 16 July 2019 by Curve Digital that it was working with Denki to bring their "unique management sim Autonauts to PC this autumn" and that the demo version had been downloaded "over 300,000" times since launching in 2017.[37] The game was first shown publicly at that year's Gamescom conference in Cologne from 20-24 August where UKIE selected the game to receive its UK Game Of The Show award [38]
On 28 July 2022 Denki released Autonauts vs Piratebots. This was a new game expanding on the create and automate features in the original Autonauts but added ways to attack and defend from five levels of an invading piratebot army.[39]
