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Saber Interactive Porto
FormerlyBigmoon Entertainment (2008-2019)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Founded2008; 13 years ago
FounderPaulo J. Gomes
Headquarters
Porto
,
Portugal
Area served
Worldwide
ParentSaber Interactive
Websitehttps://saberporto.com/

Saber Interactive Porto (formerly Bigmoon Entertainment)[1][2] is a Portuguese video game developer based in Porto, Portugal, with additional offices in Sheffield, United Kingdom.

The company was founded in 2008 by Paulo J. Gomes (AKA Paulo J. Games) to create video games for PC and consoles, along with animated films and television series like TIC TAC TALES[3][4][5] and PIKABOO.[3]

Over the years, Bigmoon transitioned to work exclusively on video games, participating in game projects related to different genres. The company was recognized for being involved in racing games, such as the WRC series, MotoGP13, FlatOut4: Total Insanity, and Dakar 18.[6]

On 18 October 2019, it was announced that Bigmoon Entertainment was acquired by Saber Interactive and renamed Saber Porto.[7][8][9]

As Saber Interactive Porto, in October 2021, the studio participated in the remaster of the Crysis Remastered Trilogy,[10] and in October 2022 launched its first original IP, as part of Saber Interactive | Embracer Group, Dakar Desert Rally.[11]

History

2008–2014

The company started in 2008 as Bigmoon Animation Studios, and developed TV animation series for kids. Its first production was TIC TAC TALES,[3][4][5] a TV animation series with 39 episodes, created by Paulo J. Gomes and broadcast by RTP,[12] RTP África, RTP Internacional, and distributed in Europe by Panini Media in 2010, 2011, and 2012. In 2009, Bigmoon Animation Studios produced TV animation musicals for Canal Panda and distributed them on DVD by Info Capital with the title PIKABOO.[3][13]

After the release of TIC TAC TALES, a second company was formed: Bigmoon Interactive Studios, which was developing the game version of TIC TAC TALES called D-TEAM: The Kidnapping of Professor Zig.[14]

In 2012, Bigmoon Interactive Studios started working for Milestone (WRC 3 and WRC – THE GAME) and bitComposer, working in the game North & South. After the success of both partnerships, Milestone contracted Bigmoon to create motorcycles for MotoGP 13, bitComposer asked it to work on Jagged Alliance: Back in Action,[15] and OG Games contacted the company to develop My Health Club for mobile devices. In January 2013, when Bigmoon was finishing Jagged Alliance: Back in Action for Linux and Macintosh, a contract was signed with Headup games to develop a new PC action RPG game: Trapped Dead: Lockdown.[16][17]

During Gamescom 2013, bitComposer also hired Bigmoon to fix the multiple issues from Games Distillery's Citadels, that was released in July 2013.[18]

In December 2014, Bigmoon Interactive Studios received the information that its main publisher partner, bitComposer, entered insolvency,[19][20] canceling ongoing projects. Both companies, Bigmoon Interactive and Bigmoon Animation were extinct, becoming developer and publisher Bigmoon Entertainment.

In the same year, Maximum Games contracted Bigmoon to develop the PS4 and Xbox One port from the PC game Lichdom: Battlemage using CryEngine 3.[21] In June 2015, while Bigmoon was developing the console version for Lichdom, Maximum Games hired the company to complete and port Alekhine's Gun to PS4 and Xbox One.[21]

2016–present

In 2016, Bigmoon Entertainment released Alekhine's Gun and Lichdom: Battlemage, and started a new contract with Astragon Entertainment to develop Police Simulator 18, later renamed Police Simulator: Patrol Duty.[9]

Bigmoon then started working with Camel 101 on the survival-horror game Syndrome[22][23] and individually in the classic RPG Demons Age.[24][25]

Bigmoon released its first self-publishing title Syndrome in September 2017.[26]

By the end of 2016, Paulo Gomes wanted to bring a new game genre to the industry, and he created the Rally Raid racing subgenre, securing exclusive rights to develop and publish his own version of the Dakar Rally. In 2017, he entered into an agreement with Koch Media to proceed with Dakar 18.[6] The game involved all the resources of the studio and was the biggest Portuguese investment in videogame development,[27] being released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC in September 2018.[28]

In 2019, Bigmoon worked with Saber Interactive to port Call of Cthulhu for the Nintendo Switch.[29] After the success of Call of Cthulhu's development, Saber Interactive, and Bigmoon Entertainment entered into an acquisition agreement that was finalized in October 2019, Bigmoon's studio was then rebranded to Saber Interactive Porto (Saber Porto).[7][8][21]

In October 2021, Saber Porto revealed that they worked together with other Saber studios and Crytek to participate in the remaster of the Crysis Remastered Trilogy.[10][30] Saber Porto's first original IP, as part of Saber Interactive | Embracer Group, was announced on 10th December 2021 during the Saber Interactive showcase at The Game Awards,[31] the game title was presented as Dakar Desert Rally.[32][33][34]

Dakar Desert Rally, the next installment for the Dakar Rally videogame franchise, received a date in the pre-order trailer,[35] and a gameplay video during a showcase at Gamescom 2022.[36][37][38] The game was released on the defined date, October 4th, 2022.[11]

Bigmoon animated films and series

Year Title Notes
2009 Pikaboo DVD
2010 Tic Tac Tales 39 Episodes
2011 D-Team Canceled

Bigmoon games and collaborations

Year Title Platform(s) Publisher Notes
2012 North & South: The Game PC, Win8, IOS, Android bitComposer Entertainment Remaster
2012 WRC3: FIA World Rally Championship PS3, Xbox 360 Milestone 3D Art
2013 WRC Shakedown PC, Xbox 360, PS3 Milestone 3D Art
2013 MotoGP 13 PS3, Xbox 360 Milestone 3D Art
2014 Jagged Alliance: Back in Action Mac, Linux bitComposer Entertainment Port
2015 Trapped Dead: Lockdown PC Headup games Full Game
2015 WRC 5 PS4, Xbox One Kylotonn, Bigben Interactive 3D Art
2016 Lichdom: Battlemage PS4, Xbox One Maximum Games Port
2016 Alekhine’s Gun PS4, Xbox One Maximum Games Port
2017 Neighbors from Hell PC, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS THQ Nordic Remaster
2017 Neighbors from Hell 2: On Vacation iOS, Android, macOS THQ Nordic Remaster
2017 FlatOut 4: Total Insanity PS4, Xbox One Kylotonn, Bigben Interactive, Strategy First 3D Art
2017 Syndrome PS4, Xbox One, PC Bigmoon Entertainment Full Game
2017 Demons Age PS4, Xbox One, PC Bigmoon Entertainment Full Game
2018 Dakar 18 PC, PS4, Xbox One Bigmoon Entertainment, Koch Media Full Game
2019 Dakar 18: Ari Vatanen returns to Dakar PC, PS4, Xbox One Bigmoon Entertainment, Koch Media Extra Content
2019 Dakar 18: Desafío Ruta 40 Rally PC, PS4, Xbox One Bigmoon Entertainment, Koch Media DLC
2019 Dakar Series: Desafío Inca Rally PC, PS4, Xbox One Bigmoon Entertainment, Koch Media DLC
2019 Police Simulator: Patrol Duty PC Astragon Entertainment Full Game
2019 Call of Cthulhu Nintendo Switch Saber Interactive, Focus Home Port

Saber Porto games and collaborations

Year Title Platform(s) Publisher Notes
2021 Crysis Remastered Trilogy PC, PS4, Xbox One Saber Interactive, Crytek Remaster
2022 Dakar Desert Rally PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series Saber Interactive Full Game

Cancelled games

Year Title Platform(s) Publisher Notes
2011 D-TEAM: The kidnapping of Professor Zig PC, Wii, iOS, Android Infocapital Full Game
2012 My Health Club iOS, Android OG Games Full Game
2014 Monday Night Combat 2 PC, PS4, Xbox One bitComposer, Uber Entertainment Full Game
2014 The Dark Eye: Demonicon PS3 Kalypso Media Port
2014 Space Empires V PC Strategy First Remaster

References

  1. ^ "Bigmoon Entertainment". GameCompanies. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  2. ^ "BigMoon Entertainment, Ltd". MobyGames. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  3. ^ a b c d Pereira, Elsa (2010-11-01). ""Big Moon": animação infantil de Gaia a pensar no Mundo". Jornal de Notícias. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  4. ^ a b "RTP2 aposta em animação portuguesa". Diário de Notícias. 2010-09-15. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  5. ^ a b "Programação infantil com os olhos postos além-fronteiras". Público. 2010-09-15. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  6. ^ a b Galvão, Bruno (2018-09-25). "DAKAR 18 da Portuguesa Bigmoon chega às lojas". Eurogamer Portugal. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  7. ^ a b Loureiro, Jorge (2019-10-19). "Estúdio português Big Moon Entertainment foi comprado pela Saber". Eurogamer Portugal. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  8. ^ a b Lemos, Luís (2019-10-19). "Bigmoon Entertainment do Porto adquirida pela Saber Interactive". PróximoNível. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  9. ^ a b Wilson, Jason (2019-10-18). "Saber Interactive buys Bigmoon Entertainment, announces two new projects". GamesBeat. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  10. ^ a b Taborda, Gonçalo (2022-01-07). "De 0 a 10 - Crysis Remastered Trilogy". IGN Portugal. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  11. ^ a b Galvão, Bruno (2022-10-04). "Dakar Desert Rally já disponível". Eurogamer PT. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  12. ^ "Tic Tac Tales". RTP. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  13. ^ "Pikaboo Musical: Menino". Fnac. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  14. ^ Soares, Jorge (2012-01-27). "Imagens de D-TEAM: The kidnapping of Professor Zig". Eurogamer Portugal. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  15. ^ "Jagged Alliance: Back in Action". IGN. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  16. ^ "Trapped Dead: Lockdown". GamePressure. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  17. ^ Rita, Ana (2016-03-20). "Videojogos. Estes mortos-vivos são portugueses e vão para a PlayStation 4 e XBox One". Dinheiro Vivo. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  18. ^ "Games Distillery". Vision Game. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  19. ^ Staff, MCV (2014-12-16). "BitComposer files for insolvency". MCV / DEVELOP. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  20. ^ Nutt, Christian (2014-12-16). "Publisher Bitcomposer files for bankruptcy". Game Developer. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  21. ^ a b c Partleton, Kayleigh (2019-10-21). "Saber Interactive snaps up Dakar 18 developer Bigmoon Entertainment". PC Games Insider. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  22. ^ Loureiro, Jorge (2015-09-30). "Syndrome, um Survival Horror feito por portugueses". Eurogamer Portugal. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  23. ^ Mota, Ricardo (2016-10-22). "Syndrome: terror "made in" Portugal". Observador. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  24. ^ Loureiro, Jorge (2015-07-30). "Demons Age anunciado para PC, PS4 e Xbox One". Eurogamer Portugal. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  25. ^ Silvestre, Daniel (2015-08-01). "Demons Age da Bigmoon Entertainment é o próximo RPG feito em Portugal". PróximoNível. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  26. ^ Galvão, Bruno (2017-10-06). "Jogo Português Syndrome já disponível". Eurogamer Portugal. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  27. ^ Parreira, Rui (2018-08-28). "Recriação de Dakar em videojogo custou três milhões de euros a estúdio português". Sapo Tek. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  28. ^ Gonçalves, Aníbal (2018-07-03). "Bigmoon Entertainment anuncia data de lançamento de DAKAR 18". IGN Portugal. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  29. ^ Lopez, Azario (2019-04-12). "Partnership Confirms 'Call of Cthulhu' and 'Vampyr' Switch Release Along With 2 New Ambitious Titles". noisy pixel. Retrieved 2021-10-22.
  30. ^ Taborda, Gonçalo (2021-10-15). "Crysis Remastered Trilogy - Análise". IGN Portugal. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  31. ^ Romano, Sal (2021-12-08). "Saber Interactive to showcase five upcoming titles during The Game Awards 2021 and Twitch Winter Gathering". Gematsu. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  32. ^ "Dakar Desert Rally - Reveal Trailer". IGN. 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  33. ^ Harrison-Lord, Thomas (2021-12-11). "Dakar Desert Rally is a new rally raid game, launches 2022". Traxion GG. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  34. ^ Boiston, Alan (2021-12-13). "Dakar Desert Rally announced, epic map reading returns". Team VVV. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  35. ^ "Dakar Desert Rally - Pre-Order Trailer". IGN. 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  36. ^ "Dakar Desert Rally - Gameplay Overview Trailer". IGN. 2022-08-25. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  37. ^ Critix, Par (2022-08-30). "Preview Dakar Desert Rally, gargantuesque !". IGN France. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  38. ^ Harrison-Lord, Thomas (2022-08-26). "Everything you need to know about Dakar Desert Rally". Traxion GG. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
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