ALPHA | IP PROFILE: DRIVER
GREATBRITISHGAMES
Driver
In the fifth instalment of our IP profiles series, Nick Gibson looks at Reflections’ driving success…
DRIVER – THE STATS ESTIMATED TOTAL UNIT SALES: Over 14 million (multiple platforms)
NUMBER OF ITERATIONS: Four major releases and one expansion
GAME RELEASE TIMELINE 1984: 1985: 1989: 1995: 1997:
Ravenskull Codename Droid Ballistix Destruction Derby Destruction Derby 2 and Thunder Truck Rally
OWNERSHIP HISTORY 1984: Reflections Interactive founded by Martin Edmondson 1989: Reflections releases first million unit seller, Shadow of the Beast 1995: Reflections enters driving market with 1m-selling Destruction Derby 1998: Reflections Interactive acquired by GT Interactive in advance of its release of Driver (in 1999) for $41m
CREATOR: Martin Edmondson 26 | JUNE 2008
1999: 2000: 2004: 2006: 2007:
Driver Driver 2 Driv3R Driver: Parallel Lines Driver 76 (PSP port of Parallel Lines by Sumo Digital)
1999: Infogrames acquires 70 per cent stake in GT Interactive for $135m and subsequently renames GT Interactive to Atari Inc 2003: Reflections Interactive used as security (along with several other Atari assets) to secure a $50m facility for Atari from General Electric Capital Corp. 2006: Driver IPR (brand and technology) and existing staff and most of the assets from Reflections Interactive sold by Atari to Ubisoft for €19m
D
river was Reflections Interactive’s third driving game brand. Its first, Destruction Derby – a ‘smash-em up’ driving game that sold over three million units across two iterations and was one of the first few high quality titles to demonstrate what could be achieved on the new console – was an early hit on PlayStation. Destruction Derby and the less successful Thunder Truck Rally showcased the studio’s unique understanding of physics and collision technology as well as the more commonlyfound skill set in racing games. Released two years after these two series, Driver added sophistication of plot, character and higher production values to the updated racing technology. Players take the role of a 1970s undercover policeman trying to break into a crime syndicate. The game is set in four real-world cities and although the game is mission-based, the cities are freely navigable giving the player the ability to access all areas – the same open world freedom which contributed to the success of Grand Theft Auto 3 (which came out two years after Driver). The original Driver received broad critical praise and sold well, although the reception for the sequel, released in a rush the following year, was considerably more mixed. Despite more expansive gameplay features (such as the ability for the player’s character to get out of their car), many reviewers condemned the game for appearing to be incomplete and rushed to market. However the original game’s sales momentum was maintained and the sequel was a commercial success. However Driv3r, the first Driver game to be released on PlayStation 2 and Xbox, suffered at the hands of the games press which mauled it. Despite a longer lead time for the title as