JoWooD

Austrian video game publisher

JoWooD Entertainment AG (formerly JoWooD Productions Software AG, commonly referred to as JoWooD) was an Austrian video game publisher that was founded in 1995. JoWooD went into administration in 2011 and all assets were purchased by Nordic Games. Its games include the futuristic racing car game Beam Breakers which was released in 2002, action role playing games in the Gothic series, the SpellForce series, and the Industry Giant series of games. Other titles include Transport Giant, World War III: Black Gold, The Sting!, Hotel Giant, and other games of the Giants series.

JoWooD Productions Software AG was founded in 1995 in Ebensee by Dieter Bernauer, Johann Reitinger, Johann Schilcher, and Andreas Tobler with its headquarters later moved to Liezen, Austria. It owned five subsidiaries in the last years: DreamCatcher Interactive, JoWooD Distribution Services, JoWooD Deutschland, JoWooD Iberica and Quantic Lab. In May 2002, JoWooD acquired Ravensburger Interactive and its sister company Fishtank Interactive. In August 2005, JoWooD attempted to end their development agreement with developer Perception Pty because of a lack of quality on their "Stargate SG 1" product. JoWooD carried out this action believing they owned the licence for the game Stargate SG 1: The Alliance, which was disputed by Perception. On 4 November 2006, JoWooD announced the acquisition of DreamCatcher Games, in efforts to move to the North American game markets. In January 2007, JoWooD announced a UK distribution agreement with Pinnacle Software to allow the latter to distribute JoWooD's titles. In October 2009, JoWooD changed its name from JoWooD Productions Software AG to JoWooD Entertainment AG. At the same time, JoWood also announced an agreement with Valve to make available future JoWooD titles on Steam. However, on 21 April 2011, JoWooD announced that, unable to negotiate with potential investors, they were officially facing bankruptcy proceedings and had withdrawn their application for a recapitalization plan. In June 2011, JoWooD Entertainment all their assets and its subsidiary, Quantic Lab, was acquired by Nordic Games. From this point on, JoWooD was no longer operating. All activities of the two companies were taken over by Nordic Games. On 16 August 2011, Nordic Games announced that it had acquired JoWooD's products and brands and some of the companies labels, including The Adventure Company. Following the acquisition it was announced that JoWood and the Adventure Company would become publishing labels for Nordic Games, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nordic Games Holding.

Release date Title Platform(s) Developer(s) format=dmy Industry Giant Microsoft Windows JoWooD Productions format=dmy Alien Nations Neo Software format=dmy Panzer Elite Wings Simulations format=dmy Keep the Balance Item Multimedia format=dmy Thandor: The Invasion Innonics format=dmy Traffic Giant JoWooD Productions format=dmy The Nations JoWooD Vienna format=dmy The Sting! Neo Software format=dmy Zax: The Alien Hunter Reflexive Entertainment format=dmyS. W. I. N. E. StormRegion format=dmy Rally Trophy Bugbear Entertainment format=dmy AquaNox Massive Development format=dmy Gorasul: The Legacy of the Dragon Silver Style format=dmy Hard Truck 2: King of the Road SoftLab NSK format=dmy Arx Fatalis Microsoft Windows Arkane Studios format=dmy Xbox Wizarbox format=dmy Cultures 2: The Gates of Asgard Microsoft Windows Funatics Development GmbH format=dmy Michael Schumacher Racing World Kart 2002 Microsoft Windows Radon Labs PlayStation format=dmy Industry Giant II Microsoft Windows JoWooD Productions format=dmy Beam Breakers Similis Software GmbH format=dmy Archangel Metropolis Software format=dmy Europa 1400: The Guild 4HEAD Studios format=dmy The Nations Nations Gold Edition / The Nations 2 JoWooD Productions format=dmy Gothic II Piranha Bytes format=dmy K Hawk: Survival Instinct Similis Software GmbH format=dmy Cold Zero: The Last Stand JoWooD Productions format=dmy Neighbours from Hell JoWooD Vienna format=dmy GameCube, Xbox format=dmy Gothic II: Night of the Raven Expansion Pack Microsoft Windows Piranha Bytes format=dmy AquaNox 2: Revelation Massive Development format=dmy Chaser Cauldron format=dmy Cold Zero: No Mercy JoWooD Productions format=dmy Railroad Pioneer Kritzelkratz 3000 format=dmy Silent Storm Nival Interactive format=dmy SpellForce: The Order of Dawn Phenomic Game Development format=dmy Söldner: Secret Wars Wings Simulations format=dmy Transport Giant JoWooD Productions format=dmy SpellForce: Breath of Winter Expansion Pack Phenomic Game Development format=dmy SpellForce: The Shadow of the Phoenix Expansion Pack Phenomic Game Development format=dmy Söldner: Secret Wars Reloaded Wings Simulations format=dmy Söldner: Marine Corps Expansion Pack Wings Simulations format=dmy Neighbours from Hell 2: On Vacation JoWooD Vienna format=dmy Legend of Kay PlayStation 2 Neon StudiosKaiko format=dmy SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars Microsoft Windows Phenomic Game Development format=dmy The Guild 2 4HEAD Studios format=dmy Gothic 3 Piranha Bytes format=dmy Freak Out: Extreme Freeride PlayStation 2 ColdWood Interactive format=dmy Microsoft Windows format=dmy SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm Phenomic Game Development format=dmy The Guild 2 Pirates of The European Sea Stand alone expansion pack 4HEAD Studios format=dmy Space Force: Rogue Universe Provox Games format=dmy SpellForce Universe Edition Collection pack EA Phenomic format=dmy Gothic Universe Edition Collection pack DreamCatcher Interactive format=dmy Painkiller: Overdose Mindware Studios format=dmy Gothic 3: The Beginning Handy Games GmbH format=dmy The Golden Horde World Forge format=dmy Painkiller Universe Collection Pack DreamCatcher Interactive format=dmy The Guild 2 Venice Stand alone Expansion Pack Trine Games format=dmy Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods Expansion Pack Trine GamesMad Vulture Games format=dmy Painkiller: Resurrection HomeGrown Games format=dmy Yoga Wii Wii Trine Games format=dmy Torchlight Microsoft Windows Runic Games format=dmy Arcania: Gothic 4 Spellbound Entertainment Xbox 360 Black Forest Games format=dmy PlayStation 3 format=dmy The Guild 2 Renaissance Stand alone expanded edition Microsoft Windows 4HEAD Studios format=dmy Painkiller: Redemption DreamCatcher Interactive format=dmy SpellForce 2: Faith in Destiny Trine Games