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In October 2000, in time for the Playstation 2 launch, the team shipped TimeSplittersin partnership with Eidos. Built on their own technology, the game recieved a generally positive reception, and was considered to have been one of the best launch titles for the PS2. This gave Free Radical its first widely recognised IP and TimeSplitters has gone on to become the company's best known series, with three current releases and what WAS to be a fourth game in the works (more on that later).
After shipping TimeSplitters 2 in September 2002, and with the team having doubled in size, Free Radical set to work on the new IP, Second Sight. Providing a single player and story focused experience, almost the polar opposite of the TimeSplitters franchise, the team successfully established another succesful IP. Now partnering with EA, The team went on to release TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, the third installment in the franchise, in March 2005. Since then, the team have released Hazefor the Playstation 3. While Future Perfect was critically accepted, Haze however, was not. The game was a critical and commercial failure, seemingly leading to the events below.
The team have, according to their official site, recieved "a dozen awards and many nominations" as well as being listed as "one of the UK's fastest growing technology companies".
Contrary to reports that Free Radical Design has gone under, the company has reportedly gone into administration, a process in which a company can continue to operate with the intent of working with the investor's best interests in mind (in this case, this could mean attempting to secure a publisher who will fund their projects or selling the company), as of December 18, 2008. Their insolvency is rumored to be due to a multitude of factors, including the mediocre sales of Second Sight, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, and Haze, their inability to find a publisher for TimeSplitters 4, and the possibility that Lucasarts has taken the what is now CONFIRMED Star Wars Battlefront III away from them and given it to Rebellion. As of now, the company has confirmed that only 40 of their original 185 employees are still with the company. It is unknown whether or not the company will survive.
Formed in 1999, Free Radical Design was founded by ex-Rare employees who worked on the Goldeneye and Perfect Dark franchises. In 2009, after financial difficulties, it was taken over by Crytek, and renamed Crytek UK
In February 1999, Dr. David Doak, Steve Ellis, Graeme Norgate and Karl Hilton left Rare, where they had worked on the successful Goldeneye and Perfect Dark games for the N64. Two months later, on April 1st, the quartet set up their own independent games company, Free Radical Design.In October 2000, in time for the Playstation 2 launch, the team shipped TimeSplittersin partnership with Eidos. Built on their own technology, the game recieved a generally positive reception, and was considered to have been one of the best launch titles for the PS2. This gave Free Radical its first widely recognised IP and TimeSplitters has gone on to become the company's best known series, with three current releases and what WAS to be a fourth game in the works (more on that later).
After shipping TimeSplitters 2 in September 2002, and with the team having doubled in size, Free Radical set to work on the new IP, Second Sight. Providing a single player and story focused experience, almost the polar opposite of the TimeSplitters franchise, the team successfully established another succesful IP. Now partnering with EA, The team went on to release TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, the third installment in the franchise, in March 2005. Since then, the team have released Hazefor the Playstation 3. While Future Perfect was critically accepted, Haze however, was not. The game was a critical and commercial failure, seemingly leading to the events below.
The team have, according to their official site, recieved "a dozen awards and many nominations" as well as being listed as "one of the UK's fastest growing technology companies".
Contrary to reports that Free Radical Design has gone under, the company has reportedly gone into administration, a process in which a company can continue to operate with the intent of working with the investor's best interests in mind (in this case, this could mean attempting to secure a publisher who will fund their projects or selling the company), as of December 18, 2008. Their insolvency is rumored to be due to a multitude of factors, including the mediocre sales of Second Sight, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, and Haze, their inability to find a publisher for TimeSplitters 4, and the possibility that Lucasarts has taken the what is now CONFIRMED Star Wars Battlefront III away from them and given it to Rebellion. As of now, the company has confirmed that only 40 of their original 185 employees are still with the company. It is unknown whether or not the company will survive.
Recently, it has been released that Dr. Doak and Steve Ellis have formed another new company, called Pumpkin Beach. Unfortunately for Timesplitters fans (and fortunately for the many haters of Haze), it has been stated that Pumpkin Beach will be creating much different games to avoid associations with Free Radical's flagship series.
On February 4th, 2009, it was confirmed that Crytek had purchased Free Radical Design.
On February 4th, 2009, it was confirmed that Crytek had purchased Free Radical Design.
| Company Name | Crytek UK |
| Street Address | Unit 1 Interchange 25, Bostocks Lane |
| City | Sandiacre |
| State | Nottingham |
| Country | England |
| Website | http://www.frd.co.uk/ |
| Contact Email | info@frd.co.uk |
| Phone Number | |
| Date Founded | April 1, 1999 |
| Count of Games Published | 0 |
| Count of Games Developed | 8 |
| Aliases | Free Radical Design |
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Captain Ash first in TimeSplitters |
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Harry Tipper first in TimeSplitters |
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Sergeant Cortez first in TimeSplitters 2 |
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Duckman Drake first in TimeSplitters |
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Jo-Beth Casey first in TimeSplitters 2 |
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Robofish first in TimeSplitters |
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Corporal Hart first in TimeSplitters 2 |
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Kitten Celeste first in TimeSplitters 2 |
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The Jungle Queen |
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R-One-Oh-Seven first in TimeSplitters 2 |
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| See all » |
