Left Field Productions
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | January 5, 1994[1] |
| Defunct | 2011 |
| Fate | Closed |
| Headquarters | Ventura County, California, US |
| Products | Console and personal computer games |
Left Field Productions, Inc. was an American video game development studio located in Ventura, California. Founded in 1994 by industry veterans John Brandwood, Jeff Godfrey and Mike Lamb, Left Field is probably best known for their time spent as a Nintendo third-party developer, during which they designed the critically acclaimed Nintendo 64 game Excitebike 64.
On April 23, 1998, Nintendo announced the purchase of a minority interest in Left Field Productions, allowing them to expand operations and ensuring a steady flow of exclusive content from the developer.[2] In September 2002, after months of speculation, Left Field bought out Nintendo's stake in the company, once again becoming a fully independent third-party developer.[3]
The studio closed in 2011, shortly after releasing Mayhem to mixed reviews.
Games developed
[edit]| Year | Title | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Slam 'N Jam '95 | 3DO |
| 1996 | Slam 'N Jam '96 Featuring Magic & Kareem | PlayStation, Saturn |
| Slam 'N Jam | MS-DOS | |
| 1998 | Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside | Nintendo 64 |
| 1999 | Disney's Beauty and the Beast: A Board Game Adventure | Game Boy Color |
| NBA 3 on 3 featuring Kobe Bryant | ||
| NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant | Nintendo 64 | |
| 2000 | 3-D Ultra Pinball: Thrillride | Game Boy Color |
| Disney's The Little Mermaid II: Pinball Frenzy | ||
| Excitebike 64 | Nintendo 64 (iQue) | |
| 2002 | Backyard Football | GameCube |
| NBA Courtside 2002 | ||
| 2004 | MTX Mototrax | PS2, Xbox, Windows, Mac |
| 2005 | World Series of Poker | GameCube, PS2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox |
| 2006 | MTX Mototrax | PlayStation Portable |
| World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions | PS2, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, Wii | |
| Dave Mirra BMX Challenge | PlayStation Portable | |
| 2007 | Dave Mirra BMX Challenge | Wii |
| World Series of Poker: Battle for the Bracelets | PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable | |
| Nitrobike | Wii, PS2 | |
| 2008 | SCORE International Baja 1000 | Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii |
| 2011 | Mayhem | Xbox 360, PS3 |
Canceled projects
[edit]A GameCube version of MTX Mototrax was in the works but was later canceled as publisher Activision scaled back support for the platform.
A sequel to the Nintendo 64 game 1080° Snowboarding was in development at Left Field at one time. Development originated on the Nintendo 64 platform but was later shifted to the GameCube once Nintendo began phasing out the Nintendo 64. When Left Field separated with Nintendo in early 2002, Nintendo Software Technology took over development of the game, releasing 1080° Avalanche on December 1, 2003. It is unknown how far into production the game was when Left Field left the project, or just how much, if any, of Left Field's work is present in the final game.[4]
Awards
[edit]- Best Extreme Sports Game – MTX Mototrax (2004, Play Magazine)
- IGN Editor's Choice Award – Excitebike 64 (2000, IGN)
- IGN Editor's Choice Award – MTX Mototrax (2004, IGN)
- IGN Editor's Choice Award – NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant (1999, IGN)
References
[edit]- ^ "Articles of Incorporation of Left Field Productions, Inc". California Secretary of State. January 5, 1994.
- ^ "Nintendo Covers Left Field". IGN. April 23, 1998.
- ^ "Left Field Officially Third Party". IGN. September 11, 2002.
- ^ Desmarais, Guy (December 4, 2018). "25 N64 Games That Were Canceled For Ridiculous Reasons (And It's So Unfair)". TheGamer. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Left Field Productions website (archive)