Foundation 9 Acquires Pipeworks Software

Foundation 9, the recently formed company that combined notable developers Backbone Entertainment and The Collective into a single entity, has brought another independent developer into the fold: Pipeworks Software, creator of the recent Godzilla console games for Atari. In addition to creating games to be released under the Foundation 9 banner -- currently in the works are projects for the PSP, PS2, and next-generation Xbox -- Pipeworks will also contribute its Spigot engine for use in future Foundation 9 projects, and its co-founder and president will join the Foundation 9 board of directors. The other teams comprising Foundation 9, comprising more than 300 employees, are at work on forthcoming titles including Gettin' Up: Contents Under Pressure, Star Wars Episode III, and Death Jr., among others. As well as working on the Godzilla titles, team members at Pipeworks, originally a development offshoot of Sierra subsidiary Dynamix and located in Eugene, Oregon, have worked on notable games including Space Quest, Pro Pilot, Populous, Aces, 3D Ultra, Front Page Sports, and Coaster. "Joining a larger company makes a lot of sense for us right now, as it allows us to focus on making great games and opens up a deluge of creative opportunities for all of our people," said Dan Duncalf, president of Pipeworks. "Foundation 9 has thrown out the welcome mat, which is a rare feeling in the game industry, and we look forward to playing on a larger stage, reaching a bigger audience, and helping build something truly exciting." "Dan Duncalf, Dan White, and their team will be a tremendous asset for Foundation 9," said Andrew Ayre, founding partner and co-president of Foundation 9 Entertainment, Inc. "We expect their excellent technology and superb production processes to propagate across the company. We started growing our relationship with Pipeworks through joint business development and product development over the past few months, and we look forward to the contributions the Pipeworks team will bring to Foundation 9."