Underground Development
Underground Development, Ltd. (formerly Z-Axis, Ltd.) was an American video game developer based in Foster City, California. It was founded in 1994 by David Luntz and sold to Activision in May 2002. Following a rebranding to Underground Development in February 2008, the company was closed in February 2010.
 | |
| Formerly | Z-Axis, Ltd. (1994–2008) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1994 in San Mateo, California, U.S. |
| Founder | David Luntz |
| Defunct | February 12, 2010 |
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Number of employees | <45 (2008) |
| Parent | Activision (2002–2010) |
Underground Development, Ltd. (formerly Z-Axis, Ltd.) was an American video game developer based in Foster City, California. It was founded in 1994 by David Luntz and sold to Activision in May 2002. Following a rebranding to Underground Development in February 2008, the company was closed in February 2010.
History
[edit]Z-Axis was founded by David Luntz in 1994,[1] originally located in San Mateo, California.[2] On May 22, 2002, Activision announced that they had acquired Z-Axis in exchange for a payment of US$20.5 million in cash and stock, and up to 93,446 additional shares in Activision linked to the studio's performance.[3][4] At the time, the studio was located in Hayward, California.[3] In February 2008, Z-Axis was rebranded as Underground Development.[5][6]
Activision reported in April 2008 that they were closing Underground Development, which had the time had under 45 employees in a Foster City, California office, at the end of the coming May.[7][8][9] The studio was fully closed on February 12, 2010.[10][11]
Games developed as Z-Axis
[edit]Games developed as Underground Development
[edit]| Year | Title | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Guitar Hero: Van Halen | PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360 |
| Cancelled | Call of Duty: Devil's Brigade[14] | Xbox 360 |
References
[edit]- ^ Nutt, Christian (January 4, 2008). "Q&A: Nunchuck Games' Luntz On Testing His Ninja Reflex". gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ IGN Staff (February 18, 1998). "Z-Axis Dunks High". ign.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ a b "Activision Acquires Dave Mirra Developer, Z-Axis". gamasutra.com. May 22, 2002. Archived from the original on August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Activision goes straight up". eurogamer.net. June 3, 2002. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Z-Axis renamed to Underground Development - VG247". vg247.com. February 14, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Activision rebrands one of its internal studios". mcvuk.com. February 18, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Activision confirms Underground closure". gamesindustry.biz. April 19, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Activision closing Underground Developments?". mcvuk.com. April 18, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Activision closes Underground Development studio". engadget.com. April 21, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ Plunkett, Luke (February 12, 2010). "Activision Shutters Guitar Hero Creators, GH: Van Halen Developers [Update]". kotaku.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Activision shuts down RedOctane, Underground Development". engadget.com. February 13, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Activision Nabs Z-Axis - News". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
- ^ Perry, Douglass C. (November 21, 2003). "Z-Axis Hiring for Iron Man, X-Men". IGN. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
- ^ "What Was Call of Duty: Devil's Brigade?". May 14, 2010.
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