Video game developer · United States · Active
Vicarious Visions
Founded in 1991
- 90
- games developed
- 2
- games published
- 0
- in development
- 200
- employees
History of Vicarious Visions
Vicarious Visions was founded in 1991 in Albany, New York, by brothers Karthik and Guha Bala while they were still in high school. In the late 1990s two investors joined its board: Michael Marvin, founder of MapInfo, and Charles S. Jones. In 1999 it signed a three-year alliance with Vatical Entertainment, which published its games, including its Game Boy Color titles, and that same year Terminus, an online space trading and combat game, won two Independent Games Festival awards.
It made its name on handhelds: the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS, the first three Crash Bandicoot games on Game Boy Advance and many licensed titles such as Spider-Man, Shrek and SpongeBob SquarePants. It also brought Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy and Doom 3 to the Xbox. In 2003 it bought Intrinsic Graphics and its Alchemy engine, and in January 2005 Activision acquired the studio. It handled the Nintendo DS and Wii versions of Guitar Hero and built the Guitar Grip peripheral for Guitar Hero: On Tour.
From 2011 it played a major part in Skylanders, starting with the 3DS version of Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure and going on to Skylanders: Swap Force (2013) and Skylanders: SuperChargers (2015). In April 2016 the Bala brothers left and that November founded Velan Studios; in December the studio began working with Bungie on Destiny. It then returned to two classic Activision series with Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (2017) and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (2020).
On 22 January 2021 Activision Blizzard moved it from Activision to Blizzard Entertainment, with which it had already spent about two years on Diablo II: Resurrected (2021). Studio head Jen Oneal moved into Blizzard's leadership and was succeeded by Simon Ebejer. On 12 April 2022 it was fully merged into Blizzard and renamed Blizzard Albany, keeping its offices. Since then it has co-developed Diablo IV (2023) and its expansions Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred (2024) and Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred (2026).
Milestones
1991
Karthik and Guha Bala found Vicarious Visions.
1999
Terminus wins two Independent Games Festival awards.
2005
Activision acquires the studio.
2013
Skylanders: Swap Force.
2016
The Bala brothers leave and found Velan Studios.
2017
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.
2020
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2.
2021
Moves to Blizzard Entertainment; Diablo II: Resurrected is released.
2022
Fully merged into Blizzard as Blizzard Albany.
Its best-known games
Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy
2003 · XBOX · PS4 · PC
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
2007 · PS3 · Wii · PC
Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast
2002 · XBOX · PS4 · NGC
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
2006 · PS3 · PS4 · Wii
Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro
2001 · PS1
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
2009 · PS3 · PS4 · Wii
Crash Nitro Kart
2003 · XBOX · NGC · PS2
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
2010 · PS3 · Wii · X360
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
2017 · PS4 · PC · XONE
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back
2017 · PS4 · PC · XONE
Skylanders: Swap Force
2013 · PS3 · PS4 · Wii
Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure
2002 · GBA
Every game it has developed (90)
2020
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 Series X|S, PS4, PC, PS5
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 Series X|S, PS4, PC, PS5
2017
- Crash Bandicoot PS4, PC, XONE, Switch
- Crash Bandicoot: Warped PS4, PC, XONE, Switch
- Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back PS4, PC, XONE, Switch
2015
- Skylanders: SuperChargers PS3, PS4, X360, XONE
- Skylanders: SuperChargers WiiU
2013
- Skylanders: Swap Force PS3, PS4, Wii, WiiU
2012
- Skylanders: Battlegrounds Android, iOS
2011
- Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure 3DS
2010
- Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock PS3, Wii, X360
2009
- Band Hero PS3, Wii, X360, NDS
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 PS3, PS4, Wii, PC
- Guitar Hero: On Tour - Modern Hits NDS
2008
- Guitar Hero: On Tour - Decades NDS
- 007: Quantum of Solace NDS
- Guitar Hero: On Tour NDS
- Kung Fu Panda NDS
2007
- Bee Movie Game NDS
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock PS3, Wii, PC, Mac
- Spider-Man 3 PSP
- Tony Hawk's Proving Ground NDS
- Transformers: Decepticons NDS
- Transformers: Autobots NDS
- Shrek the Third GBA, NDS, Mobile
- Spider-Man 3 Wii, PS2
- Spider-Man 3 NDS
- Spider-Man 3 GBA
2006
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance XBOX, PSP, PS2
- Marvel: Ultimate Alliance PS3, PS4, Wii, PC
- Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam NDS
- Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! GBA
- Over the Hedge GBA
- Over the Hedge NDS
2005
- Tony Hawk's American Sk8land NDS
- Tony Hawk's American Sk8land GBA
- Ultimate Spider-Man GBA
- Ultimate Spider-Man NDS
- Batman Begins GBA
- Madagascar GBA, NDS
- Madagascar GBA
- Spider-Man 2 PSP
2004
- Shrek 2: Beg for Mercy! GBA
- Spider-Man 2 NDS
- That's So Raven GBA
- Crash Nitro Kart NGage
- Crash Bandicoot Purple: Ripto's Rampage GBA
- Spyro Orange: The Cortex Conspiracy GBA
- Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock Mobile
- Shrek 2 GBA
2003
- Spy Muppets: License to Croak PC
- Crash Nitro Kart XBOX, NGC, PS2
- Crash Nitro Kart GBA
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom GBA
- Tony Hawk's Underground GBA
- Disney's The Lion King 1 1/2 GBA
- Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy XBOX, PS4, PC, Mac
- Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure GBA
- Jet Grind Radio GBA
- Finding Nemo GBA
- Bruce Lee: Return of the Legend GBA
- Crash Bandicoot 2: N-Tranced GBA
2002
- The Powerpuff Girls: Him and Seek GBA
- Whiteout XBOX, PC, PS2
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 zod, GBA
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman GBA
- Star Wars: Jedi Knight II - Jedi Outcast XBOX, PS4, NGC, PC
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 GBA
- Crash Bandicoot: The Huge Adventure GBA
2001
- Rescue Heroes: Fire Frenzy GBC
- Kelly Club: Clubhouse Fun GBC, PC
- Monsters, Inc. GBC
- Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro PS1
- Zoboomafoo: Playtime in Zobooland GBC
- Spider-Man: Mysterio's Menace GBA
- Sea-Doo HydroCross N64, PS1, DC
- SpongeBob SquarePants: Legend of the Lost Spatula GBC
- Blue's Clues: Blue's Alphabet Book GBC
2000
- The Wild Thornberrys: Rambler GBC
- Barbie: Magic Genie Adventure GBC
- Spider-Man GBC
- Terminus Linux, PC, Mac
- Polaris SnoCross N64, PC, PS1
- Polaris SnoCross GBC
1999
- Vigilante 8 GBC
- Zebco Fishing! GBC
1998
- Jimmy White's 2: Cueball GBC, PC, PS1, DC
1997
- Dark Angael PC
1996
- Synnergist DOS
- World Rally Fever: Born on the Road PC, DOS
Games it has published without developing them (2)
- Spy Muppets: License to Croak 2003
- Madagascar: Operation Penguin 2005