Z2
FormerlyZ2Live Inc.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Founded2009 (2009)
Defunct2019 (2019)
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
,
U.S.
ParentKing (2016–2019)
Websitez2.com

Z2 (formerly Z2Live Inc.) was an American video game developer based in Seattle that focused on the creation of mobile games. In 2015, the company was acquired by King, which is a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard. It was shuttered in early 2019 with the closing of King's Seattle mobile game studio.

History

Z2Live was founded in 2009 by David Bluhm and Damon Danieli with the goal of creating an Xbox Live style gaming platform. With the announcement of Apple's Game Center, Lou Fasulo, SVP, pivoted the company to its current business of creating highly social freemium games for mobile. The company's first game was Trade Nations, a city building simulation, which achieved critical acclaim as well as viral success within its first few months on the iOS platform.[1] Following the initial success of Trade Nations, the company received additional investment from Seattle's Madrona Venture Group as well as Draper Fisher Jurvetson.[2] The company's next game, MetalStorm, brought the freemium model to aerial combat flight simulators while also earning acclaim for its integration of AirPlay mirroring.[3] Following MetalStorm, the company released its third iOS title Battle Nations which combined city building mechanics with strategy-based PvP. The company also expanded in 2012 with the acquisition of Big Sandwich Games, a Vancouver-based game developer company.[4] 2015 saw the launch of their most successful game, Paradise Bay, and was the last one in existence upon their closure in 2019.

On February 12, 2015, Z2Live was acquired by King.[5] On February 12, 2019, the company was shut down[6] following mass layoffs by Activision Blizzard.

Games

NamePlatform(s)Year released
Trade NationsiOS / OS X2010
MetalStormiOS2011
Battle NationsiOS / OS X / Android2011
NitroiOS2011
MetalStorm: AcesiOS2013
ShadowSlayer[7]iOS2013
Paradise BayiOS / Android / Windows / Fire OS2015

References

  1. ↑ "IOS Social Game Trade Nations Played Over 200 Million Times In First Three Months". The Street. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  2. ↑ Cutler, Kim-Mai. "Z2Live Becomes Yet Another Mobile Gaming Startup to Scoop Up More Venture Funding". Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "MetalStorm Wingman using AirPlay Mirroring". Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
  4. ↑ "Z2Live swallows Big Sandwich Games in acquisition deal (exclusive)". 23 February 2012. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  5. ↑ "King Digital Entertainment PLC - King Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2014 Results, Announces Special Dividend of $0.94 per Share". Archived from the original on 2015-02-17. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
  6. ↑ Kidwell, Emma (12 February 2019). "Following Activision Blizzard layoffs, King shuts down mobile studio Z2Live". www.gamasutra.com. Archived from the original on 2019-02-13. Retrieved 2019-02-12.
  7. ↑ "Z2 | Shadowslayer". December 16, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-12-16.
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