TDK Mediactive

Video games

History

Sound Source Interactive was founded in 1988[30] by Vincent Bitetti.[31] In March 1998, Sound Source Interactive announced that it had acquired BWT Labs, a Berkeley, California-based video game developer.[32]

On September 11, 2000, TDK acquired a 72% controlling stake in Sound Source Interactive, with an initial investment of US$1.425 million, followed by another of US$3.575 million, totaling to US$5 million.[33] The buyout resulted in Sound Source rebranding under the TDK Mediactive name, with the company's founder, Vincent Bitetti, remaining chief executive officer and Shin Tanabe, President of TDK Recording Media Europe and the European division of TDK Mediactive, becoming the publisher's chief operating officer.[34] As TDK Mediactive, the company published various video games, of which many based on licensed properties.[35] With this, TDK inherited Sound Source's existing licenses with Universal Pictures for The Land Before Time and The Harvey Entertainment Company for the Harvey Comics characters, among others.

On December 20, 2000, the company signed an exclusive video game licensing deal with DreamWorks SKG to produce and publish games based on Shrek.[36]

On April 13, 2001, the company signed a five-year deal with clothing brand No Limits to publish games based on the license.[37] At E3 2001, the company secured the video game licensing rights to RoboTech from Mattel.[38] The company later signed a deal with The Beanstalk Group to produce games based on Dinotopia. On September 27, 2001, the company announced a two-year co-publishing agreement with Activision Value to handle the Right of first refusal for TDK's PC titles.[39] In November 2001, the company announced to publish games for the GameCube.[40] This was followed with a licensing agreement from DC to produce video games based on Aquaman in December.[41]

The company continued gaining exclusive video game rights to franchises through 2002. It secured a deal with Jim Henson Interactive to produce games based on The Muppets in April,[42] an extension of its Shrek license to also include video game rights to Shrek 2,[43] a deal with Mattel for He-Man,[44] a Nintendo-only deal with Hasbro for the Tonka franchise in May (under a sub-licensing agreement with Infogrames),[45] and Disney Interactive with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and The Haunted Mansion from Disney Interactive in July.[46] On October 18, 2002, the company launched TDK Impulse, a publishing label intended for games that had "broad consumer appeal and a low price point".[47]

In January 2003, the company purchased the video game licensing rights to the UFC from Crave Entertainment.[48] May 2003, the company announced its Shrek 2 video game tie-in would be a co-publishing collaboration with Activision.[49][50]

On September 3, 2003, TDK Mediactive, Inc. announced that it was to be acquired by Take-Two Interactive for an estimated US$22.7 million.[51][52] The transaction was finalized on December 2, 2003, with 23,005,885 shares, valued at US$12.6 million, and another US$200,000 in cash awarded to TDK.[53] Afterwards, Take-Two rebranded TDK Mediactive, Inc. as Take-Two Licensing, Inc. and received all its licenses except for the Shrek license, which was fully obtained Activision after it signed a new deal with DreamWorks, with Activision terminating its previous existing licensing agreement it previously had with TDK for Shrek 2 games.[54][55]

On February 11, 2004, Take-Two announced a licensing agreement with Cartoon Network to publish video games based on Cartoon Network shows, with Codename: Kids Next Door – Operation: V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E. being the first under the deal.[56]

On January 25, 2005, Take-Two Interactive announced the opening of publishing label 2K Games, into which Take-Two Licensing was folded.[57]

Games published

As Sound Source Interactive

As TDK Mediactive

As Take-Two Licensing