FASA Studio

FASA Studio
FormerlyFASA Interactive Technologies Inc.
(1994–2002)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Founded1994; 30 years ago (1994) in Chicago, Illinois
FounderJordan Weisman
DefunctSeptember 12, 2007; 17 years ago (2007-09-12)
HeadquartersRedmond, Washington, U.S.
Parent

FASA Studio (formerly FASA Interactive Technologies Inc.) was an American video game developer that was founded in 1994 in Chicago, Illinois by the tabletop game company FASA Corporation.[1] FASA is an acronym for "Freedonian Aeronautics and Space Administration".[1][2]

In 1996, FASA Interactive and Virtual World Entertainment, another company created by FASA Corp. founders Jordan Weisman and L. Ross Babcock, became wholly owned subsidiaries of Virtual World Entertainment Group (VWEG). In 1999, Microsoft Corporation purchased VWEG to acquire the talent at FIT and the intellectual properties of FASA Corp. The VWE component of VWEG was sold to a group headed by VWEG's former CFO, James Garbarini. FASA Interactive then became a FASA Studio, a component of Microsoft Game Studios.[3] As such, the company developed games exclusive to the Windows and Xbox platforms Its headquarters were located in Redmond, Washington, only a few miles from Microsoft Corporation's main campus.

FASA was officially shut down on September 12, 2007, with only the Community Manager and Technical Support Manager positions remaining active to support their games.[4] Microsoft subsequently licensed the rights to produce electronic adaptations of FASA games back to Weisman, who directed a venture called Smith & Tinker.[5] Smith & Tinker closed down November 8, 2012.[citation needed]

  1. ^ a b Keefer, John (March 31, 2006). "GameSpy Retro: Developer Origins". GameSpy. p. 18. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007.
  2. ^ "About FASA". FASA Studio. Archived from the original on December 13, 2004.
  3. ^ Loguidice, Bill; Barton, Matt (February 24, 2014). Vintage Game Consoles: An Inside Look at Apple, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, and the Greatest Gaming Platforms of All Time. CRC Press. p. 513. ISBN 9781135006501. OCLC 1064676510. To bolster its lineup, Microsoft acquired FASA Studio and made them part of Microsoft Game Studios.
  4. ^ McWhertor, Michael (September 12, 2007). "Shadowrun Developer Shuts Down". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2007.
  5. ^ Ransom-Wiley, James (December 6, 2007). "Weisman licenses MechWarrior, Shadowrun, Crimson Skies rights back from MS (internet finally notices)". Joystiq. Archived from the original on December 12, 2007.