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GarageGames is an Internet game publishing label based in Eugene, Oregon. It was formed in 2000 by four former employees of Dynamix, specifically Jeff Tunnell, Rick Overman, Tim Gift, and Mark Frohnmayer.
The name is intentionally similar to the term "garage band", and is meant to evoke a similar concept in game development. When Tunnell started Dynamix with Damon Slye in 1984, many game companies were "garage outfits" brought together through the desire to create entertaining titles rather than seeking fame or profit. The stated goal of GarageGames is to offer licensing of game engines and publishing to virtually anyone, in contrast to leaving would-be game makers at the mercy of corporations who only care about the "bottom line".
Torque
All four founders were prominent developers on the Starsiege and Tribes series while at Dynamix, and GarageGames' most heralded product is the Torque Game Engine, or TGE. It is a modified version of the engine used in Tribes 2 and is available both to professional game developers and "amateurs" via a flexible licensing plan. The GarageGames web site features news and forums intended to promote sharing of information and encouragement to aspiring developers.
The Torque Game Engine was originally called the V12 Engine until a Canadian software company threatened GarageGames with a trademark infringement lawsuit. Both terms play on the dual meanings of "engine" with respect to the computer industry and mechanical engineering.
More recently, GarageGames' engine offerings have expanded to include the Torque Shader Engine, which is focused on nextgen graphics, and the Torque 2D engine, which is targeted towards 2D game development. Both are built on top of the Torque Game Engine core code. GarageGames released their latest game, Marble Blast Ultra, on the Xbox 360 on January 26 2006.
See also
External links
- GarageGames' website
- A 2001 IGN interview with Jeff Tunnell about GarageGames
- A 2001 interview with the founding members by fansite PlanetTribes
- Garage Games profile on MobyGames
Computer and video game companies | Companies based in Oregon | Eugene, Oregon
"GarageGames"