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{{Short description|American video game developer}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Spark Unlimited
| logo = [[Image:Spark Unlimited logo.jpg|250px|Spark Unlimited logo]]
| caption =
| type = [[Privately held company]]
| foundation = March [[2002 in video games|2002]]
| defunct = May, 2015
| location = [[Sherman Oaks]], [[California]], [[UnitedLos States|USAAngeles]]
| key_people = Craig Allen,<br>Avi Bachar,<br>John Butrovich<br>David Prout
| industry = [[Video game]]s
| products = ''[[Call of Duty: Finest Hour]]''<br>''[[Turning Point: Fall of Liberty]]''<br>''[[Legendary (video game)|Legendary]]''
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}}
 
'''Spark Unlimited''', based in [[Sherman Oaks, CaliforniaLos Angeles]], was a [[video game developer]] founded by former developers from the ''[[Medal of Honor (1999 video game)|Medal of Honor]]'' [[Personal Computer|PC]] and [[Videovideo game console|console]] franchise. TheyThe werestudio's mostfirst knowngame for thewas ''[[Call of Duty: Finest Hour]]'' consolein 2004. Its last game was ''[[Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z]]'' in 2014. The company shut down in May 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://au.ign.com/articles/2015/05/04/developer-spark-unlimited-closes-down-lays-off-staff|title=Developer Spark Unlimited Closes Down, Lays Off Staff|work=[[IGN]]|date=May 4, 2015|access-date=May 5, 2015|first=Cassidee|last=Moser}}</ref>
 
== History ==
The studio finished working on the first-person shooter ''[[Legendary (video game)|Legendary]]'' using the [[Unreal Engine|Unreal Engine 3]] for [[Gamecock Media Group]]. The company was wholly owned by employees.
Spark Unlimited was established by a team of 28 developers who had previously worked on the [[Medal of Honor (video game series)|''Medal of Honor'']] series. It signed with [[Activision]] to work on a ''Call of Duty'' game in December 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parker |first=Sam |date=December 1, 2003 |title=Activision enlists Spark Unlimited |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-enlists-spark-unlimited/1100-6025267/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
In 2005, Spark filed a lawsuit against Activision and accused the company of trying "kill off" Spark.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thorsen |first=Tor |date=August 31, 2005 |title=Activision accused of trying to "kill off" indie studio |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/activision-accused-of-trying-to-kill-off-indie-studio/1100-6132290/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref> Activision counter-sued for fraud.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thorsen |first=Tor |date=November 1, 2005 |title=Activison countersues Finest Hour developer |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/activison-countersues-finest-hour-developer/1100-6135204/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleming |first=Jeffrey |date=February 22, 2007 |title=Call of Duty: The Lawsuit |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-call-of-duty-i-the-lawsuit |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=[[Gamedeveloper.com]] |language=en}}</ref> Spark announced a deal to develop several games for ad network Massive.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Feldman |first=Curt |last2=Sinclair |first2=Brendan |date=December 18, 2005 |title=Massive ad network partners with Spark |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/massive-ad-network-partners-with-spark/1100-6141387/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Company Profile==
Spark Unlimited has a game average Metacritic score of 53 out of 100.<ref>http://www.metacritic.com/company/spark-unlimited</ref> GameCentral called the company's most recent game, ''[[Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z]]'', a career worst and a good chance of being the worst game of 2014.<ref>http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/24/yaiba-ninja-gaiden-z-review-z-grade-material-4674429/</ref>
 
==Games==
Spark has officially laid off all of their staff, and closed down in May 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://au.ign.com/articles/2015/05/04/developer-spark-unlimited-closes-down-lays-off-staff|title=Developer Spark Unlimited Closes Down, Lays Off Staff|work=[[IGN]]|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 5, 2015|first=Cassidee|last=Moser}}</ref>
 
==Games by Spark Unlimited==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Title
! Year
! Platform(s)
!Publisher(s)
|-
| ''[[Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z]]'' || 2014 || PlayStation 3<br />Xbox 360<br />Windows
! Game title !! Year released !! Platforms released !! Metacritic review average
|[[Koei Tecmo]]
|-
| ''[[Lost Planet 3]]'' || 2013 || PlayStation 3<br />Xbox 360<br />Windows
| ''[[Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z]]'' || 2014 || [[PlayStation 3]]<br />[[Xbox 360]]<br />[[Personal computer game|PC]] || <big>43%</big><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/yaiba-ninja-gaiden-z |title=''Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z'' Reviews |accessdate=March 3, 2014 |author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |work= |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |location= |pages= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=}}</ref>
|[[Capcom]]
|-
| ''[[Legendary (video game)|Legendary]]'' || 2008 || PlayStation 3<br />Xbox 360<br />Windows
| ''[[Lost Planet 3]]'' || 2013 || [[PlayStation 3]]<br />[[Xbox 360]]<br />[[Personal computer game|PC]] || <big>58%</big><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/lost-planet-3 |title=''Lost Planet 3'' Reviews |accessdate=March 3, 2014 |author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |work= |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |location= |pages= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=}}</ref>
|[[Gamecock Media Group]], [[Atari Europe]]
|-
| ''[[Turning Point: Fall of Liberty]]'' || 2008 || PlayStation 3<br />Xbox 360<br />Windows
| ''[[Legendary (video game)|Legendary]]'' || 2008 || [[PlayStation 3]]<br />[[Xbox 360]]<br />[[Personal computer game|PC]] || <big>47%</big><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/legendary |title=''Legendary'' Reviews |accessdate=March 3, 2014 |author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |work= |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |location= |pages= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=}}</ref>
|[[Codemasters]]
|-
| ''[[Call of Duty: Finest Hour]]'' || 2004 || PlayStation 2<br />Xbox<br />GameCube
| ''[[Turning Point: Fall of Liberty]]'' || 2008 || <br />[[PlayStation 3]]<br />[[Xbox 360]]<br />[[Personal computer game|PC]] || <big>42%</big><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/turning-point-fall-of-liberty |title=''Turning Point: Fall of Liberty'' Reviews |accessdate=March 3, 2014 |author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |work= |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |location= |pages= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=}}</ref>
|Activision
|-
| ''[[Call of Duty: Finest Hour]]'' || 2004 || [[PlayStation 2]]<br />[[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]<br />[[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]] || <big>73%</big><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox/call-of-duty-finest-hour |title=''Call of Duty: Finest Hour'' Reviews |accessdate=March 3, 2014 |author= |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |work= |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |location= |pages= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote=}}</ref>
|-
|}
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==References==
{{Reflist}}
 
== Further reading ==
* {{Cite web |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |date=2015-05-04 |title=Lost Planet 3 developer Spark Unlimited no longer making games, lays off employees |url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/5/4/8548145/spark-unlimited-closure |access-date=2024-02-06 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}
 
==External links==
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{{Call of Duty series}}
{{Authority control}}
 
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Video game companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]
[[Category:CompaniesVideo game companies established in 2002]]
[[Category:CompaniesVideo game companies disestablished in 2015]]
[[Category:Privately held companies based in California]]▼
[[Category:2002 establishments in California]]
[[Category:2015 disestablishments in California]]
▲[[Category:Privately heldDefunct companies based in CaliforniaGreater Los Angeles]]
 
 
{{US-videogame-company-stub}}
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