1C Game Studios

Logo descriptions and captures by EnormousRat Editions by Shadeed A. Kelly and Thisisanswer Video captures courtesy of EnormousRat and Janek Jankowski

Background: 1C Company was founded in Russia in 1991 and began to publish games in 1996. 1C has five internal development studios and a European publishing arm formed after the acquisition of Cenega Interactive. In 2008, the company purchased their main competitor, Buka Entertainment. Now, 1C Company is the largest game publisher in Russia.

1st Logo (1996-1998)

Nicknames: "The Countdown", "Choppy Countdown"

Logo: On a black background, a digital "9" in yellow is seen before it starts counting down. When it reaches "1", it switches to a abstract "1", resembling the SVT 1 logo at the time, but with 2 stripes. It then moves to the left as a similarly shape "C" fades in.A light then wipes in below "представляет" (Presents) in Cooper Black below. The logo shines.1C Company (1996)

Variant: A variant with a rippling transition at the end exists.

FX/SFX: The number changing, the light, and the glowing. Very choppy.

Music/Sounds: None for the countdown, but it segues into a techno theme when it fades to the "1"

Availability: Extremely rare. It can be seen on the earliest games in Russia.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1999-2004) 1C Company (2001)1C Company (2001)

Nicknames: "The Countdown II"

Logo: Again we see the countdown, but now starting at five. The gold 3D letters blink. When the countdown reaches one, the letter "C" to the right appears, along with the words "Фирма 1С" below. The logo is made in 3D and shines. Finally, the word "ПРЕДСТАВЛЯЕТ" again fades-in.

Variant: There was a still variant where 1C was blue and white without labeling. Mostly used on localizing.

FX/SFX: The countdown, the transformation and the shining.

Music/Sounds: Sounds of countdown and a synth tune with choirs after it's complete.

Availability: Uncommon. Can be found on Clay Agent and Konung, both once released in Europe but now long gone. Can be found on a pair of Snowball Interactive-localized games, for example Shadow of Zorro. On a few other games, like Etherlords, the still variant was used.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (2004- )

1C Company (2008)1C Company (2007)

Nickname: "The Great Countdown", "Digital Clock"

Logo: On a screen full of green noise, the 3D green numbers of the clock "(XX:XX)" are seen zooming in and counting down. The noise clears. When the numbers reach 00:01, they turn around to show the greenish 1C logo with "Фирма "1С"" below. Then the bright flash engulfs the logo, turning the logo two-dimensional and colored either fire brick and imperial blue (2004-2008) or red (2008-) and the background to either white (2004-2008) or yellow (2008-).

Variant: There's a rare version where the byline is translated into "1C company", but it becomes uppercase upon flash.

FX/SFX: The countdown.

Music/Sounds: Noisy effects with ticking sounds, a droning synth note, the sound of reversion, the background changing.

Availability: Very common in Russia, uncommon in Europe.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Custom Logo) (2011)

Nickname: "The Dirty 1C" 1C Publishing (2011) Logo: We see the 1C logo smearing onto a foggy yellow background. Roots start to grow on it. After a few seconds the logo zooms in and dissolves.

FX/SFX: The logo zooming in and dissolving, the roots growing.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic string theme.

Availability: Only seen on the Russian version of The Witcher 2.

Editor's Note: None.