Pandemic Studios

Background
Pandemic Studios, LLC was an American game developer founded in 1998 by ex-Activision employees Josh Resnick and Andrew Goldman. While originally founded in Los Angeles, California, a satellite studio opened in Brisbane, Australia in 2000. The studio was eventually bought by Electronic Arts along with BioWare (who they had allianced with) on January 7, 2008 - but subsequently shut down in late 2009 following completion of The Saboteur and EA's cutting of 1,500 jobs at its studios. While a core IP team to manage the Pandemic brand and franchises was subsequently established within EA, it has remained dormant since. Pandemic was best known for the Mercenaries and Destroy All Humans! series, in addition to the original Star Wars: Battlefront series.

1st Logo (December 30, 1999-2005)
Nicknames: "The Gas Mask", "Pandemic Mask", "Fear Itself"

Logo: On a black background, we see several film scratches and other artifacts flicker around, the word 'FEAR' in a grungy font briefly visible. A gray box consisting of a gas mask above and 'PANDEMIC' in Gill Sans below, a small trademark 'TM' symbol above. The film artifacts dissapear and the logo becomes yellow and black, with the url www.pandemicstudios.com appearing below.

Variant:


 * A shortened version exists, which starts when Roosevelt's speech begins and omits the url.
 * A still version appears on Mercenaries and Star Wars: Battlefront (2005).

FX/SFX: Static noise and objects flickering.

Music/Sounds: Static screeches and what sounds like someone calling for help, combined with an audio clip of Franklin D. Roosevelt's first inaugural speech during the Great Depression - "...that the only thing we have to fear is, fear itself.". The word 'FEAR' flashes on screen along with the speech.

Availability: Uncommon. Was seen on Pandemic's earlier games, starting with Battlezone II: Combat Commander.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (June 1, 2004, March 28, 2006)
Nicknames: "The Gas Mask II", "Pandemic Mask II", "Fear Itself II"

Logo: We see a heavily distorted TV broadcast with a lot of white noise and flickering, briefly showing the gas mask logo from the previous logo, until the whole Pandemic logo is seen and becomes colored, now shinier and having a backdrop effect. The trademark sign has also been replaced by a registered trademark (®) symbol. The gas-mask begins flickering, until the whole logo appears and becomes colored. Then it flickers and ends.

FX/SFX: The broadcast and noise effects.

Music/Sounds: More static noise effects, with the same audio clip of Roosevelt's speech, albeit heavily distorted.

Availability: Seen on Full Spectrum Warrior and its sequel Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (June 21, 2005)
Nicknames: "The Gas Mask III", "Pandemic Mask III", "Pandemicolor"

Logo: The words "FILMED IN" appear flickering within static, following by "PANDEMICOLOR" in the center, which looks somewhat like the Cinemascope logo. Then we abruptly cut to the Pandemic logo.

FX/SFX: The flickering words.

Music/Sounds: Radio noise, which segues to a choir, which abruptly ends when the Pandemic logo appears.

Availability: Seen on ''Destroy All Humans! (2005)''

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (October 17, 2006)
Nicknames: "The Gas Mask IV", "Pandemic Mask IV"

Logo: We see an alien saucer fly over a rocky landscape surrounded in water, which is revealed to be in the shape of the gas mask as the camera views the top of it. The 'PANDEMIC' text appears below as it and the gas back are completely black, with a yellow box in the background. The yellow closes in around the logo as it moves back, forming its usual look.

FX/SFX: The whole animation.

Music/Sounds: A tense orchestral theme, which raises in pitch as the logo appears.

Availability: Seen on ''Destroy All Humans! 2 (2006)''.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (August 31, 2008)
Nicknames: "The Gas Mask V", "Pandemic Mask V"

Logo: There is a circle with many weapons sticking through it and part of the gas-mask inside. The name "PANDEMIC STUDIOS" is written at the sides of the circle.

FX/SFX: Just fading.

Music/Sounds: None

Availability: Seen on Mercenaries 2: World In Flames for PS2.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Logo (2008)
Nicknames: "The Gas Mask VI", "Pandemic Mask VI"

Logo: A grenade falls down, designed in custom yellow and black color style. More grenades follow and the background lights up to show the building wall and palms. The heap of grenades blows and the building shutters to reveal the Pandemic logo inside.

FX/SFX: Grenades fall, explode and shutter the building.

Music/Sounds: Grenade pins removing and a blow.

Availability: Seen on Mercenaries 2: World In Flames for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Editor's Note: None.

7th Logo (January 9, 2009)
Nicknames: "The Gas Mask VII", "Pandemic Mask VII"

Logo: A gate appears, designed in the same color style as before. A spear hits the surface, followed by a lot of other spears, which cover the gate almost completely, and we zoom a bit to see the citadel walls. One more spear come and shutters the gate, where the Pandemic logo hangs.

FX/SFX: Spears fly and the gate shutters.

Music/Sounds: Events that happen on the screen: spear hitting and destruction of the wall.

Availability: Seen on Lord of the Rings: Conquest.

Editor's Note: None.

8th Logo (2008)
Nicknames: "The Gas Mask VIII", "Pandemic Mask VIII"

Logo: We see the brown picture of the logo without its usual box. The logo has noise effects around.

FX/SFX: The flickering noise.

Music/Sounds: Cracking noise.

Availability: Seen on Lord of the Rings: Conquest for Nintendo DS.

Editor's Note: None.

9th Logo (November 19, 2009)
Nicknames: "The Gas Mask IX", "Pandemic Mask IX"

Logo: The camera moves across the paper surface and shows EA logo first, then the black Pandemic logo is created with shaking effect on two red bands. The sequence proceeds to the game intro.

FX/SFX: The movement of surface and red bands.

Music/Sounds: Gunfire heard when the logo forms.

Availability: Seen on The Saboteur.

Editor's Note: None.