BBC Multimedia

Background

BBC Multimedia was a video game division of the BBC founded in 1995 which publishes the video game versions of well-known BBC television programmes. In July 2002, the company launched a budget range called Favourites, consisting of pre-school games. In December 2002, BBC purchased bankrupt developer Runecraft and rebranded into Gamezlab. On 2 November 2004, Global Software Publishing announced acquiring exclusive distribution rights to BBC Multimedia's library. This move was done so BBC Worldwide could refocus BBC Multimedia as a video game licensor instead of being a publisher. Shortly before this, BBC Worldwide closed down Gamezlab and cancelled the upcoming Spooks video game. BBC Multimedia was closed in 2006 after sales declined in its boxed video game product business.

1st Logo (October 1996-1997)

Visuals: Same as the 1991-1997 BBC Video logo, except that the word "MULTIMEDIA" fades in below.

Variant: A still version exists.

Technique: Same as the 1991-1997 BBC Video logo.

Audio: Same as the 1991-1997 BBC Video logo. None for the still version, but strangely, the still version had the 1991-1997 BBC Video logo music playing over it on Wallace & Gromit: Cracking Animator.

Availability: Appears on a few games during the years, including The Animals of Farthing Wood, Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors, Wallace & Gromit: Cracking Animator, Noddy: The Magic of Toytown and Live and Kicking: Show Maker.

2nd Logo (1998-2005)

Visuals: On a black background, there is the 1997 BBC logo. After a few seconds, the word "multimedia" then fades in below from left to right in a blur effect.

Variants:

Like the previous logo, a still version exists.
An in-credit version exists.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Same as the 1997-2009 BBC Video logo. None for the still version, but strangely, the still version has the 1997-2009 BBC Video logo music playing over it on Wallace and Gromit: Print-o-Matic.

Availability:

Appears on some Doctor Who games.
Also appears on Wallace and Gromit: Print-o-Matic, Play with the Teletubbies, Bob the Builder: Can We Fix It?, and The Weakest Link, the latter two of which are for the PlayStation, while the latter game is also PlayStation 2 and PC.

Final Note

After BBC Multimedia's closure, the regular 1997 BBC logo is used on games based on BBC properties.