DreamCatcher Interactive

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

DreamCatcher Interactive was founded in 1996 in Toronto, Canada. In its first years, it mostly published quest titles. The company partially owned Cryo Interactive and absorbed its assets when it went bankrupt. This way, DreamCatcher gained a network of offices and a development studio in Europe, and also started the brand "The Adventure Company" for quest titles, leaving the main company for other genres. In 2006, it was purchased by JoWooD Productions and shared its fate in 2011. Now, DreamCatcher is a brand of THQ Nordic, owned through JoWooD.



1st Logo (April 1, 1996)

Visuals: Some white letters move from the right side, forming the word "DREAMCATCHER". Then, the "C" flashes and becomes golden as an arc made of gold appears over the logo, and "INTERACTIVE" pops up below. Then the name itself changes to gold.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A piece of MIDI synth.

Availability: Appeared on the re-released edition of Jewels of the Oracle.

2nd Logo (April 30-November 1997)


Visuals: On a black background, there's a blue arc with an orange spark running down it. Then the center of the logo explodes and reveals the name, where the "C" is taken into a gold spot and "INTERACTIVE INC." appears below as well. The arc turns red and golden at the explosion.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A loud crystal synth with a booming sound.

Availability: It was seen on Beyond Time and Soldier Boyz.

3rd Logo (1998-May 15, 2000)


Visuals: There is a space field with a light spot in the centre, sending beams to the sides and thus resembling a light disc. A group of planets swirl around and take their places on a line, as an arc is being drawn by sparking dots. The arc ends and blasts to a "C" in a circle, which shines brightly and the logo turns solid with a 3D effect. The name is blue, while the arc and "C" spot are red. The logo ripples in the center.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Starting as a crystal jingle, it ascends and ends as an echoed creaking.

Availability: Seen on Traitors Gate, The Legend of Lotus Spring and The Forgotten.

4th Logo (October 1999-April 29, 2002)


Visuals: Appearing from a splash of water, there is a view of a sea shore with the sky above and green grass. There are some rocky figures and a huge red orb that lie in a distance. Suddenly, the orb begins to move and the letter "C" is seen drawn on its surface. The scene flips to a view from above with the sea wiping away and the DreamCatcher logo appearing (with stone structures as its letters) with a bit of gloss effect. The logo also looks 3D as well as the "C" orb does, and "THE ADVENTURE COMPANY" fades in below.

Trivia: This was the first logo to mention "The Adventure Company" as just a byline, but later it would become a separate brand and have its own logo.

Variant: On Dracula: The Resurrection and Dracula: The Last Sanctuary, the logo is still and lacks the gloss effect. On the latter, the byline appears compressed.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Water sounds are heard at the beginning, then an ominous humming noise followed by computer pinging noises when the logo is revealed.

Availability: Appears on American prints of several Cryo Interactive titles, like Woody Woodpecker: Escape from Buzz Buzzard's Park!, Riddle of the Sphinx, In Cold Blood, Syberia and The Secrets of Alamut. The still version appeared on Dracula titles for PC.

5th Logo (October 25, 2002-April 2003)


Visuals: Several red motion grids appear slowly moving in various places of the screen, and a herd of four red balls move along them. Finally, a motion line appears in the form of the "C" arc, and all balls merge into one spark, which moves and creates a very bright splash in the center, revealing the usual logo with light 3D effects.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Various tone hummings and blasting. The light shine is accompanied with a single ding.

Availability: Seen on The Pink Panther: Pinkadelic Pursuit, Hellboy: Asylum Seeker and Iron Storm.

6th Logo (April 7-August 23, 2004)


Visuals: There is a red rippling waving around a solid red blip, which zooms and reveals the name letters, as they slide from beyond the blip. The "C" arc appears folded to the right and travels quick to its usual position.

Variant: On Hegemonia, the logo is still and emerges white rays swaying from the left to the right.

Technique: CGI. For the Hegemonia variant, 2D computer animation.

Audio: First a waterdrop-like sound, followed with a humming synth and other sounds.

Availability: Appeared on Besieger, Painkiller and Hegemonia.

7th Logo (October 11, 2004-February 25, 2011)


Visuals: A burning red and orange ball rotates and zooms out, surrounded with ethereal substances of the same colors. The substance seems to be connected to the ball, it rotates too and becomes dense and bright. Finally the ball becomes the familiar "C" spot, sending some rays, then the rest of the logo fades in.

Variants:

  • On Learn Math for NDS, the background is white.
  • On Safecracker, the logo is still, and "INTERACTIVE" is added below it.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: An ethereal background composition.

Availability: Appears on a number of games, including Cold War, Domination and Painkiller: Battle out of Hell. It was almost abandoned after the acquisition by JoWooD Productions, but remained on some titles. It has now been retired in favor of THQ Nordic's logo on games.

Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.