GT Interactive Software: Difference between revisions

Content added Content deleted

Inline

Revision as of 21:42, 15 April 2022

Background

GT Interactive Software was the interactive division of GoodTimes Entertainment. It was established in 1993 by the Cayre Brothers (the owners of GoodTimes) with the help of Ron Chaimowitz. GT was notable for both their budget titles as well as being the first game company to allow developers to retain their IP. GT would later acquire WizardWorks, FormGen, Humongous Entertainment, and the European division of Time Warner Interactive. In 1999, GT Interactive was purchased by Infogrames (which became Atari in 2003) and ceased to exist in 2000.

1st Logo (1995-1999)

Nickname: "Rainbow GT"

Logo: On a black background, we see the underlined red-orange text "GT Interactive Software" fading in near the right. Next to it, the conjoined letters "GT" are drawn in by a spark, revolving through rainbow colors before settling down. Another spark finishes the horizontal line serving both letters.

Trivia: The "GT" logo design was actually used on some of GoodTimes' VHS mockbusters at a time before this, where they can be seen on each corner of the boxart (like this).

Variants:

On Mortal Kombat 3 for DOS, the logo is still on a white background, the name is in small black letters and "Presents" is added below.
On Mortal Kombat Trilogy, the name is in two lines.
On Ice & Fire, the name is underlined and has "DISTRIBUTED BY" above.
On Duke Nukem for Game Boy Color, the name is not in italics.
On Bedlam, the logo has expressive colors and the name is red and underlined.
On Bedlam 2, the same version gains a copyright info below.
On Imperium Galactica, the color gamma is changed to mellower tones, the name is in a straight font and has "Presents" below.
On T-Mek, the background is white with a shadow.
On Driver, the plain black logo is on a map background.
On GoodTimes' VHS release of the Windows 95 Video Guide, the logo is still and on a white background, with the company name written in smaller red-orange letters and italicized at the bottom of the "GT" design.

FX/SFX: The drawing. For variants, none.

Music/Sounds: A synthesized theme or silence. The opening theme of the game might also be heard.

Availability: Seen on the aforementioned games. The animated version appeared on Bedlam Dilogy and ZPC. Also seen on the Windows 95 Video Guide on VHS.

2nd Logo (1996-1999)

Nickname: "Flash GT"

Logo: On a blue/black gradient background shone by a spotlight, a quick flash occurs and brings forth the GT logo with the (R) symbol above it, but without any company name.

Variants:

A still variant exists where the logo appears in a 3D view with silver borders, slightly turned in perspective. The company name is written in bold and stylized like the previous logo.
There is a variant without the (R) symbol. This can be spotted on Duke Nukem: Time To Kill.
One static variant has an interlaced blue/black background. The logo hangs over it, surrounded with light aura, and the name is in red. Seen on Courier Crisis, Hexen for PlayStation and Death Rally.
On 40 Winks, the logo has a nice brown color and looks like liquid metal.
On Dead Ball Zone, the silver logo has a smoking ball next to it. Then it is zapped by lightning and starts glowing light blue.
On Discworld Noir, a yellow light is falling from an open door and a yellow GT stands in the flood of light, casting a shadow.
The Blood games feature a GT logo literally made up of blood, which is different for both versions, but both are the same concept.
- The 1st game has a less realistic look to it, with it waving more than throbbing and blood dripping down, before exploding into dust.
- The 2nd game has the blood dripping off-screen and more realistic throbbing, and the entire logo splatters across the screen, leaving a mess in the background.
On Oddworld games, the logo ripples on a concentric stony pattern.
On Streak Hoverboard Racing, "DISTRIBUTED BY" is added to the usual logo.
On Ka-52 Team Alligator, the logo is glowing cyan, superimposed over the intro movie.
On Imperium Galactica II, the logo appears over a planet, and the name is made from stone.
On War of the Worlds, the glowing logo appears over Mars.
On Beavis & Butt-Head Do U, the white word "presents" fades across the logo and makes it disappear.
On the Nintendo 64 version of Hexen, the logo is seen on the bottom right with the game's title logo on the top left.
Sometimes, the background is white. This appeared on Anno 1602 and Everest. The latter was one of the last games by GT and had this logo in HD.

FX/SFX: The flash. Otherwise, it depends on the variant.

Music/Sounds: A military-style drumbeat alongside some waving sounds, then a deep chord alongside some indistinct chattering voices.

Music/Sounds Variants:

The still variants are either silent or use the opening theme of the game.
The original Blood featured a heartbeat sound with a creepy choral theme playing along. Then a loud explosion sound plays.
Blood II: The Chosen had a dramatic string theme that fits with the sound of the heartbeat. The rest of the sounds behave like before.

Availability: It's easy to find on PlayStation games. The animated flash logo appeared on Critical Depth, BugRiders, Rogue Trip, TigerShark and Duke Nukem: Time to Kill. The static picture of this variant appeared on Lode Runner 2. The still logo with black background was spotted on Powerslide, and with white background on Everest and Anno 1602. Other games are listed above.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{NeedsImages}}
-=== Background ===
-'''GT Interactive Software''' was the interactive division of [[GoodTimes Entertainment]]. It was established in 1993 by the Cayre Brothers (the owners of GoodTimes) with the help of Ron Chaimowitz. In 1996, GT released ''Duke Nukem 3D'' with the participation of [[3D Realms]] (owned by Scott Miller). Both the home video and interactive arms of GoodTimes gained their steady reputation as distributors of budget titles. In 1999, GT Interactive was purchased by [[Infogrames (France)|Infogrames]] (which became [[Atari Interactive (France)|Atari]] in 2003) and ceased to exist in 2000.
-=== 1st Logo (1995-1999) ===
+===Background===
+'''GT Interactive Software''' was the interactive division of [[GoodTimes Entertainment]]. It was established in 1993 by the Cayre Brothers (the owners of GoodTimes) with the help of Ron Chaimowitz. GT was notable for both their budget titles as well as being the first game company to allow developers to retain their IP. GT would later acquire WizardWorks, FormGen, [[Humongous Entertainment]], and the European division of [[Time Warner Interactive]]. In 1999, GT Interactive was purchased by [[Infogrames (France)|Infogrames]] (which became [[Atari Interactive (France)|Atari]] in 2003) and ceased to exist in 2000.
+===1st Logo (1995-1999)===
 '''Nickname:''' "Rainbow GT"
@@ Line 8: / Line 10: @@
 '''Logo:''' On a black background, we see the underlined red-orange text "GT Interactive Software" fading in near the right. Next to it, the conjoined letters "GT" are drawn in by a spark, revolving through rainbow colors before settling down. Another spark finishes the horizontal line serving both letters.
-'''Trivia:''' The "GT" logo design was actually used on some of GoodTimes' VHS mockbusters at a time before this, where they can be seen on each corner of the boxart.
+'''Trivia:''' The "GT" logo design was actually used on some of GoodTimes' VHS mockbusters at a time before this, where they can be seen on each corner of the boxart ([https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51GKXS4M6AL._AC_SY445_.jpg like this]).
 '''Variants:'''
@@ Line 28: / Line 30: @@
 '''Availability:''' Seen on the aforementioned games. The animated version appeared on ''Bedlam Dilogy'' and ''ZPC''. Also seen on the ''Windows 95 Video Guide'' on VHS.
-=== 2nd Logo (1996-1999) ===
+===2nd Logo (1996-1999)===
 [[File:GT_Interactive_Software_(1999).png|center|320px]]
+{{YouTube|id=ha_iHfBvn4E}}
 '''Nickname:''' "Flash GT"
-'''Logo:''' On a black background, the GT logo appears in a 3D view with {{Font color|silver|silver}} borders, slightly turned in perspective. The company name appears in bold italics on the right side, written in two lines.
+'''Logo:''' On a blue/black gradient background shone by a spotlight, a quick flash occurs and brings forth the GT logo with the (R) symbol above it, but without any company name.
 '''Variants:'''
+* A still variant exists where the logo appears in a 3D view with {{Font color|silver|silver}} borders, slightly turned in perspective. The company name is written in bold and stylized like the previous logo.
 * There is a variant without the (R) symbol. This can be spotted on ''Duke Nukem: Time To Kill''.
-* The most common animated variant starts with the {{Font color|blue|blue}} background moving from the left to the right. Then a quick flash occurs and shows the GT logo with the (R) symbol above, but without any name.
 * One static variant has an interlaced {{Font color|blue|blue}}/black background. The logo hangs over it, surrounded with light aura, and the name is in {{Font color|red|red}}. Seen on ''Courier Crisis'', ''Hexen'' for PlayStation and ''Death Rally''.
 * On ''40 Winks'', the logo has a nice {{Font color|brown|brown}} color and looks like liquid metal.
@@ Line 54: / Line 56: @@
 * Sometimes, the background is white. This appeared on ''Anno 1602'' and ''Everest''. The latter was one of the last games by GT and had this logo in HD.
-'''FX/SFX:''' Depends on the variant (all made with early 3D computer graphics).
+'''FX/SFX:''' The flash. Otherwise, it depends on the variant.
+'''Music/Sounds:''' A military-style drumbeat alongside some waving sounds, then a deep chord alongside some indistinct chattering voices.
-'''Music/Sounds:''' None.
 '''Music/Sounds Variants:'''
+* The still variants are either silent or use the opening theme of the game.
-* For the flash version, it's a simple progressive synth tune accompanied by a radio chatter-like sound.
 * The original ''Blood'' featured a heartbeat sound with a creepy choral theme playing along. Then a loud explosion sound plays.
 * ''Blood II: The Chosen'' had a dramatic string theme that fits with the sound of the heartbeat. The rest of the sounds behave like before.