TDK Mediactive

Background

TDK Mediactive was founded in 1988 as Sound Source Interactive by Vincent J. Bitetti to create children's games. In 1998, the company acquired a game development studio BWT Labs. In 2000, the company was acquired by Japanese electronics company TDK and renamed "TDK Mediactive". In 2003, the company was purchased by Take-Two Interactive and renamed to Take-Two Licensing; it was then shuttered shortly after the formation of 2K Games, one of Take-Two's main publishing labels, in 2005, which Take-Two Licensing was folded into.

Sound Source Interactive

1st Logo (1997-2001)

The nearly-finished logo.
The finished logo.
Still version

Logo: On a black background, several purple, orange and white dots fly in and form a large stylized "S" (which looks slightly similar to the Screen Gems "S from Hell", but not by much) with a purple circle behind and the white words "SOUND SOURCE INTERACTIVE" in the same font used in the previous two logos while the background becomes a black/orange background. Moments later, the "S" and circle dissolves, and "SOUND SOURCE INTERACTIVE" zooms in to where it stops on the screen. The background becomes black again.

FX/SFX: The dots forming the letter "S".

Music/Sounds: Zapping noises are heard when the dots fly in, followed by a bang sound. A flourish is heard when the logo excluding the text dissolves.

Availability: Rare. It can be seen on titles like The Land Before Time: Return to the Great Valley and Casper: Friends Around the World for PlayStation. A still version appeared in the American Tail Animated Moviebook.

2nd Logo (1998)

Logo: On a black background is a black box with a white border. On the left of the box are the stacked words " SOUND SOURCE INTERACTIVE" in a narrow font. On a right is a white/black stick figure that looks similar to the Knowledge Adventure stick figure, but with hair on his head, a thunderbolt left hand and a cartwheel in the right hand. There is also a white area covering the figure's black portion. Below the box is the word "present".

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Ultra rare. Seen on Land Before Time: Math Adventure.

3rd Logo (1998)

Casper Activity Center

Logo: On a black background, the text "SOUND SOURCE" in an odd font and colored in a gold/orange/pink/green gradient, and a white smaller "INTERACTIVE" underneath it in the same font are seen.

Variant: On Casper Activity Center, the WayForward Technologies and Harvey Entertainment logos appear below this logo.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: TBA.

Availability: Seen on Casper Activity Center and The Chipmunk Adventure Interactive Coloring Book.

4th Logo (1998-2000)

Extreme Sports with the Berenstain Bears

Logo: There is a black box with a large white "S", which is shaped to fit into the box. Below are the words "SOUND SOURCE INTERACTIVE" in the same font as the previous logo.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None. However, sometimes there's music.

Availability: Very rare. It's seen on some games made by Sound Source Interactive.

TDK Mediactive

1st Logo (September 29, 2000)

Rainbow Islands
Elevator Action EX

Logo: Just the standard TDK logo (which consists of a stylized hexagon with several smaller triangles in it forming a star-like design, next to the text "TDK") in blue on a white background.

Variant: On Elevator Action EX for Game Boy Color, we see below the logo:

Published by
TDK Recording Media Europe S.A

as well as "LICENSED BY NINTENDO".

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on Elevator Action EX and Rainbow Islands for GBC.

2nd Logo (May 1-29, 2001)

Shrek: Fairy Tale Freakdown

Logo: On a black background, we see the TDK logo in white, with "MEDIACTIVE" below it.

Variant: On The Land Before Time: Great Valley Racing Adventure, the logo has copyright information below it.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: A short 8-bit jingle, or none.

Availability: Seen on Shrek: Fairy Tale Freakdown for Game Boy Color and The Land Before Time: Great Valley Racing Adventure for the PlayStation.

3rd Logo (2001-2004)

Still version
GBA version
blue-toned version

Logo: Two light flashes come from both sides and collide into the TDK corporate logo, then other flashes create the bar below with "mediactive" in a custom font. A soft blue light is seen flashing across the logo for a second.

Variants:

There is a variant with a complicated blue-toned background.
On GBA releases, the background is white and the text is blue.

FX/SFX: Light flashes that create the TDK logo.

Music/Sounds: A few flipping noise sounds, followed by a soft drum rock tune.

Availability: The blue version was used on the PlayStation 2 version of Casper: Spirit Dimensions, Shrek Gameland Activity Center on the PC and the infamous Shrek for Xbox. The black version was first used on Pryzm: Chapter One: The Dark Unicorn, and was used on all console and PC games from the company. The still version appears on GBA games.

Legacy: Despite being known for being a hated company, this logo is still a childhood favorite for those who remember playing their games.