Ubisoft Blue Byte

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Blue Byte is a German studio formed in 1988 by Thomas Hertzler and Lothar Schmitt and most famous for developing strategy games. It was taken over by Ubisoft Entertainment in 2001. Related Designs was merged into Blue Byte in 2013, and a third studio in Berlin was established in 2018. Since 2019, Ubisoft Blue Byte acts as the parent company of Ubisoft's three German studios, which became branded as Ubisoft Düsseldorf, Ubisoft Mainz and Ubisoft Berlin. By 2020, the "Blue Byte" name was phased out.


Blue Byte

1st Logo (1989)

Visuals: On a rectangle, there is a sun rising on the water with the flying seagull and the words "BLUE BYTE" on the bottom.

Variant: On Twinworld, the logo is entirely yellow.

Technique: A still, computerized graphic.

Audio: The opening theme of the game.

Availability: Seen on Great Courts and Twinworld.

2nd Logo (1991-August 15, 2012)


Visuals: A blue asteroid zooms to a starfield and blows with a white wave. Then it blows again, making the background white and creating a box around, with "Blue Byte" in a handwritten font smashing below. The animated version of the logo was used from 2001 until 2006.

Variant: A still version exists.

Technique: A still, computerized graphic. For the animated version, 2D computer animation.

Audio: None. For the animated version, a whoosh is first heard, then an explosion sound. Another explosion sound is heard when the asteroid blows, followed by two metallic banging noises.

Audio Variant: On Anno 1404: Dawn of Discovery, the sound effects of the Related Designs logo are heard over the still logo, due to a synchronization error.

Availability:

  • It was first used on Great Courts 2 and last seen on the Gamescom trailer for Silent Hunter Online.
  • The animated version was first used on The Settlers IV and last seen on The Settlers II (10th Anniversary).

Ubisoft Blue Byte

Logo (August 19, 2013-August 30, 2016)

Visuals: A simplified version of the asteroid from the previous logo (three asteroid shapes overlaid in different shades of blue) with the words "Blue Byte" in a different font and the byline "A UBISOFT STUDIO" ("UBISOFT" is in the corporate font) below.

Variant: On Champions of Anteria, the logo zooms in slowly.

Technique: A still, digital graphic. Zooming effects for the Champions of Anteria variant.

Audio: None.

Availability: First seen on the announcement trailer for Panzer General Online and last seen on Champions of Anteria.