Cohort Studios

Cohort Studios Ltd

Company type	Video Game Developer
Industry	Video games
Founded	March 2006
Defunct	2011
Fate	Bankruptcy
Headquarters	Cardiff, Wales
Key people	Darran Thomas
Owner	Darran Thomas
Website	http://www.cohortstudios.com

Cohort Studios was a games development and interactive entertainment studio. It was based in Dundee but closed its office there in May 2011.^[1]

Formed in 2006, by Lol Scragg, Darran Thomas and Bruce McNeish, Cohort's first project involved being contracted by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe to assist on MotorStorm for PlayStation 3. This was followed with work on Go! Puzzle for PlayStation Network on both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. In addition, the company developed a small downloadable driving title which was used on the website of the Audi TT.

Early in 2008, Cohort Studios released Buzz! Junior: Dino Den for the PlayStation 2 followed later in the year with Buzz! Junior: Ace Racers. Also in 2008, they won the contract for re-developing three of the PS2 Buzz! Junior titles to be distributed via the PlayStation Network for the PlayStation 3. The titles were to feature 5 of the best mini-games as well as including trophy support and the ability to use a DualShock wireless controller instead of Buzzers.

In October 2010, the company released The Shoot on the PlayStation 3 platform, published by SCEE. The title was one of the first titles to use Sony's new PlayStation Move controller based around the concept of being a movie action hero on a movie set.

On 21 April 2011 Cohort announced that the studio was closing due to "a declining console marketplace".^[2] Prior to closing Cohort managed to release the two PlayStation minis titles it had been working on namely, Cohort Chess,^[3] and Me Monstar: Hear me Roar!.^[4]

Games

MotorStorm (PS3, 2006) - Outsourcing for Evolution Studios
Go! Puzzle (PS3 & PSP, 2007) - Working with Zoonami
Journeys Through Sound (PC, 2007) - Free downloadable game celebrating the Audi TT relaunch
Burnout Paradise (PS3 & Xbox 360, 2007) - Outsourcing for Criterion Games
Buzz! Junior: Dino Den (PS2, 2008)
Buzz! Junior: Ace Racers (PS2, 2008)
Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam (PS3, 2009)
Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam (PS2, 2007)
Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party (PS3, 2009)
Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble (PS3, 2009)
Buzz! Junior: Dino Den (PS3, 2009)
The Shoot (PS3, 2010)
Cohort Chess (PlayStation Mini, 2011)
Me Monstar: Hear me Roar! (PlayStation Mini, 2011)

References

^ "Computer games firm to close down". BBC News. 21 April 2011.
^ "Cohort to cease business | Game Development | News by Develop". Archived from the original on 24 April 2011.
^ "Cohort Chess™ Trailer" – via www.youtube.com.
^ "Me monstar - hear me roar". memonstar.com.