DreamCatcher Interactive
# DreamCatcher Interactive

DreamCatcher Interactive Inc. (also known as DreamCatcher Games) was a Canadian video game publisher founded in 1996 by Richard Wah Kan. It was best known for its adventure games. In 2006, the company became a subsidiary of JoWooD Entertainment. In 2011, the company went into administration along with its parent JoWooD and all assets were purchased by Nordic Games Holding. The DreamCatcher Interactive brand is currently being used as a publishing label for THQ Nordic.

## History

DreamCatcher Interactive was founded in 1996 at Toronto, Canada. Its first published title was Jewels of the Oracle. The company gradually drifted into becoming a publisher focused on the adventure genre after finding that "customers really were hungry for" these titles, according to DreamCatcher's Marshall Zwicker. Beyond Time was among the releases whose reception drew the publisher to this field. Profit reported that DreamCatcher located such projects via "networking at tradeshows and reviewing unsolicited game proposals." In 1999, DreamCatcher pushed its corporate strategy by launching Nightlong: Union City Conspiracy, The Forgotten: It Begins and The Crystal Key. The latter went on to a major hit. DreamCatcher's top four titles for 2000 were Dracula: Resurrection, Traitors Gate, Beyond Atlantis and The Crystal Key. These games respectively made up 9%, 14%, 15% and 32% of DreamCatcher's sales that year. In March 2000, DreamCatcher was purchased by Cryo Interactive. Continuing the company's growth, in November 2000, DreamCatcher signed with Her Interactive to publish the Nancy Drew franchise.

In late 2002, most of the assets and development teams of French-based publisher, Cryo Interactive were absorbed by DreamCatcher Interactive, forming the base for DreamCatcher Europe including key offices and a large internal studio. By early 2003, DreamCatcher was the United States' tenth-biggest publisher of games. After the acquisition of Cryo Interactive, Dreamcatcher created a publishing division called The Adventure Company in early 2003. The company also partnered with both Wanadoo Edition and Microïds, as well as other studios in the development and distribution of games including Syberia, Still Life and ObsCure. In 2005, the main Microïds studio was acquired by Ubisoft with Dreamcatcher retaining publishing rights to the games being created.

The Adventure Company brand label under DreamCatcher has released many adventure game series' including series' based on Agatha Christie novels. They also recently signed to release a series of titles based on The Hardy Boys. Outside of adventure gaming, DreamCatcher is best known for publishing the first-person shooter Painkiller developed with People Can Fly. Painkiller became a commercial success and was signed with the CPL World Tour 2005. Dreamcatcher would also create another label, Silverline Software, around 2004 for the distribution of some non-core games and the publishing of utility software. Silverline Software would release the "Time to Ride" series of girl's horse games starting in 2004, which would later be acquired by Ubisoft.

In 2006, JoWooD Entertainment announced the purchase of DreamCatcher Games as a way of increasing their presence into the North American gaming market in addition to acquiring the company's key titles and licenses. Since the acquisition, DreamCatcher Games has continued to launch titles both under The Adventure Company and DreamCatcher labels including new games created by JoWooD like the SpellForce series. In 2011, JoWooD went into administration causing DreamCatcher to file for bankruptcy. In November 2011, Nordic Games Holding announced that they had acquired all DreamCatcher assets and would be turning it into a publishing label of their subsidiary Nordic Games. Nordic Games Holding had previously acquired JoWooD and The Adventure Company in August also turning both brands into publishing labels of Nordic Games. All business operations of this brand are being conducted out of THQ Nordic in Vienna, Austria.

## Games

Note: This list is for titles which DreamCatcher Interactive published. Releases of games under The Adventure Company banner are not included.

| Year | Title | Developer | Platform(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1996 | Jewels of the Oracle | ELOI Productions | Macintosh, Windows 3.x |
| 1997 | Egypt 1156 B.C.: Tomb of the Pharaoh | Cryo Interactive Entertainment | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 1997 | Safecracker | Daydream Software | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 1997 | Soldier Boyz | Daydream Software | Microsoft Windows |
| 1997 | Beyond Time | Jones and Jones Multimedia | Microsoft Windows, Windows 3.x |
| 1998 | Jewels II: The Ultimate Challenge | ELOI Productions | Microsoft Windows, Windows 3.x |
| 1998 | Karma: Curse of the 12 Caves | | Microsoft Windows |
| 1998 | Cydonia: Mars - The First Manned Mission | | Microsoft Windows |
| 1998 | Nightlong: Union City Conspiracy | | Microsoft Windows |
| 1999 | The Adventures of Jonny Quest | | Microsoft Windows |
| 1999 | The Crystal Key | | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | The Forgotten: It Begins | | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | Egypt II: The Heliopolis Prophecy | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | Seven Games of the Soul | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | Riddle of the Sphinx: An Egyptian Adventure | | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | The Legend of Lotus Spring | | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | The Sacred Amulet | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | Dracula: The Resurrection | | Macintosh, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | Traitors Gate | | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | Beyond Atlantis | | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | In Cold Blood | | PlayStation, Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | The New Adventures of the Time Machine | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | TimeScape: Journey to Pompeii | | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | The Legend of the Prophet and the Assassin | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | Odyssey: The Search for Ulysses | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2000 | Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion | | Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance |
| 2001 | Frank Herbert's Dune | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Dracula: The Last Sanctuary | | Macintosh, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Necronomicon: The Dawning of Darkness | | PlayStation, Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | The Messenger | | Macintosh, Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Dracula: Crazy Vampire | | Game Boy Color |
| 2001 | Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | The Secrets of Alamut | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Arthur's Knights: Tales of Chivalry | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Nancy Drew: Treasure in the Royal Tower | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Woody Woodpecker | | Game Boy Color |
| 2001 | Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Atlantis: The Lost Tales | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Jekyll & Hyde | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | The Shadow of Zorro | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | From Dusk Till Dawn | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Schizm: Mysterious Journey | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Beyond Atlantis II | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | Nancy Drew: The Final Scene | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2001 | MegaRace 3 | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | Inspector Gadget: Advance Mission | | Game Boy Advance |
| 2002 | Gremlins: Stripe vs. Gizmo | | Game Boy Advance |
| 2002 | Woody Woodpecker: Escape from Buzz Buzzard Park | | PlayStation 2 |
| 2002 | Casino Mogul | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | SuperPower | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | Factory Mogul | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | Arabian Nights | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | Project Earth: Starmageddon | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | The Mystery of the Nautilus | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | Gore: Ultimate Soldier | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | Rock Manager | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | Agassi Tennis Generation | | PlayStation 2 |
| 2002 | Iron Storm | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | Extreme Ghostbusters: Code Ecto-1 | | Game Boy Advance |
| 2002 | Kaan: Barbarian's Blade | | PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | Law & Order: Dead on the Money | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | Pink Panther: Pinkadelic Pursuit | | PlayStation |
| 2002 | Hegemonia: Legions of Iron | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2002 | Pink Panther: Pinkadelic Pursuit | | Game Boy Advance |
| 2002 | Post Mortem | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2003 | Battlecruiser Millennium Gold | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2003 | Harbinger | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2003 | Hellboy: Dogs of the Night | | PlayStation |
| 2003 | Emergency Fire Response | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2003 | Enigma: Rising Tide | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2003 | Spirits & Spells | | GameCube |
| 2003 | Curse: The Eye of Isis | | Microsoft Windows, Xbox |
| 2003 | Etherlords II | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2003 | Ultimate Beach Soccer | | Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| 2003 | Pax Romana | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2003 | Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2003 | Arx Fatalis | | Xbox |
| 2004 | Saddle Up: Time to Ride | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | Besieger | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | Traitors Gate 2: Cypher | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | Universal Combat | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | Crystal Key II: The Far Realm | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | Painkiller | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | The Omega Stone: Riddle of the Sphinx II | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | Aura: Fate of the Ages | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | SuperPower 2 | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | Lights Out | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | Return to Mysterious Island | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | Painkiller: Battle Out of Hell | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2004 | Advanced Battlegrounds: The Future of Combat | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | Cops 2170: The Power of Law | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | Yager | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | Enigma: Rising Tide | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | The Moment of Silence | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | Domination | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | ObsCure | | PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox |
| 2005 | Painkiller: Gold Edition | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | MetalHeart: Replicants Rampage | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | Dungeon Lords | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | Still Life | | Xbox |
| 2005 | Echo: Secrets of the Lost Cavern | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | Painkiller: Black | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | NiBiRu: Age of Secrets | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2005 | Cold War | | Microsoft Windows, Xbox |
| 2005 | Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None | | Wii, Microsoft Windows |
| 2006 | Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2006 | Dungeon Lords: Collector's Edition | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2006 | Keepsake | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2006 | Glory of the Roman Empire | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2006 | Wildlife Zoo | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2006 | Painkiller: Hell Wars | | Xbox |
| 2006 | Ship Simulator 2006 | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2006 | First Battalion | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2006 | Neverend | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2006 | Evidence: The Last Ritual | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2006 | Secret Files: Tunguska | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Nanny Mania | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Secrets of the Ark: A Broken Sword Game | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Power Boat GT | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | The Sacred Rings | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | The Ugly Prince Duckling | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Genesis Rising | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Dawnspire: Prelude | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Voyage | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Sentinel: Descendants in Time | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Mysterious Journey II: Chameleon | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Dunes of War | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Dead Reefs | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Spaceforce: Rogue Universe | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Destination: Treasure Island | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Atlantis Evolution | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Animates | | Nintendo DS |
| 2007 | The Cameron Files: Pharaoh's Curse | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Painkiller: Overdose | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | LifeSigns: Surgical Unit | | Nintendo DS |
| 2007 | Next Life | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2007 | Zoo Quest: Puzzle Fun | | Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie: Mysteries | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | The Experiment | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | Seven Kingdoms: Conquest | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | Painkiller Triple Dose | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | Wildlife Zoo: Deluxe Edition | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2008 | Drivers Ed Portable | | Nintendo DS |
| 2008 | Syberia | | Nintendo DS |
| 2008 | Dreamer: Horse Trainer | | Nintendo DS |
| 2008 | Learn Math for Grades 1-4 | | Nintendo DS |
| 2008 | Dreamer: Puppy Trainer | | Nintendo DS |
| 2008 | Matchstick | | Nintendo DS |
| 2009 | Inkheart | | Nintendo DS |
| 2009 | Dreamer: Pop Star | | Nintendo DS |
| 2009 | Monster Band | | Nintendo DS |
| 2009 | Dreamer Series: Babysitter | | Nintendo DS |
| 2009 | Let's Play: Shops | | Nintendo DS |
| 2009 | Painkiller: Resurrection | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2009 | Treasure Island | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2010 | Arcania: Gothic 4 | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2010 | Gothic II (Gold Edition) | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2010 | Chaser | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2010 | Painkiller: Pandemonium | | Microsoft Windows |
| 2011 | Painkiller: Redemption | | Microsoft Windows |
