Aspyr
Aspyr Media, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher founded by Michael Rogers and Ted Staloch in Austin, Texas. Originally founded to bring top gaming titles to Mac OS, the company, since 2005, has become a publisher and developer of entertainment for multiple gaming platforms.
Aspyr works with partners including LucasArts, 2K Games, Activision, Gearbox Software; their catalog includes franchises Call of Duty, Sid Meier's Civilization, SimCity, Borderlands and Star Wars.
History
In 1996, Aspyr Media, Inc., was established by Michael Rogers and Ted Staloch in Austin, Texas. Staloch, who had a background in sales and marketing and Rogers, who worked with TechWorks, noticed that there was a lack of gaming titles available to Mac owners and set out to change it. According to Rogers, when naming the company, they “wanted something meaning ‘to aspire and be great’” and also “memorable and unique.” Aspyr made its name specializing in porting video games from Microsoft Windows to macOS, including popular franchises Call of Duty, Sid Meier's Civilization, Star Wars, Borderlands, and SimCity.By 2003, they owned 60 percent of the Mac entertainment market. In 2005, Aspyr partnered with Alex Seropian of Wideload Games and released their first originally-published AAA game, Stubbs The Zombie, to Mac OS, Windows and Xbox. In 2015, Aspyr Media expanded their platform catalog again by releasing an iOS port of ' and later, Bioware's classic-action RPG, Jade Empire - a title they extended to Android as well. In 2015, Aspyr developed and published ', a remaster of a game developed by Quantic Dream, to a worldwide audience with enhanced game features, updated visuals and controls, as well as content that was censored in the original North American release.
Currently, Aspyr's catalog includes popular games such as Sid Meier's Civilization VI, developed in 2018 on Mac, Linux, iOS and Nintendo Switch, Layers of Fear, Observer, Torn, and the re-releases of LucasArts titles: ' and '.
According to Elizabeth Howard, vice president of publishing at Aspyr Media, the company's current focus is less on internal IP and more on company growth, establishing bigger undertakings with big brands. Aspyr has published over 190 games, and have added 90 plus members to their team since 1996.
Games
Year | Title | Platform | Developer | Publisher | Reference |
1998 | Tomb Raider II | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2000 | ' | Mac | Aspyr | Activision | |
2002 | ' | Mac | LucasArts | Aspyr | |
2002 | ' | Mac | Raven Software | Aspyr | |
2003 | ' | Mac | Raven Software | Aspyr | |
2003 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2003 | ' | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2004 | ' | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2005 | ' | Mac | Pandemic Studios | Aspyr | |
2005 | Sims 2 | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2005 | Doom 3 | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2005 | Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse | Xbox, PC, Mac | Wideload Games | Aspyr | |
2006 | Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2006 | Sid Meier's Civilization IV | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2006 | ' | Xbox, PC | Funcom | Aspyr | |
2007 | Guitar Hero III | PC, Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2007 | ' | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2010 | ' | PC, Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2010 | Sid Meier's Civilization V | Mac, Linux | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2010 | ' | PC | Aspyr | LucasArts | |
2012 | Borderlands 2 | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2012 | ' | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2013 | Bioshock Infinite | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2014 | Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic | iOS, Android | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2014 | ' | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2014 | Sim City 4 | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2014 | ' | Mac, Linux | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2015 | ' | PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2016 | Layers of Fear | PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 | Bloober Team | Aspyr | |
2016 | Jade Empire | iOS, Android | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2017 | Mafia 3 | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2017 | >observer_ | PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 | Bloober Team | Aspyr | |
2018 | InnerSpace | PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch | PolyKnight Games | Aspyr | |
2018 | Torn | Oculus, Vive, PSVR | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2018 | Sid Meier's Civilization VI | iOS | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2018 | Sid Meier's Civilization VI | Mac, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 | Aspyr | 2K Games | |
2019 | ' | Mac | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2019 | ' | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2020 | Lightmatter | Windows | Tunnel Vision Games | Aspyr | |
2020 | ' | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 | Aspyr | Aspyr | |
2020 | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 | Aspyr | Aspyr |