{{Short description|American game development studio}} {{Infobox company | name = WildWorks, Inc. | logo = WildWorks Logo.png | logo_caption = Logo since 2014 | type = Private | foundation = {{start date and age|2003}} | founder = Kris Johnson Clark Stacey Jeff Amis | location_city = Salt Lake City, Utah | location_country = US | location = | industry = Game developer | products = {{Unbulleted list|''Animal Jam Classic''|''Snoopy Flying Ace''}} | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | num_employees = | parent = Nazara Technologies | homepage = [http://www.wildworks.com/ wildworks.com] | former_name = Smart Bomb Interactive, Inc. }} '''WildWorks, Inc.'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Error - Business Search - Utah.gov |url=https://secure.utah.gov/bes/displayDetails.html |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=secure.utah.gov}}</ref> (formerly '''Smart Bomb Interactive''') is an American game development studio based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The studio was assembled from game industry veterans, co-founded by Kris Johnson, Clark Stacey, and Jeff Amis (Johnson and Stacey were previously a part of the studio Beyond Games). The studio has developed titles for all ages across many platforms, including home consoles, PCs and handheld devices.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060724044631/http://games.ign.com/objects/827/827888.html IGN] at IGN Review</ref>

On August 2014, the company was rebranded as WildWorks to better reflect its focus on nature-focused children's entertainment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WildWorks extends Animal Jam to more global players with Worldpay |url=https://internationalbanker.com/banking/wildworks-extends-animal-jam-to-more-global-players-with-worldpay/#:~:text=About%20WildWorks |website=International Banker |publisher= |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706191149/https://internationalbanker.com/banking/wildworks-extends-animal-jam-to-more-global-players-with-worldpay/#:~:text=About%20WildWorks |archive-date=2022-07-06 |access-date=2025-10-09}}</ref>

As of August 30, 2022, Indian based diversified gaming and sports media platform Nazara Technologies acquired WildWorks for US$10.4 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nazara Technologies Pvt Ltd Acquires Wildworks: Know Details |url=https://moroesports.com/2022/08/30/nazara-acquires-wildworks/ |access-date=2022-08-30 |website=MoroEsports}}</ref>

== History == Beyond Games was founded in 1992 by Kris Johnson.<ref name="BeyondGames">{{cite web|url=http://www.beyondgames.com/profile.html|title=Company Profile|publisher=Beyond Games|year=1995|access-date=2025-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970117055845/http://www.beyondgames.com/profile.html|archive-date=1997-01-17|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="JungleGuide2">{{cite magazine|title=CyberVirus|magazine=Jungle Guide|issue=2|publisher=Songbird Productions|year=2004|pages=2–7}}</ref><ref name="Retro160">{{cite magazine|last=Hawken|first=Kieren|title=From the Archives: Beyond Games|magazine=Retro Gamer|issue=160|publisher=Imagine Publishing|date=October 6, 2016|pages=64–69}}</ref> The first release from the company was BattleWheels for the Atari Lynx, winner of the 1993 Consumer Electronics Show Innovations Award.<ref name="VGCE51">{{cite magazine|last=Bieniek|first=Chris|title=Video-Game Previews: BattleWheels; 1993 Winter CES Overview - A Look At Some Of The Show's Best|magazine=VideoGames & Computer Entertainment|issue=51|publisher=Larry Flynt Publications|date=April 1993|pages=[https://archive.org/details/video-games-computer-entertainment-april-1993/page/n29/mode/1up 30]; [https://archive.org/details/video-games-computer-entertainment-april-1993/page/n55/mode/1up 52–60]}}</ref><ref name="APE11">{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Clinton|date=Summer 1993|title=CES NEWS; BattleWheels|url=https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/newsletters/ape/ape_summer93.pdf|work=Atari Portable Entertainment|issue=11|publisher=Clinton Smith|pages=1–4; 11|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122015018/https://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/newsletters/ape/ape_summer93.pdf|archive-date=2025-01-22|access-date=2025-01-21}}</ref><ref name="DCLive">{{cite web|author=pcwzrd13|date=June 30, 2018|url=http://www.dreamcastlive.net/blogs/post/Interview-with-Kris-Johnson-Founder-of-Beyond-Games|title=Interview with Kris Johnson, Founder of Beyond Games, Developer of the Cancelled Redline Arena|website=Dreamcast Live|access-date=2025-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708113644/http://www.dreamcastlive.net/blogs/post/Interview-with-Kris-Johnson-Founder-of-Beyond-Games|archive-date=2018-07-08|url-status=live}}</ref> Their follow-up, ''CyberVirus'' was planned for release the following year, but abandoned due to sagging sales of the platform. Assets and code were sold to Songbird Productions, who completed and published the game in 2002.

== Games ==

=== ''Animal Jam'' === In December 2014, WildWorks released a 3D mobile app in the ''Animal Jam Classic'' universe, made with Unity, upgraded graphics and items, and new story called ''Animal Jam'' (formerly ''Animal Jam - Play Wild!'').<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Animal Jam's Instagram photo: "Today is a special day in the history of Animal Jam! It has been nearly 10 years since the launch of Animal Jam; in recognition of this…" |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/B_fszdfFMnF/ |url-access=registration |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/B_fszdfFMnF |archive-date=2021-12-24 |access-date=2020-06-28 |website=Instagram |language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2016, it was announced that ''Animal Jam'' received over one million downloads despite having no paid user acquisition. ''Animal Jam'' has been the number one downloaded iPad game for kids 9–11 in 35 countries, the number one downloaded iPad educational game in 20 countries, and the number one top iPad game for kids 9–11 in 54 countries. As of late 2020, ''Animal Jam'' and ''Animal Jam Classic'' had 3.3 million monthly active users and a lifetime total of 130 million registered players in 200 countries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-11 |title=WildWorks' Animal Jam online playground hits 130 million registered players after a decade |url=https://venturebeat.com/2020/09/11/wildworks-animal-jam-online-playground-hits-130-million-registered-players-after-a-decade/ |access-date=2021-01-17 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122183333/https://venturebeat.com/2020/09/11/wildworks-animal-jam-online-playground-hits-130-million-registered-players-after-a-decade/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== ''Animal Jam Classic'' === The studio's flagship title was ''Animal Jam Classic'' (formerly ''Animal Jam'').<ref name=":0" /> ''Animal Jam Classic'' is a virtual world for children, being developed within a partnership with the National Geographic Society. Users are placed in an online world called Jamaa, and are presented with a number of games, spaces to interact with other players, and light edutainment features in the form of games and fun facts within the game's world. The game offers additional interactive educational resources for children, teachers and parents. In early 2016, ''Animal Jam Classic'' was named the fastest growing game site in the US with over 50 million users registered worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title = Press Release {{!}} WildWorks {{!}} News|url = http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/animal-jam-named-fastest-growing-gaming-site-in-the-united-states-by-similarweb-2094049.htm}}</ref>

=== ''Fer.al'' === On April 24 2019, WildWorks announced ''Feral'' at UDEN #22 (stylized as "''Fer.al''"), a MMO game based around fantasy and myth. Unlike ''Animal Jam Classic'' and ''Animal Jam'', Feral was going to be directed at a 13+ audience as stated at UDEN.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=UDEN #22 - WildWorks Studio + Networking |url=https://www.guv1.com/jonblogs/2019/4/26/uden-22-wildworks-studio-networking |access-date=2022-03-30 |website=Jon Dean |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329210101/https://www.guv1.com/jonblogs/2019/4/26/uden-22-wildworks-studio-networking |url-status=dead }}</ref> Feral was in Closed Beta from December 11, 2019 until May 20, 2020. It went into Early Access from May 20 but never reached full release.

On February 17 2022, wwadmin, the administrative account of WildWorks in the Feral Discord server, announced they were shutting down the game. The game was to reopen on February 19 for 24 hours,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Octokoi |title=Fer.al is Shutting Down |url=https://www.feralarchives.com/blog/shutdown |access-date=2022-03-30 |website=Fer.al Archives |language=en-US}}</ref> but due to violation of Feral's Terms of Service, the reopening was pushed to March 26 and shortened to 3 hours. Feral formally ceased operations on March 26 after a 3-hour shutdown period.<ref>{{Cite web |title=fer.al |url=https://fer.al/ |access-date=2022-03-30 |website=fer.al |language=en}}</ref>

=== ''Cinder'' === ''Cinder'' was a 2021 Solana-based NFT MMO game, created using the engine and assets of the now-defunct WildWorks title ''Fer.al''. The game is populated with avatars referred to as the Cinder Fae, whose traits are procedurally generated for sale as NFT character tokens. At launch, the initial mint contained 4,444 Cinder Fae NFTs for sale on the Solana marketplace. According to the ''Cinder'' white paper, the WildWorks team began beta testing in April 2020. At some point, the part of WildWorks creating Cinder branched off and formed Cinder Studios.

On February 8, 2023, ''Cinder''<nowiki/>'s servers suddenly shut down without warning, along with its website. An employee reported that Cinder Studios was shut down.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mac McCann on LinkedIn: It has been 15 years, almost to the day, that I started as an intern in… {{!}} 29 comments |url=https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mac-mccann-16b5063a_it-has-been-15-years-almost-to-the-day-activity-7026590411200610304-cF4s |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=www.linkedin.com |language=en}}</ref> There have been no official announcements about ''Cinder''<nowiki/>'s shutdown.

=== List of Titles === ==== As Beyond Games ==== {{Video game titles| {{Video game titles/item | article=BattleWheels | title=BattleWheels | date=June 1993<ref name="EGM47">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_47/page/n44/mode/1up|title=Electronic Gaming Monthly Presents The Games Of June 1993...Appearing In Local Stores Now!|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|issue=47|publisher=Sendai Publications|date=June 1993|pages=42–43}}</ref> | multiplereleasedates=no | release=1993&nbsp;– Atari Lynx | notes= * Vehicular combat game * Published by Beyond Games }}{{Video game titles/item | article=Ultra Vortek | title=Ultra Vortek | date=September 13, 1995<ref name="STReport1137">{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/st-report-1137/page/n53/mode/1up|title=Jaguar Online STR InfoFile: Online Users Growl & Purr! — CATnips.... Jaguar Tidbits of news from Don Thomas|magazine=Silicon Times Report|issue=1137|publisher=STR Electronic Publishing Inc.|date=September 15, 1995}}</ref> | multiplereleasedates=no | release=1995&nbsp;– Atari Jaguar | notes= * Fighting game * Published by Atari Corporation }}{{Video game titles/item | article=Redline (1999 video game) | title=Redline | date=March 24, 1999<ref name="GSpot">{{cite web|url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/99_03/24_pc_new/index.html|title=New Releases|work=GameSpot|publisher=ZDNET|date=March 24, 1999|access-date=2025-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000530050703/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/99_03/24_pc_new/index.html|archive-date=2000-05-30|url-status=dead}}</ref> | multiplereleasedates=no | release=1999&nbsp;– Windows | notes= * First-person shooter * Published by Accolade }}{{Video game titles/item | article=Motor Mayhem | title=Motor Mayhem | date=July 2, 2001<ref name="Infogrames">{{cite web|url=http://www.infogrames.net/corporate/press/070201_motor.asp|title=INFOGRAMES, INC. CRASHES INTO STORES ON SONY PLAYSTATION 2 WITH MOTOR MAYHEM|publisher=Infogrames|date=July 2, 2001|access-date=2025-08-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010803051111/http://www.infogrames.net/corporate/press/070201_motor.asp|archive-date=2001-08-03|url-status=dead}}</ref> | multiplereleasedates=no | release=2001&nbsp;– PlayStation 2 | notes= * Vehicular combat game * Published by Infogrames }}{{Video game titles/item | article=Hot Wheels Velocity X | title=Hot Wheels Velocity X | date=October 18, 2002 | multiplereleasedates=no | release=2002&nbsp;– GameCube, Windows, PlayStation 2 | notes= * Racing video game * Published by THQ }}}}

==== As Smart Bomb Interactive ==== *''Snoopy vs. the Red Baron'' *''Snoopy Flying Ace'' *''Tunnel Town'' *''Animal Jam Jump'' *''Pac-Man World Rally'' *''Bee Movie Game'' *''Dash Tag'' *''Tag with Ryan''

== Technology == The studio also developed Bombshell, an engine and toolset for the development of high-fidelity interactive entertainment. The studio previously received first-round funding from the Canopy Group.

==References== <references />

==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.wildworks.com}} *[https://cinder.io/ Cinder.io] *[https://animaljam.com/ Animal Jam]

Category:Companies based in Salt Lake City Category:Video game companies based in Utah Category:Video game development companies Category:2022 mergers and acquisitions