KW Studios

{{Short description|Swedish video game company}} {{Infobox company | name = KW Studios Ltd. | logo = | former_name = {{plainlist| * SimBin Studios (2003–2014) * Sector3 Studios (2014–2022) }} | type = Subsidiary | founded = June 2003 | hq_location_city = Lidköping | hq_location_country = Sweden | num_locations = 1 | key_people = Chris Speed (CEO) | area_served = | industry = Video games | products = | services = | num_employees = 8 | parent = KW Automotive | divisions = | subsidiaries = | website = {{URL|https://www.kw-studios.com/}} }}

'''KW Studios Ltd.''' (formerly '''SimBin Studios'''<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-09-11-simbin-declares-bankruptcy-and-reforms-as-sector-3-studios | title = SimBin declares bankruptcy and reforms as Sector 3 Studios | date=11 September 2014}}</ref> and '''Sector3 Studios''') is a Swedish video game developer and publisher. It was founded in 2003, and it develops racing simulators for Windows PC, with its headquarters in Lidköping, Sweden. The company originally started as a modding team for the Image Space Incorporated game ''F1 2002'', releasing a mod based on the 2002 season of the FIA GT championship,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.isrtv.com/tbt/throwback-thursdays-history-simbin/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=www.isrtv.com|title=Throwback Thursdays - History of SimBin |date=August 2014}}</ref> essentially the precursor to its first commercial game.

The company has released ''GTR - FIA GT Racing Game'', ''GT Legends'', and a sequel to ''GTR Racing'' called ''GTR - FIA GT Racing Game 2'', all published by 10tacle as well as ''RACE - The Official WTCC Game'' published by Eidos Interactive and ''RACE 07 - The Official WTCC Game'' which was the first SimBin game to include Formula cars. ''RACE 07'' has gone on to have nine expansion packs released for it: ''GTR Evolution'', ''STCC - The Game'', ''Race On'', ''Formula Raceroom'', ''STCC The Game 2'', ''GT Power Expansion'', ''WTCC 2010'', ''Retro Expansion'', and ''Race Injection''. Although the company mainly focuses on racing simulators for Windows, ''Race Pro'' was developed for the Xbox 360 console, published by Atari and released in February 2009. In May 2009 SimBin released ''Volvo – The Game'' as a freeware for Windows. In 2013, SimBin released ''RaceRoom Racing Experience'', a new free-to-play game that connects fans of racing around a game, motorsports portal and online store.

By September 2014, SimBin Studios had officially changed their name to Sector3 Studios, as part of a company restructuring.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.isrtv.com/simbin-series/simbin-studios-restructuring/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=www.isrtv.com|title=SimBin Studios Restructuring! |date=28 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=games |first1=online |title=bdtk1.app |url=https://www.bdtk1.app/ |access-date=3 May 2023}}</ref> The name was changed primarily because the former was contractually tied to ''the'' location, and the team wanted to move to a more populous area. By January 2022, German automotive parts manufacturer KW Automotive had quietly acquired Sector3 Studios and renamed it to KW Studios.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sector 3 Studios Now KW Studios|url=https://racesimcentral.net/sector-3-studios-now-kw-studios/|last=Wheatley|first=Tim|website=RaceSimCentral.net|date=January 27, 2022|access-date=July 29, 2022}}</ref>

== Games developed == {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" ! Title ! Release date ! Genre ! Platform ! Remarks |- | ''GTR – FIA GT Racing Game'' | March 11, 2005 | Sim racing | Windows | |- | ''GT Legends'' | October 15, 2005 | Sim racing | Windows | |- | ''GTR 2 – FIA GT Racing Game'' | September 29, 2006 | Sim racing | Windows | |- | ''Race – The Official WTCC Game'' | November 24, 2006 | Sim racing | Windows | |- | ''Race 07 – The Official WTCC Game'' | October 12, 2007 | Sim racing | Windows | |- | ''Race Pro'' | February 17, 2009 | Sim racing | Xbox 360 | |- | ''Volvo – The Game'' | May 26, 2009 | Sim racing | Windows | |- |RaceRoom: The Game |December 1, 2010<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-06 |title=Games » RaceRoom The Game » RaceRoom Online |url=http://www.raceroom.net/games/raceroom-the-game/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917081230/http://www.raceroom.net/games/raceroom-the-game/ |archive-date=2011-09-17 |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=RaceRoom}}</ref> |Sim racing |Windows | |- |RaceRoom: The Game 2 |November 1, 2011<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-06 |title=RaceRoom The Game 2 {{!}} Simbin Studios AB |url=http://www.simbin.com/games/raceroom-the-game-2/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804171106/http://www.simbin.com/games/raceroom-the-game-2/ |archive-date=August 4, 2014 |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=SimBin Studios AB}}</ref> |Sim racing |Windows | |- | ''RaceRoom Racing Experience'' | February 12, 2013 | Sim racing | Windows | |- |DTM Experience |December 5, 2013<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-06 |title=DTM Experience {{!}} Simbin Studios AB |url=http://www.simbin.com/games/dtm-experience/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140731180819/http://www.simbin.com/games/dtm-experience/ |archive-date=July 31, 2014 |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=SimBin Studios AB}}</ref> |Sim racing |Windows | |- | ''GTR 3'' | Cancelled | Sim racing | | Co-developed with SimBin UK. |}

== Games published == {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" ! Title ! Release date ! Genre ! Platform |- | ''Storm: Frontline Nation'' | June 10, 2011 | Turn-based strategy | Windows |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{Official website|https://www.kw-studios.com/}}

Category:Lidköping Category:Companies based in Västra Götaland County Category:Video game companies established in 2003 Category:Video game companies of Sweden Category:Video game development companies Category:Swedish companies established in 2003 Category:2022 mergers and acquisitions