Ubisoft Düsseldorf

Moby ID: 389

AKA +
  • Ubisoft Blue Byte GmbH (from 2017-08-18 to 2019-08)
  • Blue Byte Studio GmbH (from 2001 to 2017-08-18)
  • Blue Byte Software GmbH & Co. KG (from 1999 to 2001)
  • Blue Byte Software GmbH (from 1988-02 to 1999)

Overview edit · view history

Ubisoft Düsseldorf, originally Blue Byte Software, is a game developer based in Düsseldorf, Germany. The company was founded in October 1988 in Mülheim by Thomas Hertzler and Lothar Schmitt, both former employees of Rainbow Arts. Blue Byte debuted with Pro Tennis Tour / Great Courts, before moving towards the Battle Isle and The Settlers strategy games for which they were most famed. Their original focus was the Amiga until 1994, when they switched their focus towards the PC.

Blue Byte opened several divisions for publishing, distribution and additional development:

The company's fortunes wavered in the late 1990s, and they were absorbed by Ubi Soft in 2001. The distribution offices were no longer mentioned.

Blue Byte would continue to work on The Settlers series, but occasionally assist with other Ubisoft titles, mainly strategies. After Related Designs was acquired by Ubisoft in 2013, they were renamed to Blue Byte Mainz and the two studios would collaborate closely. A third studio, Ubisoft Berlin, joined the Blue Byte label in 2018. To differentiate itself from them, the Düsseldorf studio was officially renamed to Ubisoft Düsseldorf in August of the same year. The Blue Byte name, while no longer belonging to a single development studio, would still occasionally be used in credits or to refer to the three studios as a whole.

Credited on 80 Games from 1989 to 2024

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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (2024 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2023 on Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series...)
Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR (2023 on Quest)
The Crew: Motorfest (2023 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
The Settlers: New Allies (2023 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
Valiant Hearts: Coming Home (2023 on Windows, iPhone, Android...)
Monopoly Madness (2021 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch...)
Just Dance 2022 (2021 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch...)
Anno 1404: History Edition (2020 on Windows)
Anno 1800 (2019 on Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series)
The Settlers II: Veni, Vidi, Vici - History Edition (2018 on Windows)
The Settlers III: History Edition (2018 on Windows)
The Settlers IV: History Edition (2018 on Windows)
The Settlers: History Edition (2018 on Windows)
South Park: The Fractured But Whole (2017 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
For Honor (2017 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Champions of Anteria (2016 on Windows)
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege (2015 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
Anno 2205 (2015 on Windows)
Anno 2205: Asteroid Miner (2015 on Android, iPad, iPhone)

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History +

February 2001

Acquired by Ubi Soft.

January 19, 2001

Blue Byte releases its collectible figures from The Settlers III game.

September 3, 2000

Blue Byte unveils its first online-only title for the Blue Byte Game Channel. The game is entitled Battle Isle: DarkSpace.

October 1995

Founding of Blue Byte's American Headquarters located in Schaumburg, Illinois

February 1988

Company founded by Thomas Hertzler in Germany.

Trivia +

The location of Blue Byte's European Headquarters was Mülheim, Germany.

Between 1991 and 1993 the company scored an unbroken (other than the Battle Isle data disks and '93 version) run of 5 Amiga Format Gold awards, for games rated at least 90% by the magazine - the total includes their marketing involvement with Yo! Joe! and their Play Byte arcade label's Apidya.

Blue Byte Studio GmbH received the price "Best German Development Studio in 2010" during the 2011 GameStars award festival. It gets awarded by the German gaming magazines GameStar (PC) and GamePro (consoles) after a Readers' Voting.

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