3D Groove Games (partially lost online games; 1998-2009)

From The Lost Media Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Header 01 install.png

3D Groove's logo.

Status: Partially found


3D Groove was a 3D game engine in the early 2000s. Many 3D Groove games were lost when 3D Groove's site went down in 2009.

The 3D Groove engine was created by the company The 3D Groove Alliance, Inc. While the 3D Groove Alliance developed their own original games, their main focus was to develop games to advertise various toys, movies, and cartoons. 3D Groove's Advergames would be developed at the request of a brand, such as Radioshack, At&T, Intel, Pringles, etc. These games could be played online in a web browser plugin, but often there was a more fully featured version of the same game which could be purchased and played offline. Most of these games are lost although some are still playable, due to copies being found on old hard drives or CD's, or copies backed up by the Wayback Machine from the now defunct website.

Technology

3D Groove came in the form of 3D Groove SX and 3D Groove GX. In a similar fashion to Java, 3D Groove games could be built to be played on the desktop or in a browser as a .GRV file using 3D Groove GX, or could be developed with Macromedia/Adobe Director to make a Shockwave Player DIR/DXR/DCR file containing the game, which required the 3D Groove Xtra to be installed, using 3D Groove SX.

History

The 3D Groove Alliance was established July 6, 1998. Jules Urbach was the company's co-founder, with entrepreneur Chris Kantrowitz and programmer Peter Laufenberg, who did much of the C++ code for the 3D Groove web browser plugin.

Before 3D Groove existed, in 1995, Mr. Urbach had previously helped to code the game Real Pool, a basic 3D pool game for the Mac. The game was published through MacSoft, and in 1997 got a Windows port which was published through GT Interactive (which would later become Infogrames.)

The assets used in Real Pool were recycled to make a web demo version, becoming the first use of the 3D Groove engine. Intended to promote the full game, the Real Pool web version used 3D Groove SX and was published on Shockwave.com, becoming their first 3D game, where it got between 5-6 million plays according to Laufenberg. Real Pool made over four million dollars in total sales according to Vice President of Marketing for Infogrames Paul Rinde. Real Pool was later recycled again into an advergame for Jack Daniels.

On March 8, 2000, Shockwave.com announced a partnership with 3D Groove Alliance to develop new games. One of these was Tank Wars, released Spring 2000, a game where you drive around the city playing as a tank destroying other tanks. The game got over 1.5 million plays per month.

From January 2001 to August 2003, Joseph Varet was 3D Groove's CEO.

On February 6, 2001, kpe and the 3D Groove Alliance announced a partnership. The first title they released under this partnership was Otto's Killer Carvin Snowboard for NickArcade.

On July 18, 2001, RealNetworks announced a distribution agreement with the 3D Groove Alliance for their RealArcade platform.

In February 2002, 3D Groove made a sequel to Real Pool called Real Pool 2, which became the first game to use the new 3D Groove GX engine version.

In early 2004 Peter Laufenburg left the 3D Groove Alliance.

The exact reason 3D Groove no longer exists is unknown, although one blog post on A Tree Falling in the Forest about Jules Urbach, who worked on 3D Groove, writes "[Jules Urbach] was kind of screwed by some nefarious folks involved in the [3D Groove Alliance] company." The 3D Groove Alliance, Inc. rebranded as OTOY, which is still around today, but instead focuses on VR. No 3D Groove games are currently available for purchase.

Games

Here is a list of 3D Groove's games and whether they are lost or not.

3D Groove Alliance, Inc. Originals

Original 3D Groove Games games developed by The 3D Groove Alliance/OTOY/JulesWorld.

9MM: Beer Bottle Shootout - Found

Alien X - Found

Death From Above - Found

Impulse Skyracer - Found

Nothin' But Net - Found

Piscean - Found

Real Pool - Found

Real Pool 2 - Found

Infogrames also made a PS2 version of Real Pool. Although it shares a logo with Real Pool 2, Real Pool on the PS2 was not made in the 3D Groove engine. The PC version of Real Pool is an entirely different game.

Showdown: The gunfighting game - Found

Tank Wars - Found

3D Groove Alliance, Inc. Advergames

3D Groove Games developed by the creators of the 3D Groove Engine for other companies as an advertisement.

At&T's Unlimited Challenge - Lost

Eight Legged Freaks - Found

Intel's Showdown: The gunfighting game - Unknown

Jack Daniels Real Pool - Lost

Jeep Disk Dodger - Existence Unconfirmed

Mazda: Skyracer Impulse - Unknown

Mountain Dew Skateboarding - Lost

Nesquik: Chocolate Mountain Challenge - Found

Pringles Pony Express - Lost

Pringles: Super Spud Boxing - Found

Radioshack: RC Stunt Machine Showdown - Lost


Cartoon Network

Powerpuff Girls: Showdown in the Sky - Found

Toonami: Trapped in Hyperspace - Lost

Disney

3D Groove Tarzan Game - Existence Unconfirmed Yin Yang Yo: The Dangerous Comic Book of Dread - Lost

Ezone

3D Groove games developed by Ezone.com

Farmer Giblet's Turkey Farm (Turkey 3D!) - Found

Lenny Loosejocks Boardin' - Found

Lenny Loosejocks in Snow Worries! - Found

Penguin Racers - Found

Santa Goes Buttboardin' 3D - Found

Super Mega Big Trucks - Arena - Found

Space Wombat - Found

NickArcade

3D Groove Games developed for Nickelodeon or Nick Jr.

All Grown Up Crazy Karts - Found

Adventures of Bleeposaurus - Found

Adventures of Bleeposaurus - Dragonfire - Found

Blues Clues: Joe's 3D Scavenger Hunt - Found

Danny Phantom Ghost Sweep - Found

Dora the Explorer 3-D Backpack Adventure - Found

Dora the Explorer 3D Driving Adventure - Found

Dora The Explorer 3-D Pyramid Adventure - Found

Dora 3D Soccer - Found

Jimmy Neutron Space Blast - Found

Otto's Killer Carvin Snowboard - Found

Rocket Power Big Air Mountain - Found

Spongebob Squarepants 3D Movie Game - Found

Spongebob Squarepants Pinball Panic - Found

"Spongebob Squarepants Saves the Krusty Krab" - Found

Hey, Arnold! Runaway Bus - Found

Wild Thornberrys Movie Chopper Chase - Found

Pepworks.com

Animenace: Operation Phantom - Partially Found, Missing Level 4-5

Battle of the Planets: Zoltar's Revenge - Found

Cyobreed - Never Released (Cyobreed was never finished)

Leo's Great Day 2 - Found

Roddenberry.com

Some early 3D Groove demos were created by Roddenberry.com as tech demos to show the capability of the 3D Groove engine.

OTOY Battle Space - Found

Gallery

External links