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News Nintendo Acquires Shiver Entertainment from Embracer Group (Port Studio behind Mortal Kombat 1 on Switch, and others)

Aostia82 said:
Apart from the banned game, do we have a comprehensive list of all the Switch ports they have worked on?
Click to expand...
Nintendo Life made a good summation:
  • Scribblenauts: Showdown (2018)
  • Scribblenauts Mega Pack (2018)
  • Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)
  • [THAT WIZARD GAME] (2023)
  • Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)
Yeah it isn't a stellar resume, but there was a listed reason for this.
(...) Shiver initially had a mobile, free-to-play focus which has since shifted to a focus on "console (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch) and PC development for both contract work on high profile titles and original IP."

Mobile RTS Beasts vs Bots was announced in 2015, although we struggled to find evidence of it beyond a handful of videos and some dead store links. From what we gather, it may have never actually launched. In any case, it seems Shiver turned away from mobile towards console development, channelling its technical know-how into port work in partnership with other studios, specifically Warner Bros.
Click to expand...
They essentially became a port house after a while since their starting up in 2012. Scribblenauts: Showdown seems to be their only original title, while the other four were ports and pretty good ones that that. Given [AFOREMENTIONED WIZARD GAME] and MK1 were released in the same year after the pandemic, that's pretty damn impressive.
 
As others already mentioned in here, I think Mortal Kombat 1 is a pretty impressive job, given it didn't even get last gen ports. And while it was very rough at the start, it got to a pretty solid state after a patch.
 
MisterSpo, gaming consultant, brand synergiser and corporate influencer here to help rebrand these studios. Long-standing names are out, franchise-studio synchronicity for maximal branding reach is in.

Yeah, we gotta brand synergise and Nintendo-ify all these studios so we can make WELCOME TO THE FAMILY images for social media. As far as I'm concerned, these are ok:

  • Mario Club (I love this! Like a school club for little ones, which fits with our cuddly image)
  • 1-UP Studio (even better - they support 3D Mario so they really do give people a 1-UP)
  • Next Level Games (OK yeah we're already walking back a bit here in terms of quality but this is at least a low level gaming pun - low level, get it? Like Next Level? BOOM)
  • Retro Studios (this is fine mostly because the only things they've shipped in the last decade are a port and a remaster; Retro by name, Retro by nature)

Everybody else has to change:

EPDs 1, 2 and 6 are all External Production Groups, but that's really poor branding because the Nintendrones really don't like External Development. It gives them the heebie-jeebies. We're rebranding these to Nintendo Worldwide Studios for maximum established branding and minimal online anxiety.

EPD 10 is Flagpole Games, that's easy, while EPD 8 can be Warp Pipe Enterprises.
EPD 3 issss idk, like, Courage Entertainment? We need something edgy but evocative and simultaneously meaningless, like The Initiative, a real triumph of synergistic thinking and four dimensional corporate strategy for under-productive development units. I guess we'll go with The Kingdom.
EPD 5 is now Nook Inc and for maximal harmony between content and consumer, all EPD 5 games are now extended live service experiences of indefinite length.
EPD 9 is going to be Blue Shell Studio because they always aim for first place on the best sellers list.
Monolith Soft doesn't really convey how hard-core an experience Xenoblade is, and it really doesn't capture how incomprehensible the series is, so we need another buzzword so meaningless that it actually conveys exactly the meaning we probably had in mind. The Conduit!
NDCube don't do anything for GameCube any more so it baffles me that this name stuck for so long. They're now Party Town Games.
NST don't do anything important as far as I can tell sooo we'll stick with NST but call them Nintendo Support Team.
Shiver Entertainment doesn't really work for a porting team based in Miami. We'll call them Dolphin and sue the emulator out of existence for maximal outreach and engagement.

WELCOME TO THE FAMI-- gunshot
 
I feel like a major reason Nintendo went to acquire them rather than just become close partners to them. Is Embracer who owned Shiver was going through consolidation, either by selling, merging or even closing down studios that were seen as unprofitable.

While Shiver doesn't have a long history of porting games, the recent output of MK11 which was a decent port, MK1 which while didn't start out strong did perform decently after a couple patches, and the other game. Probably made Nintendo take notice of a studio that worked well with what they were given and finding ways to get things working on their Platform. With MK11 porting from PS4/XBO, MK1 porting from PS5/Series, and the other game. Nintendo probably wanted to protect a studio who knew how to port games to their platform and to protect them from possible future moves by Embracer. Especially if as the PR letter detailed, Shiver will still be acting in the same way as they were under Embracer as they will under Nintendo regarding other platforms.
 
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its not only a porting studio,they worked on the original versions of the games they ported as a support studio,also made several mobile games and at one time were making a console game


PlayPokerGO

PlayPokerGO - Coming soon
pokergoplay.com pokergoplay.com
 
shoichi said:
I feel like a major reason Nintendo went to acquire them rather than just become close partners to them. Is Embracer who owned them was going through consolidation, either by selling, merging or even closing down studios that were seen as unprofitable to them.

While Shiver doesn't have a long history of porting games, the recent output of MK11 which was a decent port, MK1 which while didn't start out strong did perform decently after a couple patches, and the other game. Probably made Nintendo take notice of a studio that worked well with what they were given and finding ways to get things working on their Platform. With MK11 porting from PS4/XBO, MK1 porting from PS5/Series, and the other game. Nintendo probably wanted to protect a studio who knew how to port games to their platform and to protect them from possible future moves by Embracer.
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I’m gonna keep a keen eye on them, since I’m guessing we’ll see the Studio grow larger over the years, I’m also interested in what type hiring they’ll undergo.

Also Shiver as a lot of possibility with their future. Like they can be a third party support studio and Nintendo can either let shiver help or consult them with architecture differences.

They can also be a porting studio for Nintendo first party games, like the Wii and GameCube and might even work to emulate some NSO.

Or solely work on bigger third party IP, like Alan wake 2 and whatnot.

Overall, shiver, pretty much has boundless possibility and are thankfully in great hands (a quick history of Retro tells the story of how Nintendo treat their partnership)
 
Danny said:
Interesting facts about Shiver CEO:



www.nintendolife.com

Nintendo's Latest Studio - Who Is Shiver Entertainment?

A brief look at Nintendo's newest acquisition
www.nintendolife.com www.nintendolife.com

So the CEO of Shiver has worked in both Microsoft game studios related to Xbox and at EA. So he probably has contacts at both places still.
Click to expand...
Small world huh.
image.png
 
MetalLord said:
its not only a porting studio,they worked on the original versions of the games they ported as a support studio,also made several mobile games and at one time were making a console game


PlayPokerGO

PlayPokerGO - Coming soon
pokergoplay.com pokergoplay.com
Click to expand...

FYI they made scribblenauts showdown. And also have a game project in development right now too
 
0
MisterSpo said:
MisterSpo, gaming consultant, brand synergiser and corporate influencer here to help rebrand these studios. Long-standing names are out, franchise-studio synchronicity for maximal branding reach is in.

Yeah, we gotta brand synergise and Nintendo-ify all these studios so we can make WELCOME TO THE FAMILY images for social media. As far as I'm concerned, these are ok:

  • Mario Club (I love this! Like a school club for little ones, which fits with our cuddly image)
  • 1-UP Studio (even better - they support 3D Mario so they really do give people a 1-UP)
  • Next Level Games (OK yeah we're already walking back a bit here in terms of quality but this is at least a low level gaming pun - low level, get it? Like Next Level? BOOM)
  • Retro Studios (this is fine mostly because the only things they've shipped in the last decade are a port and a remaster; Retro by name, Retro by nature)

Everybody else has to change:

EPDs 1, 2 and 6 are all External Production Groups, but that's really poor branding because the Nintendrones really don't like External Development. It gives them the heebie-jeebies. We're rebranding these to Nintendo Worldwide Studios for maximum established branding and minimal online anxiety.

EPD 10 is Flagpole Games, that's easy, while EPD 8 can be Warp Pipe Enterprises.
EPD 3 issss idk, like, Courage Entertainment? We need something edgy but evocative and simultaneously meaningless, like The Initiative, a real triumph of synergistic thinking and four dimensional corporate strategy for under-productive development units. I guess we'll go with The Kingdom.
EPD 5 is now Nook Inc and for maximal harmony between content and consumer, all EPD 5 games are now extended live service experiences of indefinite length.
EPD 9 is going to be Blue Shell Studio because they always aim for first place on the best sellers list.
Monolith Soft doesn't really convey how hard-core an experience Xenoblade is, and it really doesn't capture how incomprehensible the series is, so we need another buzzword so meaningless that it actually conveys exactly the meaning we probably had in mind. The Conduit!
NDCube don't do anything for GameCube any more so it baffles me that this name stuck for so long. They're now Party Town Games.
NST don't do anything important as far as I can tell sooo we'll stick with NST but call them Nintendo Support Team.
Shiver Entertainment doesn't really work for a porting team based in Miami. We'll call them Dolphin and sue the emulator out of existence for maximal outreach and engagement.

WELCOME TO THE FAMI-- gunshot
Click to expand...
SRD being the red headed stepchild being left out
 
ILikeFeet said:
there won't be no more ports. ports are often done by outside studios, so they will always be in demand. if there's a lull, they can work on NLG/Retro/NST/NCL games in the meantime


already dead unfortunately


irrelevant parametrizations. you said Nintendo gamers don't buy AAA games, when it's been proven they do. The Witcher, the WB games, etc all done well
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I wasn’t suggesting there would be no more ports. More that the existing contracts might already make it a worthwhile investment for Nintendo.

MetalLord said:
its not only a porting studio,they worked on the original versions of the games they ported as a support studio,also made several mobile games and at one time were making a console game


PlayPokerGO

PlayPokerGO - Coming soon
pokergoplay.com pokergoplay.com
Click to expand...

Or maybe them having mobile experience also made it tempting….doubtful.
frog said:
Small world huh.
image.png
Click to expand...
Now that’s interesting.
 
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Bonejack said:
I wonder if the heads of the studio asked Nintendo to aquire them in order to avoid whatever Embracer would've done to the studio or if Nintendo proactively went for them.

E: Or Gio Corsi asked for something like this, in order to be able to offer thirds support for porting their games?
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Corsi likely had nothing to do with this. He's an NOA employee now, but just because he had a puffed up reputation as a third-party whisperer (mostly from one stage presentation at an E3 years ago) people act like he personally has a magic sauce other people don't.
 
frog said:
Small world huh.
image.png
Click to expand...
That's pretty ironic. Dude seems to have all the respect for Nintendo but the studio he found surprisingly did not support Switch. No Madden on Switch still remains as the most baffling and stupidest decisions in the history of baffling and stupid EA decisions.
 
9-Volt said:
That's pretty ironic. Dude seems to have all the respect for Nintendo but the studio he found surprisingly did not support Switch. No Madden on Switch still remains as the most baffling and stupidest decisions in the history of baffling and stupid EA decisions.
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Schappert isn't at EA anymore and would have no say in Madden appearing on the Switch.
 
Hailinel said:
Schappert isn't at EA anymore and would have no say in Madden appearing on the Switch.
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I know it, he found Tiburon, left and Tiburon dropped support for all handhelds with PS4 generation, Switch included. That's why it's ironic. 3DS and Vita got only one, Switch got zero Madden games.
 
9-Volt said:
I know it, he found Tiburon, left and Tiburon dropped support for all handhelds with PS4 generation, Switch included. That's why it's ironic. 3DS and Vita got only one, Switch got zero Madden games.
Click to expand...
Schappert left EA in 2011. he has nothing to do with any of that

Zynga hires EA’s No. 2 exec, John Schappert

GamesBeat is excited to partner with Lil Snack to have customized games just for our audience! We know as gamers ourselves, this is an exciting way to engage through play with the GamesBeat content you have already come to love. Start playing games here. Zynga, the leading maker of social...
venturebeat.com venturebeat.com
 
9-Volt said:
I'm starting to think my wording was not good enough and no one got what I meant to say. The word "left" is literally there in my post.
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I don't think it has anything to do with the wording but the fundamental premise of your post.
 
Dardan Sandiego said:
I don't think it has anything to do with the wording but the fundamental premise of your post.
Click to expand...
Nah, it's the wording. I should have added in my first post Schappert left just before EA dumped the handhelds for Madden development. Schappert left EA in 2011, final handheld Madden was Madden 13 for Vita in 2012.
 
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Have they made any ports to other platforms as well? Like ports to PS4/5 or Xbox One/Series or PC?

And what games have they supported?

Any ways I hope we see what they're up to soon!!
 
Marce-chan said:
Have they made any ports to other platforms as well? Like ports to PS4/5 or Xbox One/Series or PC?

And what games have they supported?

Any ways I hope we see what they're up to soon!!
Click to expand...
from what I can tell, the whole of their documented catalog appears to be:
  • Scribblenauts Showdown (multiplatform)
  • Scribblenauts Mega Pack (collection of Scribblenauts Unlimited and Scribblenauts Unmasked, multiplatform)
  • Switch port of Mortal Kombat 11
  • Switch port of [redacted WB game]
  • Switch port of Mortal Kombat 1

They seem to have maybe been attached to a couple mobile projects too, but with mobile being the way it is, it's hard to tell if those games never released or have just been delisted
 
oomoepoo said:
Haven't kept track of it but wasn't that the game that looked super terrible in IGN footage and then it turned out they just didn't install the Day1 patch which made it actually alright?
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every patch improved things, though it's still not perfect. don't think it ever will be without a complete top-down revision of the assets

 
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Marce-chan said:
Have they made any ports to other platforms as well? Like ports to PS4/5 or Xbox One/Series or PC?

And what games have they supported?

Any ways I hope we see what they're up to soon!!
Click to expand...
From what I can tell, on top of the modern MK ports and that one magic game, they did also do the multi-platform ports of Scribblenauts Unlimited (previously Wii U exclusive) alongside Unmasked for the Megapack. They also fully developed Scribblenauts Showdown, currently their only project of their own (from what I can tell).
 
Yay, a Nintendo acquisition! 💰

Hailinel said:
Corsi likely had nothing to do with this. He's an NOA employee now, but just because he had a puffed up reputation as a third-party whisperer (mostly from one stage presentation at an E3 years ago) people act like he personally has a magic sauce other people don't.
Click to expand...

To be fair, sometimes the "magic sauce" is simply the friends you made along the way 😂
He must have a wealth of relationship capital at this point.

I just dug up this fun nugget:

One of the big initiatives that Corsi was best known for was known as "Building the List," where Sony helped Sega localize Yakuza 5 for the West
Click to expand...

Strong relationship with the Yakuza studio...?! 👀

Anyway getting Shiver onboard at least seems like it complements what he will be focused on doing, further strengthening third-party support for Nintendo platforms, by bolstering the Nintendo resources he can bring to the table.

===

Hero of Legend said:
So far found a higher-res colored logo via Wayback:

logo.png
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Random logo design musing, wonder if they ever tried to work the shark fins in place of the "V"
 
Hopefully they get the support and budget they need if they are going to port/assist 3:rd party devs of their games
 
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googaly10 said:
From what I can tell, on top of the modern MK ports and that one magic game, they did also do the multi-platform ports of Scribblenauts Unlimited (previously Wii U exclusive) alongside Unmasked for the Megapack. They also fully developed Scribblenauts Showdown, currently their only project of their own (from what I can tell).
Click to expand...
Plus two mobile games, one being Beasts vs Bots with Nexon Mobile. Sadly I wasn't able to find if Shiver retained the rights to both games or if they were left with Nexon and whoever published the other game I forget the name of.
 
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ILikeFeet said:
every patch improved things, though it's still not perfect. don't think it ever will be without a complete top-down revision of the assets

Click to expand...


probably a little bit of offtopic but we need to find other comparisons video, this guy is transphobic and literally arguing about Vivian (Paper Mario TYD) on twitter, saying something about Nintendo is not woke and Vivian is just a joke crossdresser/femboy characte.
 
SNP said:
this guy is transphobic and literally arguing about Vivian (Paper Mario TYD) on twitter
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It is always hilarious (in a somewhat frightening way) to me when right wing online personalities try to argue against a character being trans by claiming that they're "just" gender non-conforming instead. I don't think they realise the irony in saying that.
 
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