2000. We have just released our first title, Conflict: Desert Storm, which has been critically acclaimed by the industry press and reviewers alike. This is part of a multi-product deal with the publisher SCi, which includes two further titles within the 'Conflict' series – Conflict: Desert Sabre and Conflict: Missing Presumed Dead. We will also be developing the much anticipated The Great Escape, which has already been seen as a future hit.

Based near Bath in a converted barn, we're a vibrant company with a great working atmosphere. A highly professional studio, we engender a high degree of ownership between our staff and our products, an essential pre-requisite to successful game development.

Pivotal Games' staff have a collective published list of over 60 products. Backing this up is a strong management team that brings with it a collective 40 years of development expertise. Pivotal Games' mantra has always been the pursuit of excellence, whether in design, programming, art or music. The production of Conflict: Desert Storm follows this fundamental philosophy and will, without doubt, set a new benchmark for the action strategy genre. Not a company to stand still, we're taking a long-term view of the market and have strategic plans in place for the next five years of development. Conflict: Desert Storm is our first step towards the realisation of these plans, and is based on our new cutting edge 3D engine. Also, as part of this process we have major plans to grow from our current staff of 24 over the next three years.

The Pivotal team have extensive experience within the video game industry, listed here are some of the games that the pooled experience of Pivotal's workforce have created.

Warzone 2100 (PC/PSX)
Who Wants To Be a Millionaire (PC/PSX/DC)
Grand Prix 1, 2 & 3 (PC)
Discworld 1 & 2 (PC)
Dungeon Keeper 2 (PC)
Eye Of The Beholder series (Amiga & PC)
Dungeon Master (Atari ST & Amiga)
Fields of Glory (PC) Warcraft - (PC)
Star Trek New Worlds (PC)
X-COM Terror from the Deep (PC)
X-COM Enemy Unknown (PSX/PC)
X-COM Apocalypse (PC)
G-Police (PSX)
Zeewolf 1 & 2 (Amiga)
Bloodnet (Amiga)
Gunship (PSX)
Enduro Racer (Spectrum/C64)
Aliens (Spectrum/C64)

Following the demise of Pumpkin Studios, Jim Bambra, Nick Cook and Alex McLean decided to pool their knowledge of computer games and, in 2000, together with 12 other ex-Pumpkin Studios veterans, formed Pivotal Games.

This core team of 15 industry professionals has rapidly expanded to 21, all sharing the same unhealthy love of strategy and shoot 'em up games, but what went before? Nick Cook fills in the gaps…

"Jim Bambra and myself established Pumpkin Studios in August 1996 as part of Eidos PLC. Before then we had both been development managers at MicroProse UK running the design and art studios and were involved in nearly every product that came out of MicroProse.
Building on this expertise, we decided to cut loose from MicroProse and set up Pumpkin Studios in 1996. As Pumpkin we specialised in fast action strategy games that combined state-of-the-art graphical effects with speedy game play, highly developed Artificial Intelligence systems, and exhilarating full motion video (FMV) cut scenes.

Our first title was Warzone: 2100 for PC CD-ROM and PlayStation™. Warzone 2100 received masses of critical acclaim and sold in excess of 340,000 units.

Eidos closed down Pumpkin in March 2000 as part of a cost cutting exercise. Although a sad moment for the team, as is often the case, this proved to be a catalyst for major positive change and later that month, we set up Pivotal Games Ltd.
With a highly talented and experienced team, we immediately set about producing a brand new 3D engine for our latest design Conflict: Desert Storm and in August 2000, we became part of the dynamic Kaboom group.

We have now signed a multi-product deal with the publisher SCi, a company that has proved to be an excellent complement to Pivotal Games and someone who shares our strong design and development principles. As they say, the future has never looked so bright!"

Nick Cook - Director of Development