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Underground Development
Defunct American video game developer

Underground Development, Ltd. (formerly Z-Axis, Ltd.) was an American video game developer based in Foster City, California. It was founded in 1994 by David Luntz and sold to Activision in May 2002. Following a rebranding to Underground Development in February 2008, the company was closed in February 2010.

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History

Z-Axis was founded by David Luntz in 1994,1 originally located in San Mateo, California.2 On May 22, 2002, Activision announced that they had acquired Z-Axis in exchange for a payment of US$20.5 million in cash and stock, and up to 93,446 additional shares in Activision linked to the studio's performance.34 At the time, the studio was located in Hayward, California.5 In February 2008, Z-Axis was rebranded as Underground Development.67

Activision reported in April 2008 that they were closing Underground Development, which had the time had under 45 employees in a Foster City, California office, at the end of the coming May.8910 The studio was fully closed on February 12, 2010.1112

Games developed as Z-Axis

YearTitlePlatform(s)
1996Madden NFL '96Sega Genesis
1998Fox Sports College Hoops '99Nintendo 64
1999Alexi Lalas International SoccerPlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Color
Space InvadersPlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64
Thrasher Presents Skate and DestroyPlayStation
2000Freestyle Motocross: McGrath vs PastranaPlayStation
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMXPlayStation, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows
2001Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX: Maximum RemixPlayStation
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox
2002Aggressive InlinePlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox
BMX XXXPlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox
2006X-Men: The Official GamePlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360
CancelledMat Hoffman's Pro BMX 313PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox
Iron Man14PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox

Games developed as Underground Development

YearTitlePlatform(s)
2009Guitar Hero: Van HalenPlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
CancelledCall of Duty: Devil's Brigade15Xbox 360

References

  1. Nutt, Christian (January 4, 2008). "Q&A: Nunchuck Games' Luntz On Testing His Ninja Reflex". gamasutra.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/107632/QA_Nunchuck_Games_Luntz_On_Testing_His_Ninja_Reflex.php ↩

  2. IGN Staff (February 18, 1998). "Z-Axis Dunks High". ign.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018. http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/02/19/z-axis-dunks-high ↩

  3. "Activision Acquires Dave Mirra Developer, Z-Axis". gamasutra.com. May 22, 2002. Retrieved August 11, 2018. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/92243/Activision_Acquires_Dave_Mirra_Developer_ZAxis.php ↩

  4. "Activision goes straight up". eurogamer.net. June 3, 2002. Retrieved August 11, 2018. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/article_46084 ↩

  5. "Activision Acquires Dave Mirra Developer, Z-Axis". gamasutra.com. May 22, 2002. Retrieved August 11, 2018. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/92243/Activision_Acquires_Dave_Mirra_Developer_ZAxis.php ↩

  6. "Z-Axis renamed to Underground Development - VG247". vg247.com. February 14, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2018. https://www.vg247.com/2008/02/14/z-axis-renamed-to-underground-development/ ↩

  7. "Activision rebrands one of its internal studios". mcvuk.com. February 18, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2018. https://www.mcvuk.com/development/activision-rebrands-one-of-its-internal-studios ↩

  8. "Activision confirms Underground closure". gamesindustry.biz. April 19, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2018. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/activision-confirms-underground-closure ↩

  9. "Activision closing Underground Developments?". mcvuk.com. April 18, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2018. https://www.mcvuk.com/development/activision-closing-underground-developments ↩

  10. "Activision closes Underground Development studio". engadget.com. April 21, 2008. Retrieved August 11, 2018. https://www.engadget.com/2008/04/21/activision-closes-underground-development-studio/ ↩

  11. Plunkett, Luke (February 12, 2010). "Activision Shutters Guitar Hero Creators, GH: Van Halen Developers [Update]". kotaku.com. Retrieved August 11, 2018. https://kotaku.com/5470149/activision-shutters-guitar-hero-creators-gh-van-halen-developers-update ↩

  12. "Activision shuts down RedOctane, Underground Development". engadget.com. February 13, 2010. Retrieved August 11, 2018. https://www.engadget.com/2010/02/12/activision-shuts-down-redoctane-underground-development/ ↩

  13. "Activision Nabs Z-Axis - News". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved January 1, 2025. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/7426/activision-nabs-z-axis ↩

  14. Perry, Douglass C. (November 21, 2003). "Z-Axis Hiring for Iron Man, X-Men". IGN. Retrieved January 1, 2025. https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/11/21/z-axis-hiring-for-iron-man-x-men-2 ↩

  15. "What Was Call of Duty: Devil's Brigade?". May 14, 2010. https://kotaku.com/what-was-call-of-duty-devils-brigade-5539160 ↩