Digital Extremes is a Canadian video game developer founded in 1993 by James Schmalz. They are best known for creating Warframe, a free-to-play cooperative online action game, and co-creating Epic Games' Unreal series of games. Digital Extremes is headquartered in London, Ontario. In 2014, 61% of the company was sold to Chinese holding company Multi Dynamic, now Leyou, for $73 million.[2] President Michael Schmalz and two partners retained 39% of Digital Extremes, and will continue to manage it.[3] Contents

History Edit

Projects Edit

Technology Edit

The Evolution logo Evolution is Digital Extremes' proprietary game engine.[20] The engine made its debut with Dark Sector; and was again utilized in The Darkness II.[21] 2013's Star Trek featured use of the Evolution engine; and the engine is currently in use on the free-to-play online title Warframe, released 2013.

Awards, work environment, and labour disputes Edit

In recent years, Warframe's expansion and popularity has grown, resulting in multiple industry awards. In early 2018, Warframe won the People's Voice Webby Award for Best Action Game,[22] and ProMax's Best Marketing Campaign of the Year Award.[23] In late 2017, Warframe won the Steam Labor of Love award,[24] an award nominated by Steam's internal team, but voted on by players. The award is described by Steam as: "This game has been out for a while. The team is well past the first unveiling of their creative baby, but being the good parents they are, these devs continue to nurture and support their creation. This game, to this day, is still getting new content after all these years." Warframe was nominated in The 2017 Game Awards as one of the Best Ongoing Games, losing to Overwatch.[25] In March 2018, NoClip, created by former journalist Danny O'Dwyer, published the video documentary on the making of Warframe. The two-part feature[26][27] tells the story of how Warframe succeeded as an independently developed and published game that changed the course of Digital Extremes. Digital Extremes employment environment has been recognized as one of Canada's Top Employers for 2010, 2011, 2012[28] and through to 2017.[29] Additionally, the company has been recognized as one of Canada's top employers for Young People.[30] In 2010 and 2011, the Financial Post named Digital Extremes one of the ten best companies to work for in Canada.[31] However, the company has only a 3 star rating on the employer review site Glassdoor, with only 51% of employees saying they would recommend it as a workplace to a friend.[32] On the provincial level, Digital Extremes received the Ontario Small Business Award in 2010.[33] Digital Extremes was also presented with the Large Business of the Year award in 2011 from the London Chamber of Commerce.[34] Digital Extremes was also awarded the Excellence in Human Resources award from The London Chamber of Commerce in early 2012.[35] In 2011, a quality assurance tester filed a claim with the Ontario Ministry of Labour for alleged working hour violations and unpaid overtime, on the basis that the tester position did not fall under an "Information Technology Professional" exemption from working hour and overtime pay regulations. The Ministry upheld the claim and Digital Extremes complied with its judgment without contest, re-imbursing the employee for unpaid overtime.[36]

Games developed Edit

Further reading Edit