DreamWorks Interactive
From DreamWorks to EA: The studio behind Medal of Honor.
DreamWorks Interactive LLC was an American video game developer based in Los Angeles, founded on March 22, 1995, with DreamWorks SKG as the majority owner and Microsoft as a minority investor. The studio was acquired by Electronic Arts in February 2000 and renamed EA Los Angeles.
- Parent Company
- DreamWorks SKG (later Vivendi Universal Games)
- Key Franchise
- Medal of Honor
- Notable Titles
- Medal of Honor (1999), Shrek
- Primary Platform Era
- PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2
Lore & Background
DreamWorks Interactive was established on March 22, 1995, with a single studio in Los Angeles. The company developed games including Medal of Honor (1999) and Trespasser (1998). In February 2000, Electronic Arts acquired the Los Angeles studio, renaming it EA Los Angeles. In 2010, EA established Danger Close Games as a separate label within EA Los Angeles to focus on Medal of Honor titles, but the studio itself was not renamed. The Medal of Honor series was put on hold in January 2013, leading to the studio's closure.
In Their Own Story
The hum of the server room is replaced by the distant crackle of static from a radio broadcast. A developer sits before a monitor displaying the jagged, pixelated silhouette of an Allied soldier against a backdrop of burning Normandy hedgerows. The screen flickers with the weight of history being digitized, frame by painstaking frame.
Reader's Guide
The studio operated under three names: DreamWorks Interactive (1995–2000), EA Los Angeles (2000–2010), and Danger Close Games (2010–2013). Key titles include Medal of Honor (1999) and Medal of Honor: Underground (2000, released under EA Los Angeles).
Did You Know?
- DreamWorks Interactive was founded on March 22, 1995, with DreamWorks SKG as the majority owner and Microsoft as a minority investor.
- The studio's biggest hit by August 1997 was Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland, with sales of 130,000 units.
- Medal of Honor (1999) laid the groundwork for historic war-based combat games, leading to Activision's Call of Duty series.
- Trespasser (1998) sold only 50,000 units and is considered one of the worst video games of all time.
- Electronic Arts acquired the Los Angeles studio of DreamWorks Interactive in February 2000 for an estimated $10 million.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was DreamWorks Interactive?
They were a video game division under DreamWorks SKG responsible for developing early entries in the Medal of Honor franchise. During their active period, they also worked on other notable titles like Shrek and The Adventures of Tintin.
What role did they play in the series?
They developed the second installment, Medal of Honor: Underground, which was released for the PlayStation in 2000. This title helped establish a more cinematic style within the modern military shooter genre during the PS1 era.
What happened to the studio after development?
While working on Underground, the studio underwent a rebranding and was renamed EA Los Angeles before the game's full release. This marked the end of their operations under the joint ownership of Microsoft Games and DreamWorks SKG.
Did they port games to other systems?
Yes, while the original version launched on PlayStation, an adapted port was later created for the Game Boy Advance by Rebellion Developments. Their primary development focus remained on PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 hardware during their peak years.
Why does their legacy matter?
They are credited with bringing cinematic realism to the genre, setting a high bar for future installments published by Electronic Arts. Their legacy continues through EA Los Angeles, which carried forward the development of the franchise after the name change.
More in Production & Legacy
Elsewhere in the Medal of Honor universe
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