IO Interactive A/S

Credits

Descriptions by
SubparMario63

Captures by
SubparMario63

Background

IO Interactive is a Danish video game developer established in September 1998 by prominent film studio Nordisk Film. Io would be acquired by Eidos on March 4, 2004, who themselves would be bought by Square Enix in 2009. The studio would once again become independent in 2017 after a management buyout deal with Square Enix. Io is well-known for the Hitman series, in addition to the Kane & Lynch games, Freedom Fighters and Mini Ninjas.

1st Logo (November 19, 2000-November 20, 2012)

• 
  Hitman: Codename 47 (Opening)
• 
  Hitman: Codename 47 (Intro)
• 
  Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
• 
  Freedom Fighters
• 
  Hitman: Contracts
• 
  Mini Ninjas
• 
  Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
• 
  Hitman: Absolution

Visuals: There is an abstract design consisting of a large circle with two smaller circles on either side, each connecting to the larger with a line, piercing through. "Io-Interactive" is seen below or to the right in Futura.

Variants:

• Hitman: Codename 47: There is smoke come in from the right of the screen, not long before the logo, in 3D, zooms out from a close-up shot while spinning. The logo, barely visible through the smoke, reveals itself and turns into place, becoming a silhouette on a gray gradient background as it settles back. "Io-Interactive" is seen below, albeit miniscule compared to the size of the circles. Another variant is seen during the game's intro, in which the logo in black uncontrollably shakes around behind a red silk stream, which envelops the logo entirely.
• Hitman 2: Silent Assassin: The camera moves over a transparent black-and-white striped surface (which if you look closely at, many copies of the IO Interactive print logo can be seen across each stripe), with the logo visible underneath. Suddenly, a light shines and the surface ripples like water as the smaller circles on either end rotate, "Io-Interactive" appearing below, much larger this time.
• Freedom Fighters: There is several shots panning over the logo, which is black on a white surface and leaving a shadow (first the top of the logo, and then the right) until the entirety of it zooms out, the company name below.
• Hitman: Contracts: Same as the Freedom Fighters variant, except the colors have been inverted (with a white logo and black surface). The logo also has a slight glow effect.
• Mini Ninjas: The logo is seen on a black background, with "PRESENTS" to the bottom right. Notably, "Io-Interactive" is not capitalized for the first time.
• Hitman: Absolution: The logo is seen against a black background with flying white particles during the opening cutscene.

Technique: Depends on the variant, but generally CGI or rendered in-engine.

Audio: Depends on the variant.

Audio Variants:

• Hitman: Codename 47: An excerpt from Messa da Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi, namely the part "Rex tremendae" from the "Dies irae" section; it cuts off halfway through the logo. The intro variant has a humming noise with heartbeats.
• Hitman 2: Silent Assassin: A high-pitched choir which then segues to an orchestral melody, all based off of the "Confutatis" section of Requiem by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
• Freedom Fighters: A whirring noise with several scattered organ/synth notes.
• Hitman: Contracts: A similar whirring noise to Freedom Fighters, combined with what sounds like a jet engine taking off.
• For the rest of the variants, the opening theme of the game or silence.

Availability: Seen on most Io-Interactive games from the era, notably the original Hitman: Codename 47 to Hitman: Absolution.

2nd Logo (March 11, 2016-)

• 
  Hitman
• 
  Hitman 2
• 
  Hitman III

Visuals: There is an abstract design consisting of the initials "IOI" in a custom font, the I's having a small chip on the left side, and the O being more of a diamond shape with all four points cut off. "io interactive" is seen below in a computerized font.

Variants:

• Starting with Hitman 2 in 2018, the "io interactive" text is omitted.
• Hitman: The logo is seen in white against a vertically scrolling background of several gray weapons and tools (e.g., firearms, ammo, hammers, wrenches, gloves).
• Hitman 2: There is a clear, crystallized object pass by the screen, with a pinkish-red part visible underneath. The screen fades to another shot in the middle of the O, the left side pinkish-red and the right clear. We then see the three letters turn to face the camera and turn solid white, glowing slightly.
• Hitman III: Same as the tail end of the Hitman 2 variant (when the logo turns), except the logo is a solid gray color with pinkish-red highlights.

Technique: Depends on the variant, but generally CGI.

Audio: The opening theme of the game or silence.

Availability: Seen on Io-Interactive's games starting with the 2016 reboot of Hitman, including Hitman 2 and Hitman III (coined by Io as the "World of Assassination" series).