Interplay Entertainment

Background

Interplay Entertainment Corp. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Los Angeles. The company was founded in November 1983 as Interplay Productions by developers Brian Fargo, Jay Patel, Troy Worrell and Rebecca Heineman, as well as investor Chris Wells. After their well-known financial struggle in 2004, when Interplay was one step away from total bankruptcy, no games were made for 6 years. Today, the studio seems to be attempting a full revival, with a 4K port of Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance released in 2021 and an Earthworm Jim animated series in production.

1st Logo (February 10, 1988-October 31, 1999, February 15, 2010-October 15, 2012)

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Nicknames: "Signature", "The Interplay Signature"

Logo: The custom-drawn word "Interplay", with a swirl signature line below.

Variants:

• The early version is tilted left a little bit, and has no signature line.
• The signature-less logo was also seen on a green marble plate, different from the one used in the second logo. This was spotted on Battle Chess 4000 and Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space.
• Sometimes, the logo features red text and a blue signature line. This was seen on M.A.X. and Interplay's iPhone games.
• On Clayfighter for SNES, the logo scrolls to the back of the screen, then turns 90º towards the front of the screen, zooms out and immediately zooms back on to the front of the screen, then splits apart to the left and right of the screen.
• On Clayfighter 63⅓ for N64, the signature is in rainbow color and made out of plasticine. The letter P drips down into a C, making "Interclay".
• On Descent, the logo lies on stone and looks more realistic, like it's made of gold.
• On Descent 2 for PS1, the logo is in space and has "presents" below.
• On Blackthorne for 32X, the logo is small and placed on a stone background.
• On Atomic Bomberman, the purple logo hangs over a bomb.
• On Redneck Rampage and its add-ons, we see the logo on a shot wooden sign. There are the words "POPULATION 414", "BY GAMERS FOR GAMERS" and the website URL.
• On Earthworm Jim HD, the background is white and has the slogan "BY GAMERS FOR GAMERS" below.
• On MDK 2 and Virtual Pool 3, the neon logo lies on a stone-like surface.
• On Renegade Racers, the logo lies on water and has a ripple.

FX/SFX: None, except for the Clayfighter variants.

Music/Sounds: None. On Clayfighter 63⅓ however, there is an announcer saying "Interplay presents... Clayfighter 63⅓."

Availability: The gold logo can be seen on Clayfighter, Earthworm Jim, Descent and other games. The red and blue logo first appeared for Interplay's iPhone games.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1994-1999)

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Nicknames: "The Interplay Signature II", "Interplay in Space"

Logo: On a space background, we see a green marble rectangle flying from the left side of the screen, tilting and spinning around slowly, until it zooms so far away, it appears to be just a little green dot. Then, a red laser comes out of nowhere, engraving something on the rectangle. The camera suddenly zooms in, and we turn 90 degrees to see that it is drawing the word "Interplay" in a cursive font with a lasso-like swirl underneath. When the laser stops drawing the logo, the logo centers itself as fiery sparks shoot out.

Variant: The logo may be still and take up the whole screen.

FX/SFX: The marble rectangle moving and the laser writing.

Music/Sounds: An ominous synth-bass hum, then a choir sounder, which ascends into an uplifting orchestral tune that sounds like something you would hear from a 1990s action movie.

Availability: Can be seen on games like Cyberia and Norse by Norsewest for DOS. Some games still contained the 1st signature logo. The static version appeared on Virtual Pool and Crime Killer.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (September 30, 1997-January 14, 2004)

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Nicknames: "The Interplay Signature III", "The Interplay Orbit", "Interplay in Space II", "By Gamers, For Gamers"

Logo: We see a planet with an orbit around it, with a rocket spinning around the planet by that orbit (all made of metallic gold). The circle made out of Interplay's tagline "BY GAMERS FOR GAMERS" spins around the planet too. Suddenly, the word "Interplay" appears in the words' line, centers on the planet and stops. Then the logo fades while the rocket keeps flying, leaving only "Interplay" in its familiar font.

Trivia: The planet in the logo (along with its rocket) was originally the logo for the fictional Galaxy News Network in the Fallout introduction cinematic.

Variants:

• On Wild 9, the logo, along with the music is sped-up.
• On Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm, the logo is still with the rocket at a lower point.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: The last few seconds from the previous logo, albeit without the laser sounds.

Availability: Appears on games like Fallout (the first game with this logo) and its sequel, Fallout 2. Also seen on Wild 9, Icewind Dale, Lionheart, and Gekido.

Editor's Note: None.