Microids

Background

Microids (formerly known as MC2-Microids France from 2003-2005, MC2 from 2005-2007, and styled as Microïds until 2019) is a French game developer and publisher, founded in 1985 by French developer Elliot Grassiano and originally marked as a robotics company before focusing on video games. In 2003, the company merged with French software company MC2 and acquired Wanadoo's game division as well, along with slowly buying up Cryo Interactive's former assets and library, but the company later suffered over the years and even lost its international expansions in Canada, the UK, and Italy. In 2009, Anuman Interactive bought up the brand name and library, before finally becoming Microids themselves in 2019.

Microids (first era)

1st Logo (1990-1997)

Logo: On a black background, a large orange rhombus is seen displayed on-screen, with a orange grid taking up the bottom half of the shape. In front of it, a complicated-looking, M-shaped object is seen with a orange, purple, and white mix of colors inside of it, along with a metallic light blue border surrounding them and a ping on the right point. Below the text, "MICROIDS" is seen below in white, with 1 dot over the first "I", and 2 dots over the second "I".

Variants:

Most early games had the "MICROIDS" text in a dark teal color and lacked the dot over the first "I".
For the games made in 1992, the text is changed to be metallic and "PRESENTS" is also added below. The first dot also makes its appearance here.
On the Action CD compilation made in 1994, the logo is now missing the rhombus and the "M" is positioned higher than usual. The grid is now yellow and takes up the bottom half of the background, and "MICROIDS" is styled as shown. The first dot is also missing.
On Fort Boyard: The Challenge, the logo is shown in the opening title sequence rising out of the water, along with the word "PRESENTS", and zooming in before stopping for a sec, and then zooming through the "O". The text here is also in a orange color.
Early copies of Evidence: The Last Report have the logo form via a reverse glass shatter effect, and the text is orange like the Fort Boyard: The Challenge variant. The logo then zooms out to make room for the other companies involved with the product.
On Secret Mission, the entire logo is rendered in 3D and the text is in silver. The logo revolves clockwise to the other side once as it sparkles.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None, or the opening theme of the game. The Secret Mission variant uses a jungle-themed flute sounder.

Availability: Rare. It can be seen on a majority of their titles from the time frame, like Dominium, Ultimate Domain, and Super Ski 2. The white text variant only appears on the PC version of Saban's Iznogoud.

2nd Logo (1996-2004)

Logo: On a black background, a swarm of light yellow particles appear and spin around counterclockwise in a halo shape, blocking out as they do as well as getting taller. They summon the new Microids logo (which resembles the previous logo's M structure, but now more streak-like and made with a more diverse color palette) as it fades in and rotates clockwise, stopping as it faces the screen and the particles disappear. "MICROIDS" then folds in below from the darkness, colored silver and having the dots in their respective places, and a white box fades in around the logo, changing the text to black and giving the "M" a shadow.

Variants:

An early variant has the white box growing in from behind the logo, before said logo spins out of frame. This can be seen on Rising Lands.
On later copies of Evidence: The Last Report, the logo replaces the former's variant by having a streak draw out the outline of a rectangle before streaking into the middle. The box fades in, followed by the "M" and the "MICROIDS" text.
On their GB/GBC games, the logo is still.

Technique: Rough CGI.

Music/Sounds: A deep-sounding trumpet fanfare with strings accompanying it. The PS1 release of The Last Report does feature a different tune, having a rising whoosh sound ending with a echoing ditty of synth chimes.

Availability: Uncommon, but still can be found on Rising Lands and AmerZone, as well as the French versions of Shogo: Mobile Armor Division and Get Medieval. This logo would be used in tandem with the 3rd logo, but would be exclusive to their handheld titles.

3rd Logo (2000-2004)

Logo: Fading into a red-toned construction of unknown design, light can be seen peering through one of the support beams before it is blasted away. The light is then revealed to be creating the Microids logo from before, wiping in from left to right. The light pushes away another shaft, revealing the entire logo beaming with light all while the camera pans and rotates to face it head-on, and eventually the print logo fades in as the scene fades out.

Variants:

On Monster Party, the logo starts off still on a black background before the "MICROIDS" text blurs out as the "M" turns a ghoulish green color. It then starts to glow and melt into ectoplasm as the music starts to distort and die down, transitioning to the opening of the game.
On Jack the Ripper, the logo simply zooms in.

Technique: Cleaner CGI than before.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic trumpet fanfare.

Availability: Common. Used on Empire of the Ants, Road to India and both Syberia and Syberia 2.

MC2 France

(2004)

Logo: On a black background, a wine colored square is seen surrounded by a white outline, with a point extended from the bottom left corner of it to make it resemble a speech bubble. Inside of the box, the name "MC2" is seen in a square formation, with the M's left leg extended down the side and a extra wide "2".

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare, as it was only seen on Obscure.

Microids (second era)

1st Logo (2005-June 7, 2019)

Logo:

2005-2009: On a black background, a new "M"-shaped object is seen in white, having it formed out of a square. 2 blocks appear to be missing and a rhombus is seen on the bottom right section of it, creating a upside-down "i" shape. Below the text, "microïds" is seen in all lowercase.
2010-2019: Similar to the 2005-2009 logo, but the entire logo is now lime green, the "M" structure is arched and modifies the "i" shape to be more cleverly integrated into the logo, and the text is now styled as "MICROïDS" in a more futuristic font. A copyright stamp is also added below the logo.

Variants:

2005-2009:
- Sometimes, the text is in a different font and lacks the dots.
- Later games show the logo in a lime green color.
2010-2019:
- An animated version of the logo exists, starting use as of 2016. The 3 pieces of the "Mi" construct fly in slowly, with the rectangular piece having a lens flare attached to it. As they connect in the center of the screen, energy surges reveal the "MICROïDS" text and the lens flare fades out. The logo then beats once.
- Many custom trailer variants exist.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None. The animated 2010-2019 variant has ambient sounds before a clang is heard, followed by energy noises and a muffled chorus.

Availability: Common. The 2005-2009 version appears on Still Life, Still Life 2, Return to the Mysterious Island 2 and ECHO. The 2010-2019 variant appears on most games from the time, as well as their trailers.

2nd Logo (November 5, 2019-)

Logo: On a green background, the "Mi" shape rises up from the ground with a white top as the camera pans over it, the shape casting a shadow as it does. The logo then becomes contained in a white box with sharp and rounded corners, revealing a dark grey background as the logo settles above. "MICROIDS", now without the signature over the 2nd "I", then forms up a la the 2014-2019 Netflix logo, glowing green before retracting and becoming white.

Variants:

A white background version exists, with the "MICROIDS" text now in green.
The logo is also used for their other divisions, as listed below
- Microids Indie: The color is now purple and, when the logo finishes forming, the angular text "indie" forms below the "IDS" part of the text. This exists in black and white variants.
- Microids Life: The color is now cheese yellow and, when the logo finishes forming, the script "Life" writes in below the "IDS" part of the text. Pencil sketching sounds exist for the text forming as well. Only a white variant is known so far.
A still version exists.
There exists several trailer variants.

Technique: Simple CGI.

Music/Sounds: A deep bass noise plays with a soft whoosh playing alongside it, followed by another whoosh for the text forming.

Availability: Current. Seen on all of their trailers and current releases as an opening logo including Blacksad: Under the Skin and Asterix & Obelix XXL3.