Raven Software

Background

Raven Software is a game development company founded in 1990 by brothers Brian and Steve Raffel. In 1997, the company entered a venture with Activision and later became its subsidiary. After this, a few developers went on to form Human Head Studios. Activision laid off most of the staff in 2009-2010, as they expected more profit from Raven's products.

1st Logo (February 1992)

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Logo: In the opening credits of Black Crypt, we see a stone floppy disk with a lava red orange square frame with a raven inside, and the words "raven software" all in a custom font.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The opening of the game.

Availability: Seen on Raven's first game, Black Crypt.

2nd Logo (September 1993-November 1994)

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Logo: On a gray surface, we see a new golden 3D logo with a raven profile inside a outlined rectangular shape and "RAVEN" in its corporate font below, with "SOFTWARE" underneath. Even below, "GAME" is written.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on CyClones and Shadowcaster.

3rd Logo (October 30, 1995-June 30, 1997)

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Logo: We see the Raven logo from before, which is gold this time and with "S.O.F.T.W.A.R.E" below.

Variants:

• On Necrodome, the logo is encapsulated. Plus, the logo zooms in and emits light and the word "S.O.F.T.W.A.R.E" appears below.
• On the Nintendo 64 version of Hexen, the logo (without "S.O.F.T.W.A.R.E") is seen on the bottom right with the game's title logo on the top-left.

Technique: None. CGI for the animated variant.

Music/Sounds: None. A deep synth note for the animated variant.

Music/Sounds Variant: On the N64 version of Hexen, the game's opening theme is heard.

Availability: It appears on Hexen and Necrodome. It's preserved on the Nintendo 64, PlayStation and Saturn versions of the former title.

4th Logo (September 24-October 14, 1997)

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Logo: The golden Raven logo is wiped from the center out with a light ripple effect.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: Same as the previous logo.

Availability: Seen on MageSlayer and Take No Prisoners.

5th Logo (October 31, 1998-November 22, 2002)

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Logo: We see a metallic environment with doors, which open. The apparatus brings the Raven frame around the doorway, and the red logo zooms from there. Four mechanical arms project from the ceiling and weld the banner with red sparks. Then the lamp light switches above the logo.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: Metallic sounds of the doors and welding machines.

Availability: Appeared on Heretic II, Star Trek Voyager - Elite Force, and Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast.

6th Logo (March 28, 2000-July 5, 2002)

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Logo: The Raven logo appears in a red tint, and there is a bright shining light on the raven's eye. Then the logo fades into the game's title.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: The game's opening theme.

Availability: Only appears on Soldier of Fortune. It's intact on the Dreamcast version.

7th Logo (May 20, 2002-July 3, 2003)

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Logo: Through oval windows, night vision switches on and we zoom to a greenish forest environment, where the Raven logo stands. The raven croaks and a gunshot instantly ends the logo.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: Night forest sounds with an owl and cicadas, then the raven voice immediately followed with the gunshot.

Availability: Seen on Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix.

8th Logo (September 16, 2003-March 23, 2007)

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Logo: We see a close-up of a raven eye. The raven lands onto a grass surface under a stormy sky, where many other ravens wait, and make echoed cawing. The picture rapidly pans and zooms out turning into the print version of the Raven logo. Then the logo dissolves into myriads of flying ravens, which later causes the screen to turn black. A text logo appears; "RAVEN" in its corporate font, then the word "S.O.F.T.W.A.R.E" in a box underneath.

Variant: A shortened version appears on trailers. On the trailer for Quake 4, the logo is covered with red mist.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: Sounds of thunder, cawing, ravens flight and two bumps as the final logo fades in.

Availability: Appeared on Star Wars Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy, Quake 4, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, X-Men Legends and its sequel.

9th Logo (May 1, 2009-June 30, 2010)

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Logo: In a dark cloudy sky, we see an enhanced gray Raven logo. A large flock of ravens fly over and pass the logo. The further animation depends on the game:

• X-Men Origins: Wolverine: The logo becomes metallic with a blue tint, and the background darkens. Then Wolverine cuts it with his claws.
• Wolfenstein: The logo becomes rough green, and the skies turn into a green space. Then the logo cracks and loses its shell, and becomes metallic green with a red background under the raven image.
• Singularity: The logo becomes rusty with enhancements on the outline, then a temporal wave passes and makes it completely free of rust and perfectly metallic. Several lamps on the logo outline begin to flicker.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: Metallic creaks followed by loud cawing and later background sounds depending on the variant. For the Wolverine version, there is a raging shout.

Availability: Seen on the three games listed above.

10th Logo (November 4, 2016)

Logo: We see the logo form entirely with computer-like graphics on a space background. It then pans down to the Activision logo.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme and some technological sounds.

Availability: Only seen on Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

11th Logo (November 3, 2017)

Logo: We see the text "RAVEN" from the company name zooming in while fading in and out.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme.

Availability: Only seen on Call of Duty: WWII.