Remedy Entertainment

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Lore & Background

Remedy Entertainment was founded in August 1995 by members of the Future Crew demogroup, including Samuli Syvähuoko, Markus Mäki, Sami Nopanen, John Kavaleff, and Sami Vanhatalo. The company produced its first game, Death Rally, in the basement of Syvähuoko's parents' house in Espoo's Westend district. After Death Rally, Remedy pitched several ideas to Apogee Software's Scott Miller, who funded an isometric shooter originally called Dark Justice. Miller insisted on a strong central character, 3D graphics, and a better name; the team settled on 'Max Payne' after considering 'Dick Justice' and 'Max Heat'. Lead designer Petri Järvilehto wanted bullet time and slow motion—hallmarks of Hong Kong action films—as the core mechanic. Sam Lake, a long-time friend who had helped with Death Rally's dialog, was appointed writer and introduced elements of crime fiction and film noir. The team crafted their own game engine and traveled to New York in 1999 with two former NYPD bodyguards, taking thousands of photographs for environments. Max Payne was released in July 2001 to critical acclaim and sold more than seven million copies. Apogee outsourced console versions to Rockstar Games, whose parent company Take-Two Interactive spent $10 million to purchase the IP rights. As part of the acquisition, Remedy returned to develop a sequel. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne was released in October 2003, 27 months after the original, and received critical acclaim but sold poorly. Take-Two cited its 'continued disappointing sales' as a reason for a forecasted drop in 2004 revenue. Remedy was no longer involved with the franchise after Max Payne 2, though Rockstar consulted it during the final stages of Max Payne 3.

In Their Own Story

The rain fell in sheets over the New York rooftops, but inside the basement in Espoo's Westend district, the only storm was the one in Sam Lake's head. He stared at the script, at Max's lines, at the blood-spattered panels of the graphic novel. The team had built a game engine that could slow time, but the real magic was in the story—a man who lost everything, chasing ghosts through a city of sin. They were Finns, making a noir game about an American cop, and somehow, it worked. The bullet-time wasn't just a gimmick; it was the core mechanic, positioned as a resource for players to use. The team had spent most of 2000 refining the graphics, delaying the release twice. When Max Payne finally launched in July 2001, it was noted for its heavy focus on story and atmosphere in an action game genre that was traditionally more gameplay oriented.

Reader's Guide

Remedy Entertainment developed Max Payne (2001) for PC, published by Apogee Software. The game received critical acclaim upon release and sold more than seven million copies. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003) was developed by Remedy and published by Rockstar Games for PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. It received critical acclaim but sold poorly, with Take-Two citing its 'continued disappointing sales' as a factor in a forecasted revenue drop for 2004. After Max Payne 2, Remedy was no longer involved with the franchise, though Rockstar consulted it when Max Payne 3 reached its final stage of production. The rights to the Max Payne franchise remain with Rockstar Games as of 2021.

Did You Know?

• Remedy was founded in August 1995 by members of the demoscene group Future Crew, and produced its first game, Death Rally, in the basement of a team member's parents' house in Espoo's Westend district.
• The name 'Max Payne' was chosen after the team trademarked 'Max Heat' for $20,000 and considered names like 'Dick Justice'.
• Sam Lake, who wrote the script for Max Payne, was studying English literature at the University of Helsinki when he was first contacted to help with dialog for Death Rally.
• Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne was released just 27 months after the original, but its poor sales led Take-Two to cite it as a reason for a forecasted drop in 2004 revenue.
• Remedy's team traveled to New York in 1999 with two former NYPD bodyguards, taking thousands of photographs to use as textures for Max Payne's environments.