Gray Matter Inc.

A Canadian video game developer active in the 1980s and 1990s, known for licensed titles and action games.

Action

Sports

Driving

Racing

Founded

1985

HQ

Oakville, Canada

Known for

Action / Adventure / Strategy

24

Games

1990–1997

Years

13

Platforms

$49.97

Ø CIB

+4.2%

24M change

About

Gray Matter Inc. developed several notable licensed titles in the early 1990s, including Techno Cop, Mad Max, Dirty Harry, and James Bond Jr. They also worked on popular cartoon properties, developing Ren & Stimpy Space Cadet Adventures and The Ren & Stimpy Show: Veediots, alongside original titles like B.O.B. Additionally, the studio contributed to sports and sci-fi releases, including entries in the NHL All-Star Hockey and Phoenix 3 franchises.

Founded by Chris Gray, the Canadian studio collaborated closely with publishers like Mindscape, THQ, and Electronic Arts to bring these diverse properties to market. For the Nintendo Entertainment System, the team designed the post-apocalyptic vehicular combat of Mad Max and the side-scrolling investigative gameplay of Dirty Harry, both released in 1990. They followed this with the puzzle-platforming mechanics of James Bond Jr in 1992. That same year, their work on Techno Cop pushed boundaries on the Sega Genesis with its hybrid driving and side-scrolling action sequences.

As 16-bit platforms gained dominance, the developer transitioned to high-profile character platformers. They engineered the distinct visual style of The Ren & Stimpy Show: Veediots! and Ren & Stimpy Space Cadet Adventures, capturing the bizarre humor of the Nickelodeon animation. With B.O.B., they introduced a mechanical protagonist utilizing a unique arsenal of gadgetry and power-ups. The studio's versatility extended into sports simulation with NHL All-Star Hockey on the Sega Genesis, and they later embraced CD-ROM technology by creating the live-action FMV sequences and multi-genre gameplay of Phoenix 3 for the 3DO.