NuFX Inc.

An American video game developer known for developing sports titles and licensed games, including entries in the NBA Live and PGA Tour series.

Sports

Simulation

Action

Founded

1990

Acquired

2004

HQ

Hoffman Estates, United States

Parent

Electronic Arts

Known for

Sports / Basketball / Golf

28

Games

1992–2004

Years

14

Platforms

$10.75

Ø CIB

+19%

24M change

About

NuFX Inc. was an American video game developer that worked on several prominent licensed titles and sports games in the 1990s. The studio developed games such as Taz-Mania, Surf Ninjas, and Beavis and Butt-Head, before establishing a strong relationship with Electronic Arts. They contributed to major EA Sports franchises, developing titles like PGA Tour 96, NBA Live 97, and PGA Tour 98.

Founded in 1990 by Lou Haehn in Illinois, the studio initially specialized in porting and developing titles for 8-bit and 16-bit Sega platforms. Their early platforming work on Taz-Mania (1992) for the Sega Genesis established their capability with major media licenses, leading directly to the side-scrolling adaptation of Surf Ninjas (1993) and the adventure-style gameplay of Beavis and Butt-Head (1994).

These projects caught the attention of Electronic Arts, prompting a shift toward sports simulation. NuFX became a critical co-developer for EA's annual sports lineups, optimizing complex physics and graphics engines for console hardware. They delivered the Genesis version of PGA Tour 96 (1995) and the Sega Saturn port of NBA Live 97 (1996), followed by PGA Tour 98 (1997). This collaboration solidified their role within the NBA Live and PGA Tour franchises, while also expanding their portfolio into the NCAA March Madness series. The technical synergy between the companies culminated in Electronic Arts acquiring the developer in February 2004, rebranding the team as EA Chicago.