Editing NetDevil (section)

== History ==

=== Beginnings ===
NetDevil was founded in 1997 by Scott Brown, Peter Grundy and Steven Williams in Louisville, a suburb north of [[Denver, Colorado]]. Before forming NetDevil, Brown, Grundy, and Williams worked at Digital Creators, an information technology firm located in [[Boulder, Colorado]]. The three dreamed of being creators of their own digital worlds, and began developing ''[[Jumpgate: The Reconstruction Initiative|Jumpgate]]'', a space-based flight simulator MMO, during their spare evenings and weekends. After a year of part-time work, they quit their jobs and started NetDevil,  headquartered in the basement of Scott Brown's home. Their first proper office was {{convert|750|sqft|m2}}, sub-leased from friends with another technology company. In an interview with [[GameDaily]], Scott Brown shared that at one point they had fourteen people packed into one big room.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=16599&ncid=AOLGAM000500000000022|title=Gaming articles on Engadget|author=|date=|website=Engadget|access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref>

According to the company's website,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.netdevil.com/company.php|title=Gazillion, Inc.|author=|date=|website=Gazillion, Inc.|access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref> the name NetDevil was chosen because of the "owners' obsession with cool scary things that live in the deep dark waters of the world". All of the company's principals are certified SCUBA divers, including one certified dive master.

=== New location ===
In June 2007, NetDevil announced that they had completed moving into their new location in [[Louisville, Colorado]], a nearly {{convert|30000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} office facility which includes a professional sound studio, user testing facility and [[LEGO]] model shop. To celebrate their 10th anniversary, they hosted a party at their new location.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/8759|title=An Overview of NetDevil's Open House and Anniversary Celebration - Page Two|author=|date=29 June 2007|website=TenTonHammer.com|access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref>

=== Acquisition by Gazillion Entertainment ===
In July 2008, NetDevil was purchased by game publisher Gazillion Entertainment,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://us.jumpgateevolution.com/forums/showthread.php?t=753|title=NetDevil part of Gazzilion « Jumpgate Evolution|author=|date=|website=us.JumpgateEvolution.com|access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref> though this was not made public until March 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/gaming/|title=Gaming articles on Engadget|author=|date=|website=Engadget|access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref>

=== Departures of founders ===
In the last months of 2010, all remaining founders of NetDevil, notably Scott Brown, Peter Grundy, and Ryan Seabury, who headed the LEGO Universe team, chose to leave the company. Brown and Seabury started End Games Entertainment, whose first product is a Facebook game titled Vorp!

=== Layoffs ===
In February 2011, two rounds of layoffs took place at the NetDevil studio. The first round eliminated the Jumpgate Evolution development team. The second downsized the LEGO Universe team and appears to be part of a deal in which Gazillion passed control of development of LEGO Universe to the LEGO Group. This was an effect of the slow failure of LEGO Universe.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2011/02/24/gazillion-press-release-clarifies-netdevil-layoff-rumors/|title=Gazillion press release clarifies Netdevil layoff rumors|author=|date=|website=Engadget|access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref>