Editing Running with Scissors (company)

{{Short description|American video game developer}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Running with Scissors
| logo = Running with Scissors logo.png
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| predecessor = Riedel Software Productions
| founded = {{Start date and age|1996}}
| founder = Vince Desi
| hq_location_city = [[Tucson, Arizona]]
| hq_location_country = US
| key_people = Vince Desi ([[Chief executive officer|CEO]])
| products = ''[[Postal (franchise)|Postal]]'' series (1997–present)
| website = {{URL|https://runningwithscissors.com/}}
}}

'''Running with Scissors''' ('''RWS''') is an American [[video game developer]] based in [[Tucson, Arizona]]. It was founded in 1996 by Vince Desi through a business decision of Riedel Software Productions, a maker of child-friendly games. RWS created and maintains the ''[[Postal (franchise)|Postal]]'' franchise, which has often caused controversy for its use of violence. RWS' first game was ''[[Postal (video game)|Postal]]'' in 1997, which caused much controversy and a trademark lawsuit from the [[United States Postal Service]] that lasted until 2003. A potential second game, ''Flesh and Wire'', was canceled in 1999. The company followed up ''Postal'' with ''[[Postal 2]]'' in 2003. The third game in the series, ''[[Postal III]]'', was co-developed by RWS and an internal team of publisher [[Akella]], and RWS distanced itself from the game due to poor critical reception. RWS most recently worked on ''[[Postal 4: No Regerts]]'', which was released in 2022, and the [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] ''Postal: Brain Damaged''.

== History ==

=== Origins ===
[[File:Vince Desi.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Vince Desi (pictured in 2006) has led Running with Scissors as its [[chief executive officer]] since its founding.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" />]]
[[File:Mike Jaret (RWS).jpg|thumb|right|150px|Mike Jaret of Running with Scissors (pictured in 2016)]]
Running with Scissors (RWS) was founded by Vincent James Desiderio Jr., a native of [[Brooklyn]] with Italian roots.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> Early in his life, he picked up a high-school teaching career before quitting a semester later and working several different jobs, including taxi driver and manager of a [[recording studio]]. While a recruiter on [[Wall Street]], he adopted the short name "Vince Desi" upon request from his boss.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /> Eventually, while seeking to hire workers in the computer industry, Desi became involved with and later a consultant for the video game company [[Atari, Inc.|Atari]]. He befriended one of his hires, recent [[Rochester Institute of Technology]] dropout Mike Riedel, with whom he founded Riedel Software Productions (RSP) after Atari faced financial instability. RSP specialized in developing [[edutainment]] games for children and games based on licensed properties on a [[work-for-hire]] basis, with its early games including ''Spy vs. Spy'' (its first game, developed for the magazine ''[[Mad (magazine)|Mad]]'' in 1985), ''Tom & Jerry'', and ''Bobby's World'', as well as other games developed for ''[[Sesame Street]]'', [[Hanna-Barbera]], [[The Walt Disney Company]], [[Warner Bros.]], and the [[World Wrestling Federation]], among others.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> Because Desi had no knowledge of programming and little interest in video games, he handled business affairs for the company, while Riedel was in charge of creative operations.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" />

By the early 1990s, when Desi was 39, several factors led him to wish to relocate; Desi and Riedel discussed several potential cities—including [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]], [[Albuquerque]], and [[Seattle]]—before they settled on [[Tucson, Arizona]].<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /> Desi, Riedel and RSP moved to Tucson in 1991.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> At the time, RSP consisted of the two founders and two further employees, however, one of the employees did not turn up at [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]], where the team was supposed to meet for the relocation, while the other employee quit two weeks following the relocation and moved back to New York. RSP was welcomed to the city by officials and the Greater Tucson Economic Council. The company was among the list of companies (others including [[Hughes Electronics]]) honored for moving to the city in 1992.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /> In Tucson, RSP continued its prior business of developing child-friendly games and licensed games, though by 1996–1997, Desi and much of RSP's team were bored of developing them, wherefore RSP set up RWS as a separate company to develop games targeted at adults.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> This formation was announced on March 13, 1997.<ref name="RWS: New Game Development Group" /> Initially, RWS was to be run alongside RSP, drawing funding from RSP's sales and acting as RSP's edgier label. Shared between the two companies were three development teams: One, consisting of seven people, developed the first RWS game, one creating an edutainment game based on the film ''[[Free Willy]]'', and another making an edutainment game for an academic publisher.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" />

=== ''Postal'' ===
According to Desi, the RWS team wanted to make an original game, the most outrageous game they could.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> Inspired by the game ''[[Robotron: 2084]]'', which had been playable at the RSP offices, RWS began work on ''[[Postal (video game)|Postal]]''. The game saw the Postal Dude engage in [[mass murder]], and it was named after the slang term "[[going postal]]", referring to murders performed by [[United States Postal Service]] (USPS) employees.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> In 1997, RWS filed a trademark for the word "Postal" in the area of electronic gaming. In response, the USPS counter-filed that trademark, alleging that it was moving into video games, and [[Marvin Travis Runyon]], the [[United States Postmaster General]] at the time, sent RWS a letter condemning the game's theme.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> The legal battle was eventually dismissed [[with prejudice]] in June 2003.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /><ref name="GameSpot: Postal case dismissal" /> The theme also caused wider controversy within the media and the [[video game industry]], to the surprise of Desi, who considered ''Postal'' to be more comical and "over-the-top" and stated that the game was not to be taken seriously.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> ''Postal'' was released in 1997 for [[Windows]] and [[Classic Mac OS|Mac OS]] as the first game of [[Ripcord Games]], a publishing label of [[Matsushita Electric]]'s Panasonic Interactive Media division.<ref name="GameSpot: Ripcord" /><ref name="Wired: Arizona" /> Following the release, the game was targeted by senator [[Joe Lieberman]], who labeled it as one of the worst things in America, while retail chains [[CompUSA]] and [[Wal-Mart]] refused to sell the game.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> In its first week, ''Postal'' was sold over 10,000 times in the United States, and sales in Europe (where the game was released by [[Take-Two Interactive]]) were expected to reach 100,000.<ref name="GameSpot: RWS coverage" /> Desi estimated that the game generated roughly {{US$|5&nbsp;million|link=yes}} in revenue.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /> RWS followed up with ''Special Delivery'', an [[Expansion pack|add-on]] of four levels released in August 1998 that allowed the player to murder lawyers, homeless people, and [[American Red Cross]] workers, among others.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /><ref name="GameSpot: Postal add-on" /> A Japan-exclusive version of ''Postal'', titled ''Super Postal'', was released in 2000, and ''Postal Plus'', a bundle composed of ''Postal'' and ''Special Delivery'', came out in 2002.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" />

=== ''Postal 2'' and other projects ===
With ''Postal'' released, RWS conceived ''Flesh and Wire'', an original three-dimensional [[sci-fi]]-themed game in which the player controls a blob-shaped character;  Desi described the game as unintentionally funny. However, the game was canceled by Ripcord in 1999 alongside two unannounced games, and RWS turned to focus only on ''Postal''. Consequently, RWS soon picked up development on ''[[Postal 2]]'', a [[sequel]] to ''Postal''. The company attempted to make its humor more evident than it was in the original game so it would reach a wider audience. When brainstorming ideas for the game, the team considered [[Gary Coleman]], a former [[child actor]] known for his role in the show ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'', as a good fit for the game's theme. Desi called up Coleman, who agreed to his inclusion and performed himself in the game.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> ''Postal 2'' was released in April 2003 through publisher Whiptail Interactive.<ref name="AWN: Postal 2 release" /> ''Postal 2'' was shortly banned in 13 countries; New Zealand banned it in 2004 and Australia in 2005. Desi later struck a deal with the company Softwrap to have the game distributed online, which bypassed the bans.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> Due to the popularity of ''Postal 2'', Whiptail released ''Postal: Classic and Uncut'', containing the original ''Postal'' and ''Special Delivery'', as well as a demo version of ''Postal 2'', in August that year.<ref name="GameSpot: Classic and Uncut" /> This was followed by ''Share the Pain'', a version of ''Postal 2'' that introduced [[online multiplayer]] to the game.<ref name="Eurogamer: Postal 2 multiplayer" /> In Europe, this version was published by Greek company Hell-Tech.<ref name="GameSpot: Postal 2 Europe" /> A separate expansion, ''Apocalypse Weekend'', was released in 2005.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> The ''Postal Fudge Pack''—a compilation containing the original ''Postal'', ''Share the Pain'', ''Apocalypse Weekend'', the fan-made [[total conversion]] ''Eternal Damnation'', and the fan-made mod ''A Week in Paradise''—was released in November 2006.<ref name="GameSetWatch: Fudge Pack" /> A similar compilation, ''Postal: 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition'', was released the following year.<ref name="Wired: Tenth Anniversary" /><ref name="Shacknews: 10th Anniversary" />

During ''Postal 2''{{'s}} development, RWS got in contact with [[Uwe Boll]], a director of video game-based films like ''[[House of the Dead (film)|House of the Dead]]'', ''[[Alone in the Dark (2005 film)|Alone in the Dark]]'', and ''[[BloodRayne (film)|BloodRayne]]''. Although Boll's films were usually received poorly, Desi believed that Boll's independent and [[anti-establishment]] attitude was a good fit for the ''Postal'' series. The resulting [[Postal (film)|film]] was shot in the [[Vancouver]] area, with Desi playing himself as well as Krotchy, an anthropomorphic [[scrotum]] from the ''Postal'' universe. The film faced several issues, such as overlength and poor editing and marketing efforts.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" />

=== ''Postal III'', ''Postal Redux'', and ''Postal 4'' ===
RWS' next game was ''[[Postal III]]''; the company struck a deal with Russian publisher [[Akella]] that saw RWS create the script, music, design and character development for the game, which was then moved to Akella's in-house developers, Trashmasters, for programming and art production. During the development, however, the [[Great Recession in Russia|Russian economy fell]] and the development was mostly ramped down. ''Postal III'' was released in December 2011 to very bad reception, leading RWS to pull it from its online store the following year. Desi stated that the finished ''Postal III'' was "a product that should have never been published".<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> In response, RWS developed ''Paradise Lost'', a new add-on for ''Postal 2'' that was released in April 2015, twelve years after ''Postal 2''{{'s}} original release.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /><ref name="PCGamesN: Postal 2 expansion" /> In May 2016, the company released a [[Video game remake|remake]] of the original ''Postal'' titled ''[[Postal Redux]]''.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /><ref name="Gematsu: Postal Redux PS4" /> Another compilation, ''Postal XX: 20th Anniversary Edition'', was released in 2017.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> RWS then released ''[[Postal 4: No Regerts]]'', first as an [[early access]] game in October 2019 and then fully in April 2022.<ref name="PC Gamer: Postal 4" /><ref name="Gematsu: Postal 4" /> The company worked with developers Hyperstrange and [[CreativeForge Games]] on the [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] ''Postal: Brain Damaged''.<ref name="Gematsu: Brain Damaged" />

== Games ==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Platform(s)
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
! scope="row" | 1997
| ''[[Postal (video game)|Postal]]''
| [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[Linux]], [[Classic Mac OS|Mac OS]], [[macOS]], [[Windows]]
|
|-
! scope="row" | 2003
| ''[[Postal 2]]''
| Linux, macOS, Windows
|
|-
! scope="row" | 2011
| ''[[Postal III]]''
| Windows
| Co-developed with Trashmasters
|-
! scope="row" | 2016
| ''[[Postal Redux]]''
| Linux, [[Nintendo Switch]], [[PlayStation 4]], Windows
| Remaster of ''Postal''
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 2022
| ''[[Postal 4: No Regerts]]''
| [[PlayStation 4]], [[PlayStation 5]], Windows
|
|-
| ''Postal: Brain Damaged''
| [[PlayStation 4]], [[PlayStation 5]], Windows, Nintendo Switch
| Developed by Hyperstrange and [[CreativeForge Games]], published by Running with Scissors and Hyperstrange
|-
! scope="row" | 2023
| ''Poostall Royale''
| Windows
| [[April Fools' joke]]
|-
! scope="row" | TBA
| ''Postal 2: VR''<ref>http://gematsu.com/2025/03/postal-2-vr-announced-for-ps-vr2-steamvr-and-quest-2-and-3</ref>
| Meta Quest, Playstation VR2, Windows
| Developed by Running With Scissors, Team Beef and Flat2VR Studios
|}

=== Canceled ===
* ''Flesh and Wire'' and two unannounced games – canceled in 1999

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="AWN: Postal 2 release">{{cite web |url=https://www.awn.com/news/whiptail-interactive-delivers-postal-2 |title=Whiptail Interactive Delivers POSTAL 2 |first=Sarah |last=Baisley |date=April 16, 2003 |website=[[Animation World Network]] |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007043632/https://www.awn.com/news/whiptail-interactive-delivers-postal-2 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer: Postal 2 multiplayer">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news101203postal2 |title=Go Postal on your pals |first=Martin |last=Taylor |date=December 10, 2003 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213204301/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news101203postal2 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSetWatch: Fudge Pack">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/11/postal_gets_sigh_fudge_pack_1.php |title=Postal Gets, *Sigh*, Fudge Pack |first=Simon |last=Carless |date=November 14, 2006 |website=[[GameSetWatch]] |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017164638/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/11/postal_gets_sigh_fudge_pack_1.php |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot: Classic and Uncut">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/postal-classic-and-uncut-announced/1100-6071399/ |title=Postal: Classic and Uncut announced |first=Justin |last=Calvert |date=July 10, 2003 |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=May 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515202334/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/postal-classic-and-uncut-announced/1100-6071399/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot: Postal 2 Europe">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/europe-going-postal-2/1100-6090363/ |title=Europe going Postal 2 |author=Gamespot Staff |date=March 1, 2004 |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=January 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112040322/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/europe-going-postal-2/1100-6090363/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot: Postal add-on">{{cite web |url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_08/28_postal/index.html |title=Postal Add-on Kills All the Lawyers |author=Staff |date=August 28, 1998 |website=[[GameSpot]] |archive-date=December 5, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981205001228/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_08/28_postal/index.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot: Postal case dismissal">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/postal-court-case-dismissed/1100-6030580/ |title=Postal court case dismissed |first=Justin |last=Calvert |date=June 25, 2003 |website=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020095014/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/postal-court-case-dismissed/1100-6030580/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot: Ripcord">{{cite web |url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_05/27_postal/index.html |title=Panasonic's New Label |first=Helen |last=Lee |date=May 27, 1997 |website=[[GameSpot]] |archive-date=May 1, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990501190702/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_05/27_postal/index.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot: RWS coverage">{{cite web |url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_10/16_postal/index.html |title=Taking Aim at Postal |first=Curt |last=Feldman |date=October 16, 1997 |website=[[GameSpot]] |archive-date=January 19, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980119052202/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_10/16_postal/index.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Gematsu: Brain Damaged">{{cite web |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2020/09/retro-style-first-person-shooter-postal-brain-damaged-announced-for-consoles-pc |title=Retro-style first-person shooter POSTAL: Brain Damaged announced for consoles, PC |first=Sal |last=Romano |date=5 September 2020 |website=Gematsu |access-date=July 3, 2022 |archive-date=July 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711054202/https://www.gematsu.com/2020/09/retro-style-first-person-shooter-postal-brain-damaged-announced-for-consoles-pc |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gematsu: Postal 4">{{cite web |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2022/03/postal-4-no-regerts-launches-april-20 |title=POSTAL 4: No Regerts launches April 20 |first=Sal |last=Romano |date=March 28, 2022 |website=Gematsu |access-date=July 3, 2022 |archive-date=July 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703183432/https://www.gematsu.com/2022/03/postal-4-no-regerts-launches-april-20 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gematsu: Postal Redux PS4">{{cite web |url=https://gematsu.com/2017/06/postal-redux-ps4-version-cancelled |title=Postal Redux PS4 version cancelled |first=Sal |last=Romano |date=June 2, 2017 |website=Gematsu |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017120328/https://gematsu.com/2017/06/postal-redux-ps4-version-cancelled |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="PC Gamer: Postal 4">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/postal-4-announced-and-launched-on-steam-early-access-today/ |title=Postal 4 announced and launched on Steam Early Access today |first=Lauren |last=Morton |date=October 14, 2019 |magazine=[[PC Gamer]] |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014215036/https://www.pcgamer.com/postal-4-announced-and-launched-on-steam-early-access-today/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="PCGamesN: Postal 2 expansion">{{cite web |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/postal-2/postal-2-is-getting-another-expansion-12-years-after-it-launched |title=Postal 2 is getting another expansion, 12 years after it launched |first=Fraser |last=Brown |date=April 16, 2015 |website=[[PCGamesN]] |access-date=October 5, 2019 |archive-date=April 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405080405/https://www.pcgamesn.com/postal-2/postal-2-is-getting-another-expansion-12-years-after-it-launched |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Retro Gamer 195">{{cite magazine |title=From the Archives: Running With Scissors |first=David |last=Crookes |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=195 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=June 13, 2019 |pages=76–79}}</ref>

<ref name="RWS: New Game Development Group">{{cite press release |url=http://www.runningwithscissors.com/Press1.htm |title=New Game Development Group ''Running With Scissors'' |publisher=Running with Scissors |date=March 13, 1997 |archive-date=December 3, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981203082119/http://www.runningwithscissors.com/Press1.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Shacknews: 10th Anniversary">{{cite web |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/50173/postal-10th-anniversary-collectors-edition |title=Postal 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition Packaging: 'Slightly better than boxed Syphilis!' |first=Chris |last=Faylor |date=December 3, 2007 |website=[[Shacknews]] |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017164641/https://www.shacknews.com/article/50173/postal-10th-anniversary-collectors-edition |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Tucson Weekly">{{cite web |url=https://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/shoot-to-thrill/Content?oid=1071401 |title=Shoot To Thrill |first=Jim |last=Nintzel |date=December 12, 2002 |website=[[Tucson Weekly]] |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017093931/https://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/shoot-to-thrill/Content?oid=1071401 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Wired: Arizona">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/1998/03/razing-arizona/ |title=Razing Arizona |first=Chris |last=Hudak |date=March 1, 1998 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=December 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222101619/https://www.wired.com/1998/03/razing-arizona/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Wired: Tenth Anniversary">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2007/10/special-edition-2/ |title=Special Edition Marks ''Postal''{{'s}} Tenth Anniversary |first=Susan |last=Arendt |date=October 29, 2007 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |access-date=March 11, 2017 |archive-date=June 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621092229/http://www.wired.com/2007/10/special-edition-2/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|https://runningwithscissors.com/}}

{{Postal}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1996 establishments in Arizona]]
[[Category:Companies based in Tucson, Arizona]]
[[Category:Postal (franchise)]]
[[Category:Privately held companies based in Arizona]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1996]]
[[Category:Video game companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]