Vive La France
Étranges Libellules, meaning “strange dragonflies” in French, was a game developer based in Lyon, France. The studio was founded in 1994 by a close-knit team of family and friends, including Frédérique and Jean-Christophe Blanc, Sylvie and Pascal Silvy, and Jean-Marie and Frédérique Nazaret. The developer is mostly known for its involvement in the Asterix & Obelix franchise.
In the studio’s quieter early years, the team mostly existed as a support team, co-developing lesser known PC software including Circus Fighter, Egypt Kids, Eureka, and The Games Factory, before finding success by supporting Microids in development of the popular Empire of the Ants. The success of Empire of the Ants would see Étranges Libellules secure enough investment to gain a more independent foothold in the market.
Going It Alone
In 2001, the team would move into solo development for console games which had been their main goal for some time, particularly following the rapid rise in popularity of Sony’s original PlayStation. Seeking existing franchises with established fan-bases, the studio would reach out to publishers with a view to developing games to tie in with popular French media.
This new wave of titles would begin with two PlayStation console exclusives: Kirikou (2001), and The Pink Panther: Pinkadelic Pursuit (2002). The next wave of games would see Étranges Libellules revive the popular Asterix and Obelix franchise with a new trilogy of games for PlayStation 2 and Nintendo consoles. Asterix & Obelix XXL would release in 2003, followed by Asterix & Obelix XXL 2: Mission: Las Vegum (2005), and Asterix at the Olympic Games (2007).
Flirting With Greatness
Étranges Libellules reliability, quick development cycles, and respectable in-house 2D and 3D platforming engines had made them a popular go-to studio for publisher Atari, while also gaining the attention of other movie tie-in publishers Disney Interactive and Activision. The team would release a final game for Atari based on Luc Besson’s CGI fantasy smash hit movie Arthur and the Invisibles in 2007.
Activision would choose Étranges Libellules to develop the final game in The Legend of Spyro trilogy after the downsizing and restructure of usual developer Krome Studios. The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon would launch in 2008, and like its predecessors, would receive mediocre review scores, despite several Hollywood A-listers joining the voice cast, including Elijah Wood, Gary Oldman, Christina Ricci, and Mark Hamill.
Disney would publish the studio’s next project, the 2010 game tie-in of Disney’s live-action Alice in Wonderland film. The game saw many of the movie cast reprise their roles from the film which, like Arthur and the Invisibles and The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, featured popular celebrity talent. The game saw positive review scores and was believed to mark a milestone in movie tie-in games, setting a new standard in bigger-budget investment in cast members.
Tough Crowd
Despite Alice in Wonderland’s positive reception, the game saw disappointing sales, largely due to the game releasing exclusively on the Nintendo Wii. Developed alongside the title would be another movie tie-in commissioned by Activision, a game follow-up to DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster How to Train Your Dragon.
How to Train Your Dragon saw praise for its online features but was criticised for its high difficulty, particularly for younger players, resulting in mixed review scores. Higher production costs of their last few games combined with lacklustre sales would see Étranges Libellules face financial difficulties as the company had grown to 120 employees in 2010.
The team’s next projects were still years away and with funding quickly depleting, the studio would be forced to reach out for help, albeit unsuccessfully. On June 29th, 2012, the studio shut down after filing for bankruptcy. Several staff members would be able to secure positions at nearby developers also based at the site in Lyon, including Kylotonn, and Eden Studio.
