BigPark

BigPark was a Canadian game development studio based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The studio was founded in 2007 and later became part of Microsoft, for whom it worked primarily on games and projects for the Xbox platform.

BigPark was founded by a group of experienced developers, some of whom had previously worked at Electronic Arts Canada. Shortly after its formation, the studio began collaborating with Microsoft and was acquired by the company in 2009.

The studio’s best-known game was Kinect Joy Ride for the Xbox 360. The title was one of the first games created for the Kinect motion sensor and was released in 2010 to coincide with the launch of this accessory.

Kinect Joy Ride

Kinect Joy Ride is an arcade racing game that differs from classic racing titles primarily in its control scheme. Players do not need a standard gamepad; instead, they steer the car using hand and body movements, which are tracked by the Kinect sensor.

The game features colourful, stylised tracks, jumps, various obstacles and other arcade elements. In addition to classic races, it also includes several other game modes focused on simple motion-based fun.

Kinect Joy Ride was designed as an easily accessible game for families, children and casual gamers, which was in line with Kinect’s original aim of expanding the Xbox 360’s reach beyond the traditional gaming audience.

Joy Ride Turbo

The concept later returned in the game Joy Ride Turbo. This time, however, BigPark abandoned the mandatory motion controls and the game utilised the classic Xbox 360 controller.

Joy Ride Turbo retained the arcade-style nature of its predecessor but offered a more traditional method of control, new tracks, cars and additional content. This made it possible to bring the Joy Ride concept to players who preferred a standard gamepad.

Further work for Xbox

Following its integration into Microsoft, BigPark also contributed to other projects related to the Xbox platform. For example, the studio collaborated on multimedia and interactive projects utilising Kinect and contributed to the development of technologies and content within the wider Microsoft Studios group.

Today, BigPark is primarily remembered as one of the studios associated with the period when Microsoft invested heavily in motion-controlled gaming on the Xbox 360.

The studio’s most notable titles remain Kinect Joy Ride and Joy Ride Turbo. The former represents the early days of Kinect and controller-free gameplay, whilst the latter brought the same colourful arcade racing concept back to traditional controls.