Viacom New Media

United States Founded 1994

In 1994, Viacom corporate giants Sumner Redstone and Frank Biondi created Viacom Interactive Media, described at the time as "a division charged with exploring and re-creating brands for new forms of media." Viacom Interactive Media consisted of two branches - Viacom New Media (CD-ROM and cartridge titles), and Viacom Interactive Services (online and ITV). The main headquarters was located in New York City while the New Media division operated out of Chicago, Illinois. Game press releases always stated .. "Viacom New Media, a unit of Viacom Interactive Media, is a publisher of interactive entertainment software for Viacom". Virgin, part of the sprawling Viacom empire, took over the management and administration of VNM's products at the start of 1997. The management office in New York was set to be closed although the Chicago, Illinois office was to remain open. The VNM label would continue to appear on games released through 1997.

Viacom New Media at a Glance

Viacom New Media operated as a publisher and developer from 1994 through 2014 with a heavy focus on adapting existing television brands into video games. Based in Chicago, the company was part of Viacom Interactive Media before Virgin took over its management in 1997. Their catalog contains 24 titles listed on PlayPile, with 18 released as a publisher and 13 developed in-house. The vast majority of their output occurred during the 1990s when they released 20 games. Production slowed significantly in the following decades, dropping to just one title in the 2000s and two in the 2010s. Their platform strategy leaned heavily toward PC and legacy consoles. They released 12 titles for Microsoft Windows and another 7 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Other major platforms included PlayStation with 5 releases, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis with 4, and DOS with 4. They also touched on Mac, Sega Game Gear, Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar, and Android with single or dual releases. Genre-wise, Adventure games dominated their portfolio with 8 titles. Platformers followed with 5 entries, while Puzzle, Shooter, and Hack and slash/Beat 'em up games each accounted for 4 or 2 releases respectively. The quality of their work shows a clear trend where most titles fall into the mixed range. Across 7 rated games, the average IGDB score sits at 61.7 out of 100. The rating breakdown includes one great title, two good ones, and four mixed entries. There are no poor-rated games in this dataset, but the majority of their known output does not reach high acclaim. Their highest-rated game is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Brothers Unite from 2014 with a score of 80. Other notable titles include MTV's Beavis and Butt-head in Virtual Stupidity from 1995 at 78.6, and Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage from 1994 at 61. Phantom 2040 and Zoop both scored around 55 in the mid-90s. You might notice their later releases did not improve on these scores significantly. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Sewer Run appeared in 2012 but lacks a specific rating here, while earlier licensed efforts like The Divide: Enemies Within and MTV's Beavis and Butt-head: Screen Wreckers represent their peak activity period before the company output dwindled to almost nothing.

Total Games

61.7

Avg Rating

1994

First Release

2014

Latest Release