ImaginEngine

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum

ImaginEngine was a children's software developer founded in 1994 in Framingham, Massachusetts. Originally having Houghton Mifflin Interactive as its publishing partner, the company was purchased by Backbone Entertainment in 2003, later renamed Foundation 9 Entertainment in 2005. After poor sales of the company's software ensued, the company was shut down in 2012.


1st Logo (1995-1997)

Visuals: On a black background, there is a stylized stick figure with three long hairs on top trying to reach its arm into a blue flag that contains a gold star and three small gold dots. Below the figure, there is "Imagin" in red placed inside a white rectangle, with "ENGINE" in yellow tilted 90 degrees and placed inside a dark blue rectangle.

Technique: A still, vector graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on the company's first game Awesome Animated Monster Maker, as well as its Ultra Edition released in 1997.

2nd Logo (1998-October 20, 2008)


Visuals: On a dark blue background, a turquoise-colored filmstrip with a gold border moves upside down on the left of the screen. Then, it slows down as in 3 central frames, there is respectively a bulb, a hand and a gear. The word "imagine" in yellow appears in a flash to the right, and "engine" in green zooms in, shaking the logo, so the words slightly overlap the letter "e".

Variants:

  • There is a later version with a dark green background, and the animation in warp-speed. When the animation is completed, the logo shines with a sharp sound. At the bottom, there is a byline for Foundation 9 Entertainment.
  • The DS version has a white area around the logo and the F9E byline in its corporate font.
  • There is also a still version.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A film projector running, followed by a dark whir, a sparkling sound (a stock sound effect best known for its use on Super Why!), a clang, and a kid laughing (a stock sound effect nicknamed the "Diddy laugh").

Audio Variant: None for the still variant.

Availability: Seen on many kid-oriented and educational games for PC, like Pokémon: Masters Arena, Nicktoons Basketball, Rugrats Go Wild, The Fairly OddParents in Shadow Showdown, and The Incredibles: When Danger Calls.

3rd Logo (October 26, 2009-December 20, 2011)

Visuals: There are two stylized connected rotating cog wheels, and the word "IMAGINENGINE" written over the wheels. The logo is a light blue-turquoise gradient, while the letters are white. The Foundation 9 byline in turquoise is shown below.

Variants:

  • On Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? Game Time, the logo appears initially as a glowing silhouette. After, a flash occurs and reveals the entire logo on a blue background.
  • On Haunted House, rain falls on the logo, which is placed in a dark forest background.
  • On Apples to Apples, the logo zooms out onto a background made of mountains at night. The byline is simply "a Foundation 9 Entertainment studio".
  • The DS version is still.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on their last games, such as Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Wedding Dash and Haunted House.

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