Timeline

The history of Descent and related entities

1993

• Jun: Mike Kulas and Matt Toschlog founded Parallax Software.

1994

• Dec 15: Descent demo is released.

1995

• Mar 17: Descent is released.
• Mar 27: First user-made Descent level is released.
• Oct: Mac port of Descent is released.
• Dec 14: Descent II demo is released.

1996

• Mar 12: Descent is released for the Sony Playstation.
• Mar 13: Descent II is released for PC and Mac.
• Mar 22: First user-made Descent II level is released.
• Nov: Parallax splits into Outrage Entertainment (Matt Toschlog) and Volition, Inc (Mike Kulas).

1998

• 1998: Interplay goes public on NASDAQ.
• Jan 24: Parallax Software released Descent source code.
• Dec 14: Volition announced Descent 4.

1999

• Jan 1: Peter Telep's book, Descent is published.
• Apr 6: Peter Telep's book, Descent: Stealing Thunder is published.
• Jun 11: Descent 3 is released.
• Oct 1: Peter Telep's book, Descent: Equinox is published.
• Dec 14:   Parallax Software released Descent II source code.

2000

• Feb 7:   Outrage announces their Fusion Engine is available for licensing.
• Jun 2: Loki Entertainment announces it will publish Descent 3 for Linux.
• Aug 31: Volition is acquired by THQ.
• Sep 11: Volition stops development of Descent 4, and starts Red Faction.
• Sep 26: Midnight Squadron Design Studios starts development on Descent IV: Invasion, having permission to use descent material provided no profit was made.
• Oct 31: Heat.net, a Descent 3 tracker, is shutdown.

2001

• May 22: Red Faction is released, 8 months after development officialy started.

2002

• 2002: Interplay delisted from NASDAQ, Descent trademark lapses.
• Feb: Development of Descent IV is moved from Midnight Squadron Development Studios to Orbital Design Studios (Charles "Valin Halcyon" McKee), however the permission did not transfer.
• April 4: Outrage Entertainment is acquired by THQ.
• May 13: Orbital Design Studios stops development of Descent 4 for the following reason: We all know that Interplay owns some of the copyrights to the Descent franchise, and of course, Parallax owns some to D1 and 2, while Outrage owns some of the ones for D3. In order for any further games based on Descent to be made, it would require all copyright holders' approval before being authorized for publishing and production.
• June 1: ODS becomes a Deleware S Corporation.

2004

• May: Interplay Internal Development studio is closed.
• Jun: Volition moves to its new office space, the PXO server is broken in the process.
• Jun 8: Interplay is shut down by order of the California labor department. Several employees filed complaints after not receiving a paycheck for over a month.

2005

• 2005: Matt Toschlog founded Reactor Zero.

2007

• Nov 13: Interplay announces in-house game development.

2008

• Mar 13: Interplay website has "Coming Soon" graphic.
• Apr 9: Interplay starts hiring new developers, mentions possibility of Descent 4.