San Diego Studio was founded through a merger of Red Zone Interactive and 989 Sports.[1] Red Zone Interactive, a San Diego–based development studio, was founded in December 1997 by former employees of Sony Interactive Studios America (SISA), the sole in-house studio of the Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) between 1995 and 1998.[2] SISA was later renamed 989 Studios before being merged into SCEA in February 2000, with the "989" label being retained as a brand name.[3] Red Zone Interactive's NFL GameDay series was among the games published under the "989 Sports" label.[4][5] SCEA acquired Red Zone Interactive in January 2001, including its 65 employees led by president Chris Whaley.[2][4] San Diego Studio was formally founded in 2001.[6]
