Red Zone
San Diego Studio was founded through a merger of Red Zone Interactive and 989 Sports. 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. SISA was later renamed 989 Studios before being merged into SCEA in February 2000, with the "989" label being retained as a brand name. Red Zone Interactive's "NFL GameDay" series was among the games published under the "989 Sports" label. SCEA acquired Red Zone Interactive in January 2001, including its 65 employees led by president Chris Whaley. San Diego Studio was formally founded in 2001.