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Epyx Games
Epyx, Inc. was a video game developer and video game publisher active in the late 1970s and 1980s. The company was founded in 1978 as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman (game designer), Jon Freeman, publishing a series of tactical combat games. The Epyx brand was introduced when the company branched out to a series of more action-oriented titles. In 1983, as these types of games now represented the majority of their product line, the company was renamed to match. Epyx published a long series of games through the 1980s. The company's assets are currently owned by Bridgestone Multimedia Group Global. History Formation In 1977, Susan Lee-Merrow invited Jon Freeman to join a ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game hosted by Jim Connelley and Jeff Johnson. Connelley later purchased a Commodore PET computer to help with the bookkeeping involved in being a dungeon master, and he came up with the idea of writing a computer game for the machine before the end of the year so he cou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Privately Held Company
A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose Stock, shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in their respective listed markets. Instead, the Private equity, company's stock is offered, owned, traded or exchanged privately, also known as "over-the-counter (finance), over-the-counter". Related terms are unlisted organisation, unquoted company and private equity. Private companies are often less well-known than their public company, publicly traded counterparts but still have major importance in the world's economy. For example, in 2008, the 441 list of largest private non-governmental companies by revenue, largest private companies in the United States accounted for $1.8 trillion in revenues and employed 6.2 million people, according to ''Forbes''. In general, all companies that are not owned by the government are classified as private enterprises. This definition encompasses both publ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Free Fall Associates
Free Fall Associates was a video game developer of the 1980s and early 1990s founded in 1981 in Palo Alto, California by game designer Jon Freeman, game programmer Anne Westfall, and game designer Paul Reiche III. Westfall and Freeman are married. To start the new company, Freeman and Westfall left Epyx, the company Freeman co-founded in 1978. ''Free Fall Associates'' is best known for '' Archon: The Light and the Dark'' (1983), which was one of the first games from new publisher Electronic Arts. Origin Freeman, along with friend Jim Connelley, started Epyx as Automated Simulations as a vehicle to publish a game they had created together called '' Starfleet Orion'' for the Commodore PET home computer. They eventually published dozens of titles for numerous platforms, some very successful. By 1981, however, Freeman had become frustrated with what he called "office politics" and decided to leave the company. His wife, Westfall, joined him, though she cites a desire to learn asse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Star Warrior
''Star Warrior'' is a 1980 science fiction role-playing video game written and published by Automated Simulations (later renamed to Epyx) for the Apple II, TRS-80, and Atari 8-bit computers. The game is branded as part of the ''Starquest'' series, consisting of ''Star Warrior'' and the otherwise unrelated '' Rescue at Rigel''. Description Players take on the role of one of two members of the Furies, a mercenary group that only accepts assignments that meet their Samurai-like code. In ''Star Warrior'' the Furies have been hired by the people of Fornax, who were recently annexed by the Interstellar Union of Civilized Peoples but wish a return to autonomous rule. Two agents are sent on separate missions, which are assumed to occur simultaneously. In one, the agent must draw off and destroy enemy forces to guarantee success of the second, where the agent tracks down and kills the Stellar Union's military governor. A "directional indicator" points the way to mission objectives. Gam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rescue At Rigel
''Rescue at Rigel'' is a science fiction role-playing video game developed by Automated Simulations (later known as Epyx) and published in 1980. It is based on a modified version of their ''Temple of Apshai'' game engine, which was used for most of their releases in this era. The game was released for the Apple II, IBM PC (as a self-booting disk), TRS-80, Commodore PET, VIC-20, and Atari 8-bit computers. The player moves through a space fortress in search of ten hostages. Presented in a top-down view, the player can only see the area immediately around them, so the entire base has to be searched room by room. There is a 60-minute time limit on the mission. ''Rescue at Rigel'' was followed by ''Star Warrior'', and the two games were rebranded to be part of the ''Starquest'' series. Gameplay Players take on the role of adventurer Sudden Smith. Smith must try to rescue captives from the interior of an asteroid orbiting the star Rigel. Players have 60 minutes to rescue 10 human ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crush, Crumble And Chomp!
''Crush, Crumble and Chomp!'' is a strategy video game developed and published in 1981 by Epyx for the TRS-80, Apple II, and Atari 8-bit computers. Ports to the VIC-20, Commodore 64, and IBM PC compatibles were released later. Some versions were published under the company's original name of Automated Simulations, while the rest use Epyx. Gameplay ''Crush, Crumble and Chomp!'' is a turn-based action game played on a scrolling 2D grid-based map. The player takes control of a movie monster and attacks a major city much in the manner of the classic horror movies of the 1950s. Monsters * Goshilla: a giant lizard-like monster resembling Godzilla with a breath weapon and leaving a corrosive trail of radioactive waste. * The Kraken: a giant octopus similar to '' It'' that can attack bridges and seaside ports and then slip into the water to hide from attack. However, the Kraken can not go on land. * Arachnis: a giant spider similar to ''Tarantula'' that can clog roads with its we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Game Engine
A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games which generally includes relevant libraries and support programs such as a level editor. The "engine" terminology is akin to the term " software engine" used more widely in the software industry. ''Game engine'' can also refer to the development software supporting this framework, typically a suite of tools and features for developing games. Developers can use game engines to construct games for video game consoles and other types of computers. The core functionality typically provided by a game engine may include a rendering engine ("renderer") for 2D or 3D graphics, a physics engine or collision detection (and collision response), sound, scripting, animation, artificial intelligence, networking, streaming, memory management, threading, localization support, scene graph, and video support for cinematics. Game engine implementers often economize on the process of game developme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness World Records as the highest-selling single computer model of all time, with independent estimates placing the number sold between 12.5 and 17 million units. Volume production started in early 1982, marketing in August for . Preceded by the VIC-20 and Commodore PET, the C64 took its name from its of RAM. With support for multicolor sprite (computer graphics), sprites and a custom chip for waveform generation, the C64 could create superior visuals and audio compared to systems without such custom hardware. The C64 dominated the low-end computer market (except in the UK, France and Japan, lasting only about six months in Japan) for most of the later years of the 1980s. For a substantial period (1983–1986), the C64 had betwe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atari 8-bit Computers
The Atari 8-bit computers, formally launched as the Atari Home Computer System, are a series of home computers introduced by Atari, Inc., in 1979 with the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The architecture is designed around the 8-bit MOS Technology 6502 CPU and three custom coprocessors which provide support for sprites, smooth multidirectional scrolling, four channels of audio, and other features. The graphics and sound are more advanced than most of its contemporaries, and video games are a key part of the software library. The 1980 first-person space combat simulator ''Star Raiders'' is considered the platform's killer app. The Atari 800 was positioned as a high-end model and the 400 as more affordable. The 400 has a pressure-sensitive, spillproof membrane keyboard and initially shipped with a non-upgradable of RAM. The 800 has a conventional keyboard, a second cartridge slot, and allows easy RAM upgrades to 48K. Both use identical 6502 CPUs at ( for PAL versions) and coprocess ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brand Name
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and store value as brand equity for the object identified, to the benefit of the brand's customers, its owners and shareholders. Brand names are sometimes distinguished from Generic brand, generic or store brands. The practice of branding—in the original literal sense of marking by burning—is thought to have begun with the ancient Egyptians, who are known to have engaged in livestock branding and branded slaves as early as 2,700 BCE. Branding was used to differentiate one person's cattle from another's by means of a distinctive symbol burned into the animal's skin with a hot branding iron. If a person stole any of the cattle, anyone else who saw the symbol could deduce the actual owner. The term has been extended to mean a strategic person ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
InfoWorld
''InfoWorld'' (''IW'') is an American information technology media business. Founded in 1978, it began as a monthly magazine. In 2007, it transitioned to a Web-only publication. Its parent company is International Data Group, and its sister publications include '' Macworld'' and '' PC World''. ''InfoWorld'' is based in San Francisco, with contributors and supporting staff based across the U.S. Since its founding, ''InfoWorld''s readership has largely consisted of IT and business professionals. ''InfoWorld'' focuses on how-to, analysis, and editorial content from a mixture of experienced technology journalists and working technology practitioners. The site averages 4.6 million monthly page views and 1.1 million monthly unique visitors. History The magazine was founded by Jim Warren in 1978 as ''The Intelligent Machines Journal'' (IMJ). It was sold to IDG in late 1979. On 18 February 1980, the magazine name was changed to ''InfoWorld''. In 1986, the Robert X. Cringely colum ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Invasion Orion
''Invasion Orion'' is a 1979 science fiction strategy video game written and published by Automated Simulations (which would become Epyx in 1983). It is one or two player sequel to the original two-player '' Starfleet Orion'' which was published in late 1978. The game was written in BASIC for the Commodore PET and TRS-80 and ported to the Atari 8-bit computers and Apple II. Gameplay The gamefield was a thirty-two high by sixty-four wide grid of possible locations (the game manual contains a typo, stating these are 34 × 62). The map could contain ships, stacked on the same grid space if needed, as well as planets and other objects. The game was turn based, and in two-player games the players took turns at the keyboard to enter their commands, which were then carried out simultaneously. Each player controlled one or more ships, and the game continued until one or both were destroyed, or escaped by flying off the playfield. Ships were powered by a single energy source whose power h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
