Electric Dreams Software was a UK-based

video game publisher A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that have been developed either internally by the publisher or externally by a video game developer. They often finance the development, sometimes by paying a video game developer ...

established in

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...

and run by Rod Cousens and Paul Cooper formerly of

Quicksilva Quicksilva was a British games software publisher active during the early 1980s. Quicksilva was founded by Nick Lambert in 1980. The name Quicksilva was inspired by a particular guitar solo in a track on the album Happy Trails by Quicksilver Me ...

. The company published video games for the

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. ...

, Commodore 64,

Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for "Colour Personal Computer") is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the ZX Spec ...

and the

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 650 ...

between 1985 and 1989, becoming one of the top eight UK software houses by 1987. In late 1986, the label was adapted by the American division to publish titles outside of England for the American market.

Software Studios

The publisher's in-house

video game developer A video game developer is a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large business with em ...

was Software Studios, set up in April 1986 and run by John Dean and Dave Cummings. Software Studios also handled

's products marketed in countries outside the United States. The concept behind this team was to pool resources and ideas between all Electric Dreams projects, but they were also directly responsible for two film tie-in licenses, '' Aliens: The Computer Game'' (1986) and ''

Big Trouble in Little China ''Big Trouble in Little China'' (also known as ''John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China'') is a 1986 American fantasy action-comedy film directed by John Carpenter, and starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun and James Hong. The ...

''. The company's initial releases were '' Riddler's Den'' and ''I, Of the Mask''.

List of releases

*'' Riddler's Den'' (1985), David Harper *''I, of the Mask'' (1985), Spaceman Ltd *''

Back to the Future ''Back to the Future'' is a 1985 American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. Set in 1985 ...

'' (1985), Software Images *''Winter Sports (video game)'' (1985), Software Images *''

Zaxxon is a scrolling shooter game developed and released by Sega as an arcade video game. It had a limited release in December 1981, followed by a wide release in January 1982. In the game, the player pilots a ship through heavily defended space fortr ...

'' (1985); under license from

Sega is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...

*'' Aliens: The Computer Game'' (1986), Software Studios *''

'' (1986), Software Studios *''

Dandy A dandy is a man who places particular importance upon physical appearance and personal grooming, refined language and leisurely hobbies. A dandy could be a self-made man both in person and ''persona'', who emulated the aristocratic style of l ...

'' (1986), The RamJam Corporation *''Explorer'' (1986), The RamJam Corporation *''Hijack'' (1986), Paradise Software *'' Mermaid Madness'' (1986), Soft Design *''Prodigy'' (1986), MD Software *'' Spindizzy'' (1986), Paul Shirley and Phil Churchyard *''Xarq'' (1986), The RamJam Corporation *'' Aliens: US Version'' (1987), Mr. Micro *'' Firetrack'' (1987), Aardvark Software *''FireTrap'' (1987), Source Software; under license from Data East USA *''Nihilist'' (1987), Shahid Ahmad *''RMS Titanic'' *''Starblade'' (1986), Bob Duncan and Gary Stark *''

Star Raiders II ''Star Raiders II'' is a space combat simulator released in 1986 for Atari 8-bit computers as a sequel to 1979's ''Star Raiders'', which was the killer app for the system. The game was originally developed as part of a tie-in with the movie '' ...

'' (1987), Simon Freeman, Gary Stark and Bruce Poelman; under license from

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French holding company Atari SA (formerly Infogrames) and its focus is on "video games, consumer hardware, licensing and bl ...

*'' Super Sprint'' (1987), Software Studios; under license from Atari *'' Tempest'' (1987), David Pridmore; under license from Atari *'' Super Hang-On'' (1986), Software Studios; under license from Sega *'' Championship Sprint'' (1988), Catalyst Coders; under license from Atari *''

Karnov is a platform video game released in the arcades in 1987 by Data East. A Nintendo Entertainment System port followed, when it was released in Japan by Namco the same year and in North America by Data East itself in 1988. Players take control o ...

'' (1988), Mr. Micro; under license from Data East USA *''

R-Type is a horizontally scrolling shooter arcade video game developed and released by Irem in 1987 and the first game in the ''R-Type'' series. The player controls a star ship, the R-9 "Arrowhead", in its efforts to destroy the Bydo, a powerful a ...

'' (1988), Manfred Trenz and Andreas Escher; under license from

Irem is a Japanese video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher and manufacturer of pachinkos. The company has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The full name of the company that uses the brand is Irem Software Enginee ...

*'' Incredible Shrinking Sphere'' (1989), Foursfield *'' Wicked'' (1989) *'' Millennium 2.2'' (1989), Ian Bird

References

{{reflist Video game publishers British companies established in 1985 Video game companies established in 1985 Video game companies disestablished in 1989 Defunct video game companies of the United Kingdom