Laboratorium Komputerowe Avalon (lit. "Computer Laboratory Avalon"), abbreviated LK Avalon, was a Polish

software developer Software development is the process of designing and Implementation, implementing a software solution to Computer user satisfaction, satisfy a User (computing), user. The process is more encompassing than Computer programming, programming, wri ...

and distributor, with product range encompassing

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

educational software Educational software is a term used for any computer software that is made for an educational purpose. It encompasses different ranges from language learning software to classroom management software to reference software. The purpose of all th ...

and other

applications Application may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Application software, computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks ** Application layer, an abstraction layer that specifies protocols and interface methods used in a ...

History

The company was founded in mid-1989 by 19 years old schoolmates Tomasz Pazdan and Janusz Pelc, fresh after passing their

matura or its translated terms (''mature'', ''matur'', , , , , ', ) is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech ...

exams, in order to publish Pelc's Atari 8-bit computer game ''Robbo''. In 1990 Mirosław Liminowicz joined the company, and replaced Pelc as partner in the company when the latter left Avalon the same year. LK Avalon followed the success of ''Robbo'' with other games and applications for the Atari XL/XE. Initially publishing software developed in-house, such as Pelc's ''Misja'' and Liminowicz's ''Fred'' and ''Lasermania'', later the company also published games created by other developers. In late 1991, Avalon made a deal with

Zeppelin Games Eutechnyx Limited (formerly Zeppelin Games Limited, until 1994, and Merit Studios (Europe) Limited, until 1997) is a British video game developer based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Since 1997, the company has focused on racing games. They a ...

, who would license the company's games ''Misja'' and ''Fred'' for release in Western Europe. In exchange, Avalon licensed several Atari 8-bit games by Zeppelin for publication in Poland, starting around October 1992. Avalon's software was also distributed in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

by KE-Soft and in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

by ANG Software. Besides software, Avalon was also responsible for publishing '' Tajemnice Atari'', a magazine for Atari computer enthusiasts. It contained type-in listings of Atari programs, solutions and maps for Polish video games, and promotion of software published by LK Avalon. Launched in May 1991, ''Tajemnice Atari'' lasted until October 1993. In the mid-1990s LK Avalon branched out to other computer platforms, publishing games first for the

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 ...

, then the

Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers produced by Commodore International, Commodore from 1985 until the company's bankruptcy in 1994, with production by others afterward. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16-b ...

and PC, with the

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

market being the company's focus since the 2000s.

Software

*1989 '' Robbo'' *1990 ''Misja'' - arcade *1990 ''Fred'' - arcade *1990 ''Lasermania'' *1991 ''A.D. 2044'' (

Atari 8-bit 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 ...

) *1991 ''Chaos Music Composer'' *1992 '' Hans Kloss'' *1993 ''Smuś'' *1994 ''CyberKick'' *1994 ''Vicky'' *1995 ''Mega Blast'' *1995 ''

Sołtys A sołtys () is a head of a sołectwo elected by its permanent citizens in a village meeting (''zebranie wiejskie''). According to data from 2010, Poland had 40 thousand sołtys, 30.7% of which were women. Role and powers Since 1990, a soł ...

'' *1995 '' Skaut Kwatermaster'' *1996 '' A.D. 2044'' (

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

) *1997 ''Sfinx'' *1997 ''Wacuś the Detective'' *1998 ''Jazz Jackrabbit 2'' *1999 ''Jazz Jackrabbit 2: The Secret Files'' *2000 ''Tridonis'' *2001 '' Schizm'' (developed by Detalion) *''Garden Composer 3D'' - design software

References

External links

* * *Jarosław Syrylak
Interview
with game developers Roland Pantoła, Dariusz Żołna and Mirosław Liminowicz, Tajemnice Atari 5/1993 {{Authority control Video game companies established in 1989 Defunct video game companies of Poland Video game development companies Video game publishers Polish companies established in 1989