Electric Dreams Softwarewas a UK-basedvideo game publisherestablished in1985byActivision[1]and run by Rod Cousens and Paul Cooper formerly ofQuicksilva.[2]The company published video games for theZX Spectrum,[3]Commodore 64,Amstrad CPC[4]and theAtari 8-bit computers[5]between 1985 and 1989, becoming one of the top eight UK software houses by 1987.[1]
 | |
| Industry | Video games |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1985 |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Fate | Defunct |
Key people | Rod Cousens, Paul Cooper |
| Products | Spindizzy(1986) Aliens: The Computer Game(1986) R-Type(1988) |
In late 1986, the label was adapted by the American division to publish titles outside of England for the American market.[6]
Software Studios
editThe publisher's in-housevideo game developerwas Software Studios, set up in April 1986 and run by John Dean and Dave Cummings. Software Studios also handledActivision'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 twofilm tie-in licenses,Aliens: The Computer Game(1986) andBig Trouble in Little China.[1]
The company's initial releases wereRiddler's DenandI, Of the Mask.[7]
List of releases
edit- Riddler's Den(1985), David Harper
- I, of the Mask(1985), Spaceman Ltd
- Back to the Future(1985), Software Images
- Winter Sports (video game)(1985), Software Images
- Zaxxon(1985); under license fromSega
- Aliens: The Computer Game(1986), Software Studios
- Big Trouble in Little China(1986), Software Studios
- Dandy(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 fromData East USA
- Nihilist(1987), Shahid Ahmad
- RMS Titanic
- Starblade(1986), Bob Duncan and Gary Stark
- Star Raiders II(1987), Simon Freeman, Gary Stark and Bruce Poelman; under license fromAtari
- 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(1988), Mr. Micro; under license from Data East USA
- R-Type(1988), Manfred Trenz and Andreas Escher; under license fromIrem
- Incredible Shrinking Sphere(1989), Foursfield
- Wicked(1989)
- Millennium 2.2(1989),Ian Bird
References
edit- ^abcFrancis Jago (January 1987)."Big Trouble In Little Hampshire".Your Computer.No. 78. Focus Magazines. p. 78.
- ^Goodwin, Simon (September 1985)."Planning our Future".CRASH(20).Retrieved2007-11-09.
- ^"Electric Dreams".SpectrumComputing.co.uk.Retrieved2021-05-15.
- ^"Electric Dreams".CPC Zone.Archived fromthe originalon 2017-12-01.Retrieved2007-11-09.
- ^"Electric Dreams".Atarimania.Retrieved2020-08-05.
- ^"Electric Dreams Imported Software".Computer Entertainer.September 1986. p. 3.
- ^"Frontlines".Your Spectrum(20). November 1985.Retrieved2007-11-09.