Epyx
Corporation | |
Industry | Computer and video games |
Founded | 1978 (as Automated Simulations) |
Defunct | 1993 |
Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
Key people |
Jim Connelley Jon Freeman David Shannon Morse (software manager) |
Products |
Temple of Apshai Summer Games Winter Games California Games |
Epyx, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher active in the late 1970s and 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983. Epyx published a long series of "hits" through the 1980s, but nevertheless went bankrupt in 1989 before finally disappearing in 1993.
History
Formation
In 1977, Susan Lee-Murrow 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 came up with the idea of writing a computer game for the machine before the end of the year so he could write it off on his taxes. Freeman had written on gaming for several publications, and joined Connelley in the design of a new space-themed wargame. Starting work around August 1978, Freeman wrote the basic rules, mission sets, background stories and the manual, while Connelley coded up the system in PET BASIC.[1]
The BASIC era
The two formed Automated Simulations around Thanksgiving 1978 to market the game, and released it in December as Starfleet Orion.[1] Examining contemporary magazines (Byte and Creative Computing) suggests this is the first space-themed wargame for a personal computer (however, see Star Trek). As the game was written in BASIC, it was easy to port to other home computers of the era, starting with the TRS-80 and then the Apple II, the latter featuring rudimentary graphics. They followed this game with 1979's Invasion Orion, which included a computer opponent so as not to require two human players.[1]
The company's next release, 1979's Temple of Apshai, was a major success, selling over 20,000 copies in an era of few computers.[2] As the game was not a "simulation" of anything, the company introduced the Epyx brand name for these more action-oriented titles. Rated as the best computer game by practically every magazine of the era, Apshai was soon ported from the TRS-80 to additional systems, such as the Atari 400/800 and the Commodore 64. Apshai spawned a number of similar adventure games based on the same game engine, including two direct sequels, branded under the Dunjonquest label. The games were so successful that they were later re-released in 1985 as the Temple of Apshai Trilogy.
Using the same BASIC game engine, a series of "semi-action" games followed under the Epyx brand, including Crush, Crumble and Chomp!, Rescue at Rigel, and Star Warrior, each of which added twists to the Apshai engine.[1]
Growth, action focus
Freeman left the company to start Free Fall Associates in 1981, leaving Connelley to lead what was now a large company. In 1983 the company assumed its brand name, becoming known simply as Epyx. Connelley reorganized his own development team as The Connelley Group, but continued to work under the Epyx umbrella, releasing Dragonriders of Pern. However 1983 was the year that Jumpman was released and became a big hit. Management decided the future was in action games, and Connelley eventually left the company, releasing games with other labels such as Brøderbund.
By early 1984 InfoWorld estimated that Epyx was the world's 16th-largest microcomputer-software company, with $10 million in 1983 sales.[3] A string of successful action games followed, including the hits Impossible Mission and Summer Games. The latter created a long run of successful sequels, including Summer Games II, Winter Games, California Games, and World Games. The company also branched out into "Computer Activity Toys", licenses of Hot Wheels, G.I. Joe, and Barbie. In Europe, the British home computer game company U.S. Gold published Epyx games for the Commodore 64, and also ported many of the games to other major European platforms such as the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC.
For the bestselling Commodore 64, Epyx made the Fast Load cartridge which enabled a fivefold speedup of floppy disk drive accesses through Commodore's very slow IEEE-488 interface. Additionally, the FastLoad featured convenient disk access commands (for directory listings and program loads/saves, etc.), and a disk editor—a hacking tool allowing for direct low-level access to floppy disks. Another hardware product was the popular Epyx 500XJ Joystick, which used high-quality microswitches and a more ergonomic form factor than the Atari 2600 joystick style then prevalent.
Starting in 1986, Epyx also developed a handheld game system called the Handy. Unable to continue due to high costs, it was sold to Atari, renamed, and sold as the Atari Lynx.[4]
Litigation
In 1987, Epyx faced an important copyright infringement lawsuit from Data East USA regarding Epyx's Commodore 64 video game World Karate Championship. Data East thought the whole game, and particularly the depiction of the referee, looked too much like its 1984 arcade game Karate Champ. Data East won at the US District Court level and Judge William Ingram ordered Epyx to recall all copies of World Karate Championship. Epyx appealed the case to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, who reversed the judgment and ruled in favor of Epyx, stating that copyright protection did not extend to the idea of a tournament karate game, but specific artistic choices not dictated by that idea.[5] The Court noted that a "17.5 year-old boy" could see clear differences between the elements of each game actually subject to copyright.[5]
Bankruptcy and asset sales
In 1989, Epyx discontinued developing computer games, began making only console games,[6] and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[7] According to Stephen Landrum, a long-time game programmer at Epyx, the company went bankrupt "because it never really understood why it had been successful in the past, and then decided to branch out in a lot of directions, all of which turned out to be failures."[8]
At this time, Epyx moved to a smaller office in downtown Redwood City and laid off nearly everyone. Epyx still developed games, but gave up their publishing rights and all the rights to the handheld game console they were developing to Atari (the company they owed most of the money to), eventually becoming the Atari Lynx. Epyx eventually came out of bankruptcy, but in 1993, with eight employees left, they decided just to sell off the rest of the company. Bridgestone Media Group eventually acquired the rights the rest of Epyx's assets. Job offers were extended to the eight remaining employees, but only Peter Engelbrite accepted.
In 2006, British publisher System 3 announced it had acquired Epyx's assets to release games such as California Games and Impossible Mission for Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and Wii in 2007.[9]
Products
Games
Name | Year | Platforms | Description |
---|---|---|---|
4x4 Off-Road Racing | 1988 | Amiga | An off-road racing game |
Amstrad CPC | |||
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
MSX | |||
ZX Spectrum | |||
Alien Garden | 1982 | Atari 8-bit | An early "art game" that required experimentation to understand and win |
Commodore 64 | |||
Armor Assault | 1982 | Atari 8-bit | A turn-based tank strategy game between Soviet and NATO forces |
Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior | 1987 | Acorn Electron | Also known as Death Sword, a fighting game, players fight gory combat against one another or for the sake of a bikini-clad princess. Controversy over the game's packaging in the UK stoked this game's success. |
Amiga | |||
Amstrad CPC | |||
Apple II | |||
Atari ST | |||
BBC Micro | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
ZX Spectrum | |||
Barbarian II: Dungeons of Drax | 1988 | Acorn Electron | Also known as Axe of Rage, a fighting game, garnered much less attention than its predecessor |
Amiga | |||
Amstrad CPC | |||
Atari ST | |||
BBC Micro | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
MSX | |||
ZX Spectrum | |||
Barbie | 1984 | Commodore 64 | Players must successfully prepare for a date with Barbie's male counterpart, Ken |
Battle Bugs | 1994 | DOS | A real-time tactics game featuring bugs battling in common household environments |
1997 | PlayStation | ||
1994 | Windows | ||
Blue Lightning | 1995 | Atari Jaguar CD | One of the first games for the Lynx, a pseudo-flight simulator where the pilot commands a military aircraft |
1989 | Atari Lynx | ||
Break Dance | 1984 | Commodore 64 | A rhythm game similar to Simon inspired by the then-current fad of breakdancing |
Boulder Dash Construction Kit | 1986 | ||
California Games | 1987 | Amiga | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing |
Amstrad CPC | |||
Apple II | |||
Apple IIGS | |||
Atari 2600 | |||
Atari Lynx | |||
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
MSX | |||
Nintendo Entertainment System | |||
Sega Master System | |||
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive | |||
2008 | Virtual Console | ||
1987 | ZX Spectrum | ||
California Games 2 | 1993 | Amiga | A sequel to California Games, a collection of more California-themed sports games |
DOS | |||
2008 | PlayStation Network | ||
1993 | Sega Master System | ||
1993 | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | ||
2008 | Virtual Console | ||
Championship Wrestling | 1986 | Apple II | A professional wrestling sports game |
Atari ST | |||
1987 | Commodore 64 | ||
Chip's Challenge | Amiga | Originally designed for the Atari Lynx, this puzzle game was subsequently ported to several other platforms, sometimes more than once. | |
Amstrad CPC | |||
1989 | Atari Lynx | ||
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
Windows | |||
ZX Spectrum | |||
Crush, Crumble and Chomp! | 1981 | Apple II | A movie monster strategy game where the player controls a monster and tries to destroy a city without getting killed |
Atari 8-bit | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
Commodore VIC-20 | |||
DOS | |||
TRS-80 | |||
Crypt of the Undead | 1982 | ||
Curse of Ra | 1982 | An expansion to Temple of Apshai, requiring the original game to play. Included in Temple of Apshai Trilogy | |
Danger in Drindisti | 1981 | An entry in the loosely tied Dunjonquest series of fantasy role-playing video games | |
Datestones of Ryn, TheThe Datestones of Ryn | 1979 | Apple II | A "prequel" to Temple of Apshai and part of Epyx's loosely tied "Dunjonquest" series, a role-playing video game, perhaps the first example of an action role-playing game |
Atari 8-bit | |||
Commodore PET | |||
TRS-80 | |||
Destroyer | 1986 | Amiga | A well-received naval combat simulation |
Apple II | |||
Apple IIGS | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
Dragon's Eye | 1981 | ||
Dragonriders of Pern | 1983 | Atari 8-bit | A strategy video game based on the series of books by Anne McCaffrey |
Commodore 64 | |||
ElectroCop | 1989 | Atari Lynx | An action game where the player has to rescue the President's daughter |
Escape from Vulcan's Isle | 1982 | ||
Fax | 1983 | ||
Final Assault | 1987 | Amiga | A mountain climbing simulation. Released as Chamonix Challenge in Europe. |
Amstrad CPC | |||
Apple IIGS | |||
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
ZX Spectrum | |||
Fore! | |||
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero | 1985 | Apple II | An action shoot 'em up game based on the popular action figure |
Commodore 64 | |||
The Games: Summer Edition | 1988 | ||
The Games: Winter Edition | 1988 | ||
Gates of Zendocon | 1989 | Atari Lynx | A sci fi shoot 'em up |
Gateway to Apshai | 1983 | Atari 8-bit | An action-adventure role-playing video game that served as a prequel to the earlier Temple of Apshai |
ColecoVision | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
Hellfire Warrior | 1980 | An entry in the Dunjonquest series of role-playing video games | |
Hot Wheels | 1985 | ||
Impossible Mission | 1985 | Acorn Electron | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. |
1986 | Amstrad CPC | ||
Apple II | |||
1987 | Atari 7800 | ||
1985 | BBC Micro | ||
1984 | Commodore 64 | ||
2007 | Nintendo DS | ||
Nintendo Entertainment System | |||
2010 | Oric Atmos | ||
2007 | PlayStation 2 | ||
2007 | PlayStation Portable | ||
1988 | Sega Master System | ||
2007 | Virtual Console | ||
2007 | Wii | ||
1985 | ZX Spectrum | ||
Impossible Mission II | 1988 | Amiga | Rewritten from scratch with the plot a direct follow-on of the original, this game failed to perform nearly as well |
Amstrad CPC | |||
Apple IIc | |||
Apple IIe | |||
Apple IIGS | |||
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
Nintendo Entertainment System | |||
ZX Spectrum | |||
Invasion Orion | 1979 | Apple II | A science fiction strategy video game |
Atari 8-bit | |||
PET | |||
TRS-80 | |||
Jabbertalky | 1982 | ||
Jumpman | 1983 | Apple II | Designed and programmed by Randy Glover, a platform game, a very successful game for Epyx, who sold it for years after its initial release |
Atari 8-bit | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
TI-89 | |||
2008 | Virtual Console | ||
Jumpman Junior | 1983 | Atari 8-bit | A "lite" version of Jumpman with only 12 levels |
ColecoVision | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
Keys of Acheron, TheThe Keys of Acheron | 1981 | An entry in the loosely tied Dunjonquest series of fantasy role-playing video games | |
King Arthur's Heir | 1982 | ||
L.A. Crackdown | 1988 | ||
Legend of Blacksilver | 1988 | Apple II | A fantasy role-playing video game that was met with lukewarm reception due to its stale graphics and unimaginative presentation |
Commodore 64 | |||
Mind-Roll | 1988 | ||
Monster Maze | 1982 | ||
Morloc's Tower | 1979 | An entry in the loosely tied Dunjonquest series of fantasy role-playing video games | |
Movie Monster Game, TheThe Movie Monster Game | 1986 | Apple II | An action game where the player gets to assume the role of one of various monster movie standards |
Commodore 64 | |||
New World | 1982 | ||
Nightmare, TheThe Nightmare | 1982 | ||
Oil Barons | 1983 | Apple II | A peculiar hybrid of video game and board game, this game sold poorly upon its release and is very rare today |
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
Omnicron Conspiracy | 1989 | ||
Pitstop | 1983 | ||
Pitstop II | 1984 | Apple II | A widely hailed racing game, the first to implement a split-screen for simultaneous two-player racing |
Atari 8-bit | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
PC Booter | |||
1985 | TRS-80 Color Computer | ||
2008 | Virtual Console | ||
PlatterMania | 1982 | Atari 8-bit | |
Project Neptune | 1989 | ||
Purple Saturn Day | 1989 | Amiga | A sports game with a variety of Olympic-themed sci-fi events that garnered high praise |
Amstrad CPC | |||
Atari ST | |||
DOS | |||
ZX Spectrum | |||
Puzzle Panic | 1984 | Atari 8-bit | A puzzle game featuring a lightbulb named "Benny" |
Commodore 64 | |||
Rad Warrior | 1986 | Commodore 64 | Published as The Sacred Armour of Antiriad outside of North America and set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, a combination action puzzle and platform game; came with a 16-page comic book |
DOS | |||
TRS-80 | |||
Rescue at Rigel | 1980 | Apple II | Probably inspired by the Iran hostage crisis, the player must rescue hostages on an asteroid orbiting the star Rigel |
Atari 8-bit | |||
Commodore PET | |||
DOS (PC booter) | |||
TRS-80 | |||
VIC-20 | |||
Revenge of Defender | 1988 | ||
Ricochet | 1981 | ||
Rogue | 1983 | Amiga | A groundbreaking dungeon crawler that introduced a number of game innovations. Originally developed on the Berkley Unix distribution, Epyx paid for three ports to home computers. |
Atari ST | |||
TRS-80 Color Computer | |||
Snowstrike | 1991 | ||
Silicon Warrior | 1984 | ||
Sorcerer of Siva | 1981 | An entry in the loosely tied Dunjonquest series of fantasy role-playing video games | |
Space Station Oblivion | 1987 | Amiga | Released as Driller outside North America, a sci-fi puzzle game |
Amstrad CPC | |||
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
ZX Spectrum | |||
Spiderbot | 1988 | Commodore 64 | Originally released in Europe as Arac by Addictive Software in 1986. |
Starfleet Orion | 1978 | Apple II | The first game by Epyx, then Automated Systems, a sci-fi turn-based strategy video game. A success, leading to their development of further games. |
Commodore PET | |||
TRS-80 | |||
Star Warrior | 1981 | Apple II | Branded as being part of their loosely related "Starquest" series, an early sci-fi role-playing video game when Epyx was still "Automated Systems" |
Atari 8-bit | |||
TRS-80 | |||
Street Sports Baseball | 1987 | Apple II | A baseball sports game. |
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
Street Sports Basketball | 1987 | Amiga | A sports game of basketball featuring 3-a-side games |
Amstrad CPC | |||
Apple II | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
ZX Spectrum | |||
Street Sports Football | 1988 | Commodore 64 | A football sports game |
Apple II | |||
Street Sports Soccer | 1988 | Commodore 64 | Another in Epyx's "street sports" line, this one featuring soccer |
Apple II | |||
DOS | |||
Sub Battle Simulator | 1987 | Amiga | A naval combat simulation game set during WWII where players can play as the American or German forces |
Apple II | |||
Apple IIGS | |||
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
Macintosh | |||
Tandy Color Computer 3 | |||
Summer Games | 1984 | Amiga | A sports game including several games featured in the Summer Olympic Games such as pole vaulting, platform diving and gymnastics, among others |
Apple II | |||
Atari 2600 | |||
Atari 7800 | |||
Atari 8-bit | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
Sega Master System | |||
Windows Mobile | |||
ZX Spectrum | |||
Summer Games II | 1985 | Amiga | A sequel to Summer Games, this sports game features additional events from the Summer Olympic Games |
Amstrad CPC | |||
Apple II | |||
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
Sinclair Spectrum | |||
2008 | Virtual Console | ||
Super Cycle | 1986 | Amstrad CPC | A motorcycle racing game. |
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
ZX Spectrum | |||
Sword of Fargoal | 1983 | Commodore 64 | A popular but difficult dungeon crawler featuring several aspects of the roguelike games |
1982 | Commodore PET | ||
Commodore VIC-20 | |||
Temple of Apshai | 1979 | Amiga | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Systems |
Amstrad CPC | |||
Apple II | |||
Atari 8-bit | |||
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
Commodore PET | |||
Commodore VIC-20 | |||
DOS | |||
Macintosh | |||
TRS-80 | |||
Temple of Apshai Trilogy | 1985 | A repackaging of Temple of Apshai with its two expansion packs, Upper Reaches of Apshai and Curse of Ra | |
Tuesday Morning Quarterback | 1980 | ||
Upper Reaches of Apshai | 1982 | An expansion pack for Temple of Apshai that required the original program to run. Included in Temple of Apshai Trilogy | |
Winter Games | 1984 | Atari 2600 | A sports game including several events featured in the Winter Olympic Games such as alpine skiing, ski jumping and biathlon, among others" |
Atari 8-bit | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
World Games | 1986 | Amiga | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. |
Amstrad CPC | |||
Apple IIe | |||
Apple IIGS | |||
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
MSX | |||
Sega Master System | |||
2008 | Virtual Console | ||
1986 | ZX Spectrum | ||
World Karate Championship | 1986 | Amstrad CPC | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America |
Apple II | |||
Atari 8-bit | |||
Atari ST | |||
Commodore 16 | |||
Commodore 64 | |||
DOS | |||
Game Boy Advance | |||
Game Boy Color | |||
MSX | |||
2008 | Virtual Console | ||
1985 | ZX Spectrum | ||
Zarlor Mercenary | 1990 | Lynx | A vertical scrolling shooter, praised for its graphics, but overall unevenly received |
Other software
Name | Year | Platforms | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Epyx Fast Load | 1984 | Commodore 64 | A powerful disk drive loading accelerator, one of the most widely used peripherals for the Commodore 64, it also contained a number of other useful software tools |
Print Magic | 1988 | Apple II | A home desktop publishing suite, it outperformed the contemporary market leader at the time, The Print Shop, on all levels, though not a great commercial success |
DOS |
Hardware
Name | Year | Description | Image |
---|---|---|---|
500XJ joystick | An Atari compatible joystick that was innovative in that its base was molded to more naturally fit a player's hand, so it was easier to use than traditional rectangular-based joysticks | ||
Handy | 1989 | A handheld game console that was innovative in many ways. Short on capital at the time, however, Epyx licensed it to Atari, who christened it the Atari Lynx |
References
- 1 2 3 4 Rusel DeMaria and Johnny Wilson, "High Score! The Illustrated History of Video Games", McGraw-Hill, 2003, pg. 54-55
- ↑ Paul Freiberger, "This Company Is Serious about Games", InfoWorld, 11 May 1981, pg. 10-11
- ↑ Caruso, Denise (1984-04-02). "Company Strategies Boomerang". InfoWorld. pp. 80–83. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
- ↑ Peter Latimer, "Atari Lynx", Retro Gamer, Volume 2 Issue 6 (July 2005), pg. 24–31
- 1 2 Data East USA, Inc. v. Epyx, Inc., 862 F. 2d 204, 9 U.S.P.Q.2d (BNA) 1322 (9th Cir. 1988).
- ↑ Ferrell, Keith (December 1989). "Epyx Goes Diskless". Compute!. p. 6. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ↑ Wilson, Johnny L. (November 1991). "A History of Computer Games". Computer Gaming World. p. 10. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
- ↑ Tobias Weihmann. "Interview with Stephen H. Landrum". The Unofficial Epyx & SummerGames Homepage. Archived from the original on 2009-05-04. Retrieved 2015-10-11.
- ↑ Brendan Sinclair, "Epyx returns on Wii, PSP, DS", gamespot, 17 August 2006
External links
- Epyx profile on MobyGames
- "Epyx Journey" – An in-depth history of Epyx
- Epyx history and game list – GOTCHA on GameSpy.
- Images of some early Epyx brochures
- Epyx 500XJ Joystick Brochure
- Epyx 500XJ Joystick Commercial (1986)
- Epyx at World of Spectrum