Datasoft
Encyclopedia
Datasoft, Inc. was a video game developer
and publisher
founded in 1980
by Pat Ketchum. Based out of Chatsworth, California, Datasoft ported
games from arcade systems
to personal computer
s and acquired licenses for games from famous movies and TV shows.
Datasoft developed and published video games for Apple II
, Atari 8-bit
, Atari ST
, Amiga
, Commodore 64
, PC
, and Tandy Color Computer systems. The company went into bankruptcy
and its name and assets were purchased by two Datasoft executives, Samuel L. Poole and Ted Hoffman. They renamed the company IntelliCreations which distributed Datasoft games until it closed.
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
and publisher
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
founded in 1980
1980 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* May 22, Namco releases Pac-Man, which is their biggest selling game of all time* December, Nintendo releases the Radar Scope arcade game...
by Pat Ketchum. Based out of Chatsworth, California, Datasoft ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
games from arcade systems
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
to personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
s and acquired licenses for games from famous movies and TV shows.
Datasoft developed and published video games for Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
, Atari 8-bit
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, and Tandy Color Computer systems. The company went into bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
and its name and assets were purchased by two Datasoft executives, Samuel L. Poole and Ted Hoffman. They renamed the company IntelliCreations which distributed Datasoft games until it closed.
Titles
- 221B Baker Street221B Baker Street (computer game)221B Baker Street is a 1987 computer game published by Datasoft, based on an earlier board game of the same name. The game was inspired by the exploits of Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and derives its title from the detective's residence at 221B Baker Street in...
- Alternate Reality: The CityAlternate Reality (computer game)Alternate Reality is an unfinished computer role-playing game series that has achieved cult status among many fans of RPGs. It was created by Philip Price, who formed a development company called Paradise Programming. Published by Datasoft AR: The City was released in 1985 and AR: The Dungeon was...
- Alternate Reality: The DungeonAlternate Reality (computer game)Alternate Reality is an unfinished computer role-playing game series that has achieved cult status among many fans of RPGs. It was created by Philip Price, who formed a development company called Paradise Programming. Published by Datasoft AR: The City was released in 1985 and AR: The Dungeon was...
- Annals of RomeAnnals of RomeAnnals of Rome is a turn-based strategy game from now-defunct Personal Software Services. It was first released in 1986.-Game:Annals of Rome begins in 273 BC with the player in control of the Roman state. Unlike other war-strategy games, the aim is not military victory but survival for the longest...
- Austerlitz
- Bismarck
- Black Magic
- Bruce Lee
- Conan: Hall of VoltaConan: Hall of VoltaConan: Hall of Volta is a 1984 action/platform computer game, designed by Eric Robinson and Eric Parker, and published by Datasoft. It is based on the character Conan created by Robert E. Howard....
- Crosscheck
- Dallas Quest, TheDallas QuestDallas Quest is an adventure game created by James Garon and published by Datasoft for the Commodore 64 computer in 1984. It is based on the Dallas TV series...
- Dark Lord
- Dreadnoughts
- Dung BeetlesDung Beetles (computer game)Dung Beetles is an Apple II computer game by Bob Bishop, released in 1982 by Datasoft.-Summary:This video game was ported to the TRS-80 Color Computer, where it was distributed by Tandy. On the Color Computer, it was renamed Mega-Bug; however, some copies were sold as Dung Beetles...
- Force Seven
- Genesis
- Goonies, The
- Gunslinger
- Juno FirstJuno FirstJuno First is a shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Konami and released in 1983. It was licensed to Gottlieb in the United States. The game is a vertical scrolling shooter, with a third-person perspective like Radar Scope. It follows in the tradition of space-themed shooting-galleries such as...
- Lancelot
- Lost Tomb
- MancopterMancopterMancopter is a computer game by the company Datasoft that appeared on the Commodore 64 computer system in 1984.-Summary:The player controls a person piloting a helicopter-like flying device over an ocean, and competing with other computer-controlled pilots....
- MercenaryMercenary (computer game)Mercenary is the first in a series of computer games, published on a number of 8-bit and 16-bit platforms from the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, by Novagen Software...
- Mind Pursuit
- Moon Shuttle
- Mr. Do!Mr. Do!Mr. Do! is an arcade game created by Universal in 1982. Remotely similar in gameplay to Namco's popular Dig Dug title, Mr. Do! was also popular and saw release on a variety of home video game consoles and systems. It is the first game in the Mr...
- Napoleon in Russia: Borodino 1812
- O'Riley's Mine
- Pole PositionPole PositionPole Position is a racing video game released in 1982 by Namco. It was published by Namco in Japan and by Atari, Inc. in the United States...
- PooyanPooyanis a classic arcade game manufactured by Stern Electronics under license from Konami in 1982. In it, the player controls "Mama", a pig whose babies have been kidnapped by a group of wolves.- Gameplay :...
- Sands of Egypt
- Saracen (computer game)
- Time and MagikTime and MagikTime and Magik is a trilogy of text adventure games by Level 9. The individual games were initially released separately in 1983-1986.In 1988 the three games were revised, expanded and rereleased together as a compilation....
- Tomahawk
- ZaxxonZaxxonZaxxon is a 1982 arcade game developed and released by Sega. Some sources claim that Japanese electronics company Ikegami Tsushinki also worked on the development of Zaxxon...
- Zorro
External links
- Company profile at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Company profile at Home of the UnderdogsHome of the UnderdogsHome of the Underdogs was an abandonware archive founded by Thai Sarinee Achavanuntakul , aka: Underdogs or Fringer on her own blog, in September 1998, and grew to be one of the most significant abandonware websites on the Internet, despite losing its domains to cybersquatters and then briefly...
- Adventureland Company Profile