Imagic
Encyclopedia
Imagic was a short-lived American video game developer
and publisher
that developed games for the Atari 2600
, Intellivision
and other video game console
s in the early 1980s. Founded in 1981 by Atari and Mattel Intellivision expatriates, its best-selling titles included Atlantis, Cosmic Ark
, Demon Attack
, and billiards game Trick Shot.
s were published exclusively by makers of the systems for which the games were designed. For example, Atari
was the only publisher of games for the Atari 2600
. This was particularly galling to the developers of the games, as they received no financial rewards for games that sold well, and did not receive credit for their games, some of whom left to join or form third-party game publishers for game consoles. Activision
as the first. Imagic was the second.
Imagics founders included Bill Grubb, Bob Smith and Denis Koble from Atari, Inc.
, Jim Goldberger and Brian Dougherty from Mattel
, as well as Mark Bradley and Rob Fulop
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50814F6395D0C718EDDA80994DA484D81 from Atari.
Despite initial success and sales greater than projections, the company's fortunes reversed after the stock market dumped videogame stocks in late 1982, scuttling Imagic's initial plan to become a publicly traded company.
Imagic was considered one of the best Intellivision developer
s thanks to unique video games like Cosmic Ark and Atlantis. By the end of the 2600s life, Imagic had the third largest collection of original game cartridges for the system, behind only Atari and Activision
.
, to which Atari had the exclusive home-version rights. The case was settled out of court, and Demon Attack went on to be ported
to more consoles and home computers than any other game of its time. Unlike Activision, who had a policy that games should look/play the same on all consoles, Imagic believed that games should take advantage of a console's strengths.
and "fifteen puzzle", that was completed but never officially released before Imagic's demise. Approximately 60 cartridges exist and most are signed and numbered by the original programmer. Cubicolor is one of the most rare and valuable games for the Atari 2600.
, IBM PCjr
, and Magnavox Odyssey²
. Their two Odyssey² games (ports of Demon Attack and Atlantis) were the only third party releases for that system in America. Unusual for a video game publisher of this time, Imagic's Intellivision library relied more on original games (Beauty & the Beast, Dracula, Microsurgeon
, Truckin, Ice Trek) than Atari ports, and even their ports were generally more advanced, both graphically and in terms of gameplay, than their Atari counterparts.
. It released 24 titles before going out of business by 1986, but the exact time it disbanded remains largely a mystery, however in 1983 they did layoff 40 of their 170 employees. The rights to Imagic's most popular titles have been owned by Activision since the late 1980s, and they have been re-released on several occasions.
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....
that developed games for the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
, Intellivision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
and other video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s in the early 1980s. Founded in 1981 by Atari and Mattel Intellivision expatriates, its best-selling titles included Atlantis, Cosmic Ark
Cosmic Ark
Cosmic Ark is a 1982 Atari 2600 video game, developed and published by Imagic as the sequel to Atlantis. It is believed to be the first-ever console game sequel...
, Demon Attack
Demon Attack
Demon Attack is a video game published by Imagic for several home console systems, including the Atari 2600, Intellivision, Odyssey², Atari 8-bit, Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, PC Booter, TRS-80 and TRS-80 Color Computer. There was also a port to the TI-99/4A titled Super Demon Attack...
, and billiards game Trick Shot.
History
Prior to 1981, software for video game consoleVideo game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s were published exclusively by makers of the systems for which the games were designed. For example, Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
was the only publisher of games for the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
. This was particularly galling to the developers of the games, as they received no financial rewards for games that sold well, and did not receive credit for their games, some of whom left to join or form third-party game publishers for game consoles. Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
as the first. Imagic was the second.
Imagics founders included Bill Grubb, Bob Smith and Denis Koble from Atari, Inc.
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
, Jim Goldberger and Brian Dougherty from Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
, as well as Mark Bradley and Rob Fulop
Rob Fulop
Rob Fulop is a writer and game programmer who was chiefly responsible for some of the Atari 2600's biggest hits, such as 1982's enormously successful Demon Attack. He also worked on the Atari 2600 ports of Night Driver , Space Invaders , and Missile Command .Rob Fulop is the co-founder of Imagic...
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50814F6395D0C718EDDA80994DA484D81 from Atari.
Despite initial success and sales greater than projections, the company's fortunes reversed after the stock market dumped videogame stocks in late 1982, scuttling Imagic's initial plan to become a publicly traded company.
Imagic was considered one of the best Intellivision developer
Software developer
A software developer is a person concerned with facets of the software development process. Their work includes researching, designing, developing, and testing software. A software developer may take part in design, computer programming, or software project management...
s thanks to unique video games like Cosmic Ark and Atlantis. By the end of the 2600s life, Imagic had the third largest collection of original game cartridges for the system, behind only Atari and Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
.
Comparison with Activision
Imagic was similar to Activision in many ways; they used a distinctive and easily recognizable style of cartridge housing (which included the company name embossed in the plastic), offered patches to players who sent in proof of a high score, and were renowned in the Atari community for featuring a high standard of audiovisual design in their games. Also like Activision, they were sued by Atari; the industry giant sued Imagic over Demon Attack because of its resemblance to PhoenixPhoenix (arcade game)
Phoenix is a shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Amstar Electronics in 1980, released by Centuri in the United States and by Taito in Japan. Bootleg versions of Phoenix were released by TPN and others...
, to which Atari had the exclusive home-version rights. The case was settled out of court, and Demon Attack went on to be 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...
to more consoles and home computers than any other game of its time. Unlike Activision, who had a policy that games should look/play the same on all consoles, Imagic believed that games should take advantage of a console's strengths.
Fan club
During its height, Imagic also ran a fan club for their games, the Numb Thumb Club, which published an annual newsletter. Only two issues were published before Imagic's demise in 1983.Unreleased games
Several prototypes of unreleased Imagic games have been discovered in recent years by gamers; probably the most famous of these is Cubicolor, a two-player puzzle game loosely based on a combination of a Rubik's CubeRubik's Cube
Rubik's Cube is a 3-D mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik.Originally called the "Magic Cube", the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Ideal Toy Corp. in 1980 and won the German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle that...
and "fifteen puzzle", that was completed but never officially released before Imagic's demise. Approximately 60 cartridges exist and most are signed and numbered by the original programmer. Cubicolor is one of the most rare and valuable games for the Atari 2600.
Non-Atari releases
Imagic also released games for the Mattel Intellivision, ColecoVisionColecoVision
The ColecoVision is Coleco Industries' second generation home video game console which was released in August 1982. The ColecoVision offered arcade-quality graphics and gaming style, and the means to expand the system's basic hardware...
, IBM PCjr
IBM PCjr
The IBM PCjr was IBM's first attempt to enter the home computer market. The PCjr, IBM model number 4860, retained the IBM PC's 8088 CPU and BIOS interface for compatibility, but various design and implementation decisions led the PCjr to be a commercial failure.- Features :Announced November 1,...
, and Magnavox Odyssey²
Magnavox Odyssey²
The Magnavox Odyssey², known in Europe as the Philips Videopac G7000, in Brazil as the Philips Odyssey, in the United States as the Magnavox Odyssey² and the Philips Odyssey², and also by many other names, is a video game console released in 1978.In the early 1970s, Magnavox was an innovator in the...
. Their two Odyssey² games (ports of Demon Attack and Atlantis) were the only third party releases for that system in America. Unusual for a video game publisher of this time, Imagic's Intellivision library relied more on original games (Beauty & the Beast, Dracula, Microsurgeon
Microsurgeon (video game)
Microsurgeon is a maze-like game produced by Imagic circa 1982-1983 for the Mattel Intellivision game console. The game was ported to the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A computer and the IBM PCjr. Microsurgeon is part of the Intellivision Rocks collection of Intellivision games.- Gameplay...
, Truckin, Ice Trek) than Atari ports, and even their ports were generally more advanced, both graphically and in terms of gameplay, than their Atari counterparts.
Demise
Although Imagic grew quickly in its early years, it was irreparably harmed by the video game crash of 1983Video game crash of 1983
The North American video game crash was a serious event that brought an abrupt end to what is considered the second generation of console video gaming in North America. Beginning in 1983, the crash almost destroyed the then-fledgling industry and led to the bankruptcy of several companies producing...
. It released 24 titles before going out of business by 1986, but the exact time it disbanded remains largely a mystery, however in 1983 they did layoff 40 of their 170 employees. The rights to Imagic's most popular titles have been owned by Activision since the late 1980s, and they have been re-released on several occasions.
Notable titles
- Atlantis
- Beauty & the Beast
- Cosmic ArkCosmic ArkCosmic Ark is a 1982 Atari 2600 video game, developed and published by Imagic as the sequel to Atlantis. It is believed to be the first-ever console game sequel...
- Demon AttackDemon AttackDemon Attack is a video game published by Imagic for several home console systems, including the Atari 2600, Intellivision, Odyssey², Atari 8-bit, Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, PC Booter, TRS-80 and TRS-80 Color Computer. There was also a port to the TI-99/4A titled Super Demon Attack...
- Dragonfire
- Fathom
- Fire Fighter
- Laser Gates
- MicrosurgeonMicrosurgeon (video game)Microsurgeon is a maze-like game produced by Imagic circa 1982-1983 for the Mattel Intellivision game console. The game was ported to the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A computer and the IBM PCjr. Microsurgeon is part of the Intellivision Rocks collection of Intellivision games.- Gameplay...
- Moonsweeper
- Nova Blast
- Riddle of the Sphinx
- Safecracker
- Star Voyager
- Tournament Tennis
- Trick Shot
- Truckin'
- Wing War