PopTop Software was an American video game developer

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...

. It was known as the publisher of several strategy games including Railroad Tycoon II

Railroad Tycoon II

Railroad Tycoon II is a game for the PC, Macintosh, PlayStation and Dreamcast in the Railroad Tycoon series. The Dreamcast version is a Gold Edition with improved graphics and gameplay...

(1998) and the Caribbean

Caribbean

The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

 island simulation Tropico

Tropico

Tropico is a series of construction and management simulation computer games developed by PopTop Software and published by Gathering of Developers in April 2001...

(2001). They are not to be confused with PopCap Games

PopCap Games

PopCap Games is an American video game developer and publisher, based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 2000 by John Vechey, Brian Fiete and Jason Kapalka, and currently employs about 400 people...

, which is a casual game developer.

History

PopTop Software was founded in 1993 by Phil Steinmeyer. It was based in Fenton, St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

. Their last game, Shattered Union

Shattered Union

Shattered Union is a turn-based tactics video game developed by PopTop Software and published by 2K Games in 2005.-Story:In an alternate timeline of 2009, following George W...

, a near-future military strategy game, was released in October 2005.

In March 2006 it was announced that Take-Two Interactive

Take-Two Interactive

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...

 would consolidate the studio with Sid Meier

Sid Meier

Sidney K. "Sid" Meier is a Canadian programmer and designer of several popular computer strategy games, most notably Civilization. He has won accolades for his contributions to the computer games industry...

's Firaxis Games

Firaxis Games

Firaxis Games is a computer game developer. It was founded in 1996 by Sid Meier, Jeff Briggs, and Brian Reynolds upon leaving MicroProse. The company focuses on strategy games and is based in Sparks, Maryland in the United States....

. Meier will head the combined studio.

Selected games

• Railroad Tycoon II
  Railroad Tycoon II
  Railroad Tycoon II is a game for the PC, Macintosh, PlayStation and Dreamcast in the Railroad Tycoon series. The Dreamcast version is a Gold Edition with improved graphics and gameplay...
  
  (1998)
• Tropico
  Tropico
  Tropico is a series of construction and management simulation computer games developed by PopTop Software and published by Gathering of Developers in April 2001...
  
  (2001)
• Tropico 2: Pirate Cove
  Tropico 2: Pirate Cove
  Tropico 2: Pirate Cove is the 2003 sequel to the computer game Tropico. Tropico 2 was developed by Frog City Software and published by Gathering of Developers for Windows and Mac OS X PCs.- Gameplay :...
  
  (2002) (design only, developed by Frog City Software
  Frog City Software
  Frog City Software was a computer game developing company which focused on strategy games, opened in 1995. Frog City Software was a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive until they closed it in 2006....
  
  )
• Railroad Tycoon 3
  Railroad Tycoon 3
  Railroad Tycoon 3 is a computer game in the Railroad Tycoon series, released in 2003.-New features:The game interface is in full 3D, with free camera movement...
  
  (2003)
• Shattered Union
  Shattered Union
  Shattered Union is a turn-based tactics video game developed by PopTop Software and published by 2K Games in 2005.-Story:In an alternate timeline of 2009, following George W...
  
  (2005)