Windham Classics
Encyclopedia
Windham Classics Corporation
was a subsidiary of Spinnaker Software
. The corporation was founded in 1984 and went defunct circa 1985/86 or later. The headquarters were in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
s. The games belonged to the genres of interactive fiction
with graphics and point-and-click adventure game. They were based upon books for children. The game developement was a part of Spinnakers marketing strategy in the adventure game market in the 1980s: Target groups of Windham Classic adventures were children players and target groups of Telarium
, another Spinnaker subsidiary corporation, were grown-up players.
The adventure game Robin Hood was annonced, but not published.
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
was a subsidiary of Spinnaker Software
Spinnaker Software
Spinnaker Software was a 1982 founded software company known primarily for its line of non-curriculum based educational software, which was a major seller during the 1980s. It was founded by chairman Bill Bowman and president C. David Seuss....
. The corporation was founded in 1984 and went defunct circa 1985/86 or later. The headquarters were in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Adventure games
Windham Classics published five adventure gameAdventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
s. The games belonged to the genres of interactive fiction
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
with graphics and point-and-click adventure game. They were based upon books for children. The game developement was a part of Spinnakers marketing strategy in the adventure game market in the 1980s: Target groups of Windham Classic adventures were children players and target groups of Telarium
Telarium
Telarium Corporation was a subsidiary of Spinnaker Software. The corporation was founded in 1984 and went defunct in 1987. The headquarters were in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. President of Telarium was C. David Seuss, the founder and CEO of Spinnaker Software.- Adventure games :Telarium...
, another Spinnaker subsidiary corporation, were grown-up players.
- Below the Root, 1984 (developed in corporation with Zilpha Keatley SnyderZilpha Keatley SnyderZilpha Keatley Snyder is an acclaimed author of books for children and young adults. Snyder was awarded three Newbery Honor Book awards for The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid and The Witches of Worm. Since 1964, Snyder has completed 43 books...
, based upon her novel Below the RootBelow the RootBelow the Root is an adventure game released in 1984 by Windham Classics, a division of Spinnaker Software. It is titled after Below the Root, the first of the Green Sky Trilogy of novels, written by Zilpha Keatley Snyder and published between 1978 and 1980.The player can assume the role of one of...
) - Swiss Family Robinson, 1984 (based upon the novel The Swiss Family RobinsonThe Swiss Family Robinson-History:Written by Swiss pastor Johann David Wyss and edited by his son Johann Rudolf Wyss, the novel was intended to teach his four sons about family values, good husbandry, the uses of the natural world and self-reliance...
by Johann David WyssJohann David WyssJohann David Wyss is best remembered for his book The Swiss Family Robinson. It is said that he was inspired by Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, but wanted to write a story from which his own children would learn, as the father in the story taught important lessons to his children...
) - The Wizard of Oz, 1985 (based upon the Novel The Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of OzThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
by Lyman Frank Baum) - Alice in Wonderland, 1985 (based upon the novel Alice in Wonderland by Lewis CarrollLewis CarrollCharles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
) - Treasure Island, 1985 (based upon the novel Treasure IslandTreasure IslandTreasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
by Robert Louis StevensonRobert Louis StevensonRobert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
).
The adventure game Robin Hood was annonced, but not published.
Reception
The Windham Classics adventures were praised for their text quality and their detailed graphics. The special feature of Windham Classics adventures was the appropriate gameplay for children. The gameplay was easier than the gameplay in other adventures. The combination of text, graphics, a nonviolent storyline and appropriate interactive opportunities assisted the children's involvement and participation in the plot.External links
- Windham Classics at Museum of Computer Adventure Game History by Howard Feldman
- Telarium – Windham Classics at Adventureland by Hans Persson and Stefan Meier