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Summit Software
Alternative Software is a British software developer and publisher founded in 1985. From the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, the company published well over a hundred games, primarily for the 8-bit computer formats in the budget (£1.99 to £3.99) market. These included both original titles (e.g. MC Lothlorien, MC Lothlorien's ''Pro Mountain Bike Simulator'') as well as reissues of other developers' and publishers' software such as ''River Rescue'' which it acquired from the liquidation of Thorn EMI Computer Software, Creative Sparks Distribution. In 1988, the company's catalogue expanded rapidly when it obtained the rights to re-release games from Piranha Software, Audiogenic, Incentive Software, Incentive and Bubble Bus. By late 1988, Commodore Computing International were noting Alternative's success, observing that they had topped Gallup (company), Gallup's market share charts almost every week since June of that year, been the number one software house in 7 out of 8 Gallup cha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Software Industry
The software industry includes businesses for development, maintenance and publication of software that are using different business models, mainly either "license/maintenance based" (on-premises) or " Cloud based" (such as SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, MBaaS, MSaaS, DCaaS etc.). The industry also includes software services, such as training, documentation, consulting and data recovery. The software and computer services industry spends more than 11% of its net sales for Research & Development which is in comparison with other industries the second highest share after pharmaceuticals & biotechnology. History The first company founded to provide software products and services was Computer Usage Company in 1955. Before that time, computers were programmed either by customers, or the few commercial computer vendors of the time, such as Sperry Rand and IBM. The software industry expanded in the early 1960s, shortly after computers became widely available. Demand for software was created b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mastertronic
Mastertronic was originally a publisher and distributor of low-cost computer game software founded in 1983. Their first games were launched on April 2, 1984. At its peak the label was one of the largest software publishers in the UK, achieved by selling cassette-based software at £1.99. As well as supplying leading retailers such as Woolworth's and Toys "R" Us, Mastertronic sold software in outlets such as newsagents which had not been previously associated with the software market. Their range of budget games were incredibly successful during the 1980s, with titles such as '' Kikstart'', '' Action Biker'', '' Finders Keepers'', ''Chiller'' and ''Flash Gordon'' (released under the M.A.D. Label). Later diversification included the setting up of US operations to source and distribute their software, as well as an unsuccessful arcade games division ( Arcadia Systems). However, it was their decision to market the Master System in the UK that ultimately proved most successful ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Retro Gamer
''Retro Gamer'' is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering Retrogaming, retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Launched in January 2004 as a quarterly publication, ''Retro Gamer'' soon became a monthly. In 2005, a general decline in gaming and computer magazine readership led to the closure of its publishers, Live Publishing, and the rights to the magazine were later purchased by Imagine Publishing. It was taken over by Future plc on 21 October 2016, following Future's acquisition of Imagine Publishing. History The first 18 issues of the magazine came with a coverdisk. It usually contained freeware remakes of retro video games and emulators, but also videos and free commercial PC software such as ''The Games Factory'' and ''The Elder Scrolls: Arena''. Some issues had themed CDs containing the entire back catalogue of a publisher, such as Durell Software, Durell, Llamasoft and Gremlin Graphics. On 27 September 2005, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Wombles
''The Wombles'' are fictional pointy-nosed, furry creatures created by Elisabeth Beresford and originally appearing in a series of children's novels from 1968. They live in burrows, where they aim to help the environment by collecting and recycling rubbish in creative ways. Although Wombles supposedly live in every country in the world, Beresford's stories are primarily concerned with the lives of the inhabitants of the burrow on Wimbledon Common in London, England. The characters gained a higher national profile in the UK in the mid-1970s as a result of the popularity of a BBC-commissioned The Wombles (1973 TV series), children's television show which used stop motion animation, stop-motion animation. A number of spin-off novelty songs also became hits in the British music charts. The Wombles (band), The Wombles pop group was the idea of British singer and composer Mike Batt. The Womble motto is "Make Good Use of Bad Rubbish". This Environmentalism, environmentally friendly mes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas The Tank Engine
Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional, anthropomorphised tank locomotive who originated from the British children's books ''The Railway Series'', created and written by Wilbert Awdry with his son Christopher Awdry, Christopher, first published in 1945. Thomas runs on the Fat Controller's North Western Railway on the Island of Sodor. He became the most popular character in the series, and is the titular protagonist in the accompanying television series adaptation ''Thomas & Friends'' and its reboot ''Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go''. Based on the LB&SCR E2 class,Sibley, Brian (1995). ''The Thomas the Tank Engine Man''. London: Heinemann. . Thomas debuted in the 1946 book ''Thomas the Tank Engine (book), Thomas the Tank Engine''—the second book in ''The Railway Series''—and was the focus of the four short stories featured within. In 1979, British writer and producer Britt Allcroft came across the books, and arranged a deal to make the television series ''Thomas the Tan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sooty
Sooty is a British children's television media franchise created by Harry Corbett incorporating primarily television and stage shows. The franchise originated with his fictional glove puppet character introduced to television in '' The Sooty Show'' in 1955. The main character, Sooty, is a mute yellow bear with black ears and nose, who is kind-hearted but also cheeky. Sooty performs magic tricks and practical jokes, and squirts his handler and other people with his water pistol. The franchise itself also includes several other puppet characters who were created for television, as well as an animated series, two spin-off series for the direct-to-video market, and a selection of toy merchandising. The franchise remained in the ownership of Corbett until his retirement in 1976, before being passed on to his son Matthew. The rights to the franchise were sold in 1996 to a development firm who formed a holding company for the property, with Matthew later retiring and handing over ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fireman Sam
''Fireman Sam'' () is a British animated children's television series about a fireman named Sam, his fellow firefighters, and other residents in the fictional Welsh rural village of Pontypandy (a portmanteau of two real towns, Pontypridd and Tonypandy). It was broadcast for the first time in November 1987 on Welsh TV channel S4C and is shown in more than 155 countries across the world. History ''Fireman Sam'' first appeared in Welsh on S4C on 1 November 1987, and a few weeks later on BBC1 on 17 November 1987. The original series finished in 1994, and a new series that expanded the character cast commenced in 2003. The series was also shown as ' in Scottish Gaelic in Scotland. The series was sold to over 40 countries and has been used across the United Kingdom to promote fire safety. The theme song was performed by Maldwyn Pope in a classic rock style from 1987 to 1994, and then by a different singer, Cameron Stewart, in the 2000's alternative rock style since the 2003 new ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Count Duckula
''Count Duckula'' is a British children's television series, children's animated comedy horror television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Films, Cosgrove Hall Productions and produced by Thames Television as a spin-off of ''Danger Mouse (1981 TV series), Danger Mouse'', a series in which an early version of the Count Duckula character was a recurring villain. ''Count Duckula'' aired from 6 September 1988 to 16 February 1993 across four series; in all, 65 episodes were made, each about 22 minutes long. The series aired on Nickelodeon in the United States, who billed it as its original programming. All have been released on DVD in the UK, while only the first series has been released in North America. A new version of the original villainous Count Duckula appeared in the Danger Mouse (2015 TV series), 2015 reboot series of ''Danger Mouse'', but being a vegetarian like the good Duckula. History ''Count Duckula'' was created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Films, C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Postman Pat
''Postman Pat'' is a British stop motion animated television series, animated children's television series first produced by Woodland Animations. The series follows the adventures of Pat Clifton, a Mail carrier, postman who works for the Royal Mail postal service in the fictional village of Greendale (inspired by the real valley of Longsleddale near Kendal). ''Postman Pat'' first 13-episode series was screened on BBC One in 1981. John Cunliffe (author), John Cunliffe wrote the original treatment and scripts for the series, which was directed by animator Ivor Wood, who also worked on ''The Magic Roundabout'', ''The Wombles (1973 TV series), The Wombles'', ''Paddington (TV series), Paddington'', and ''The Herbs''. Following the success of the first series, four TV specials and a second series of thirteen episodes were produced during the 1990s. In this series, Pat had a family shown on screen for the first time (though his wife had been mentioned in a number of episodes). A new ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
