Audiogenic Software was a British
video game development
Video game development (or gamedev) is the process of developing a video game. The effort is undertaken by a developer, ranging from a single person to an international team dispersed across the globe. Development of traditional commercial PC a ...
company. It was established in 1985 following an earlier Audiogenic company that had been founded in the late 1970s. It published its last new title in 1997, after the core of the development team were taken over by
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited (trade name: Codemasters) is a British video game developer based in Southam, England, which is a subsidiary of American corporation Electronic Arts. Founded by brothers Richard and David Darling in Octo ...
to create ''
Brian Lara Cricket
''Brian Lara Cricket'' is a cricket video game, the first in the '' Brian Lara Cricket'' series. It is endorsed by Brian Lara. ''Brian Lara Cricket'' was released on the PC in 1994 for DOS and Sega Mega Drive and Amiga in 1995 by Codemasters ...
'' on the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
. The company is, however, still in existence and continues to license its portfolio of titles to third parties for conversion onto new formats.
Though almost unknown in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, the company was successful in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
with a line of
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
and
rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
games, some versions of which were licensed to other publishers. Several games were also published under licence in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, including ''World Class Rugby'' for the
Super NES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...
, and a follow-up, ''World Class Rugby 2'', both of which were published by
Imagineer.
First company
The original company, Audiogenic Limited, was started as a recording studio called Sun in
Reading, Berkshire
Reading ( ) is a town and borough in Berkshire, Southeast England, southeast England. Located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the rivers River Thames, Thames and River Kennet, Kennet, the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 mot ...
in 1975 by Martin Maynard. It was one of the first
8 track studios to operate outside
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. By comparison with modern studios the recording equipment was very basic; however, it still recorded for bands including
The Vibrators
The Vibrators are a British punk rock band that formed in 1976.
Early career
The Vibrators were founded by Ian ' Knox' Carnochan, bassist Pat Collier, guitarist John Ellis, and drummer John 'Eddie' Edwards. They first came to public notice ...
,
XTC
XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in ...
, Stadium Dogs,
Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
,
Alan Clayson
Alan Clayson (born 3 May 1951, Dover, Kent) is an English singer-songwriter, author and music journalist. He gained popularity in the late 1970s as leader of the band Clayson and the Argonauts. In addition to contributing to publications such as ...
and
The New Seekers
The New Seekers are a British pop group, formed in London in 1969 by Keith Potger after the break-up of his group, The Seekers. The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers, but their music would hav ...
. It offered an
audio cassette
The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Otten ...
duplication service and the company also made arrangements for pressing
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...
. Terry Clark recently performed (February 2008 JonesFest) a song about the studio at a tribute concert for Garry Jones at the South Street centre in Reading.
JONESFEST: Terry Clarke - YouTube
/ref>
Around 1979 Audiogenic became interested in the Commodore PET
The Commodore PET is a line of personal computers produced starting in 1977 by Commodore International. A single all-in-one case combines a MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor, Commodore BASIC in read-only memory, keyboard, monochrome monitor, an ...
computer and gained a contract to duplicate computer software on cassette. Subsequently Commodore International
Commodore International (other names include Commodore International Limited) was an American home computer and electronics manufacturer founded by Jack Tramiel. Commodore International (CI), along with its subsidiary Commodore Business Mach ...
gave Audiogenic the software manufacturing and selling rights, but this arrangement came to an end with the advent of the VIC-20
The VIC-20 (known as the VC-20 in Germany and the VIC-1001 in Japan) is an 8-bit home computer that was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PE ...
. Martin Maynard flew to California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
and signed agreements with United Microware Industries, Cosmi, Creative Software and Broderbund
Broderbund Software, Inc. (stylized as Brøderbund) was an American maker of video games, educational software, and productivity tools. Broderbund is best known for the 8-bit video game hits ''Choplifter'', ''Lode Runner'', ''Karateka'', and '' ...
, some of the biggest suppliers of VIC software at that time.
Audiogenic published software successfully in the UK, but a decision to diversify by importing peripherals, notably the Koala Pad and the Entrepo Quick Data Drive (a continuous loop storage device for the Commodore 64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
) contributed to a decline in profitability which led to the company ceasing to trade in 1985. Martin Maynard returned to the audio duplication business, and is still operating Sounds Good Ltd now located in Southport, Merseyside.
Second company
The second Audiogenic, Audiogenic Software Limited was formed to acquire the assets and goodwill of the original company. Although financed and controlled by Supersoft
Supersoft was a software and computer game developer and publisher founded in England in 1978. It was founded by Peter Calver and Pearl Wellard to develop and publish software primarily for the Commodore PET.
History
The earliest Supersoft catalo ...
, run by Peter Calver and Pearl Wellard, a minority stake was held by Martin Maynard. At this time the company employed Darryl Still, who produced a number of successful releases for the BBC Micro, such as Psycastria and Thunderstruck, written by former members of the Icon Software team in North East England. Peter Scott and Gary Partis amongst them. Maynard left the board in 1987 and Still went on to manage the launch of the Atari ST, Lynx handheld and Jaguar consoles in Europe, before stints with Electronic Arts and Nvidia.
In 1996 the Audiogenic came to an arrangement with Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited (trade name: Codemasters) is a British video game developer based in Southam, England, which is a subsidiary of American corporation Electronic Arts. Founded by brothers Richard and David Darling in Octo ...
as a result of which the latter acquired the development team behind the Brian Lara series of cricket games, and the following year the company ceased developing new titles. Peter Calver still owns Supersoft
Supersoft was a software and computer game developer and publisher founded in England in 1978. It was founded by Peter Calver and Pearl Wellard to develop and publish software primarily for the Commodore PET.
History
The earliest Supersoft catalo ...
and Audiogenic, but now runs ''LostCousins'', a family history
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their Lineage (anthropology), lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family a ...
website.
Games
Audiogenic published and/or developed many popular games for a variety of computers and games consoles. The company's first release in 1985 was ''Graham Gooch's Test Cricket
''Graham Gooch's Test Cricket'' is a 1985 cricket game released for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum by Audiogenic. It was later reissued by budget label ''Alternative Software'' as ''Graham Gooch's Match Cricket''.
Game ...
'', which had been developed by Supersoft
Supersoft was a software and computer game developer and publisher founded in England in 1978. It was founded by Peter Calver and Pearl Wellard to develop and publish software primarily for the Commodore PET.
History
The earliest Supersoft catalo ...
, and the company continued to release sports games. For many years it was the world's leading producer of cricket games: ''Brian Lara Cricket
''Brian Lara Cricket'' is a cricket video game, the first in the '' Brian Lara Cricket'' series. It is endorsed by Brian Lara. ''Brian Lara Cricket'' was released on the PC in 1994 for DOS and Sega Mega Drive and Amiga in 1995 by Codemasters ...
'' and '' Lara '96'' were developed by Audiogenic for the Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it in 1988 in Japan a ...
and released by Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited (trade name: Codemasters) is a British video game developer based in Southam, England, which is a subsidiary of American corporation Electronic Arts. Founded by brothers Richard and David Darling in Octo ...
- both reached No.1 in the UK charts. Other sports titles included ''Emlyn Hughes International Soccer
''Emlyn Hughes International Soccer'' (EHIS) is a soccer computer game first released in 1988 by Audiogenic Software Ltd. The game is named after the popular English footballer Emlyn Hughes. It initially appeared on the Commodore 64, with other ...
'', ''Graham Gooch World Class Cricket
''Graham Gooch World Class Cricket'' is a cricket video game developed and published by Audiogenic in 1993. It is endorsed by former England cricketer Graham Gooch and is available for the Amiga and PC computer systems.
Gameplay
The player can ...
'', '' Allan Border Cricket'', ''European Champions'', ''Lothar Matthäus'', ''Super League Manager'', ''Rugby League Coach'', ''World Class Rugby'', ''European Champions'', ''Wembley International Soccer'', ''Wembley Rugby League'', ''Shane Warne Cricket'', and ''Super Tennis Champs''.
With ''Emlyn Hughes International Soccer
''Emlyn Hughes International Soccer'' (EHIS) is a soccer computer game first released in 1988 by Audiogenic Software Ltd. The game is named after the popular English footballer Emlyn Hughes. It initially appeared on the Commodore 64, with other ...
'' in 1988 Audiogenic pioneered the concept of a fast-moving sports simulation featuring on-screen commentary, named players and management elements; later with ''World Class Rugby'' and then ''European Champions'' Audiogenic introduced the concept of sports simulations with a choice of viewpoints.
Other titles included ''Exterminator'' (a coin-op conversion), ''Helter Skelter'', ''Impact'', ''Krusty's Fun House
''Krusty's Fun House'' is a puzzle video game based on the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''.
Gameplay
The player directs small rats to an extermination area through complicated maze-like levels. The player controls Krusty the Clown, who must nav ...
'', ''Bubble & Squeak'', ''Exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
'', and '' Loopz''.
'' Loopz'', designed by Ian Upton, is one of the few computer games to have been converted to a coin-operated arcade game
An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...
, and whilst Capcom (the licensee) never brought the game to market, a video of the completed game exists. It was also licensed to Barcrest for release as a skill-with-prizes amusement machine, but this version also failed to make it to market. However versions were released for 18 different computer and video game formats including NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
, Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...
, IBM PC
The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible de facto standard. Released on August 12, 1981, it was created by a team ...
, Amiga
Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...
and Atari ST
The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first pers ...
. A follow up game, ''Super Loopz'', was licensed to Imagineer for the Super NES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...
and was published for the Amiga
Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...
by Audiogenic.
See also
*Supersoft
Supersoft was a software and computer game developer and publisher founded in England in 1978. It was founded by Peter Calver and Pearl Wellard to develop and publish software primarily for the Commodore PET.
History
The earliest Supersoft catalo ...
* ''Brian Lara Cricket'' series
*Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited (trade name: Codemasters) is a British video game developer based in Southam, England, which is a subsidiary of American corporation Electronic Arts. Founded by brothers Richard and David Darling in Octo ...
References
External links
*
BBC Games Archive page for Audiogenic
Audiogenic
at ehis64.net
*{{MobyGames company, company=audiogenic-software-ltd
British companies established in 1985
Defunct video game companies of the United Kingdom
Video game development companies
Video game publishers