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Epyx
Epyx, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher active in the late 1970s and 1980s. The company was founded as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, originally using Epyx as a brand name for action-oriented games before renaming the company to match in 1983. Epyx published a long series of games through the 1980s. The company is currently owned by Bridgestone Multimedia Group Global. History Formation In 1977, Susan Lee-Merrow invited Jon Freeman to join a Dungeons & Dragons game hosted by Jim Connelley and Jeff Johnson. Connelley later purchased a Commodore PET computer to help with the bookkeeping involved in being a dungeon master, and came up with the idea of writing a computer game for the machine before the end of the year so he could write it off on his taxes. Freeman had written on gaming for several publications, and joined Connelley in the design of a new space-themed wargame. Starting work around August 1978, Freeman wrote the basic rules, m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Temple Of Apshai
''Temple of Apshai'' is a dungeon crawl role-playing video game developed and published by Automated Simulations (later renamed to Epyx) in 1979. Originating on the TRS-80 and Commodore PET, it was followed by several updated versions for other computers between 1980 and 1986. ''Temple of Apshai'' is considered one of the first graphical role-playing games for home computers, predating even the commercial release of Richard Garriott's '' Akalabeth: World of Doom''. It was an enormous success for its era, selling 20,000 copies by the end of 1981, and 30,000 copies by 30 June 1982 and remaining a best-seller for at least four years. It was followed by several sequels and two expansions. The latter were bundled with the main game into the remake ''Temple of Apshai Trilogy'' in 1985. Games using the ''Apshai'' engine were collectively known as the ''Dunjonquest'' series. Gameplay The player in ''Temple of Apshai'' assumes the role of an adventurer who explores the mysterious ruins ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jumpman (video Game)
''Jumpman'' is a platform game written by Randy Glover and published by Epyx in 1983. It was first developed for the Atari 8-bit family, and versions were also released for the Commodore 64, Apple II, and IBM PC. The game received very favorable reviews when it was released and was a major hit for its publisher, Automated Simulations. It was so successful that the company renamed itself Epyx, formerly their brand for action titles like ''Jumpman''. Re-creations on other platforms, and new levels for the original versions, continue to appear. ''Jumpman'' was published on diskette, but a version of the game with 12 new levels instead of 30 was released on cartridge as ''Jumpman Junior''. It was available on the Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64, and ColecoVision. Gameplay According to the story, the base on Jupiter has been sabotaged by terrorists who have placed bombs throughout the base's three buildings. The object of the game is to defuse all the bombs in a plat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Summer Games (video Game)
''Summer Games'' is a sports video game developed and published by Epyx based on sports featured in the Summer Olympic Games. Released in 1984 for the Commodore 64, it was ported to the Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit family, and Sega Master System. In the UK, the game was first released by Quicksilva and subsequently by U.S. Gold who later created versions for the Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Atari ST for inclusion in compilations. In 2004 it was re-released on the C64 Direct-to-TV. ''Summer Games'' was the first in Epyx's ''Games'' series which included: ''Summer Games II'', '' Winter Games'', '' World Games'', '' California Games'', ''California Games II'', ''The Games: Summer Edition'', and ''The Games: Winter Edition. Gameplay The game is presented as a virtual multi-sport competition called the "Epyx Games" (there was no official IOC licensing in place) with up to eight players each choosing a country to represent, and then taking turns co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rescue At Rigel
''Rescue at Rigel'' is a 1980 science fiction role-playing video game written and published by Automated Simulations (later known as Epyx). It is based on a modified version of their '' Temple of Apshai'' game engine, which was used for most of their releases in this era. The game was released for the Apple II, IBM PC (as a self-booting disk), TRS-80, Commodore PET, VIC-20, and Atari 8-bit family. The game requires the player to search out a space fortress looking for ten hostages. Presented in a top-down view, the player can only see the area immediately around them, so the entire base has to be searched room by room. There is a 60-minute time limit on the mission. ''Rescue at Rigel'' was followed by ''Star Warrior'', and the two rebranded to be part of their "Starquest" series. Gameplay Players take on the role of adventurer Sudden Smith. Smith must try to rescue captives from the interior of an asteroid orbiting the star Rigel. Players have 60 minutes to rescue 10 huma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 World Records as the highest-selling single computer model of all time, with independent estimates placing the number sold between 12.5 and 17 million units. Volume production started in early 1982, marketing in August for . Preceded by the VIC-20 and Commodore PET, the C64 took its name from its of RAM. With support for multicolor sprites and a custom chip for waveform generation, the C64 could create superior visuals and audio compared to systems without such custom hardware. The C64 dominated the low-end computer market (except in the UK and Japan, lasting only about six months in Japan) for most of the later years of the 1980s. For a substantial period (1983–1986), the C64 had between 30% and 40% share of the US market and two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Impossible Mission
''Impossible Mission'' is a video game originally written for the Commodore 64 by Dennis Caswell and published by Epyx in 1984. The game features a variety of gameplay mechanics from platform and adventure games, and includes digitized speech. ''Impossible Mission'', which casts the player in the role of a secret agent infiltrating an enemy stronghold, is widely considered one of the best games for several platforms. From 1985 to 1988, the game was released for the Apple II, Atari 7800, ZX Spectrum, Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC, and Master System. Gameplay The player takes the role of a secret agent who must stop an evil genius, Professor Elvin Atombender, who is believed to be tampering with national security computers. The player races against the clock to reassemble and decrypt the password to Atombender's control room while avoiding deadly robots. Password pieces are found by searching furniture in the rooms. When searching, the player can also reset all ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crush, Crumble And Chomp!
''Crush, Crumble and Chomp!'' is a 1981 video game where the player takes control of a movie monster and attacks a major city, such as New York or San Francisco. It was published in 1981 for the TRS-80, Apple II, and Atari 8-bit family. Ports to the VIC-20, Commodore 64, and DOS were released later. Some versions were published under the company's original name of Automated Simulations, while the rest use Epyx. Gameplay ''Crush, Crumble and Chomp!'' is a turn-based action game played on a scrolling 2D grid-based map. The player creates a movie monster and attacks a city, much in the manner of the classic horror movies of the 1950s. Specifically, the player can create: * Goshilla, a giant amphibian like Godzilla, with a breath weapon and leaving a corrosive trail of radioactive waste. * The Kraken, a giant octopus or squid-like monster, that can attack bridges and seaside ports and then slip into the water to hide from attack. However, the Kraken can not go on land. * Arac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jon Freeman (game Designer)
Jon Freeman is a game designer and co-founder of software developer Automated Simulations, which was later renamed to Epyx and became a major company during the 8-bit era of home computing. He is married to game programmer Anne Westfall, and they work together as Free Fall Associates. Free Fall is best known for '' Archon: The Light and the Dark'', one of the earliest titles from Electronic Arts. Career Automated Simulations and Epyx Freeman worked as a game designer for video game developer and publisher, Epyx, which he co-founded with Jim Connelley in 1978 as Automated Simulations. Their first game, '' Starfleet Orion'', was a two-player only game developed mainly so Connelley could write off the cost of his Commodore PET computer. Freeman provided design while Connelley handled the programming in BASIC. Freeman was amazed when they actually had a finished product and they had to create a company to publish it. So, both he and Connelley fell into the computer game industry b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Starfleet Orion
''Starfleet Orion'' is a 1978 science fiction strategy game written and published by Automated Simulations (who would become Epyx in 1983). It appears to be the first space-themed strategy game sold for microcomputer systems. The game was originally written in BASIC for the Commodore PET, but later ported to other early home computer platforms including the TRS-80 and Apple II. The game was something of a success, leading to a string of successes for the company, notably the major hit ''Temple of Apshai''. Development The game came about in a roundabout fashion when Jon Freeman joined a ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game being hosted by dungeon master Jim Connelly. Freeman was an experienced gamer, a regular contributor to ''Games'' magazine and author of ''A Player's Guide to Board Games''. Connelly had purchased a PET computer to handle bookkeeping during his D&D games, and was interested in finding ways to make some of the money back. The two collaborated on ''Orion''; Freeman comi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Invasion Orion
''Invasion Orion'' is a 1979 science fiction strategy game written and published by Automated Simulations (which would become Epyx in 1983). It is one or two player sequel to the original two-player ''Starfleet Orion'' which was published in late 1978. The game was written in BASIC for the Commodore PET and TRS-80Hugh Falk"Epyx History" ''GOTCHA'' and ported to the Atari 8-bit family and Apple II. History After ''Starfleet Orion'' had been completed, the authors, Jon Freeman and Jim Connelly, decided that the original placed too many demands on the players. In the case of the cassette versions, for instance, the player would first have to type in a series of complex inputs to the BUILDER program and save them to a separate cassette, then load up the game and use it to load in the scenario that had been saved to the other cassette. Additionally, the game demanded two players who had to take turns typing in their commands on the keyboard, hopefully not peeking to see what the other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Shannon Morse
David Shannon Morse (April 15, 1943 – November 2, 2007) was the cofounder of Amiga. In 1982, he left Tonka Toys (where he was Vice-President of Marketing) and became the Chief Executive Officer at Hi Toro, Inc., which he co-founded and which later that year morphed into Amiga, Inc. which he led through the development of the Lorraine Project (a codename inspired by David's wife Lorraine), ultimately, the Amiga 1000 computer. In the 1980s he was a software manager at Epyx, a video game developer A video game developer is a broad term for a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large ... and publisher where he helped to create the Atari Lynx, being credited with designing the graphics chip. In 1992 Morse would help co-found Crystal Dynamics with Judy Lange and Madeline Canepa, a video game developer famous for their e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1978 In Video Gaming
1978 saw the release of new video games such as '' Space Invaders''. The year is considered the beginning of the golden age of arcade video games. The year's highest-grossing video game was Taito's arcade game ''Space Invaders'', while the best-selling home system was the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS). Financial performance Highest-grossing arcade games '' Space Invaders'' was the top-grossing video game worldwide in 1978. The following table lists the top-grossing arcade games of 1978 in Japan, the United Kingdom, United States, and worldwide. Japan In Japan, the following titles were the highest-grossing arcade games of 1978, according to the third annual '' Game Machine'' chart, which lists both arcade video games and electro-mechanical games (EM games) on the same arcade game chart. Taito's '' Space Invaders'' was the first video game to become highest-grossing overall arcade game on the annual ''Game Machine'' charts, after the two previous charts w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
