Ariolasoft

German video game developer Ariolasoft GmbHTypeGmbHIndustryVideo gamesPredecessornoneFounded1983FounderAriola RecordsDefunct1993 (1993)FateAcquired by MicroProse GermanySuccessorUnited SoftwareHeadquartersGermany, West GermanyArea servedEuropeProductsComputer gamesParentAriola RecordsSubsidiariesAriolasoft UK Ariolasoft GmbH, later known as United Software, was a German video game developer, publisher and distributor. It started in 1983 as the software subsidiary of Ariola Records, itself the record division of Germany's large Bertelsmann empire. From 1985 to 1988 Stephen Molyneux, formerly Head of Software at Atari International GmbH in Hamburg, held the position of Head of Software with responsibility for international negotiations and licensing of software at its headquarters in Munich. Ariolasoft also had a British subsidiary, Ariolasoft UK, which was run by Ashley Gray (later replaced by Willie Carminke) and Frank Brunger. The company released games for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST and Amiga systems. It was also the German publisher for Activision games developed for the Atari 2600, and the European publisher for Electronic Arts and Broderbund g