Beam Software: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
→‎Home computer era: The Hobbit did not sell a million copes - Beam's own website states 500,000
 
(78 intermediate revisions by 45 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Former Australian video game developer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox company
{{Infobox company
|name = Krome Studios Melbourne
| name = Krome Studios Melbourne
|logo = Atari Melbourne House.png
| logo = Atari Melbourne House.png
|logo_caption = Melbourne House's final logo (2004/2006)
| logo_caption = Melbourne House's final logo (2004/2006)
|defunct = 2010
| defunct = {{end date and age|2010|10|15}}
|foundation = 1980 in [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]]
| foundation = 1980 in [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]]
|founder = Alfred Milgrom<br>Naomi Besen
| founder = Alfred Milgrom<br>[[Naomi Milgrom|Naomi Besen]]
|key_people =
| key_people =
|num_employees = 40
| num_employees = 40
|industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
|revenue =
| revenue =
|former_names = Melbourne House (1980-1993)<br>Laser Beam Entertainment (1994-)<br>Beam Software Pty.,Ltd. ( –2000)<br>Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd. (2000–2003)<br>Atari Melbourne House Pty Ltd. (2003–2006)
| former_names = Beam Software (1980–1993)<br>Laser Beam Entertainment (1993—1997)<br>Beam Software<br>Melbourne House (1997–1999)<br>Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd. (1999–2003)<br>Atari Melbourne House Pty Ltd. (2003–2006)
|parent = [[Infogrames]]/[[Atari]] (2000–2006)<br>[[Krome Studios]] (2006–2010)
| parent = [[Infogrames]]/[[Atari]] (2000–2006)<br>[[Krome Studios]] (2006–2010)
|products = ''[[The Hobbit (1982 video game)|The Hobbit]]''<br>''[[The Way of the Exploding Fist]]''<br>''[[Shadowrun (1993 video game)|Shadowrun]]''<br>''[[Le Mans 24 Hours (video game)|Le Mans 24 Hours]]''
| products = ''[[The Hobbit (1982 video game)|The Hobbit]]''<br>''[[The Way of the Exploding Fist]]''<br>''[[Shadowrun (1993 video game)|Shadowrun]]''<br>''[[Le Mans 24 Hours (video game)|Le Mans 24 Hours]]''
|website = [https://web.archive.org/web/19981212030918/http://www.melbournehouse.com/ melbournehouse.com] (archived)
| website = [https://web.archive.org/web/19981212030918/http://www.melbournehouse.com/ melbournehouse.com] (archived)
}}
}}


'''Krome Studios Melbourne''', originally '''Atari Melbourne House Pty Ltd.''', was an Australian [[video game developer|video game development]] studio founded in 1980 by Alfred Milgrom and Naomi Besen and based in [[Melbourne|Melbourne, Australia]].<ref name=NGen33>{{cite magazine |title=NG Alphas: Melbourne House |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=33 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=September 1997|pages=116–8 |url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_33/page/n117}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crashonline.org.uk/03/hobbit.htm|title=CRASH 3 - Melbourne House|author=|date=|website=www.crashonline.org.uk|accessdate=19 April 2018}}</ref> The studio operated independently from 1987 until 1999, when it was acquired by Infogrames, who changed the name to '''Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd.'''.<ref name="beamtimeline">[https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20070305010638/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/52367/20070302-0000/www.acmi.net.au/hits_80s_timeline.html]{{cite web|url=http://www.acmi.net.au/hits_80s_timeline.htm|title=Beam Software Timeline|website=[[Australian Centre for the Moving Image]]|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611011748/http://www.acmi.net.au/hits_80s_timeline.htm|archivedate=11 June 2010}} Documentation for a 2007 exhibition.</ref> In 2006 the studio was sold to [[Krome Studios]].<ref name="beamtimeline" />
'''Krome Studios Melbourne''', originally '''Beam Software''',<ref name=retrogamer36>{{Cite magazine|last=Crookes|first=David|title=The Wizards of Oz|magazine=Retro Gamer|issue=36|pages=38–42|publisher=Imagine}}</ref> was an Australian [[video game developer|video game development]] studio founded in 1980 by Alfred Milgrom and [[Naomi Milgrom|Naomi Besen]] and based in [[Melbourne|Melbourne, Australia]].<ref name=NGen33>{{cite magazine |title=NG Alphas: Melbourne House |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=33 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=September 1997|pages=116–8 |url=https://archive.org/details/NEXT_Generation_33/page/n117}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crashonline.org.uk/03/hobbit.htm|title=CRASH 3 - Melbourne House|website=www.crashonline.org.uk|access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref> Initially formed to produce books and software to be published by '''Melbourne House''', a company they had established in London in 1977,<ref name=retrogamer36 /> the studio operated independently from 1987 until 1999, when it was acquired by Infogrames, who changed the name to '''Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd.'''.<ref name="beamtimeline">{{cite web|url=http://www.acmi.net.au/hits_80s_timeline.html|title=Beam Software Timeline|website=[[Australian Centre for the Moving Image]]|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20070301130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/52367/20070302-0000/www.acmi.net.au/hits_80s_timeline.html|archive-date=2 March 2007|access-date=19 September 2020|url-status=bot: unknown}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite web|url=http://www.acmi.net.au/hits_80s_timeline.htm|title=Beam Software Timeline|website=[[Australian Centre for the Moving Image]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611011748/http://www.acmi.net.au/hits_80s_timeline.htm|archive-date=11 June 2010}} Documentation for a 2007 exhibition.</ref> In 2006 the studio was sold to [[Krome Studios]].<ref name="beamtimeline" />


The name '''Beam''' was a contraction of the names of the founders: Naomi Besen and Alfred Milgrom.
The name '''Beam''' was a contraction of the names of the founders: Naomi Besen and Alfred Milgrom.


== History ==
== History ==

=== Home computer era ===
=== Home computer era ===
In the early years, two of Beam's programs were milestones in their respective genres. ''[[The Hobbit (1982 video game)|The Hobbit]]'', a 1982 text adventure by Philip Mitchell and [[Veronika Megler]],<ref>{{citation|title=Author of '80s classic ''The Hobbit'' didn't know game was a hit|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/18/hobbit_author_veronika_megler_reminisces/|publisher=[[The Register]]|date=18 November 2012|accessdate=10 December 2012|last=Sharwood|first=Simon}}</ref> sold more than a million copies.<ref name="demaria">DeMaria, Rusel and Wilson, Johnny L. (2004) ''High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games'' McGraw-Hill/Osborne, Berkeley, Calif., p. 347, {{ISBN|0-07-223172-6}}</ref> It employed an advanced parser by Stuart Richie and had real-time elements. Even if the player didn't enter commands, the story would move on.<ref name="demaria" /> In 1985 Greg Barnett's two-player [[martial arts]] game ''[[The Way of the Exploding Fist]]'' helped define the genre of one-on-one fighting games on the home computer.<ref name="demaria" /> The game won Best Overall Game at the [[Golden Joystick Awards]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gamesradar.com/golden-joysticks-ultimate-list-ultimate-games-1983-2014/ | title=Golden Joysticks Awards' ultimate list of ultimate winners: 1983 - 2016 | publisher=GamesRadar.com | accessdate=2017-12-31}}</ref>
In the early years, two of Beam's programs were milestones in their respective genres. ''[[The Hobbit (1982 video game)|The Hobbit]]'', a 1982 text adventure by Philip Mitchell and [[Veronika Megler]],<ref>{{citation|title=Author of '80s classic ''The Hobbit'' didn't know game was a hit|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/18/hobbit_author_veronika_megler_reminisces/|publisher=[[The Register]]|date=18 November 2012|access-date=10 December 2012|last=Sharwood|first=Simon}}</ref> sold more than 500,000 copies.<ref name="history">{{cite web|url=http://www.beam.com.au/E3/comphist.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19971021035824/http://www.beam.com.au/E3/comphist.htm|title=Beam Software Company History|website=beam.com.au|archive-date=October 21, 1997|access-date=March 25, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Fred|last=Milgrom|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97755746/the-age/|title=Innovator keeps firing|newspaper=[[The Age]]|page=14|date=September 29, 1997|access-date=March 25, 2024|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> It employed an advanced parser by Stuart Richie and had real-time elements. Even if the player didn't enter commands, the story would move on.<ref name="demaria">DeMaria, Rusel and Wilson, Johnny L. (2004) ''High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games'' McGraw-Hill/Osborne, Berkeley, Calif., p. 347, {{ISBN|0-07-223172-6}}</ref> In 1985 Greg Barnett's two-player [[martial arts]] game ''[[The Way of the Exploding Fist]]'' helped define the genre of one-on-one fighting games on the home computer.<ref name="demaria" /> The game won Best Overall Game at the [[Golden Joystick Awards]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gamesradar.com/golden-joysticks-ultimate-list-ultimate-games-1983-2014/ | title=Golden Joysticks Awards' ultimate list of ultimate winners: 1983 - 2016 | date=27 October 2017 | publisher=GamesRadar.com | access-date=2017-12-31}}</ref>


In 1987 Beam's publisher, parent company Melbourne House, was sold to [[Mastertronic]] for £850,000.<ref>{{cite web |last=Guter |first=Arthur |title=A History of Mastertronic |url=http://www.aguter.plus.com/mastertronic/mastertronic_history.htm |website=Mastertronic |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224213520/http://www.aguter.plus.com/mastertronic/mastertronic_history.htm |archivedate=February 24, 2018 |date=June 2016}}</ref> Beam chairman Alfred Milgrom recounted, "...around 1987 a lot of our U.K. people went on to other companies and at around the same time the industry was moving from 8-bit to 16-bit. It was pretty chaotic. We didn't have the management depth at that time to run both the publishing and development sides of things, so we ended up selling off the whole Melbourne House publishing side to Mastertronic."<ref name=NGen33/> Subsequent games were released through varying publishers. The 1988 fighting games ''[[Samurai Warrior: The Battles of Usagi Yojimbo|Samurai Warrior]]'' and ''Fist +'', the third instalment in the Exploding Fist series, were published through [[Telecomsoft]]'s Firebird label. 1988 also saw the release of space-[[shoot'em-up]] ''Bedlam'', published by GO!, one of [[U.S. Gold]]'s labels, and ''[[The Muncher]]'', published by [[Gremlin Graphics]].
In 1987 Beam's UK publishing arm,<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=12-18 February 1987|title=Mastertronic Buys Melbourne House|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=2946&page=4|magazine=Popular Computing Weekly|pages=4}}</ref> Melbourne House, was sold to [[Mastertronic]] for £850,000.<ref>{{cite web |last=Guter |first=Arthur |title=A History of Mastertronic |url=http://www.aguter.plus.com/mastertronic/mastertronic_history.htm |website=Mastertronic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224213520/http://www.aguter.plus.com/mastertronic/mastertronic_history.htm |archive-date=February 24, 2018 |date=June 2016}}</ref> Beam chairman Alfred Milgrom recounted, "...around 1987 a lot of our U.K. people went on to other companies and at around the same time the industry was moving from 8-bit to 16-bit. It was pretty chaotic. We didn't have the management depth at that time to run both the publishing and development sides of things, so we ended up selling off the whole Melbourne House publishing side to Mastertronic."<ref name=NGen33/> Subsequent games were released through varying publishers. The 1988 fighting games ''[[Samurai Warrior: The Battles of Usagi Yojimbo|Samurai Warrior]]'' and ''Fist +'', the third instalment in the Exploding Fist series, were published through Telecomsoft's [[Telecomsoft#Firebird|Firebird]] label. 1988 also saw the release of space-[[shoot'em-up]] ''Bedlam'', published by GO!, one of [[U.S. Gold]]'s labels, and ''[[The Muncher]]'', published by [[Gremlin Graphics]].


=== Shift to consoles and PCs ===
=== Shift to consoles and PCs ===
In 1987 Nintendo granted a developer's licence for the [[NES]] and Beam developed games on that platform for US and Japanese publishers. Targeted at an Australian audience, releases such as ''[[Aussie Rules Footy]]'' and ''[[International Cricket]]'' for the NES proved successful.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} In 1992 they released the original title ''[[Nightshade (1992 video game)|Nightshade]]'', a dark superhero comedy game. The game was meant to be the first part in a series, but no sequels were ever made; however, it served as the basis for ''[[Shadowrun (1993 video game)|Shadowrun]]''.
In 1987 Nintendo granted a developer's licence for the [[NES]] and Beam developed games on that platform for US and Japanese publishers. Targeted at an Australian audience, releases such as ''[[Aussie Rules Footy]]'' and ''[[International Cricket]]'' for the NES proved successful.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2022-03-24 |title=Why Cricket video games are vital to Australia's national identity |url=https://www.gameshub.com/news/features/why-cricket-video-games-are-vital-to-australias-national-identity-15303/ |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=GamesHub |language=en-AU}}</ref> In 1992 they released the original title ''[[Nightshade (1992 video game)|Nightshade]]'', a dark superhero comedy game. The game was meant to be the first part in a series, but no sequels were ever made; however, it served as the basis for ''[[Shadowrun (1993 video game)|Shadowrun]]''. Released in 1993, ''Shadowrun'' also used an innovative dialogue system using the acquisition of keywords which could be used in subsequent conversations to initiate new branches in the [[dialogue tree]]. Also in 1993 they released ''[[Baby T-Rex]]'', a [[Game Boy]] platform game that the developer actively sought to adapt the game to a number of different licensed properties in different countries around the world including the animated film ''[[We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (film)|We're Back!]]'' in North America and the puppet character [[Agro (puppet)|Agro]] in their home country of Australia.<ref name=alex>{{Cite web |last=Mansfield |first=Dylan |date=February 24, 2019 |title=Baby T-Rex: The Game Revised 10 Times |url=https://www.gamingalexandria.com/wp/2019/02/24/baby-t-rex-the-game-revised-10-times/|access-date=December 23, 2020}}</ref>


In 1993 they released ''Shadowrun'', with an innovative dialogue system using the acquisition of keywords which could be used in subsequent conversations to initiate new branches in the [[dialogue tree]]. In 1997, Beam relaunched the Melbourne House brand,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=In the Studio |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=29|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=May 1997 |page=17}}</ref> under which they published the PC titles ''[[KKnD (video game)|Krush Kill 'n' Destroy]]'' (KKND), and the sequels ''KKND Xtreme'' and ''[[KKND2: Krossfire]]''.<ref name = GSpyBio/> They released ''KKND2'' in South Korea well before they released it in the American and European markets, and pirated versions of the game were available on the internet before it was available in stores in the U.S. They were the developers of the 32-bits versions of ''[[The Lost Vikings 2|Norse By Norse West: The Return of the Lost Vikings]]'' for the [[Sega Saturn]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] and [[Personal computer|PC]] in 1996.<ref name = GSpyBio/> They also helped produce [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] games such as ''[[WCW SuperBrawl Wrestling]]'', ''[[Super Smash TV]]'' and an updated version of ''International Cricket'' titled ''[[Super International Cricket]]''.<ref name = GSpyBio/> They ported the Sega Saturn game ''[[Bug!]]'' to [[Windows 3.1x|Windows 3.x]] in August, 1996.
In 1997, Beam relaunched the Melbourne House brand,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=In the Studio |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=29|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=May 1997 |page=17}}</ref> under which they published the PC titles ''[[KKnD (video game)|Krush Kill 'n' Destroy]]'' (KKND), and the sequels ''KKND Xtreme'' and ''[[KKND2: Krossfire]]''.<ref name = GSpyBio/> They released ''KKND2'' in South Korea well before they released it in the American and European markets, and pirated versions of the game were available on the internet before it was available in stores in the U.S. They were the developers of the 32-bit versions of ''[[The Lost Vikings 2|Norse By Norse West: The Return of the Lost Vikings]]'' for the [[Sega Saturn]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] and [[Personal computer|PC]] in 1996.<ref name = GSpyBio/> They also helped produce [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] games such as ''[[WCW SuperBrawl Wrestling]]'', ''[[Super Smash TV]]'' and an updated version of ''International Cricket'' titled ''[[Super International Cricket]]''.<ref name = GSpyBio/> They ported the Sega Saturn game ''[[Bug!]]'' to [[Windows 3.1x|Windows 3.x]] in August 1996.


1998 saw a return to RPGs with ''[[Alien Earth]]'', again with a dialogue tree format.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.thecomputershow.com/computershow/reviews/alienearth.htm | title = Alien Earth | author = Al Giovetti | publisher = The Computer Show}}</ref> Also in 1998, the studio developed racing games ''[[DethKarz]]''<ref name = GSpyBio/> and ''[[GP 500]]''.
1998 saw a return to RPGs with ''[[Alien Earth]]'', again with a dialogue tree format.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.thecomputershow.com/computershow/reviews/alienearth.htm | title = Alien Earth | author = Al Giovetti | publisher = The Computer Show}}</ref> Also in 1998, the studio developed racing games ''[[DethKarz]]''<ref name = GSpyBio/> and ''[[GP 500]]''.
Line 39: Line 39:


=== 2000s ===
=== 2000s ===
They continued to cement a reputation as a racing game developer with ''[[Le Mans 24 Hours (video game)|Le Mans 24 Hours]]'' and ''[[Looney Tunes: Space Race]]'' (both [[Dreamcast]] and [[PlayStation 2]]), followed by the technically impressive ''[[Grand Prix Challenge]]'' ([[PlayStation 2]]), before a disastrous venture into third-person shooters with ''[[Men in Black II: Alien Escape]]'' ([[PlayStation 2]], [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-2/men-in-black-ii-alien-escape|title=Men in Black II: Alien Escape|author=|date=|website=Metacritic|accessdate=19 April 2018}}</ref>
They continued to cement a reputation as a racing game developer with ''[[Le Mans 24 Hours (video game)|Le Mans 24 Hours]]'' and ''[[Looney Tunes: Space Race]]'' (both [[Dreamcast]] and [[PlayStation 2]]), followed by ''[[Grand Prix Challenge]]'' ([[PlayStation 2]]), before going into third-person shooters with ''[[Men in Black II: Alien Escape]]'' ([[PlayStation 2]], [[GameCube]]).<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/men-in-black-ii-alien-escape/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2|title=Men in Black II: Alien Escape|website=Metacritic|access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref>


In 2004 the studio released ''[[Transformers Armada#PlayStation 2 video game|Transformers]]'' for the [[PlayStation 2]] [[games console]] based on the then current [[Transformers Armada]] franchise by [[Hasbro]]. The game reached the top of the UK [[PlayStation 2]] games charts, making it Melbourne House's most successful recent title.
In 2004 the studio released ''[[Transformers Armada#PlayStation 2 video game|Transformers]]'' for the [[PlayStation 2]] [[games console]] based on the then current [[Transformers Armada]] franchise by [[Hasbro]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Dunham |first=Jeremy |date=2003-12-09 |title=Transformers Armada: Prelude to Energon Hands-On |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/12/09/transformers-armada-prelude-to-energon-hands-on |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> The game reached the top of the UK [[PlayStation 2]] games charts, making it Melbourne House's most successful recent title.


The studio then completed work on [[PlayStation 2]] and [[PlayStation Portable]] ports of Eden's next-generation [[Xbox 360]] title ''[[Test Drive Unlimited|Test Drive: Unlimited]]''.
The studio then completed work on [[PlayStation 2]] and [[PlayStation Portable]] ports of Eden's next-generation [[Xbox 360]] title ''[[Test Drive Unlimited|Test Drive: Unlimited]]''.


In December 2005, Atari decided to shift away from internal development, seeking to sell its studios, including Melbourne House.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/808/Atari-plans-studio-sell-off |title=Atari plans studio sell-off |first=Lisa |last=Foster |date=17 February 2006 |work=MCV |publisher=Intent Media |accessdate=2010-02-03 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609021505/http://www.mcvuk.com/news/808/Atari-plans-studio-sell-off |archivedate=9 June 2007 }}</ref> In November 2006 [[Krome Studios]] announced that it had acquired Melbourne House from [[Atari]] and that the studio would be renamed to Krome Studios Melbourne.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kromestudios.com/press/pressmain.php?id=00094 |title=Krome Studios expands with new studio in Melbourne |date=3 November 2006 |publisher=Krome Studios |accessdate=2010-02-03 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929162812/http://www.kromestudios.com/press/pressmain.php?id=00094 |archivedate=29 September 2011 }}</ref>
In December 2005, Atari decided to shift away from internal development, seeking to sell its studios, including Melbourne House.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/808/Atari-plans-studio-sell-off |title=Atari plans studio sell-off |first=Lisa |last=Foster |date=17 February 2006 |work=MCV |publisher=Intent Media |access-date=2010-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609021505/http://www.mcvuk.com/news/808/Atari-plans-studio-sell-off |archive-date=9 June 2007}}</ref> In November 2006, [[Krome Studios]] acquired Melbourne House from [[Atari]] and was renamed to Krome Studios Melbourne.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kromestudios.com/press/pressmain.php?id=00094 |title=Krome Studios expands with new studio in Melbourne |date=3 November 2006 |publisher=Krome Studios |access-date=2010-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929162812/http://www.kromestudios.com/press/pressmain.php?id=00094 |archive-date=29 September 2011}}</ref> It was closed on 15 October 2010, along with the main Brisbane office. Next to the game development, Beam Software also had the division Smarty Pants Publishing Pty Ltd., that created software titles for kids, as well as the proprietary video compression technology VideoBeam, and Famous Faces, a facial motion capture hardware and software solution.


== Games ==
== Games ==
{{Incomplete list|date=August 2020}}


=== As Beam Software/Melbourne House ===
=== As Beam Software ===
*1982: ''Strike Force'' (TRS-80),<ref>{{cite web |title=Strike Force (TRS-80) |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/strike-force_ |website=MobyGames |publisher=Blue Flame Labs |accessdate=23 October 2019}}</ref> ''[[Hungry Horace]], [[Horace Goes Skiing]], [[Horace and the Spiders]], [[The Hobbit (1982 video game)|The Hobbit]], [[Penetrator (video game)|Penetrator]]''
* 1982: ''Strike Force'' (TRS-80),<ref>{{cite web |title=Strike Force (TRS-80) |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/strike-force_ |website=MobyGames |publisher=Blue Flame Labs |access-date=23 October 2019}}</ref> ''[[Hungry Horace]]'', ''[[Horace Goes Skiing]]'', ''[[Horace and the Spiders]]'', ''[[The Hobbit (1982 video game)|The Hobbit]]'', ''[[Penetrator (video game)|Penetrator]]'' (Commodore 64, Microbee, Timex Sinclair 2068, TRS-80, ZX Spectrum)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Penetrator (1982) |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/penetrator |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=MobyGames}}</ref>
* 1983: ''H.U.R.G: High-Level User-Friendly Real-Time Games Designer'' (ZX Spectrum)<ref>{{Cite web |title=H.U.R.G. [Spectrum 48K] {{!}} Melbourne House {{!}} 1983 {{!}} ACMI collection |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/works/100094--hurg-computer-program-for-spectrum-48k/ |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref>
*1984: ''[[Castle of Terror]], Hampstead, [[Mugsy (video game)|Mugsy]], [[Sherlock (video game)|Sherlock]]''
* 1984: ''[[Castle of Terror]]'' (Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum), ''[[Hampstead (computer game)|Hampstead]]'' (Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum), ''[[Mugsy (video game)|Mugsy]]'' (ZX Spectrum), ''[[Sherlock (video game)|Sherlock]]'' (Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum), ''Zim Sala Bim'' (Commodore 64)
*1985: ''[[Gyroscope (video game)|Gyroscope]], [[Lord of the Rings: Game One]], [[Terrormolinos]], [[Way of the Exploding Fist]], Wham! The Music Box''
* 1985: ''[[Gyroscope (video game)|Gyroscope]]'', ''[[Lord of the Rings: Game One]]'', ''[[Terrormolinos]]'', ''[[Way of the Exploding Fist|The Way of the Exploding Fist]]'' (Acorn Electron, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Commodore 16, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum)
*1986: ''Kwah!, [[Asterix and the Magic Cauldron]]'' (Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC), ''[[Marble Madness]], [[Mugsy's Revenge]], Redhawk''
* 1986: ''[[Asterix and the Magic Cauldron]]'' (Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asterix and the Magic Cauldron [Commodore 64/128] {{!}} Melbourne House {{!}} 1986 {{!}} ACMI collection |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/works/100089--asterix-and-the-magic-cauldron-computer-game-for-commodore-64128/ |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref> ''Fist: The Legend Continues'' (Antstream, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fist: The Legend Continues (1986) |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/fist-the-legend-continues |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=MobyGames}}</ref> ''[[Judge Dredd (1986 video game)|Judge Dredd]]'' (Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum),<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-11-19 |title=A brief history of 2000AD's 8-bit games |language=en-gb |work=Eurogamer.net |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/a-brief-history-of-2000ads-8-bit-games |access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref> ''Knuckle Busters'' (Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Knuckle Busters (1986) |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/knuckle-busters |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=MobyGames}}</ref> ''[[Mugsy's Revenge]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-055/page/n27/mode/2up?view=theater |access-date=30 October 2023 |title=CVG Magazine Issue 055 |date=May 1986 }}</ref> ''Rock 'n' Wrestle''
*1987: ''Bop'n Rumble'',<ref>https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Bop%27n_Rumble</ref> ''[[Throne of Fire]], [[Roadwars]], [[Shadows of Mordor]]''
* 1987: ''[[Bad Street Brawler]]'' (Commodore 64, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum),<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Bad Street Brawler [computer game] {{!}} Laser Beam (Beam Software) {{!}} 1989 {{!}} ACMI collection |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/works/119672--bad-street-brawler-computer-game/ |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref> ''[[Inspector Gadget and the Circus of Fear]]'' (Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Inspector Gadget and the Circus of !!Fear!! (1987) |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/inspector-gadget-and-the-circus-of-fear |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=MobyGames}}</ref> ''[[Shadows of Mordor]]'' (Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Commodore 64, Macintosh, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum), ''[[Bop'n Rumble|Street Hassle]]'' (Commodore 64, MS-DOS, NES, ZX Spectrum)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Bop%27n_Rumble|title=Bop'n Rumble - C64-Wiki|website=www.c64-wiki.com}}</ref>
*1988: ''[[Samurai Warrior: The Battles of Usagi Yojimbo]]'',<ref name="GSpyBio">{{cite web | publisher = Gamespy | title = Company bio: Beam Software | url = http://www.gamespy.com/company/026/026025.html | accessdate = 9 August 2009}}</ref> [[The Muncher]], [[Xenon (video game)|Xenon]]''
* 1988: ''[[Samurai Warrior: The Battles of Usagi Yojimbo]]'' (Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum),<ref name="GSpyBio">{{cite web | publisher = Gamespy | title = Company bio: Beam Software | url = http://www.gamespy.com/company/026/026025.html | access-date = 9 August 2009}}</ref> ''[[The Muncher]]'' (Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum)<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Muncher at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=3323 |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}}</ref>
*1989: ''[[War in Middle Earth]], [[Back to the Future (1989 video game)|Back to the Future]]'' (NES)
*1990: ''[[Back to the Future Part II & III]]'' (NES), ''[[Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum]]'' (NES), ''[[Boulder Dash]]'' (Game Boy), ''[[NBA All-Star Challenge]]'' (Game Boy), ''[[The Punisher (1990 NES video game)|The Punisher]]'' (NES)
* 1989: ''[[Back to the Future (1989 video game)|Back to the Future]]'' (NES), ''[[Bad Street Brawler]]'' (NES),<ref name=":3" /> ''Aussie Games'' (Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum)
* 1990: ''[[Back to the Future Part II & III]]'' (NES), ''[[Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum]]'' (NES), ''[[Boulder Dash (video game)|Boulder Dash]]'' (Game Boy), ''[[NBA All-Star Challenge]]'' (Game Boy), ''[[The Punisher (1990 NES video game)|The Punisher]]'' (NES),<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Punisher [computer game] {{!}} LJN Entertainment, Inc. {{!}} 1990 {{!}} ACMI collection |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/works/119714--the-punisher-computer-game/ |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref> ''Road Blasters'' (NES), ''Bigfoot'' (NES)
*1991: ''[[The Hunt for Red October (console game)|Hunt for Red October]]'' (Game Boy), ''Smash TV'' (NES), ''Family Feud'' (NES), ''[[J. R. R. Tolkien's Riders of Rohan]]'' (DOS), ''[[Aussie Rules Footy]]'' (NES), ''[[Power Punch II]]'' (NES),
* 1991: ''[[Choplifter II]]'' (Game Boy),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Choplifter II [computer game] {{!}} Laser Beam (Beam Software) {{!}} 1991 {{!}} ACMI collection |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/works/119676--choplifter-ii-computer-game/ |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref> ''[[The Hunt for Red October (console game)|Hunt for Red October]]'' (Game Boy, NES), ''[[Smash TV#Ports|Smash TV]]'' (NES), ''Family Feud'' (NES), ''[[J. R. R. Tolkien's Riders of Rohan]]'' (MS-DOS), ''[[Aussie Rules Footy]]'' (NES),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aussie Rules Footy [computer game] {{!}} Laser Beam (Beam Software) {{!}} 1991 {{!}} ACMI collection |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/works/119670--aussie-rules-footy-computer-game/ |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref> ''[[Power Punch II]]'' (NES), ''[[Star Wars (1991 video game)|Star Wars]]'' (NES)
''[[Star Wars (1991 video game)|Star Wars]]'' (NES)
*1992: ''[[Nightshade (1992 video game)|Nightshade]]'' (NES), ''[[T2: The Arcade Game]]'' (Game Boy), ''[[NBA All-Star Challenge 2]]'' (Game Boy), ''Tom and Jerry'' (Game Boy), ''Super Smash TV'' (SNES), ''[[George Foreman's KO Boxing]]'' (Game Boy)
* 1992: ''[[Aussie Rules Footy]]'' (NES),<ref name=":0" /> ''[[International Cricket]]'' (NES),<ref name=":0" /> ''[[Nightshade (1992 video game)|Nightshade]]'' (NES), ''[[T2: The Arcade Game]]'' (Game Boy), ''[[NBA All-Star Challenge 2]]'' (Game Boy), ''Tom and Jerry'' (Game Boy), ''Super Smash TV'' (SNES), ''[[George Foreman's KO Boxing]]'' (Game Boy)
*1993: ''We're Back BC'' (Game Boy), ''Agro Soar'' (Game Boy), ''[[Blades of Vengeance]]'' (Genesis), ''[[NFL Quarterback Club]]'' (Game Boy), ''[[Radical Rex]]'' (Genesis), ''[[Shadowrun (1993 video game)|Shadowrun]]'' (SNES), ''[[MechWarrior (1993 video game)|MechWarrior]]'' (SNES), ''Super High Impact'' (Genesis, SNES), ''Tom and Jerry - Frantic Antics'' (Genesis)
* 1993: ''[[Baby T-Rex]]'' (Game Boy), ''We're Back BC'' (Game Boy), ''Agro Soar'' (Game Boy), ''[[Blades of Vengeance]]'' (Genesis), ''[[NFL Quarterback Club (video game)|NFL Quarterback Club]]'' (Game Boy), ''[[Radical Rex]]'' (Genesis), ''[[Shadowrun (1993 video game)|Shadowrun]]'' (SNES),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shadowrun [SNES] {{!}} Data East USA {{!}} 1992 {{!}} ACMI collection |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/works/119641--shadowrun-snes/ |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref> ''[[MechWarrior (1993 video game)|MechWarrior]]'' (SNES), ''Super High Impact'' (Genesis, SNES), ''Tom and Jerry - Frantic Antics'' (Genesis)
* 1994: ''[[Choplifter III]]'' (SNES),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fahs |first=Travis |date=2008-11-21 |title=Rescue Me: The History of Choplifter |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/11/21/rescue-me-the-history-of-choplifter |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> ''[[The Simpsons: Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness]]'' (Game Boy), ''[[Radical Rex]]'' (SNES), ''[[Super Smash TV]]'' (GG, SMS), ''Solitaire FunPak'' (Game Boy), ''Stargate'' (Game Boy),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stargate [computer game] {{!}} Acclaim Entertainment Ltd {{!}} 1994 {{!}} ACMI collection |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/works/119711--stargate-computer-game/ |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref> ''[[Super International Cricket]]'' (SNES),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Super International Cricket [computer game] {{!}} Nintendo {{!}} 1994 {{!}} ACMI collection |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/works/119693--super-international-cricket-computer-game/ |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref> ''[[WCW: The Main Event]]'' (Game Boy)
*1994: ''[[The Simpsons: Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness]]'' (Game Boy); ''[[WCW: The Main Event]]'' (Game Boy); ''[[Super Smash TV]]'' (GG, SMS); ''Solitaire FunPak'' (Game Boy); ''Cricket '97 Ashes Edition'' (PC); ''[[Radical Rex]]'' (SNES)
*1995: ''[[True Lies (video game)|True Lies]]'' (GB, Genesis; SNES); ''[[The Dame Was Loaded]]'' (PC)
* 1995: ''[[True Lies (video game)|True Lies]]'' (Game Boy, Genesis, SNES); ''[[The Dame Was Loaded]]'' (Macintosh, MS-DOS)<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Dame Was Loaded [DOS] {{!}} Philips Interactive Media, Inc. {{!}} 1996 {{!}} ACMI collection |url=https://www.acmi.net.au/works/119642--the-dame-was-loaded-dos/ |access-date=2022-07-24 |website=www.acmi.net.au |language=en}}</ref>
* 1995: ''[[Bug!]]'' (PC port), ''[[Cricket (video game series)#Cricket 96|Cricket 96]]'' (MS-DOS)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cricket 96 for DOS (1996) |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/cricket-96 |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=MobyGames}}</ref>
*1996: ''5 in One Fun Pak'' (GG); ''Wildcats'' (SNES)
* 1996: ''5 in One Fun Pak'' (GG); ''[[Wildcats (comics)#Video game|WildC.A.T.S]]'' (SNES)
*1997: ''Caesars Palace'' (PlayStation)
* 1997: ''Caesars Palace'' (PlayStation),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Caesars Palace for PlayStation (1997) |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/caesars-palace_ |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=MobyGames}}</ref> ''[[Cricket 97]]'' (MS-DOS, Windows)<ref>{{Cite web |first= |date=1997-06-07 |title=Chairman's Report to Beam International Limited Shareholders |url=http://www.beam.com.au/1103972.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970607085724/http://www.beam.com.au/1103972.htm |archive-date=1997-06-07 |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=beam.com.au}}</ref>
*1997: ''[[KKnD (video game)|Krush, Kill 'n' Destroy]]'' (PC)
* 1997: ''[[KKnD (video game)|Krush, Kill 'n' Destroy]]'' (MS-DOS, Windows)<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 26, 1997 |title=Beam announces Release Date For KKnD |url=http://www.beam.com.au/2602971.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970607085659/http://www.beam.com.au/2602971.htm |archive-date=June 7, 1997 |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=beam.com.au}}</ref>
⚫
*1998: ''[[DethKarz|Dethkarz]]'' (PC)
* 1998: ''[[DethKarz|Dethkarz]]'' (Windows)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gentry |first=Perry |date=30 October 1998 |title=What's in Stores Next Week (We Think) |url=http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-2233,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817181921/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-2233,00.html |archive-date=17 August 2000 |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=[[CNET#Gamecenter|CNET Gamecenter]] |publisher=[[CNET]]}}</ref>
*1998: ''[[NBA Action#Video games|NBA Action '98]]'' (PC)
*1998: ''[[KKND2: Krossfire|KKnD 2: Krossfire]]'' (PC, PlayStation)
* 1998: ''[[NBA Action 98]]'' (PC)
* 1998: ''[[KKND2: Krossfire|KKnD 2: Krossfire]]'' (PC, PlayStation)<ref name="GSpyBio" />
*1999: ''[[GP 500]]'' (PC)
⚫
* 1999: ''[[GP 500]]'' (PC)


=== As Infogrames Melbourne House/Atari Melbourne House ===
=== As Infogrames Melbourne House/Atari Melbourne House/Krome Studios Melbourne ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
⚫
*2000: ''[[Le Mans 24 Hours (video game)|Le Mans 24 Hours]]'' (Dreamcast); ''[[Looney Tunes: Space Race]]'' (Dreamcast)
|-
⚫
*2001: ''[[Le Mans 24 Hours (video game)|Le Mans 24 Hours]]'' (PS2)
! Year
*2002: ''[[Le Mans 24 Hours (video game)|Le Mans 24 Hours]]'' (PC); ''[[Looney Tunes: Space Race|Space Race]]'' (PS2); ''[[Men in Black II: Alien Escape]]'' (PS2); ''[[Grand Prix Challenge]]'' (PS2)
! Title
⚫
*2003: ''[[Men in Black II: Alien Escape]]'' (Nintendo GameCube), ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (video game)|Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'' (PS2, Xbox, support developer for [[Black Ops Entertainment]])
! Platform(s)
⚫
*2004: ''[[Transformers (2004 video game)|Transformers]]'' (PS2)
! Publisher(s)
⚫
*2007: ''[[Test Drive Unlimited]]'' (PS2, PSP)
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{Dts|2000}}
⚫
| ''[[Le Mans 24 Hours (video game)|Le Mans 24 Hours]]''
| rowspan="2" | [[Dreamcast]]
| rowspan="8" | [[Infogrames]]
|-
| ''[[Looney Tunes: Space Race]]''
|-
| {{Dts|2001}}
⚫
| ''[[Le Mans 24 Hours (video game)|Le Mans 24 Hours]]''
| rowspan="2" | [[PlayStation 2]]
|-
| rowspan="4" | {{Dts|2002}}
| ''[[Looney Tunes: Space Race|Space Race]]''
|-
| ''[[Le Mans 24 Hours (video game)|Le Mans 24 Hours]]''
| [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]
|-
| ''[[Men in Black II: Alien Escape]]''<ref name=":1" />
| rowspan="2" | [[PlayStation 2]]
|-
| ''[[Grand Prix Challenge]]''
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{Dts|2003}}
| ''[[Men in Black II: Alien Escape]]''{{efn|Ported by [[Tantalus Media|Tantalus]].}}<ref name=":1" />
| [[GameCube]]
|-
⚫
|''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (video game)|Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]''{{efn|Support developer for [[Black Ops Entertainment]], worked on sound design.}}
| [[PlayStation 2]], [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]
| rowspan="3" | [[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Atari]]
|-
| {{Dts|2004}}
⚫
| ''[[Transformers (2004 video game)|Transformers]]''<ref name=":2" />
| [[PlayStation 2]]
|-
| {{Dts|2007}}
⚫
| ''[[Test Drive Unlimited]]''{{efn|Ported for [[Eden Games]].}}
| [[PlayStation 2]], [[PlayStation Portable]]
|}


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Reflist|2}}
{{notelist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19981212030918/http://www.melbournehouse.com/ Official website] via [[Internet Archive]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/19981212030918/http://www.melbournehouse.com/ Official website] via [[Internet Archive]]
*{{Moby company |company=atari-melbourne-house-pty-ltd |name=Krome Studios Melbourne}}
* {{Moby company |company=atari-melbourne-house-pty-ltd |name=Krome Studios Melbourne}}


[[Category:Australian companies established in 1980]]
[[Category:Australian companies disestablished in 2010]]
⚫
[[Category:Companies based in Melbourne]]
⚫
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of Australia]]
[[Category:Golden Joystick Award winners]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1980]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1980]]
[[Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2010]]
[[Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2010]]
⚫
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of Australia]]
⚫
[[Category:Companies based in Melbourne]]

Latest revision as of 09:54, 25 March 2024

Krome Studios Melbourne
FormerlyBeam Software (1980–1993)
Laser Beam Entertainment (1993—1997)
Beam Software
Melbourne House (1997–1999)
Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd. (1999–2003)
Atari Melbourne House Pty Ltd. (2003–2006)
IndustryVideo games
Founded1980 in Melbourne, Australia
FounderAlfred Milgrom
Naomi Besen
DefunctOctober 15, 2010; 13 years ago (2010-10-15)
Headquarters
Australia Edit this on Wikidata
ProductsThe Hobbit
The Way of the Exploding Fist
Shadowrun
Le Mans 24 Hours
Number of employees
40
ParentInfogrames/Atari (2000–2006)
Krome Studios (2006–2010)
Websitemelbournehouse.com (archived)

Krome Studios Melbourne, originally Beam Software,[1] was an Australian video game development studio founded in 1980 by Alfred Milgrom and Naomi Besen and based in Melbourne, Australia.[2][3] Initially formed to produce books and software to be published by Melbourne House, a company they had established in London in 1977,[1] the studio operated independently from 1987 until 1999, when it was acquired by Infogrames, who changed the name to Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd..[4] In 2006 the studio was sold to Krome Studios.[4]

The name Beam was a contraction of the names of the founders: Naomi Besen and Alfred Milgrom.

History[edit]

Home computer era[edit]

In the early years, two of Beam's programs were milestones in their respective genres. The Hobbit, a 1982 text adventure by Philip Mitchell and Veronika Megler,[5] sold more than 500,000 copies.[6][7] It employed an advanced parser by Stuart Richie and had real-time elements. Even if the player didn't enter commands, the story would move on.[8] In 1985 Greg Barnett's two-player martial arts game The Way of the Exploding Fist helped define the genre of one-on-one fighting games on the home computer.[8] The game won Best Overall Game at the Golden Joystick Awards.[9]

In 1987 Beam's UK publishing arm,[10] Melbourne House, was sold to Mastertronic for £850,000.[11] Beam chairman Alfred Milgrom recounted, "...around 1987 a lot of our U.K. people went on to other companies and at around the same time the industry was moving from 8-bit to 16-bit. It was pretty chaotic. We didn't have the management depth at that time to run both the publishing and development sides of things, so we ended up selling off the whole Melbourne House publishing side to Mastertronic."[2] Subsequent games were released through varying publishers. The 1988 fighting games Samurai Warrior and Fist +, the third instalment in the Exploding Fist series, were published through Telecomsoft's Firebird label. 1988 also saw the release of space-shoot'em-up Bedlam, published by GO!, one of U.S. Gold's labels, and The Muncher, published by Gremlin Graphics.

Shift to consoles and PCs[edit]

In 1987 Nintendo granted a developer's licence for the NES and Beam developed games on that platform for US and Japanese publishers. Targeted at an Australian audience, releases such as Aussie Rules Footy and International Cricket for the NES proved successful.[12] In 1992 they released the original title Nightshade, a dark superhero comedy game. The game was meant to be the first part in a series, but no sequels were ever made; however, it served as the basis for Shadowrun. Released in 1993, Shadowrun also used an innovative dialogue system using the acquisition of keywords which could be used in subsequent conversations to initiate new branches in the dialogue tree. Also in 1993 they released Baby T-Rex, a Game Boy platform game that the developer actively sought to adapt the game to a number of different licensed properties in different countries around the world including the animated film We're Back! in North America and the puppet character Agro in their home country of Australia.[13]

In 1997, Beam relaunched the Melbourne House brand,[14] under which they published the PC titles Krush Kill 'n' Destroy (KKND), and the sequels KKND Xtreme and KKND2: Krossfire.[15] They released KKND2 in South Korea well before they released it in the American and European markets, and pirated versions of the game were available on the internet before it was available in stores in the U.S. They were the developers of the 32-bit versions of Norse By Norse West: The Return of the Lost Vikings for the Sega Saturn, PlayStation and PC in 1996.[15] They also helped produce SNES games such as WCW SuperBrawl Wrestling, Super Smash TV and an updated version of International Cricket titled Super International Cricket.[15] They ported the Sega Saturn game Bug! to Windows 3.x in August 1996.

1998 saw a return to RPGs with Alien Earth, again with a dialogue tree format.[16] Also in 1998, the studio developed racing games DethKarz[15] and GP 500.

In 1999 Beam Software was acquired by Infogrames and renamed to Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd.

2000s[edit]

They continued to cement a reputation as a racing game developer with Le Mans 24 Hours and Looney Tunes: Space Race (both Dreamcast and PlayStation 2), followed by Grand Prix Challenge (PlayStation 2), before going into third-person shooters with Men in Black II: Alien Escape (PlayStation 2, GameCube).[17]

In 2004 the studio released Transformers for the PlayStation 2 games console based on the then current Transformers Armada franchise by Hasbro.[18] The game reached the top of the UK PlayStation 2 games charts, making it Melbourne House's most successful recent title.

The studio then completed work on PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable ports of Eden's next-generation Xbox 360 title Test Drive: Unlimited.

In December 2005, Atari decided to shift away from internal development, seeking to sell its studios, including Melbourne House.[19] In November 2006, Krome Studios acquired Melbourne House from Atari and was renamed to Krome Studios Melbourne.[20] It was closed on 15 October 2010, along with the main Brisbane office. Next to the game development, Beam Software also had the division Smarty Pants Publishing Pty Ltd., that created software titles for kids, as well as the proprietary video compression technology VideoBeam, and Famous Faces, a facial motion capture hardware and software solution.

Games[edit]

As Beam Software[edit]

As Infogrames Melbourne House/Atari Melbourne House/Krome Studios Melbourne[edit]

Year Title Platform(s) Publisher(s)
2000 Le Mans 24 Hours Dreamcast Infogrames
Looney Tunes: Space Race
2001 Le Mans 24 Hours PlayStation 2
2002 Space Race
Le Mans 24 Hours Windows
Men in Black II: Alien Escape[17] PlayStation 2
Grand Prix Challenge
2003 Men in Black II: Alien Escape[a][17] GameCube
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines[b] PlayStation 2, Xbox Atari
2004 Transformers[18] PlayStation 2
2007 Test Drive Unlimited[c] PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Crookes, David. "The Wizards of Oz". Retro Gamer. No. 36. Imagine. pp. 38–42.
  2. ^ a b "NG Alphas: Melbourne House". Next Generation. No. 33. Imagine Media. September 1997. pp. 116–8.
  3. ^ "CRASH 3 - Melbourne House". www.crashonline.org.uk. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Beam Software Timeline". Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Archived from the original on 2 March 2007. Retrieved 19 September 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)"Beam Software Timeline". Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Documentation for a 2007 exhibition.
  5. ^ Sharwood, Simon (18 November 2012), Author of '80s classic The Hobbit didn't know game was a hit, The Register, retrieved 10 December 2012
  6. ^ "Beam Software Company History". beam.com.au. Archived from the original on 21 October 1997. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  7. ^ Milgrom, Fred (29 September 1997). "Innovator keeps firing". The Age. p. 14. Retrieved 25 March 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b DeMaria, Rusel and Wilson, Johnny L. (2004) High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games McGraw-Hill/Osborne, Berkeley, Calif., p. 347, ISBN 0-07-223172-6
  9. ^ "Golden Joysticks Awards' ultimate list of ultimate winners: 1983 - 2016". GamesRadar.com. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Mastertronic Buys Melbourne House". Popular Computing Weekly. 12–18 February 1987. p. 4.
  11. ^ Guter, Arthur (June 2016). "A History of Mastertronic". Mastertronic. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018.
  12. ^ a b c "Why Cricket video games are vital to Australia's national identity". GamesHub. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  13. ^ Mansfield, Dylan (24 February 2019). "Baby T-Rex: The Game Revised 10 Times". Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  14. ^ "In the Studio". Next Generation. No. 29. Imagine Media. May 1997. p. 17.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Company bio: Beam Software". Gamespy. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
  16. ^ Al Giovetti. "Alien Earth". The Computer Show.
  17. ^ a b c "Men in Black II: Alien Escape". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  18. ^ a b Dunham, Jeremy (9 December 2003). "Transformers Armada: Prelude to Energon Hands-On". IGN. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  19. ^ Foster, Lisa (17 February 2006). "Atari plans studio sell-off". MCV. Intent Media. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  20. ^ "Krome Studios expands with new studio in Melbourne". Krome Studios. 3 November 2006. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  21. ^ "Strike Force (TRS-80)". MobyGames. Blue Flame Labs. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  22. ^ "Penetrator (1982)". MobyGames. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  23. ^ "H.U.R.G. [Spectrum 48K] | Melbourne House | 1983 | ACMI collection". www.acmi.net.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  24. ^ "Asterix and the Magic Cauldron [Commodore 64/128] | Melbourne House | 1986 | ACMI collection". www.acmi.net.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  25. ^ "Fist: The Legend Continues (1986)". MobyGames. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  26. ^ "A brief history of 2000AD's 8-bit games". Eurogamer.net. 19 November 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  27. ^ "Knuckle Busters (1986)". MobyGames. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  28. ^ "CVG Magazine Issue 055". May 1986. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  29. ^ a b "Bad Street Brawler [computer game] | Laser Beam (Beam Software) | 1989 | ACMI collection". www.acmi.net.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  30. ^ "Inspector Gadget and the Circus of !!Fear!! (1987)". MobyGames. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  31. ^ "Bop'n Rumble - C64-Wiki". www.c64-wiki.com.
  32. ^ "The Muncher at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware". Spectrum Computing. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  33. ^ "The Punisher [computer game] | LJN Entertainment, Inc. | 1990 | ACMI collection". www.acmi.net.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  34. ^ "Choplifter II [computer game] | Laser Beam (Beam Software) | 1991 | ACMI collection". www.acmi.net.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  35. ^ "Aussie Rules Footy [computer game] | Laser Beam (Beam Software) | 1991 | ACMI collection". www.acmi.net.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  36. ^ "Shadowrun [SNES] | Data East USA | 1992 | ACMI collection". www.acmi.net.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  37. ^ Fahs, Travis (21 November 2008). "Rescue Me: The History of Choplifter". IGN. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  38. ^ "Stargate [computer game] | Acclaim Entertainment Ltd | 1994 | ACMI collection". www.acmi.net.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  39. ^ "Super International Cricket [computer game] | Nintendo | 1994 | ACMI collection". www.acmi.net.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  40. ^ "The Dame Was Loaded [DOS] | Philips Interactive Media, Inc. | 1996 | ACMI collection". www.acmi.net.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  41. ^ "Cricket 96 for DOS (1996)". MobyGames. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  42. ^ "Caesars Palace for PlayStation (1997)". MobyGames. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  43. ^ "Chairman's Report to Beam International Limited Shareholders". beam.com.au. 7 June 1997. Archived from the original on 7 June 1997. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  44. ^ "Beam announces Release Date For KKnD". beam.com.au. 26 February 1997. Archived from the original on 7 June 1997. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  45. ^ Gentry, Perry (30 October 1998). "What's in Stores Next Week (We Think)". CNET Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  1. ^ Ported by Tantalus.
  2. ^ Support developer for Black Ops Entertainment, worked on sound design.
  3. ^ Ported for Eden Games.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beam_Software&oldid=1215470599"