Rush goods

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rushware micro-trading company
legal form GmbH
founding 1984
resolution 2000
Seat Kaarst
management Jürgen Goeldner

The Rushware Micro Handelsgesellschaft mbH was a German publisher for computer games . In the late 1980s and 1990s, it was one of the leading publishers and distributors for computer games in the European and especially the German market. The company also developed its own game software through its subsidiary Rainbow Arts . In 2000, Rushware was taken over by the American computer game publisher THQ and converted into its German sales office.

history

Rushware was founded in 1984 within the record distributor Rush Records (including Geil by Bruce & Bongo ) as a sales department for software. The founders were Hans Rabe and Jürgen Goeldner. In addition to games, the company also sold accessories such as joysticks. Games were published, among other things, on the Eurogold label. In 1985, Rushware reached an agreement at the IFA on the German-language publication rights for the titles Summer Games and Winter Games by the American developer Epyx. The company thus secured the most successful titles of the year and surprisingly prevailed over market leader Ariolasoft . Rushware also produced the game disks. Instead of the originally estimated 10,000 copies, the game sold around 100,000 times for the C64 in German-speaking countries. Since the games were also very tough for joysticks, the company also benefited from the wear and tear of the accessories and also offered a repair service. Softgold, a subsidiary of its own, was founded for the future license business , while Rushware was responsible for the distribution business. Cooperations with SSI , NovaLogic , Sir-Tech and especially Lucasfilm Games emerged .

1986 the developer studio Rainbow Arts was taken over. In 1988, Nintendo obtained an injunction against rushware because the game The Great Giana Sisters by the Rainbow Arts / Time Warp subsidiary made significant use of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. game design . Rushware was able to reach an out-of-court settlement, but had to withdraw the game from trading and pay compensation to Nintendo. In 1990, Rushware, together with market leader Ariolasoft and the British provider US Gold, covered 90% of the German computer game market.

In 1992 Rushware became part of the Funsoft Holding. Rushware received the offer to take over the German distribution of Tomb Raider . However, managing director Goeldner did not believe in success with his predominantly male buyers. In December 1998 Funsoft Holding sold Rushware and its daughters to the American publisher THQ . THQ paid $ 1.5 million in cash and $ 4.5 million in THQ stock. In December 2000, Rushware was renamed THQ Entertainment GmbH.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b The company archives: Rushware . In: Retro Gamer Special . No. 1/2016 . Heise, 2015, ISBN 978-3-95788-068-0 , pp. 166-170 .
  2. ^ Hans-Dieter Kübler: Media for children. From literature to the internet portal. An overview. Westdeutscher Verlag, Wiesbaden 2002, ISBN 3-531-13824-3 . P. 141.
  3. ↑ “I didn't really want to set up the games with the bananas” | IGM Online. Retrieved December 2, 2018 .
  4. ↑ SCi appoints Funsoft, THQ vet as COO . In: GamesIndustry.biz . ( gamesindustry.biz [accessed December 2, 2018]).
  5. ↑ RUSHWARE, SUBSIDIARIES ACQUIRED BY THQ. Accessed December 2, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Chris Johnston: THQ Acquires German Publisher / Distributor. In: GameSpot. Retrieved April 28, 2000, December 2, 2018 (American English).