Mindscape Inc.
Mindscape Inc. was the distributor of multiple Ultima games in Europe. This company, founded in 1983, has had a chaotic history starting in the 1990s until it finally went bankrupt in 2011.
History with Ultima[edit]
After the distribution deal for Europe with MicroProse was not renewed, Origin instead approached Mindscape Inc. to distribute its games in Europe through their subsidiary Mindscape International starting in 1989. They took over in the middle of distributing Ultima V, meaning that the game has the unique distinction of having been distributed in Europe by both, MicroProse and Mindscape. This partnership would hold for several years.
After Electronic Arts took over Origin in late 1992, they did not renew the distribution deal, since due to Electronic Arts having their own distribution network, such a partner was no longer needed. All future games in Europe were distributed by Electronic Arts directly.
List of Ultima-works distributed by Mindscape[edit]
- Ultima V (1989)
- Ultima VI (1990)
- Savage Empire (1991)
- Martian Dreams (1991)
- Ultima Underworld (1992)
- Ultima Trilogy IV V VI (1992)
- Ultima VII (1992)
- Forge of Virtue (1992)
Trivia[edit]
- Mindscape was taken over by Software Toolworks in 1990, thus explaining why two products, the Ultima I-VI Series and the Ultima VI/Wing Commander combo box, were sold with their branding in America. Due to the already established connection with Origin by Mindscape, it was easier to make a deal with them.
Logo Gallery[edit]
The logo from 1983 to 1994
The logo of Mindscape International
External Links[edit]
- Mindscape (Wikipedia)
| Companies involved with the Ultima series | |
|---|---|
| The Main Studio | Origin Systems Inc. |
| Western Companies | California Pacific Computer Co. ☥ Electronic Arts ☥ Looking Glass Studios ☥ MicroProse Mindscape ☥ Sierra On-Line, Inc. ☥ The Software Toolworks Inc. |
| Japanese Companies | Fujitsu Ltd. ☥ PonyCanyon Inc. ☥ StarCraft Inc. |