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MicroProse (Alameda)

Moby ID: 151

AKA +
  • Spectrum Holobyte, Inc. (from 1982 to 1997)

Overview edit · view history

Spectrum HoloByte Inc. was founded in 1982 and incorporated in 1983 in the state of Colorado. After merging with Nexa Corporation in 1987, the company moved its headquarters to Alameda, California. The company eventually employed over 325 people and became successful in the development of games for the PC home computer. Their best selling games were the Falcon fighter-plane flight simulations.

In 1991 Spectrum HoloByte was listed as a division of Sphere, Inc. Sphere's name was changed to Spectrum Holobyte in September 1992.

The company was publicly held and traded on the NASDAQ National Market exchange under the symbol SBYT. Its five development studios were located in Alameda, California; Hunt Valley, Maryland; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Austin, Texas; and Chipping Sodbury, England. They also had a division in Germany, Spectrum Holobyte GmbH.

In 1993 the company acquired MicroProse, and then SimTex Inc. in 1995. In 1996, all of its products were consolidated underneath the MicroProse banner. Spectrum HoloByte Japan was one of their subsidiaries and eventually became MicroProse Japan K.K. Their Chipping Sodbury, England, subsidiary became MicroProse Ltd. (aka MicroProse-Spectrum HoloByte UK-Europe) and their German division was renamed MicroProse-Spectrum Holobyte GmbH.

The joint company was acquired by Hasbro Interactive on 15 September 1998. Their headquarters and studio in Alameda, California, closed on 7 December 1999 during the development of Master of Magic 2.

Credited on 58 Games from 1984 to 2005

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Falcon 4.0: Allied Force (2005 on Windows, Macintosh)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Birth of the Federation (1999 on Windows)
Falcon 4.0 (1998 on Windows, Macintosh)
ClockWerx (1996 on SEGA Saturn, PlayStation)
Top Gun: Fire at Will! (1996 on DOS, PlayStation, Macintosh)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - "A Final Unity" (1995 on DOS, Macintosh)
Absolute Zero (1995 on DOS, Macintosh)
ClockWerx (1995 on Windows, Macintosh)
Curse of Dragor (1995 on Macintosh)
Grand Prix Manager (1995 on Windows 3.x)
Knight Moves (1995 on Windows)
Lords of Midnight (1995 on DOS)
Perfect Partner Bridge (1995 on Macintosh, Windows 3.x)
Qwirks (1995 on Windows 3.x, Windows, Macintosh)
Reflux: Issue.01 - "The Becoming" (1995 on Windows 3.x, Macintosh)
Reflux: Issue.02 - "The Threshold" (1995 on Windows 3.x)
Star Trek: The Next Generation - "A Final Unity" (Collector's Edition) (1995 on Windows)
WildSnake (1994 on Game Boy, SNES)
Pete Sampras Tennis (1994 on Genesis, Game Gear)
BreakThru! (1994 on Windows 3.x, Game Boy, SNES...)

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History +

December 7, 1999

The development studio in Alameda is closed. Their project, Master of Magic 2, is cancelled.

September 15, 1998

The merged company is acquired by Hasbro Interactive.

October 15, 1996

The company signs an agreement with Sony Signatures Film and Television Licensing to develop several games based on the movie Starship Troopers.

1996

Consolidated all of its products under the MicroProse banner.

1995

The company acquires SimTex

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Trivia +

Company information in November 1996:

MicroProse-Spectrum HoloByte-USA

2490 Mariner Square Loop

Alameda, CA 94501

Phone: (510) 522-1164

Fax: (510) 522-9357 FAX

Former website address: www.holobyte.com

Company location and contact information (1991):

Spectrum Holobyte

A division of Sphere, Inc.

2061 Challenger Drive

Alameda, California 94501

USA

Phone: (510) 522-1164

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