Cinemaware Corporation
Overview
Cinemaware Corporation was founded in 1985. The company was Robert Jacob's and Phyllis Jacob's software development house. Established in 1985, it existed for seven years before going under in 1991.Cinemaware was responsible for creating games that, true to their name, were almost of a movie-like quality, or at least a reasonable facsimile, given the technology of the time. The company was an active developer of award-winning games on the Amiga, C64, Apple IIGS, PC, NES, NEC Turbografx and other computers and console systems.
In the early 1990's NEC asked Cinemaware to do a CD-enhanced remake of It Came from the Desert for its TurboGrafx CD console, in exchange for buying 20 percent of the company. Cinemaware sank $700,000 in the project, almost five times as much as a regular budget at the time. The movie-like production skills drained the funds quickly and the company went under in 1991, before the game was finished. Under the leadership of David Riordan the game was completed on a tight budget and released in 1992.
Many of Cinemaware's original programmers, designers, artists, and producers left to work for top developers and publishers around the industry, such as Microsoft, Cavedog Entertainment, Disney Interactive and Electronic Arts.
In 2000 a new company called Cinemaware, Inc. was formed based on the name and assets of the original Cinemaware. The original team was not involved.
Games
| Defender of the Crown: Digitally Remastered Collector's Edition | (2002) |
| Three Stooges: Digitally Remastered Edition, The | (2002) |
| It Came from the Desert | (1992) |
| ABC Wide World of Sports Boxing | (1991) |
| Bo Jackson Baseball | (1991) |
| TV Sports: Hockey | (1991) |
| Double-Double Bill | (1991) |
| Action Pak Arcade Fever | (1990) |
| Dragon Lord | (1990) |
| Wings | (1990) |
| Airstrike USA | (1990) |
| It Came from the Desert II | (1990) |
| Dark Side | (1989) |
| 3 In Three | (1989) |
| It Came from the Desert | (1989) |
| Total Eclipse | (1989) |
| Lords of the Rising Sun | (1989) |
| FOFT: Federation of Free Traders | (1989) |
| TV Sports: Basketball | (1989) |
| Kristal, The | (1989) |
| Death Bringer | (1989) |
| TV Sports: Football | (1988) |
| Speedball | (1988) |
| Rocket Ranger | (1988) |
| Sinbad and the Throne of the Falcon | (1987) |
| Three Stooges, The | (1987) |
| S.D.I. | (1986) |
| Defender of the Crown | (1986) |
| King of Chicago, The | (1986) |
Trivia
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Related Web Sites
- Interviews with Past Cinemaware Employees (Just Adventure's Adam Bormann interviews former Cinemaware employees who moved on to Sierra On-line: Pat Cook and Allen McPheeters.)
- Matt Chat 41 (Video interview with Bob Jacob about Cinemaware's history (Youtube))
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