Sony Imagesoft
Sony Imagesoft was a video game publisher that operated from 1989 to 1995 and was located in California. It was established in January 1989 in Los Angeles, California, as a subsidiary of the Japan-based CBS/Sony Group (CSG) and initially named CSG Imagesoft Inc.[1] Focus at the beginning was on marketing games exclusively for Nintendo consoles.[2]
The first release is Super Dodge Ball in summer 1989.[2] Games by UK-based developers, Solstice and Dragon's Lair, followed in 1990. Both were also published in Japan through Epic/Sony Records.
After Sony had set up its North American Sony Electronic Publishing division in April 1991,[3][4] Imagesoft operated as Sony Imagesoft Inc. The new logo is a blue square that is diagonally divided by a feather emitting sparks of light from its tip. The first games sporting the new logo are Altered Space for Game Boy and movie tie-in Hudson Hawk for NES and Game Boy.
Other releases are localizations of SNES games previously developed for Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) and published under the Epic/Sony Records brand:Extra Innings and Smart Ball, both published in 1992.
Contents
Sega partnership
On May 20, 1992, Sega of America and Sony Electronic Publishing announced a partnership to create content for Sega's consoles under the direction of Imagesoft.[5] Besides Sega's cartridge-based Genesis and GameGear consoles the partnership targeted the upcoming Sega CD peripheral.[6] Among the first titles released for Sega's consoles after the announcement are Sewer Shark and Hook. Sewer Shark, initially released exclusively to Sega CD, is a rail-shooter that years earlier had been shelved as part of the ill-fated Control-Vision platform. The Hook video games are tie-ins to the Spielberg feature film Hook that premiered in December 1991 and was produced by Sony owned TriStar Pictures. Ports of the video game for Sega platforms are based on the SNES game published earlier by Imagesoft. The Sega CD version was enhanced with better cut scenes with voice actors and digital stills and featured music from the film soundtrack.[7]
1995 changes
In March 1995 Sony Imagesoft announced that it had appointed Kelly Flock as president. Flock came from TriMark Interactive where he was executive vice president since March 1993.[8]
Starting in July 1995, just two months prior to the release of the PlayStation console in Western markets, Sony Electronic Publishing restructured and renamed its divisions. All videogame marketing from Sony Imagesoft was folded into Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA), with about 100 employees transferred from Santa Monica to Foster City.[9][10][11] The video game business of Sony Imagesoft was merged with the product development branch of SCEA and became Sony Interactive Studios America[12] which would later be renamed to 989 Studios.
The computer software business of Imagesoft became Sony Interactive PC Software America and was headed by general manager Ray Sangster.[12]
Games published
Games developed
| Title | Genre | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Jeopardy Classic | Puzzle | May 22, 1994 |
| Wheel of Fortune | Strategy | 1994 |
References
- ↑ Sony in U.S. Videogame Venture. In: Television Digest with Consumer Electronics. Volume 28, December 26, 1988, page 51.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 CSG Imagesoft Enters U.S. Home Video Game Market. PR Newswire, Los Angeles, September 6, 1989
- ↑ Sony Software Establishes Sony Electronic Publishing. PR Newswire, New York, February 26, 1991.
- ↑ Consumer Electronics (Communications Daily), Vol. 11, No. 44, Warren Publishing. Page 9.
- ↑ Sony Electronic Publishing and Sega of America announce broad business partnership. Business Wire, May 20, 1992
- ↑ Adam Bryant: Sega Links with Sony to Make CD Video Games. New York Times, May 21, 1992. Accessed: 2010-09-01. (archived version)
- ↑ Janet Wasko: Hollywood in the information age: beyond the silver screen. University of Texas Press 1995, ISBN 0-292-79094-5. Page 62.
- ↑ Sony Imagesoft names Kelly Flock president. Business Wire New York, March 8, 1995.
- ↑ Carl DiOrio: Sony to Transfer 100 Workers. In: The Hollywood Reporter, July 12, 1995.
- ↑ Scott Hettrick: -- no title given -- In: The Hollywood Reporter, August 8, 1995.
- ↑ Sony in Disarray on Eve of Playstation Debut. In: Television Digest with Consumer Electronics, August 14, 1995, ISSN 0497-1515, page 9.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Sony Electronic Publishing Co. renamed; Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. is established. Business Wire, August 17, 1995.
- ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 Super NES Release List from nintendo.com at the Wayback Machine (archived September 30, 2007)
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Peter M. Nichols: Home Video. In: New York Times, December 10, 1993. Accessed: 2010-09-16. (archived version)
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Philips Teams With Propagande. In: Billboard, June 24, 1995, page 54
- ↑ Sony Imagesoft to showcase "Johnny Mnemonic" Business Wire, Santa Monica, California, March 13, 1995
- ↑ Last Action Hero - Sega Mega CD unseen64.net
- ↑ Notebooks. In: Television Digest with Consumer Electronics, Vol. 33, No. 21, Pg. 19. - "...Psygnosis, founded in 1984, published noteworthy "Lemmings" software series, and has developed 2 titles -- "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "Last Action Hero" -- for Sega CD."
- ↑ Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for Sega CD at MobyGames
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- Sony Imagesoft profile on MobyGames
