Electric Dreams Software

Infobox Defunct Company
company_name = Electric Dreams Software
company_
fate = Unknown; did not publish after 1989
successor =
foundation = 1985
defunct = 1989
location =
industry = Video games
key_people = Rob Cousens, Paul Cooper
products = "Spindizzy" (1986)
"" (1986)
num_employees =
parent =
subsid =

Electric Dreams Software was a video game publisher established in 1985 by ex-managing director of Quicksilva, Rob Cousens.cite journal |last=Goodwin |first=Simon |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1985 |month=September |title=Planning our Future |journal=CRASH |volume= |issue=20 |pages= |id= |url=http://www.crashonline.org.uk/20/cousens.htm |accessdate= 2007-11-09 |quote= ] The company published video games for the ZX Spectrum [cite web |url=http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekpub.cgi?regexp=^Electric+Dreams+Software$&loadpics=on |title=Electric Dreams |accessdate=2007-11-09 |format= |work=World of Spectrum ] , Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC [cite web |url=http://www.cpczone.net/browse/developer/Electric_Dreams/ |title=Electric Dreams |accessdate=2007-11-09 |format= |work=CPC Zone ] between 1985 and 1989, becoming one of the top eight UK software houses of that decade.cite journal |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1987 |month=January |title=Profile - Electric Dreams |journal=Your Computer |volume= |issue=8701 |pages= |id= |quote=Now Cousens is handling the complete U.K. and European network for Activision as well and Electric Dreams has become one of the top eight U.K. software houses. ]

oftware Studios

The publisher's in-house video game developer was Software Studios, set up in April 1986 and run by John Dean and Dave Cummings. Software Studios also handled Activisions products marketed in countries outside the United States. The concept behind this team was to pool resources and ideas between all Electric Dream projects, but they were also directly responsible for two film tie-in licenses, "" (1986) and "Big Trouble in Little China".

Other software titles were chosen for release by Paul Cooper, also formerly of Quicksilva. The company's initial releases were "Riddler's Den" and "I, Of the Mask". [cite journal |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1985 |month=November |title=Frontlines |journal=Your Spectrum |volume= |issue=20 |pages= |id= |url=http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jg27paw4/yr20/yr20_03.htm |accessdate= 2007-11-09 |quote= ]

Logo

Electric Dreams Software's logo design is identical to the logo for Disney's Captain EO. ["CRASH" issue 60 (January 1989, page 59) highlights the comparison; a link to the archived page can be found on World of Spectrum's [http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekpub.cgi?regexp=^Electric+Dreams+Software$&loadpics=on Electric Dreams] listing.]

List of releases

*"Riddler's Den" (1985), David Harper
*"I, of the Mask" (1985), Spaceman Ltd
*"Back to the Future" (1985), Software Images
*"Winter Sports (video game)" (1985), Software Images
*"" (1986), Software Studios
*"Big Trouble in Little China" (1986), Software Studios
*"Dandy" (1986), The RamJam Corporation
*"Explorer" (1986), The RamJam Corporation
*"Hijack" (1986), Paradise Software
*"Mermaid Madness" (1986), Soft Design
*"Prodigy" (1986), MD Software
*"Spindizzy" (1986), Paul Shirley and Phil Churchyard
*"Super Hang-On" (1986), Software Studios; under license from Sega
*"Xarq" (1986), The RamJam Corporation
*"" (1987), Mr. Micro
*"FireTrap" (1987), Source Software; under license from Data East USA
*"Nihilist" (1987), Shahid Ahmad
*"Star Raiders 2" (1987), Simon Freeman, Gary Stark and Bruce Poelman; under license from Atari
*"Super Sprint" (1987), as developer, published by Activision; under license from Atari
*"Tempest" (1987), David Pridmore; under license from Atari
*"Championship Sprint" (1988), Catalyst Coders; under license from Atari
*"Karnov" (1988), Mr. Micro; under license from Data East USA
*"R-Type" (1988), Bob Pape and Mark A. Jones; under license from Irem Corporation
*"Incredible Shrinking Sphere" (1989), Foursfield

In addition, the strategy game "RMS Titanic" was previewed by the gaming press in 1986, but was never published.

References