Palace Software
Encyclopedia
Palace Software was a British
video game publisher
and developer
during the 1980s based in London, England. It was notable for the Barbarian and Cauldron series of games for 8-bit home computer
platforms, in particular the ZX Spectrum
, Amstrad CPC
and Commodore 64
. It caused some controversy with its advertisements in computer magazines, particularly for Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax which featured Page Three girl Maria Whittaker
as a scantily-clad female warrior.
Palace's developers included artist Steve Brown and musician Richard Joseph
.
In 1991, Palace Software's parent company, Palace Group, sold it to Titus Software
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
video game publisher
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
and developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
during the 1980s based in London, England. It was notable for the Barbarian and Cauldron series of games for 8-bit home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
platforms, in particular the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
. It caused some controversy with its advertisements in computer magazines, particularly for Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax which featured Page Three girl Maria Whittaker
Maria Whittaker
Maria Whittaker is a former English glamour model and Page Three girl.-Modelling career:Whittaker made her début as a Page Three girl in British newspaper The Sun in 1985, at the age of 16...
as a scantily-clad female warrior.
Palace's developers included artist Steve Brown and musician Richard Joseph
Richard Joseph
Richard Joseph was a British computer game composer, musician and sound specialist. He had a career spanning some 20 years starting in the early days of gaming on the C64 and the Amiga and onto succeeding formats through to the present day.After being diagnosed with lung cancer, he died on 4 March...
.
In 1991, Palace Software's parent company, Palace Group, sold it to Titus Software
Titus Software
Titus Software, later known as Titus Interactive S.A., was a long-running French software publisher that produced and published video games for various formats over its lifetime....
.
Notable releases
- The Evil Dead (19841984 in video gaming-Notable releases:* May 10, King's Quest , the first animated adventure game, the first in the King's Quest series, and the first to use the AGI engine.* June 4, Nintendo releases Donkey Kong 3...
) - Cauldron (video game) (19851985 in video gaming-Notable releases:* Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series* Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985, which eventually sells 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.*...
) - Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back (19861986 in video gaming-Events:-Notable releases:*Namco releases Sky Kid Deluxe, Hopping Mappy, Toy Pop, The Return of Ishtar, which is the sequel to Tower of Druaga, Genpei Tōma Den, and Rolling Thunder....
) - The Sacred Armour of AntiriadThe Sacred Armour of AntiriadThe Sacred Armour of Antiriad is an action game published by Palace Software in 1986 for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum home computers. In the USA, the game was published by Epyx as Rad Warrior...
(1986) - Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior (19871987 in video gaming-Notable releases:* January 14, Nintendo releases Zelda II: The Adventure of Link in January for the Famicom Disk System in Japan only. The game would go unreleased in America for nearly two years afterwards.* February 20, Konami releases Contra...
) - Stifflip & Co.Stifflip & Co.Stifflip & Co. is a graphic adventure published by Palace Software in 1987 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC computers. The game is set in the early 20th century, between the two World Wars, and affectionately parodies the character and attitudes of the later British...
(1987) - Barbarian II: The Dungeon of DraxBarbarian II: The Dungeon of DraxBarbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax is a video game first published in 1988 for various home computers. It was also released as Axe of Rage in North America. The game is the sequel to Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior , which was published in 1987...
(19881988 in video gaming-Events:*June — Nintendo releases the last issue of "Nintendo fun club news";*July — Nintendo releases the first issue of Nintendo Power magazine.-Notable releases:*January 8, Konami releases Super Contra....
)
External links
- Article on Palace Software – From CRASHCRASH (magazine)Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
magazine - Palace Software profile from MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...