SoftKey
Encyclopedia
SoftKey International was a publisher and distributor of CD-ROM
based personal computer software for Windows
and Macintosh computers during the 1990s. Their products typically consisted of software intended for home audiences, especially compilation discs containing various freeware
or shareware
game software. SoftKey enjoyed great success by offering "jewel-case only" products, which they dubbed their 'Platinum' line.
Canadian entrepreneur and investor Kevin O'Leary
started Softkey International in his basement on a $10,000 investment from his mother. As a repackager of high-end business software for the consumer market, Softkey succeeded in its mission to become "the Campbell's Soup of software". By 1994, Softkey was a billion-dollar consolidator in the educational software market, acquiring no less than sixty rivals, such as WordStar
, Broderbund and Spinnaker Software
. It then moved to Boston and took the name of one of its acquisitions, The Learning Company
(TLC).
In 1995, SoftKey introduced a number of new children's educational software titles, branded under the KeyKids line.
, and most of the other holdings to Irish company Riverdeep
.
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
based personal computer software for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
and Macintosh computers during the 1990s. Their products typically consisted of software intended for home audiences, especially compilation discs containing various freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
or shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
game software. SoftKey enjoyed great success by offering "jewel-case only" products, which they dubbed their 'Platinum' line.
Canadian entrepreneur and investor Kevin O'Leary
Kevin O'Leary (entrepreneur)
Kevin O'Leary is a Canadian entrepreneur, venture capitalist, investor, and television personality.-Early life and education:O'Leary was born in Mount Royal, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal, to a salesman father and seamstress mother....
started Softkey International in his basement on a $10,000 investment from his mother. As a repackager of high-end business software for the consumer market, Softkey succeeded in its mission to become "the Campbell's Soup of software". By 1994, Softkey was a billion-dollar consolidator in the educational software market, acquiring no less than sixty rivals, such as WordStar
WordStar
WordStar is a word processor application, published by MicroPro International, originally written for the CP/M operating system but later ported to DOS, that enjoyed a dominant market share during the early to mid-1980s. Although Seymour I...
, Broderbund and Spinnaker Software
Spinnaker Software
Spinnaker Software was a 1982 founded software company known primarily for its line of non-curriculum based educational software, which was a major seller during the 1980s. It was founded by chairman Bill Bowman and president C. David Seuss....
. It then moved to Boston and took the name of one of its acquisitions, The Learning Company
The Learning Company
The Learning Company is an American educational software company, founded in 1980. It produced a grade-based system similar to Knowledge Adventure's JumpStart series. The products for preschoolers through second graders feature Reader Rabbit, and software for more advanced students features The...
(TLC).
In 1995, SoftKey introduced a number of new children's educational software titles, branded under the KeyKids line.
Partial list of software titles
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
- Air Power: The US Air Force in Action
- The American Heritage Talking Dictionary
- Angst: Rahz's Revenge
- AstrorockAstrorockAstrorock is a 1996 personal computer game for systems with Windows 95 and newer. In the year 9999, the bash of the millennium is about to be invaded by evil mutant aliens. Zep Nepher needs the player's hope to restore rock and roll music to the interstellar vastness...
- The Bible: A Multimedia Experience
- Comanche CD (Budget CD-Rom Release)
- Design It! 3-D
- DinoPark TycoonDinoPark TycoonDinoPark Tycoon is an educational business simulation computer game released by MECC in 1993. A school version of the game was released for use in elementary schools.In the game, players run a theme park which features dinosaurs as its main attraction...
- Dinosource
- Dr. Health'nstein's Body Fun
- Dr. Schueler's Home Medical Advisor Pro
- Earthworm Jim
- Explorers of the New World
- Falcon AT
- Flight of the Intruder
- The Hubble Space Telescope
- Infopedia
- JetStrike
- Koshan Conspiracy
- Lamborghini: American Challenge
- Lynn Fischer's Healthy Indulgences
- MPC Wizard
- Multipedia
- The Muppet Calendar
- Oregon Trail IIOregon Trail IIOregon Trail II is a video game released by MECC in 1996. It was published by SoftKey Multimedia.It is a revised version of the original Oregon Trail computer game. It was redesigned with the help of American Studies PhD Wayne Studer...
- The Otter's Adventure
- Pocket and Tails Go Exploring
- Pocket and Tails Go to Town
- Shadows of Cairn
- Shelley Duvall's Tales of Digby the Dog
- Silent Service 2
- Solitaire Antics
- Spanish to Go!
- Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar
- Tom Kite Golf
Acquisition
Mattel bought in with great enthusiasm at the top of the market in 1999 at US$3.65B, but ultimately found itself losing money with 467 software titles. This acquisition was intended to broaden Mattel's product line and help Mattel sell more products that appeal to boys, but TLC began reporting unexpected losses before the deal was even completed. The deal was supposed to immediately add $50 million annually to Mattel's bottom line. The company instead lost $82.4 million in that fiscal year because of a number of problems with the acquisition, including a loss of a key distribution deal and a high return of unsold products from retailers. In October, Mattel announced that its earnings would fall well below expectations, prompting the departure one month later of TLC's O'Leary and another founder. Mattel ultimately sold the company to The Gores Group, LLC, (GTG) for a share of future profits. GTG said of TLC's business structure, "[it] was a textbook example of a business built mostly by cobbled-together acquisitions, which were then purchased by a larger company with little idea of how to make the pieces fit together." The company was quickly turned around. Said James Bailey, President of GTG, "there were seven separate Internet initiatives, all run by different people. Some of these people had never met each other, even though they worked in the same building." In 2001, Gores sold The Learning Company's entertainment holdings to UbisoftUbisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
, and most of the other holdings to Irish company Riverdeep
Riverdeep
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Learning Technology originally started as Riverdeep Interactive Learning, is a publishing house for educational online and CD-ROM products based in San Francisco and Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 1995, Riverdeep was principally the creation of the Irish ex-investment banker...
.