Supersoft
Encyclopedia
Supersoft is a software and computer game developer
and publisher
founded in England
in 1978. It was founded by Peter Calver and Pearl Wellard to develop and publish software primarily for the Commodore PET
.
product to be developed in the UK, the Petmaster Superchip. The following year the company expanded into hardware with the release of a high-resolution graphics card for the Commodore PET
- and although by modern standards the resolution of 320 x 200 pixels is not high, it was a considerable improvement on the 80 x 50 capability of the standard model. Originally run from the founders' home in Eastcote, Middlesex the business moved to office premises in Wealdstone in 1981.
included Air Attack (see Blitz computer game
) and Super Glooper, the latter based on the popular PacMan arcade game. A text-adventure game based on the Douglas Adams
book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was withdrawn following legal action. The game's programmer, Bob Chappell, rewrote the game to remove all Hitchhiker's references, and Supersoft republished it as "Cosmic Capers.". The most successful business program developed by Supersoft was Busicalc, a spreadsheet program originally produced for the Commodore PET
, and converted to the Vic-20 and Commodore 64
; it was one of Supersoft's most successful products in the UK and became the company's first and most successful product in the USA, where it was published under licence by Skyles Electric Works
. Busicalc 2 and Busicalc 3 followed, the latter offering three-dimensional capabilities.
, which was programmed by Michael McLean and released the following year as Graham Gooch's Test Cricket
by Audiogenic Software
, a newly formed subsidiary of Supersoft. From 1985 onwards Supersoft focused on home office programs and utilities, as the Audiogenic name was better-known in the games business.
which, with its accompanying software was developed by Andrew Trott. While only hundreds were sold (the device cost more than the computer), many were used by serious musicians and in professional studios, and one was supplied to Feargal Sharkey
, the former lead singer of the Undertones
.
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...
and 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....
founded in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1978. It was founded by Peter Calver and Pearl Wellard to develop and publish software primarily for the Commodore PET
Commodore PET
The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...
.
Hardware
In 1980 Supersoft released the first user-installable firmwareFirmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
product to be developed in the UK, the Petmaster Superchip. The following year the company expanded into hardware with the release of a high-resolution graphics card for the Commodore PET
Commodore PET
The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...
- and although by modern standards the resolution of 320 x 200 pixels is not high, it was a considerable improvement on the 80 x 50 capability of the standard model. Originally run from the founders' home in Eastcote, Middlesex the business moved to office premises in Wealdstone in 1981.
Software
Early games published by Supersoft for the Commodore PETCommodore PET
The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...
included Air Attack (see Blitz computer game
Blitz (computer game)
Blitz is an arcade-style game for the VIC-20 personal computer.The first game of this genre was written for the Commodore PET by Peter Calver and published under the name Air Attack by his company, Supersoft, in 1979...
) and Super Glooper, the latter based on the popular PacMan arcade game. A text-adventure game based on the Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
book Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was withdrawn following legal action. The game's programmer, Bob Chappell, rewrote the game to remove all Hitchhiker's references, and Supersoft republished it as "Cosmic Capers.". The most successful business program developed by Supersoft was Busicalc, a spreadsheet program originally produced for the Commodore PET
Commodore PET
The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...
, and converted to the Vic-20 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 was one of Supersoft's most successful products in the UK and became the company's first and most successful product in the USA, where it was published under licence by Skyles Electric Works
Skyles Electric Works
Skyles Electric Works was founded in California by Bob Skyles, a former Commodore engineer, to produce hardware add-ons for the Commodore PET...
. Busicalc 2 and Busicalc 3 followed, the latter offering three-dimensional capabilities.
Forming Audiogenic
In 1984 development commenced on a cricket game for the Commodore 64Commodore 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...
, which was programmed by Michael McLean and released the following year as Graham Gooch's Test Cricket
Graham Gooch's Test Cricket
Graham Gooch's Test Cricket is a 1985 cricket game released for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum by Audiogenic. It was later reissued by budget label Alternative Software as Graham Gooch's Match Cricket.-Gameplay:...
by Audiogenic Software
Audiogenic
Audiogenic Software is one of the oldest United Kingdom video game developers. It was established in 1985 out of the ashes of an earlier Audiogenic company that had been founded in the late 1970s. It published its last new title in 1997, after the core of the development team were taken over by...
, a newly formed subsidiary of Supersoft. From 1985 onwards Supersoft focused on home office programs and utilities, as the Audiogenic name was better-known in the games business.
Microvox
In 1987 Supersoft released Microvox, a high-quality digital sampler for the Commodore 64Commodore 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...
which, with its accompanying software was developed by Andrew Trott. While only hundreds were sold (the device cost more than the computer), many were used by serious musicians and in professional studios, and one was supplied to Feargal Sharkey
Feargal Sharkey
Feargal Sharkey is a singer from Northern Ireland who first found fame as the lead vocalist of pop punk band The Undertones...
, the former lead singer of the Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...
.