Probe Entertainment
From Sega Retro
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| Probe Entertainment | ||
|---|---|---|
| Founded: 1984[1] | ||
| Defunct: 2000-04 | ||
Headquarters:
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Probe Entertainment, formerly known as Probe Software and later known as Acclaim Studios London, was a British video game developer and one of the largest names in the British personal computer industry.
Contents
Company
Founded by Fergus McGovern in 1984 primarily as a distributor and publisher, Probe Software began its existence by contracting out the development of computer games to smaller development studios. Their first game, the Commodore 16 budget title Alcatraz, did not perform as well in the marketplace as the company had expected, leading McGovern to re-evaluate the company's direction. Soon, Probe switched to developing for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum, when they notably acquired an official license to port many of Sega's flagship franchises to contemporary home computers.
The company experienced a significant amount of success with their license-centric business model, producing a number of officially-licensed movie games and home ports of popular Sega arcade games. Often working with publishers Acclaim, U.S. Gold, and Arena Entertainment, the company would later find a niche in the development of the home ports of Midway's popular arcade fighting game Mortal Kombat.
In 1995, Probe Software was acquired by Acclaim for around $40,000,000 and renamed Probe Entertainment. In May 1999, the company was once again renamed, now known as Acclaim Studios London. Less than one year later, Acclaim Studios London was officially closed, and one of the most influential names in the British video game industry was no more. Development on sequels to Re-Volt and the Extreme-G franchise moved over to the newly-formed Acclaim Studios Cheltenham.
Softography
Master System
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1994) (as Probe Software)
- (1994) (as Probe Software)
- (1994) (as Probe Software)
- (unreleased) (as Probe Software)
Mega Drive
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1994) (as Probe Software)
- (1994) (as Probe Software)
- (1994) (as Probe Software)
- (1995)
- (1995)
- (1995) (as Probe Software)
- (1995)
- (unreleased) (as Probe Software)
Game Gear
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1992) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1993) (as Probe Software)
- (1994) (as Probe Software)
- (1994) (as Probe Software)
- (1994) (as Probe Software)
- (1994) (as Probe Software)
- (1995)
- (1995)
- (1995)
Mega-CD
- (1994) (as Probe Software)
- (unreleased)
32X
- (1995)
- (1995)
Mega-CD 32X
- (unreleased)
Commodore 64
- (1989) (as Probe Software)
- (1990) (as Probe Software)
- (1990) (as Probe Software)
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
IBM PC
- (1990) (as Probe Software)
Amstrad CPC
- (1987) (as Probe Software)
- (1987) (as Probe Software)
- (1990) (as Probe Software)
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
ZX Spectrum
- (1987) (as Probe Software)
- (1987) (as Probe Software)
- (1990) (as Probe Software)
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
Atari ST
- (1988) (as Probe Software)
- (1990) (as Probe Software)
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
Amiga
- (1988) (as Probe Software)
- (1990) (as Probe Software)
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
- (1991) (as Probe Software)
Saturn
- (1995)
- (1996)
- (1996)
- (1997)
- (unreleased) (as Probe Software)
- (unreleased)
- (unreleased)
Dreamcast
- (1999) (as Acclaim Studios London)
Articles
An article detailing the company's history, by Jerry Muir of Amstrad User, August 1988.