Probe Entertainment

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Probe Entertainment
Founded: 1984
Defunct: 2000-04
Headquarters: Croydon, England, United Kingdom

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.

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.

Softography

Master System

• Sega Chess (1991) (as Probe Software)
• OutRun Europa (1991) (as Probe Software)
• Lemmings (1992) (as Probe Software)
• G-LOC: Air Battle (1992) (as Probe Software)
• The Terminator (1992) (as Probe Software)
• Alien 3 (1992) (as Probe Software)
• Smash T.V. (1992) (as Probe Software)
• Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993) (as Probe Software)
• Desert Speedtrap Starring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote (1993) (as Probe Software)
• Mortal Kombat (1993) (as Probe Software)
• California Games II (1993) (as Probe Software)
• T2: The Arcade Game (1993) (as Probe Software)
• The Flash (1993) (as Probe Software)
• Home Alone (1993) (as Probe Software)
• Mortal Kombat II (1994) (as Probe Software)
• Road Rash (1994) (as Probe Software)
• Daffy Duck in Hollywood (1994) (as Probe Software)
• The A-Team (unreleased) (as Probe Software)

Mega Drive

• Back to the Future Part III (1991) (as Probe Software)
• Alien 3 (1992) (as Probe Software)
• T2: The Arcade Game (1992) (as Probe Software)
• The Terminator (1992) (as Probe Software)
• Smash T.V. (1992) (as Probe Software)
• Gunship (1993) (as Probe Software)
• Mortal Kombat (1993) (as Probe Software)
• G-LOC: Air Battle (1993) (as Probe Software)
• Body Count (1994) (as Probe Software)
• The Incredible Hulk (1994) (as Probe Software)
• The Pagemaster (1994) (as Probe Software)
• Batman Forever (1995)
• Primal Rage (1995)
• Stargate (1995) (as Probe Software)
• Judge Dredd (1995)
• Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble (1996)
• Jelly Boy (unreleased) (as Probe Software)

Game Gear

• Lemmings (1992) (as Probe Software)
• OutRun Europa (1992) (as Probe Software)
• Smash T.V. (1992) (as Probe Software)
• The Terminator (1992) (as Probe Software)
• Alien 3 (1992) (as Probe Software)
• Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993) (as Probe Software)
• Desert Speedtrap Starring Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote (1993) (as Probe Software)
• Mortal Kombat (1993) (as Probe Software)
• T2: The Arcade Game (1993) (as Probe Software)
• Daffy Duck in Hollywood (1994) (as Probe Software)
• Mortal Kombat II (1994) (as Probe Software)
• Road Rash (1994) (as Probe Software)
• Stargate (1994) (as Probe Software)
• Batman Forever (1995)
• Judge Dredd (1995)
• Primal Rage (1995)
• Bugs Bunny in Double Trouble (1996)

Mega-CD

• Mortal Kombat (1994) (as Probe Software)
• Alien Trilogy (unreleased)

32X

• FIFA Soccer 96 (1995)
• Primal Rage (1995)

Mega-CD 32X

• Alien Trilogy (unreleased)

Commodore 64

• Turbo OutRun (1989) (as Probe Software)
• Galaxy Force II (1990) (as Probe Software)
• Golden Axe (1990) (as Probe Software)
• Super Monaco GP (1991) (as Probe Software)
• OutRun Europa (1991) (as Probe Software)

IBM PC

• Golden Axe (1990) (as Probe Software)

Amstrad CPC

• Quartet (1987) (as Probe Software)
• OutRun (1987) (as Probe Software)
• Golden Axe (1990) (as Probe Software)
• Super Monaco GP (1991) (as Probe Software)
• OutRun Europa (1991) (as Probe Software)

ZX Spectrum

• Quartet (1987) (as Probe Software)
• OutRun (1987) (as Probe Software)
• Golden Axe (1990) (as Probe Software)
• Super Monaco GP (1991) (as Probe Software)
• OutRun Europa (1991) (as Probe Software)

Atari ST

• OutRun (1988) (as Probe Software)
• Golden Axe (1990) (as Probe Software)
• Super Monaco GP (1991) (as Probe Software)
• OutRun Europa (1991) (as Probe Software)

Amiga

• OutRun (1988) (as Probe Software)
• Golden Axe (1990) (as Probe Software)
• Super Monaco GP (1991) (as Probe Software)
• OutRun Europa (1991) (as Probe Software)

Saturn

• FIFA Soccer 96 (1995)
• Alien Trilogy (1996)
• Primal Rage (1996)
• Die Hard Trilogy (1997)
• Condemned (unreleased) (as Probe Software)
• Destruction Derby 2 (unreleased)
• Formula 1 (unreleased)

Dreamcast

• Re-Volt (1999) (as Acclaim Studios London)

Articles

• 

  An article detailing the company's history, by Jerry Muir of Amstrad User, August 1988.