Difference between revisions of "Western Technologies Inc."

Revision as of 07:10, 11 October 2021

Western Technologies

Founded: 1982-08-11^[1]

Defunct: 1997-10-27

Merged into: Wanderlust Interactive

Headquarters:

Los Angeles, California, United States

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Western Technologies, Inc. was an American video game development tool designer and game developer, most notable for creating the pioneering Vectrex and Microvision systems.

In 1994, the company opened a separate game development subdivision, Adrenalin Entertainment.^[2]

Company

Founded around 1981 and officially incorporated on August 11, 1982^[1], Western Technologies was an early pioneer in development tools for video game systems. Founded by American engineer Jay Smith (owner of Smith Engineering, a company consisting of only himself and used to patent his designs), Western Technologies first achieved success with their invention of the pioneering Vectrex and Microvision game systems, and additionally, found a niche developing audio applications and sound algorithms for early speech synthesis in a variety of software.

Initially, the company developed games for Western Technologies would later enter into a contract with Sega of America to produce portions of the Western development kit for the 16-bit Sega Mega Drive^[2], and are also believed to have been responsible for production of the system's first-party light gun, the Sega Menacer.^[2]

Western Technologies was acquired by Wanderlust Interactive in February 1997.

Softography

Mega Drive

Art Alive! (1991)
Joe Montana II Sports Talk Football (1991) (sounds)
NFL Sports Talk Football '93 Starring Joe Montana (1992) (sounds)
Sports Talk Baseball (1992) (as Western Technologies) (sounds)
X-Men (1993)
Outback Joey (1993) (as Western Technologies)
Outworld 2375 AD (1994)
World Series Baseball (1994)
Math Blaster: Episode 1 (1994) (as Western Technologies) (production)
Spider-Man (1995)

Mega-CD

Trivial Pursuit: Interactive Multimedia Game (1994)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/Document/RetrievePDF?Id=00873721-5982293
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 [ ]

[https:.2F.2Fbusinesssearch.sos.ca.gov.2FDocument.2FRetrievePDF.3FId.3D00873721-5982293-1] 1.0 ^1.1 https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/Document/RetrievePDF?Id=00873721-5982293

[-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 [ ]

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 | mergedwith=
 | mergedinto=Wanderlust Interactive
-| headquarters=Los Angeles, CA, United States
+| headquarters=[[wikipedia:Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles, California, United States]]
-}}
+}}{{stub}}'''Western Technologies, Inc.''' was an American video game development tool designer and game developer, most notable for creating the pioneering [[wikipedia:Vectrex|Vectrex]] and [[wikipedia:Microvision|Microvision]] systems.
-'''Western Technologies, Inc.''' was an early pioneer in development tools for gaming systems. It was founded by [[Jay Smith]] who also owned Smith Engineering as a sole proprietorship. (Smith Engineering was Mr. Smith's private company under which he could patent his own designs, projects or inventions, such as the Microvision, one of the earliest hand-held game consoles.)
-Western Technologies developed the Vectrex console system, licensed and distributed first by General Consumer Electric (GCE), and then by Milton Bradley Company after their purchase of GCE. In addition, the company developed sound applications and algorithms for system speech in games and other software.
+In 1994, the company opened a separate game development subdivision, [[Adrenalin Entertainment]].{{ref|https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/Document/RetrievePDF?Id=01751095-4468647}}
-They also [http://www.smspower.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=71777 produced] portions of the [[Sega Mega Drive]] development kit, and are also believed to have been responsible for the [[Menacer]] (TODO).
+==Company==
+Founded around 1981 and officially incorporated on August 11, 1982{{ref|1=https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/Document/RetrievePDF?Id=00873721-5982293}}, Western Technologies was an early pioneer in development tools for video game systems. Founded by American engineer [[Jay Smith]] (owner of Smith Engineering, a company consisting of only himself and used to patent his designs), Western Technologies first achieved success with their invention of the pioneering [[wikipedia:Vectrex|Vectrex]] and [[wikipedia:Microvision|Microvision]] game systems, and additionally, found a niche developing audio applications and sound algorithms for early [[wikipedia:speech synthesis|speech synthesis]] in a variety of software.
-Initially, the company developed games for the Atari, [[Genesis]] and Nintendo, and later for the [[Game Gear]], [[PlayStation]], DOS and Windows released under the [[Adrenalin Entertainment Inc.]] division, also founded by Smith.
+Initially, the company developed games for Western Technologies would later enter into a contract with [[Sega of America]] to produce portions of the Western development kit for the 16-bit [[Sega Mega Drive]]{{ref|http://www.smspower.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=71777}}, and are also believed to have been responsible for production of the system's first-party light gun, the [[Sega Menacer]].{{ref|http://www.smspower.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=71777}}
 Western Technologies was acquired by Wanderlust Interactive in February 1997.