OziSoft

From Sega Retro

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Ozisoftlogo.PNG
OziSoft
Founded: 1982
Headquarters:
Australia

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OziSoft is an Australian-based company which specialised in video games. In was formed in 1982 by Mark Dyne and Kevin Bermeister, and was responsble for the manufacturing and distribution of Sega products in Australasia.

In 1991 the company was sold to First Pacific Hong Kong, and in 1992, presumably impressed with their distribution efforts, the company was bought out by Sega, becoming Sega OziSoft. Dyne and Bermeister continued to have managerial control over the company and went on to start other firms, such as Packard Bell and even Sega Enterprises Pty Ltd. (now Sega Australia(?)).

Sega relinquishing its controlling share in the company shortly before the launch of the Sega Dreamcast (March 1998), though OziSoft continued to market the console. The firm reverted back to the old name, OziSoft.

In the December of 1998, Infogrames bought a 62% share in the company, and later purchased the remainder of the business in 2002, renaming the company as Infogrames Australia Pty Ltd. The company was renamed again as Atari Australia Pty Ltd. in 2003, after the parent company's successful purchase of the Atari brand name.

In 2008, the business became part of “Distribution Partners”, a joint-venture between Atari and Namco Bandai Games. Atari soon sold their shares in the venture to Namco Bandai, and the Australian subsidiary was renamed to Namco Bandai Partners Australia Pty, Ltd. in July 2009. Following the merger of Namco Bandai Holdings and Namco Bandai Games Europe in 2013 the business was given several more name changes - Namco Bandai Games Australia Pty, Ltd., Bandai Namco Games Australia Pty, Ltd. and currently Bandai Namco Entertainment Pty, Ltd..

"Sega Classics"

Sega Classics sticker.

Exchange rates and production costs meant that the price of new Sega Mega Drive games in 1994 had begun to reach the level at which the console was sold back in 1990. The situation was untennable, so Sega OziSoft targeted the rental market. Games could be rented first, and somewhere down the line these games would later be sold in stores under the "Sega Classics" line when manufacturing costs had been reduced (however, third party publishers in the region such as Electronic Arts and Sony Electronic Publishing opted against this method). Ecco the Dolphin was the first game to receive this treatment.

"Silver" Releases

Towards the end of the Sega Master System and Sega Mega Drive's lifespan, Sega OziSoft, responsible for manufacturing much of Australia's Sega stock, began to use silver plastic for boxes and game cartridges, as opposed to the standard black. The reasoning behind this is not fully understood - the same games were also sold in black plastic and the internal contents are identical, but the silver versions are often valued at a higher price for their unusual nature and rarity. Silver plastic is also sometimes seen paired with Sega Gold Collection and Sega Platinum Collection re-releases.

Master System

Mega Drive

VHS Case Releases

Later on in the life of the Sega Megadrive, some games came out in Australia in different boxes than normally. Specific games would get released in plastic VHS cases, in which made the artwork requires much larger.

Double Pack Releases

Along with the Silver cartridge re-releases, Ozisoft also released several Master System and Megadrive games in "Double Pack" packaging, featuring two titles in a VHS styled plastic box, a cardboard inner section, and their manuals. As Sega Ozisoft published several titles outside of Sega games, these double packs sometimes contained games from a variety of publishers.

Master System

Mega Drive

Sega Booster Pack Releases

A rather rare oddity later in the Mega Drive's life, the Mega Booster Pack is a paint tin which contains two Sega titles, a packet of Intergalactic Sonic Bomb lollies, and a random Booster Bonus, either a watch, baseball cap or other oddities. Very little is known about them or how limited in quantity they were.

Gallery

  • OziSoft logo

  • Sega OziSoft logo

References

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