Addictive Games
Encyclopedia
Addictive Games was a UK video game publisher in the 1980s and early 1990s. It is best known for the Football Manager series of games created by company founder Kevin Toms
. The company was originally based in Milton Keynes
, England
and later relocated to Bournemouth
, in southern England.
and ZX81 computers. Initially this was just by mail order from advertisements placed in computer magazines. In September 1982 Addictive Games launched the ZX Spectrum
version of Football Manager, with added match action graphics. The addition of the graphics actions was very popular, and the game went on to be a number one best seller, with the games being stocked in major retailers. In 1984, The game was ported to the BBC Micro
and Commodore 64
. By 1987, Football Manager had been ported to 16 different platforms.
In 1984, Addictive used the short-lived Silicon Joy label for games by other authors, 'specially selected' by Kevin Toms, but in 1985, after Toms launched his next game Software Star
, Addictive also began publishing games by other authors including Boffin and Kirel
.
The company was bought by Prism Leisure Corporation
in 1987. Prism used the Addictive name for full price game releases (including Hot Shot
in 1988, The Kristal
in 1989 and the later Football Manager games), as well as selling older Addictive games (particularly Football Manager) in their budget ranges and in compilations.
Kevin Toms
Kevin Toms, born in 1957 in Paignton, England, is a computer game designer who founded Addictive Games and is famous for creating the original Football Manager, a simulation game released in the early 1980s that included a portrait of his bearded face on publicity material and cassette covers.Toms...
. The company was originally based in Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, 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...
and later relocated to Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, in southern England.
History
The company was set up by Kevin Toms in 1982 in order to launch the Football Manager game he had written for the TRS-80TRS-80
TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation's desktop microcomputer model line, sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first units, ordered unseen, were delivered in November 1977, and rolled out to the stores the third week of December. The line won popularity with...
and ZX81 computers. Initially this was just by mail order from advertisements placed in computer magazines. In September 1982 Addictive Games launched the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
version of Football Manager, with added match action graphics. The addition of the graphics actions was very popular, and the game went on to be a number one best seller, with the games being stocked in major retailers. In 1984, The game was ported to the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
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...
. By 1987, Football Manager had been ported to 16 different platforms.
In 1984, Addictive used the short-lived Silicon Joy label for games by other authors, 'specially selected' by Kevin Toms, but in 1985, after Toms launched his next game Software Star
Software Star
Software Star is a 1985 game released by Kevin Toms for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.- Gameplay :Essentially a text-based management game. The player's task is to manage a software house, create new games, manage his publicity and make a profit of £10000...
, Addictive also began publishing games by other authors including Boffin and Kirel
Kirel
Kirel is an isometric 3D puzzle arcade game game released by Addictive Games in for the Sinclair Spectrum.- Overview :"Kirel" must defuse the bombs before they explode while evading monsters which will sap his energy.- Gameplay :...
.
The company was bought by Prism Leisure Corporation
Prism Leisure Corporation
Prism Leisure Corporation was a distribution and publishing company which primarily focused on reissues and compilations, often at low prices. The company was located in Enfield, Middlesex, United Kingdom, and founded in the 1980s....
in 1987. Prism used the Addictive name for full price game releases (including Hot Shot
HotShot (video game)
HotShot is a pinball/breakout similar game published in 1988 for 8-bit and 16-bit platforms.Player handles a human or alien hero which take control of a ball with a magnet gun and his primary objective is to destroy bricks located on the player side before the enemy does the same.- External links...
in 1988, The Kristal
The Kristal
The Kristal is an action game/adventure game first released in 1989 for the Commodore Amiga computer. It was later released for the Atari ST and DOS. It was developed by the UK-based company Fissionchip Software, and published in Europe by Addictive Games and in the USA by Cinemaware...
in 1989 and the later Football Manager games), as well as selling older Addictive games (particularly Football Manager) in their budget ranges and in compilations.
Addictive Games
- Football Manager, 1982 (TRS-80TRS-80TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation's desktop microcomputer model line, sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first units, ordered unseen, were delivered in November 1977, and rolled out to the stores the third week of December. The line won popularity with...
, ZX81, ZX SpectrumZX SpectrumThe ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, BBC MicroBBC MicroThe BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
, C64Commodore 64The 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...
, Oric, Amstrad CPCAmstrad CPCThe Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, ElectronAcorn ElectronThe Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
, DragonDragon 32/64The Dragon 32 and Dragon 64 are home computers that were built in the 1980s. The Dragons are very similar to the TRS-80 Color Computer , and were produced for the European market by Dragon Data, Ltd., in Port Talbot, Wales, and for the US market by Tano of New Orleans, Louisiana...
, VIC-20Commodore VIC-20The VIC-20 is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PET...
, Atari 8-bit, C16Commodore 16The Commodore 16 was a home computer made by Commodore with a 6502-compatible 8501 CPU, released in 1984. It was intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20 and it often sold for 99 USD...
/Plus/4Commodore Plus/4The Commodore Plus/4 was a home computer released by Commodore International in 1984. The "Plus/4" name refers to the four-application ROM resident office suite ; it was billed as "the productivity computer with software built-in"...
, MSXMSXMSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
, AmigaAmigaThe Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari STAtari STThe Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, PC) - Software StarSoftware StarSoftware Star is a 1985 game released by Kevin Toms for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.- Gameplay :Essentially a text-based management game. The player's task is to manage a software house, create new games, manage his publicity and make a profit of £10000...
, 1985 (ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC) - Stringer, 1985 (C64)
- Boffin, 1985 (BBC Micro, Electron)
- Arac, 1986 (C64)
- KirelKirelKirel is an isometric 3D puzzle arcade game game released by Addictive Games in for the Sinclair Spectrum.- Overview :"Kirel" must defuse the bombs before they explode while evading monsters which will sap his energy.- Gameplay :...
, 1986 (ZX Spectrum) - Head Coach, 1986 (ZX Spectrum, C64)
- President, 1987 (ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC)
- Football Manager 2, 1988 (ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC, Amiga, Atari ST, PC)
- Hot ShotHotShot (video game)HotShot is a pinball/breakout similar game published in 1988 for 8-bit and 16-bit platforms.Player handles a human or alien hero which take control of a ball with a magnet gun and his primary objective is to destroy bricks located on the player side before the enemy does the same.- External links...
, 1988 (ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC, Amiga, Atari ST, PC) - Battle Stations, 1988 (C64)
- Metaplex, 1988 (ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC)
- Hyperforce, 1989 (Amiga, Atari ST)
- The KristalThe KristalThe Kristal is an action game/adventure game first released in 1989 for the Commodore Amiga computer. It was later released for the Atari ST and DOS. It was developed by the UK-based company Fissionchip Software, and published in Europe by Addictive Games and in the USA by Cinemaware...
, 1989 (Amiga, Atari ST, PC) - Aquanaut, 1989 (Amiga, Atari ST)
- Football Manager World Cup Edition, 1990 (ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC, MSX, Amiga, Atari ST, PC)
- Football Manager 3, 1992 (ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC, PC)
Silicon Joy
- Caves of Rigel, 1984 (Atari 8-bit)
- Grand Prix ManagerGrand Prix Manager (1984 video game)Grand Prix Manager is a Formula 1 management simulation video game released for the ZX Spectrum in 1984. It was written by P. Boulton and published by Silicon Joy.-Gameplay:...
, 1984 (ZX Spectrum) - Boxing, 1984 (ZX Spectrum)
- Run Your Own League, 1984 (ZX Spectrum)
- Trio, 1984 (ZX Spectrum) - 3 games: Ascot, Chaotic Caverns, Dracula's Castle