Indie Built
Encyclopedia
Indie Built, Inc. was a Salt Lake City, Utah
based video game developer
founded in 1982
by Bruce Carver
as Access Software.
They are popular for creating the golf
ing Links
series and also for creating the video game detective
series based on the character Tex Murphy
.
In 1987, Access announced The Robotic Workshop
, a toy kit that allowed users to build and program robots using a home computer. The kit was a precursor to the much more popular Lego Mindstorms
kits released in the late 1990s. The Robotic Workshop included over 50 Capsela
parts, including two motors, gears, wheels, and sensors.
Access Software was acquired by Microsoft
in 1999
, became part of Microsoft Game Studios
and was renamed to "Salt Lake Games Studio". In 2003 it was renamed again to "Indie Games".
In October 2004
, Microsoft sold the development studio to Take-Two Interactive
(T2) and it took on the name Indie Built. They became part of T2's 2K Games
/2K Sports
brand. Indie shipped Amped 3
for the launch of Xbox 360
and worked on Top Spin 2
for Xbox 360 developed by Power and Magic. Take 2 suddenly closed Indie Built on April 28, 2006 without publicly stating any reasons for the closure.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
based video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
founded in 1982
1982 in video gaming
-Events:* December 27 - Starcade, a video game television game show, debuts on TBS in the United States.-Notable releases:*October 13 - Mystique releases the Custer's Revenge adult video game for the Atari 2600 home console....
by Bruce Carver
Bruce Carver
Bruce E. Carver was a co-founder of video game developer Access Software in 1982...
as Access Software.
They are popular for creating the golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
ing Links
Links (computer game)
Links was the name of a series of golf simulation computer games, first developed by Access Software, and then later by Microsoft Game Studios after Microsoft acquired Access Software. The line of golf games was a flagship brand for Access, and the series spanned several years: from 1990 to 2003...
series and also for creating the video game detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
series based on the character Tex Murphy
Tex Murphy
Tex Murphy is a series of five adventure games from Access Software, designed by Chris Jones. The games feature the titular character, performed by Chris Jones himself...
.
In 1987, Access announced The Robotic Workshop
The Robotic Workshop
The Robotic Workshop is a toy kit, much like Lego Mindstorms, that allowed users to build and program robots using a home computer.Access Software announced The Robotic Workshop in the January 1987 issue of Ahoy! magazine. A review later appeared in the May 1988 issue of Compute! magazine. The kit...
, a toy kit that allowed users to build and program robots using a home computer. The kit was a precursor to the much more popular Lego Mindstorms
Lego Mindstorms
The LEGO Mindstorm series of kits contain software and hardware to create small, customizable and programmable robots. They include a programmable 'Brick' computer that controls the system, a set of modular sensors and motors, and LEGO parts from the Technics line to create the mechanical...
kits released in the late 1990s. The Robotic Workshop included over 50 Capsela
Capsela
Capsela is a construction toy consisting primarily of spherical plastic capsules which may be connected to form various toys that can be static or moving and suitable for land or water. The capsules usually have six hollow octagonal connectors pointing out, where an octagonal sleeve piece bridges...
parts, including two motors, gears, wheels, and sensors.
Access Software was acquired by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
in 1999
1999 in video gaming
-Events:*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 2nd annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards*March – Game Over republished as “Game Over: Press Start to Continue”...
, became part of Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...
and was renamed to "Salt Lake Games Studio". In 2003 it was renamed again to "Indie Games".
In October 2004
2004 in video gaming
-Events:*January 20 — Wireds Vaporware Awards gives its first "Lifetime Achievement Award" to recurring winner Duke Nukem Forever.*March 4 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Peter Molyneux into the AIAS Hall of Fame*March 22-26 — Game...
, Microsoft sold the development studio to Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...
(T2) and it took on the name Indie Built. They became part of T2's 2K Games
2K Games
2K is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games. 2K Games is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, which also owns Rockstar Games notable for the Grand Theft Auto series...
/2K Sports
2K Sports
2K Sports is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. It comprises a single development studio, Visual Concepts, which was purchased from Sega in the year 2005. 2K Sports mainly develops and publishes American sports video games such as NBA 2K series...
brand. Indie shipped Amped 3
Amped 3
The game received moderate to good reviews, with critics citing the game's highly original art style as making up for the occasionally repetitive gameplay. One such reviewer was GameSpot, giving the game a score of 7.6, which they classed as "Good". The Review collation site GameRankings gave the...
for the launch of Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and worked on Top Spin 2
Top Spin 2
Top Spin 2 is a 2006 tennis video game developed by Indie Built and originally published by 2K Sports. It is the sequel to Top Spin and is followed by Top Spin 3.-Players:...
for Xbox 360 developed by Power and Magic. Take 2 suddenly closed Indie Built on April 28, 2006 without publicly stating any reasons for the closure.
Games
- 10 Great Games 3
- 10th Frame10th Frame10th Frame is a ten-pin bowling simulation game created by Access Software in , as a follow-up to the hugely successful Leaderboard golf game. Up to eight players could take part in open bowling or a tournament...
(1986) - Amazon: Guardians of EdenAmazon: Guardians of EdenAmazon: Guardians of Eden is a point-and-click adventure video game for MS-DOS from Access Software. It is one of the first games to feature super VGA graphics...
(1992) - Amiga Gold Hits 1
- Amped 2Amped 2Amped 2 is a sequel to Microsoft's snowboarding game Amped, which was an Xbox launch title. The game was introduced as part of the XSN Sports lineup, which included such games as NFL Fever, Top Spin and Rallisport Challenge.- Career Mode :The career mode in Amped 2 is much like other extreme...
(2003) for Xbox - Amped 3Amped 3The game received moderate to good reviews, with critics citing the game's highly original art style as making up for the occasionally repetitive gameplay. One such reviewer was GameSpot, giving the game a score of 7.6, which they classed as "Good". The Review collation site GameRankings gave the...
(2005) for Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... - Amped: Freestyle SnowboardingAmped: Freestyle SnowboardingAmped: Freestyle Snowboarding is an Xbox exclusive snowboarding video game. It is the first of the Amped video game series....
- Beach-Head (1983)
- Beach Head II: The Dictator Strikes BackBeach Head II: The Dictator Strikes BackBeach-Head II: The Dictator Strikes back is 1985 computer game, a sequel to Beach-Head. It was developed and published by Access Software. It was designed by Bruce Carver and his brother, Roger, and was released for the Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit , Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.The spelling...
(1985) - CountdownCountdown (computer game)Countdown is a point-and-click adventure game released by Access Software for MS-DOS in 1990. The player plays as Mason Powers, a CIA agent who wakes up in a Turkish mental hospital, suffering from partial amnesia and accused of murdering his supervisor...
(1990) - Crime Wave (1990)
- Famous Courses of the World: Vol. II
- The Gold Collection II
- Help! Charity Compilation
- Leader Board
- Leader Board
- Leader Board Par 4
- Links 2001
- Links 386 CD
- Links 386 Pro
- Links Expansion Pack
- Links Extreme
- Links LS 1997
- Links LS 1998 Edition
- Links LS 1999
- Links LS 2000
- Links LS 2000 10 Course Pack
- Links 2003 (2002)
- Links 2004Links 2004Links 2004 is a golf simulation computer game by Microsoft for the Xbox. It was part of the XSN Sports, which also included sports games such as Amped, Top Spin, NBA Inside Drive, NFL Fever and Rallisport Challenge....
(2003) - Links: Championship Course: Banff Springs
- Links: Championship Course: Barton Creek
- Links: Championship Course: Bay Hill Club & Lodge
- Links: Championship Course: Bighorn
- Links: Championship Course: Bountiful Golf Course
- Links: Championship Course: Castlepines
- Links: Championship Course: Firestone Country Club
- Links: Championship Course: Hyatt Dorado Beach ...
- Links: Championship Course: Innisbrook - Copper...
- Links: Championship Course: Mauna Kea
- Links: Championship Course: Pebble Beach
- Links: Championship Course: Pinehurst Country Club
- Links: Championship Course: Troon North
- Links: Fantasy Course: Devils Island
- Links: The Challenge of Golf
- Martian MemorandumMartian MemorandumMartian Memorandum is a dystopian cyberpunk/noir PC adventure game that was originally released in 1991 for PC. It was developed and published by Access Software. The game is the second in the series of Tex Murphy mysteries; its immediate sequel is Under a Killing Moon...
- Mean StreetsMean Streets (computer game)Mean Streets is a dystopian cyberpunk noir adventure game that was released in 1989 for MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, and Commodore 64. It was developed and published by Access Software...
(1989) - Microsoft Golf
- Microsoft Golf 2.0
- Microsoft Golf 3.0
- Microsoft Golf 2001 Edition
- Ollies Follies
- The Pandora DirectiveThe Pandora DirectiveThe Pandora Directive is an adventure game for the PC. It takes place in the world of Tex Murphy, hero of Mean Streets, Martian Memorandum, Under a Killing Moon, and Tex Murphy: Overseer....
- Raid over MoscowRaid over MoscowRaid Over Moscow is a computer game for the Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, Enterprise 128 and Apple II family by Access Software published in Europe by U.S. Gold...
(1985) - The Scrolls of Abadon
- Solid Gold
- Tex Murphy: OverseerTex Murphy: OverseerTex Murphy: Overseer is the 5th installment in the Tex Murphy series of adventure games for the PC. In it, the player controls Private Investigator Tex Murphy as he recounts the story of his first case to his girlfriend, Chelsee Bando...
- Top Spin (2003)
- Top Spin 2Top Spin 2Top Spin 2 is a 2006 tennis video game developed by Indie Built and originally published by 2K Sports. It is the sequel to Top Spin and is followed by Top Spin 3.-Players:...
(2006) - Total Sports
- Under a Killing MoonUnder a Killing MoonUnder a Killing Moon is the third installment in the Tex Murphy series of adventure games produced by Access Software. In Under a Killing Moon Tex again fights the forces of evil as he tries to stop a dangerous cult from destroying the world...
- World Class Leader Board
External links
- Indie Built profile from MobyGames