On Monday, June 24, 1996 at 12:00:00 AM UTC-7, Kuo-Sheng Kasey Chang wrote:
> Last Updated 6-20/96
> First things first: some of the items here are facts, some are rumors.
> Both are clearly marked as such.
> Commentaries are clearly marked. I've also ed in portions of the
> Gilman Louie interview. Still,
> this is NOT a journalistic endeavor. Don't treat it as such.
> Facts and Rumors Index
> HISTORY MicroProse Background and History
> FACT Beginning of the End: SH makes cuts at MicroProse
> RUMOR Any chance of CIV2 multiplayer?
> REPORT CGW special report on MicroProse
> REPORT PCM&E e-zine reports on "death of MPS"
> RUMOR SH/MPS cutting back existing games?
> RUMOR Former/Current MPS QA people start new company?
> RUMOR Sid Meier & others form new company?
> RUMOR EA/Origin's "Skunkworks" lured away MPS sim team?
> RUMOR SH blames Internet for their troubles?
> RUMOR Where's Arnold Hendricks and Andy Hollis now?
> RUMOR Ed "Air Wars" Fletcher hired by EA?
> RUMOR SH cannot find leader for MPS and set up committee rule
> instead?
> RUMOR Spectrum HoloByte in financial trouble?
> RUMOR Spectrum HoloByte changing name to MicroProse?
> RUMOR Presidents of MPS and MPS-UK resigned?
> RUMOR Jeff Briggs resigned from MPS?
> RUMOR Half of artists resigned from MPS?
> RUMOR MicroProse for sale?
> RUMOR Sid Meier leaving MPS?
> RUMOR SH chairman settling down MPS employees after cutbacks?
> RUMOR SH offers carte blanche to Brian Reynolds?
> Any chance left for CIV2 Multiplayer?
> FACT: [6-18/96] Letter from Brian Reynolds
> KASEY--Will you be doing any more CIV2 updates?
> BRIAN--Well, Civ2 is really owned by Spectrum. The door is not
> completely closed in terms of future
> stuff, and certainly if [they hit] a major problem development I'd be
> glad to help out. On the other hand
> obviously since I don't have the source code on hand any more, the
> casual updates are no longer
> happening.
> Also see CGW section CIV2 Multiplayer Truth
> Back to Top
>
> CGW special report on MicroProse
> FACT: [6-18/96] MicroProse news is the topic of an entire COLUMN
> in Computer Gaming
> World July 96 issue. Here's some highlights, hope they don't mind...
> RUMOR: SH upper management "gutted" MPS developement.
> FACT: "Why would I try to unplug an asset that I bet my entire
> company to buy? If
> MicroProse goes down, I go with it." -- Gilman Louie, chairman
> SH/MPS
> MY COMMENTARY: While it sounds face saving, Mr.Louie is
> absolutely right. No one
> is dumb enough to kill the egg-laying hen.
> RUMOR: I found far more SH's "Top Gun" than MPS's "CIV II" at
> stores. Marketing
> conpiracy?
> FACT: Stores re/order based on "reserve lists", and CIV2's
> reserve list is small
> compared to TG or even MOO2. Even after many favorable reviews,
> stores are reluctant
> to order more.
> MY COMMENTARY: It makes no sense for SH to push one over the
> other.
> RUMOR: Cuts are centered upon MicroProse.
> FACT: CGW analyzed SH/MPS budget and found that MPS still has
> more playtesters
> than any other branch. (Even after firing half of QA department)
> MY COMMENTARY: My interview with Mr.Louie supports the facts: the
> cuts are not
> centered upon MicroProse.
> RUMOR: Okay, what happened to multi-player support in CIV II?
> FACT:: Several factors here. Here's a list, you make the call...
> CIV 2 have hooks for multiplayer play already built-in.
> (MANY players who looked at the code and the various *.TXT
> profiles have
> commented on it)
> Parts of CIV 2 have been tested under CIVNET conditions.
> (My sources told me that a beta version of CIV2 actually
> supported up to 8
> players during inhouse testing, but has no diplomacy
> options)
> Certain members of design team told CGW that multi-player
> module can be done
> in 4 weeks
> SH management was told by MPS management that the project
> would need 6
> months and half a million dollars.
> Mr.Louie expressed to CGW that he is willing to put up
> $100,000 and 8 weeks
> for the CIV2 team to finish the multiplayer module, and he
> will even consider
> making that a FREE DOWNLOAD upgrade (like Activision finally
> did with their
> Netmech enhancement to MW2)
> CGW COMMENTARY: Looks like the programmers underestimated while
> the
> management overestimated to cover their ass... assets.
> MY COMMENTARY: Sad way to see a great program miss that final
> step to
> immortality. See Letter from Brian Reynolds to see if there's
> still a chance this will be
> done...
> Back to Top
>
> REPORT: PCM&E e-zine reports on "death of MicroProse
> FACT: [6-17/96] PCM&E e-zine also reports the death of MPS! Their
> conclusion: "MPS is
> officially dead". They also called the idea of SH relabelling all
> their software under MPS logo "silly".
> Back to Top
>
> SH/MPS cutting back existing games?
> RUMOR: SH have slashed MPS developement
> FACT: [6-17/96] MicroProse/Spectrum HoloByte is still hard at
> work on Magic: The Gathering
> among other projects. See press release [5-15/96] at Coming Soon!
> e-zine. At the same location are a
> bunch of Sneak Peeks of Star Trek: Generations, XCOM3: Apocalypse, and
> Agents of Justice (a.k.a.
> SuperHeroes).
> FACT: [6-18/96] On the other hand, the following titles are
> confirmed cancelled: The Viking
> Game (Pirates! in a Viking world), the Aztec game (Civ with Aztecs),
> and PROBABLY the Star Trek
> (tm) Klingon game being worked on by MPS North Carolina group.
> Back to Top
>
> Former MPS QA people start new company?
> RUMOR: [6-10/96] The latest rumor is that former members of MPS
> Quality Assurance
> Department will be starting a QA Company.
> FACT?: [6-20/96] There appears to be another exodus in progress
> from MPS QA department.
> SF Bay Guardian Weekly reports that on May 31st the remaining members
> of MPS QA department
> resigned to join their former colleagues.
> FACT: [6-12/96] Was informed by an E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo)
> attendee that the company
> is called "Abolute Quality, Inc.", and they approached several major
> game companies for assignments.
> Back to Top
>
> Sid Meier & others form new company?
> FACT: [6-9/96] Following is an e-mail from Brian Reynolds,
> confirming a lot of the rumors
> listed below.
> Hi Kasey,
> Since you've got so many rumors up on your site, I thought you
> might be interested in
> the following official fact.
> Brian Reynolds
> Civ II Designer
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> MICROPROSE MASTERMINDS REBORN AS FIRAXIS
> SOFTWARE
> Sid Meier, Jeff Briggs, and Brian Reynolds, who comprise one of
> the most successful
> development teams in the software development industry have left
> MicroProse (R)
> Software to found FIRAXIS SOFTWARE, INC.
> Jeff Briggs, FIRAXIS President and Chief Executive Officer, spent
> nearly nine years at
> MicroProse, managing, designing, and producing products. For the
> past four years, he
> served as Producer of Sid Meier products, in addition to serving
> as Director of Product
> Development for MicroProse, and maintaining a career as a
> composer.
> Brian Reynolds, Vice President of Software Development, is a
> leading
> programmer/designer with a brilliant career ahead. Reynolds has
> two hit titles to his
> credit already, Sid Meier's Colonization (R), and Sid Meier's
> Civlization II (R), which is
> currently one of the world's top-selling titles, having sold over
> 260,000 units in its first
> two months of release.
> Sid Meier, Chairman of the Board and Director of Creative
> Development, has been called
> the "father of the computer gaming industry." Meier is the
> visionary whose ideas have
> generated many gaming genres enthusiasts internationally. His
> career is truly a story of
> "firsts." Titles of Sid Meier games include: F15 Strike Eagle
> (R), Pirates! (R), Silent
> Service (R), Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon (R) and Sid Meier's
> Civilization (R).
> Meier is co-founder of MicroProse software, still a leader in the
> international software
> games market, which merged with Spectrum Holobyte four years ago.
> FIRAXIS SOFTWARE will be a product development house only.
> Marketing, sales, and
> distribution of products will be handled by a publishing partner.
> FIRAXIS founders are
> currently negotiating with leading software publishing and
> distribution firms, seeking a
> partnership for producing first-rate innovative software in the
> tradition established at
> MicroProse.
> FIRAXIS will have a small staff of 15-20 of the best minds in the
> business. Each
> individual in the intimate working group has a proven track
> record of success and has
> shown skill at creating games, from concept to product. These
> tested alliances, from the
> highest leadership levels of the company to each and every
> employee ensures FIRAXIS'
> success in the marketplace.
> Founder/President, Jeffery Briggs, said, "FIRAXIS SOFTWARE will
> be a unique
> environment where the most talented programmers, designers,
> artists, and musicians
> work as equals to produce innovative software which is synonymous
> with the Sid Meier
> brand. We will look at all types of new technology and will chart
> a new course for
> computer gaming in the 21st century."
> Sid Meier noted, "What we are after with FIRAXIS is the
> continuation of a great
> tradition of creating cool, fun, games."
> FIRAXIS SOFTWARE's offices will be in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
> Firaxis Software is a leading developer of entertainment
> software. For more information
> contact: Deborah Plutzik, PR Manager; 410-329-6216 Phone;
> 410-357-5908 Fax.
> MicroProse, Sid Meier's Colonization, Sid Meier's Civilization
> II, F15 Strike Eagle,
> Pirates!, Silent Service, Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon, and Sid
> Meier's Civilization are
> registered trademarks of Spectrum Holobyte, Inc.
> FACT: [6-20/96] Gilman Louie, chairman of SH, have relayed through a
> spokesperson that SH is
> negotiating with Firaxis to be its distributor.
> MY COMMENTARY: Now that's a facing saving statement...
> FACT: [6-19/96] Brian Reynolds is now signing his e-mail with
> Brian Reynolds
> Firaxis Software
> Instead of like the press release above
> Back to Top
>
> Origin's "Skunkworks" lured away MPS sim team?
> RUMOR: What is this rumor about EA/Origin hired away the entire
> simulations team from MPS?
> FACT: [6-8/96] It's true. EA/Origin's Janes' Combat Sim team
> (a.k.a. "Origin's Skunk Works")
> have indeed hired several members of MicroProse's sim team that was
> responsible for some of the
> best sims from MicroProse, including F-15 Strike Eagle III, Fleet
> Defender, and other titles. See C|Net
> article.
> According to my sources in EA/Origin, the new facility, EA East, while
> technically in Baltimore,
> Maryland, is only minutes away from MicroProse in Hunts Valley,
> Maryland.
> Trivia: The term "Skunkworks" came from the name of the real aircraft
> design team that produced the
> SR-71 Blackbird and the F-117A Stealth Fighter.
> Back to Top
>
> SH blames Internet for their troubles?
> FACT: [6-8/96] Steve Race,CEO of Spectrum HoloByte, admits that
> he had underestimated the
> power of Internet. See C|Net article. [Spelling Corrected 6-15/96]
> COMMENTARY: This article portrayed the net in a negative manner. Go
> read it, then write your
> comments to David Israels, the author of the article. Also visit rest
> of C|Net and give your feedback.
> Back to Top
>
> Where's Arnold Hendricks and Andy Hollis now?
> FACT: [5-24/96] Arnold Hendricks, who had developed many of
> MicroProse's hits, is now at
> Interactive Magic, and he will be designing iM1A2 Abrams tank
> simulator for IM.
> FACT: As for other notable former MPS employees... Andy Hollis is busy
> finishing up AH-64
> Longbow for EA/Origin's Jane's Division, having left before the merger
> (see history below).
> Longbow was released in mid-June. See Jane's link above for biography
> of Andy Hollis.
> Back to Top
>
> Ed "Air Wars" Fletcher hired by EA?
> RUMOR: [5-24/96] Ed Fletcher (head of the Air War series), who's
> probably the next highest
> designer after Jeff Briggs, Sid Meier, and Brian Reynolds, have ALSO
> resigned from MPS. Prior to his
> departure, he was the producer of "European Air War", sequel to
> "Pacific Air War". Rumor source
> expressed great doubt at completion of EAW.
> FACT: [6-12/96] Mr. Fletcher was hired by Electronic Arts Canada,
> according to an unnamed source,
> and is starting this week.
> [6-15/96] SH Sokesperson have confirmed Mr.Fletcher's departure, but
> clarifies that EAW has a new
> producer and it will be finished.
> Back to Top
>
> SH cannot find leader for MPS and set up committee instead?
> RUMOR: [5-24/96] Spectrum HoloByte have established an executive
> committee, of which
> Mr.Fletcher (see above) was a member. Rumor source commented that SH
> have given up the idea of
> finding someone in charge.
> FACT [6-15/96] SH spokesperson confirms that an executive committee of
> MPS employees are
> overseeing operations, but adds that SH's vice president of
> operations, "Stretch" Anderson, is in charge
> at the moment, and they haven't given up looking for one.
> MY COMMENTARY [6-18/96] Now THAT is a face-saving statement. Everyone
> who COULD take
> charge at MPS have left.
> Back to Top
>
> Spectrum HoloByte in financial trouble?
> FACT: [5-24/96] Spectrum HoloByte owes one of its duplicator money. I
> will not say which company
> the money is owed to, but I know the controller and the president of
> the duplicator personally. This is
> NOT an attempt at libel. I am checking with SH to see if they will
> comment on this.
> FACT: [6-12/96] "Spectrum HoloByte swimming in red ink"--Games
> Domain News
> Back to Top
>
> Spectrum HoloByte changing name to MicroProse?
> RUMOR: Spectrum HoloByte will announce at E3 Expo that they will
> change the name of the entire
> company to MicroProse Software, Inc.
> UPDATE: [5-14/96] Just heard from a reliable source that there will be
> no more Spectrum HoloByte
> products. All existing Spectrum HoloByte products will be relabelled
> MicroProse products once the
> boxes and stuff run out, and all new products will belong to
> MicroProse as well.
> FACT:: [6-8/96] Update above has been confirmed by a C|Net article.
> The rumor didn't QUITE come
> true.
> COMMENTARY:It's interesting why Spectrum HoloByte have kept its own
> name when it took over
> MicroProse in 1993. SH was not well know for its products even during
> its Tetris and Falcon days. Of
> the four developement studios under the SH/MPS banner: SH, MPS, MPS
> UK, and SimTex, three are
> already under MicroProse brand. The news above, coming on the eve of
> cutbacks, has the
> APPEARANCE of a face-saving gesture. Of course, it probably wasn't
> intended as such...
> Back to Top
>
> Presidents of MPS and MPS-UK resigned?
> FACT: Tony Parks, president of MicroProse US, and Rob Davies,
> President of MicroProse UK, have
> both resigned as of mid April. Also resigned is the head of Quality
> Assurance at MicroProse US. He is
> believed to have moved over to another game-related company in
> Maryland.
> Back to Top
>
> Jeff Briggs resigned from MPS?
> RUMOR: Jeff Briggs, one of the top producers at MicroProse who worked
> with Sid Meier on many
> bestselling MPS titles, was offered the position of Presdient,
> MicroProse US. Instead of accepting, he
> handed in his resignation as well.
> Note: It is clear that Jeff's no longer at MPS. Whether the scene
> above happened or not is the only
> thing in doubt. ALso see Jeff Brings starts Firaxis Software
> Back to Top
>
> Half of artists resigned from MPS?
> RUMOR: Half of the current artists at MicroProse have resigned as
> well.
> MY COMMENTARY: It is unknown how much desertion uh... migration exists
> at the lower ranks of
> MPS.
> Back to Top
>
> MicroProse for sale?
> RUMOR: Spectrum HoloByte, Inc. for the past few weeks was rumored to
> be attempting to sell
> MicroProse US and MicroProse UK, but have received no offers they
> would accept. The asking price
> was not known, but is expected to be several times the price SH paid
> for MPS during the
> takeover/merger, which was US$10 million (US$10,000,000.00).
> MORE RUMOR [5-28/96] Anonymous source indicated that only one offer
> was made, and it was
> made by a Sony subsidiary.
> MORE RUMOR [5-28/96] Anonymous source above also indicated that
> another company, wishing to
> make a bid, asked an independent firm to evaluate the net worth of MPS
> and SH, not counting the
> name recognition. The value was FAR BELOW expectations.
> MY COMMENTARY How much do you think just the name "MicroProse" is
> worth? SH is relying on
> brand-name recognition when it chose to relabel ALL games MicroProse.
> So if they had planned to
> sell, they wouldn't need this relabel thing. Of course, this supposed
> offering occured BEFORE the
> relabelling. -- This rumor is impossible to verify from SH, as SH
> officials cannot comment on
> something that could affect their stocks. In fact, I asked Mr.Louie
> this question. He just chuckled.
> Back to Top
>
> Sid Meier leaving MPS?
> RUMOR: Sid Meier is rumored to be leaving the company soon to form a
> new developement house
> with other former MicroProse game designers and producers, such as
> Jeff Briggs. Behind Sid, Jeff is
> probably THE producer at MicroProse.
> NOTE It is quite clear that Sid had left the company, after finishing
> his piece in Magic: The Gathering.
> Sid Meier joins Firaxis Software
> Back to Top
>
> SH chairman settling down MPS employees after cutbacks?
> RUMOR: MPS (Maryland) was in such an uproar after the cutbacks in
> March that both Steve Race
> (CEO) and Gilman Louie (Chairman) have to go over there weekly to
> babysit them.
> FACT: Gilman Louie, chairman of Spectrum HoloByte, is NOT at his
> Alameda, California office as of
> April 25th, 1996. According to his secretary, he has been out of the
> office almost the whole week. I
> was e-mail corresponding with him the week before and he promised to
> grant me an interview about
> the situation at MicroProse. I did get that interview later, of
> course.
> RUMOR: Unnamed sources indicate that Mr.Louie is at MicroProse US,
> which is in Maryland.
> Back to Top
>
> SH offers carte blanche to Brian Reynolds?
> RUMOR: Spectrum HoloByte is rumored to be offering "carte blanche" to
> Brian Reynolds,
> designer/producer of Civilization II. It is not known why this is so,
> but the expected reason is: Sid
> Meier had made up his mind to leave. Brian Reynolds quits MPS and
> joins Firaxis Software
> FACT: Brian Reynolds and the CIV2 team have released CIV2 V1.11, which
> fixes additional bugs and
> adds additional enhancements. So Brian's team is still hard at work.
> [6-17/96] Recently V1.11a seems
> to have popped up over the net, but this is unconfirmed.
> Back to Top
>
> The News that started it all: Reorganization
> FACT: Spectrum HoloByte (SH) has terminated all non-developement staff
> at MicroProse Software
> (MPS). This includes EVERYBODY (marketting, production, customer
> support, on-line support, etc.)
> that are not programmers, programming support, artists and musicians,
> designers, or playtesting. In
> addition, half of the playtesting department are also given the "pink
> slip" (dismissal). Spectrum
> HoloByte has taken over all of the terminated operations out of their
> Alameda, California office. SH
> have listed MPS's new support number on their website , which is a
> number in the 510 area code
> (Alameda).
> Back to Top
> MicroProse History
> Sorry for the little history lesson, but here goes.
> Both MPS and SH are great companies, started by gamers. SH was founded by
> Gilman Louie, who is best
> known for his initial Mac version of Falcon. Before that he programed
> several games for Apple II and C64.
> MPS on the other hand was founded on a bet. The story goes that "Wild Bill"
> Stealey was beating a "Red
> Baron" flight sim arcade, then out of nowhere comes this guy in glasses who
> then proceeds to best Bill in
> scoring. Bill asked him how did he do that, and the guy answered the game
> AI is so predictable that
> (technobabble). Bill said, if you can program a flight sim that's good I'll
> put up the money to market it. The
> guy agreed. That guy in glasses was Sid Meier, and MicroProse software was
> born.
> At the beginning, MicroProse was known for serious simulations. Their motto
> was "The Action is Simulated,
> the Excitement is Real!" And real it was. First game out was Hellcat Ace, a
> flight sim based in the World War
> II Pacific Theater. It was an instant hit. Followed soon were the landmark
> F-15 Strike Eagle and many other
> classics such as Red Storm Rising, M-1 Tank Platoon, Railroad Tycoon,
> Civilization, Gunship, and many
> more.
> Somewhere around 1989-91 MicroProse saw the boom of the arcade market and
> Bill Stealey convinced the
> company to try it, against popular opinion of the company, who wants to
> stick to computer games. The result
> were 2 games: F-15 Strike Eagle:the arcade game, and B.O.T.T.S., a robot
> fighting game in the millieu of
> Mechwarrior. Both are heavily 3D, and both received lukewarm to icy cold
> reception. The money invested in
> them are wasted.
> MicroProse, in an attempt to diversify its market of simulations and
> strategy games, attempted to enter
> adventure, rpg, and sci-fi markets with various entries such as "Rex
> Nebular" (adv), "Darklands" (rpg) and
> Lightspeed/Hyperspeed (sci-fi). None of the three were well-received.
> Darklands gained notoriety as being
> one of the BUGGIEST RPGs ever released, requires OBSCENE amount of
> conventional memory (630K+?).
> MicroProse eventually sold the adventure game engine to Santuary Woods, but
> MicroProse was in financial
> trouble ever since.
> Fast foward to 1993. MicroProse is in trouble, losing almost one million
> per month. The money raised in
> stock offering are almost gone, and they were short on cash. Without cash
> they can't pay their developers
> and workers, and without workers, no games. It was then that Spectrum
> HoloByte approached them with a
> bail-out/merger plan. SH will buy out/merge with MPS, and the stocks will
> change to Spectrum HoloByte,
> Inc. (SBYT on NASDAQ). At the time, MPS needed the money, and they
> accepted. Both Sid Meier and Bill
> Stealey joined the board of directors at SH.
> "Wild Bill" Stealey soon resigned from the board of directors at SH and
> took a year off. After that he help
> founded Interactive Magic, one of the rising stars in the simulation field,
> with recent titles such as Apache and
> Capitalism.
> Sid Meier stayed with MPS but didn't seem to do very much. He offered
> inputs on remakes of his classics
> such as Pirates! Gold, Railroad Tycoon Deluxe, etc. but he didn't seem to
> be working on anything new until
> MPS landed Magic:The Gathering rights and they needed something special for
> the solitaire game.
> One of the former MPS employees had confided in me that he knew the company
> was doomed when SH
> took over back in 1993, the only question is how long it would take. This
> attitude was shared by many other
> former MPS employees that I have contact with. All have commented that
> neither company seems to have an
> upper management that actually understands the computer game industry.
> Pretty sad, isn't it? MPS was one of the best places to work at back then..
> I used to want to work there. :-)
> (Now I want to work for EA or Origin, but that's another story.) Are
> mergers good or bad for the industry?
> Is there a management problem at SH? Or as many people wanted to ask, who
> came up with this "brilliant"
> idea?
>
> ========================================================================> Kasey K. S. Chang (a guy) | Paradox for Windows Programmer
> kas...@discopy.com ksc...@sfsu.edu | Star Trek Fan General PC Expert
> URL> http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~kschang | X-COM Guru among other things...
> ========================================================================good read!