Imagic

For the company formerly known as iMagic Online, see IEntertainment Network. For the company known as I-Magic, see Interactive Magic.

Imagic

File:Imagic.jpg
Former type	Private
Industry	Interactive entertainment
Fate	Liquidation
Founded	1981
Defunct	1986
Headquarters	Los Gatos, California, United States
Key people	Bill Grubb Bob Smith Rob Fulop

Imagic was a short-lived American video game developer and publisher that developed games for the Atari 2600, Intellivision and other video game consoles in the early 1980s. Founded in 1981 by Atari and Mattel Intellivision expatriates, its best-selling titles included Atlantis, Cosmic Ark, Demon Attack, and billiards game Trick Shot.

History

Prior to 1980, software for video game consoles was published exclusively by the makers of the systems for which the games were designed. For example, Atari was the only publisher of games for the Atari 2600. The developers of the games received no extra money for games that sold well, and no credit for their games. Some Atari game designers left to join or form third-party game publishers for game consoles. Activision was the first, and Imagic was the second.

Imagic founders included Bill Grubb, Bob Smith, and Denis Koble from Atari, Inc., Jim Goldberger and Brian Dougherty from Mattel, as well as Mark Bradley and Rob Fulop[1] from Atari, Dave Durran from Mattel, Pat Ransil from Intel, and Gary Kato from Versatec.

Atari sued Imagic over Demon Attack because of its resemblance to Phoenix, to which Atari had the exclusive home-version rights. The case was settled out of court.

Despite initial success and sales greater than projections, the company's fortunes reversed after the stock market dumped videogame stocks in late 1982, scuttling Imagic's initial plan to become a publicly traded company.

Fan club

During its height, Imagic ran a fan club for their games, the Numb Thumb Club, which published an annual newsletter. Only two issues were published before Imagic's demise in 1983.

Unreleased games

Several prototypes of unreleased Imagic games have been discovered in recent years by gamers; probably the most famous of these is Cubicolor, a two-player puzzle game loosely based on a combination of a Rubik's Cube and "fifteen puzzle", that was completed but never officially released before Imagic's demise. Approximately 60 cartridges exist and most are signed and numbered by the original programmer, Rob Fulop. Cubicolor is one of the most rare and valuable games for the Atari 2600.

Non-Atari releases

Imagic also released games for the Mattel Intellivision, ColecoVision, Texas Instruments TI-99/4A, IBM PCjr, and Magnavox Odyssey². Their two Odyssey² games (ports of Demon Attack and Atlantis) were the only third party releases for that system in America.

Decline

Although Imagic grew quickly in its early years, it was irreparably harmed by the video game crash of 1983. It released 24 titles before going out of business by 1986, but the exact time it disbanded is unknown. In 1983 the company laid off 40 of their 170 employees but appeared at the 1984 Consumer Electronics Show with plans for four IBM PCjr games. The rights to Imagic's most popular titles have been owned by Activision since the late 1980s, and they have been re-released on several occasions.

Released titles

The years are for the original versions only, not subsequent ports.

1982

• Atlantis
• Cosmic Ark
• Demon Attack
• Dracula
• Dragonfire
• Fire Fighter
• Beauty & the Beast
• Microsurgeon
• Riddle of the Sphinx
• Star Voyager
• Trick Shot

1983

• Fathom
• Laser Gates
• Moonsweeper
• No Escape!
• Nova Blast
• Safecracker
• Truckin'
• White Water!

1984

• Tournament Tennis
• Wing War