Big Red Software

{{Infobox company

| name = The Big Red Software Company Limited

| logo =

| trade_name = Big Red Software

| type = Private

| industry = Video games

| fate = Merged into Eidos Interactive

| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1989|10|16}}

| founder = Paul Ranson

| defunct = {{End date|df=yes|1996|05|31}}

| hq_location_city = Leamington Spa

| hq_location_country = England

| key_people =

}}

The Big Red Software Company Limited, doing business as Big Red Software, was a British video game developer based in Leamington Spa, England, that was founded by Paul Ranson in October 1989.

History

Big Red Software was incorporated on 16 October 1989{{cite web |url=https://companycheck.co.uk/company/02432568/THE-BIG-RED-SOFTWARE-COMPANY-LIMITED/companies-house-data |title=THE BIG RED SOFTWARE COMPANY LIMITED. Free business summary taken from official companies house information. Free alerts. Registered as 02432568 |first=company check |last=ltd |website=Company Check |accessdate=13 July 2018}} by Paul Ranson,{{cite magazine|last=Crookes|first=David|year=2007|title=Painting the Town Big Red Software|url=https://archive.org/stream/retro_gamer/RetroGamer_042#page/76/mode/2up|magazine=Retro Gamer|publisher=Imagine Publishing|issue=42|pages=76–81}} and was based in Leamington Spa, England.{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-02-04-video-games-dont-love-or-hate-you-theyre-just-built-that-way |title=Video games don't love or hate you - they're just built that way |website=eurogamer.net |accessdate=13 July 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-12-17-enter-the-dragon-32-graph-paper-games-and-growing-up |title=Enter the Dragon (32): graph paper, games and growing up |website=eurogamer.net |accessdate=13 July 2018}} In their early years, they focused on the 8-bit home computer game market, especially for ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC. During this time, they formed a close relationship with Codemasters, who published many of their games. This relationship was sufficiently close that Codemasters turned to them to develop the next Dizzy game after the series' creators, the Oliver Twins, moved onto other projects.{{cite magazine|last=Peters|first=Adam|year=1992|title=Dizzy: this is your life|url=https://archive.org/details/Amstrad_Action_Issue_087/page/28/mode/2up|magazine=Amstrad Action|publisher=Future Publishing|issue=87|pages=30–33}} The resulting game, Magicland Dizzy, was a critical and commercial success. When Retro Gamer released a special retrospective edition of Your Sinclair in 2004, they rated it the 12th best game for ZX Spectrum of all time.{{cite journal |title=Top 50 Games of All Time |journal=Your Sinclair |date=November 2004 |publisher=Imagine Publishing}} Other games released in collaboration with Codemasters include further Dizzy games, the Seymour series, and the PC port of Micro Machines.

In the mid-1990s, as the industry moved away from the older 8-bit computers, Big Red Software started developing games such as Tank Commander and Big Red Racing for MS-DOS, with both these titles being published by Domark. On 25 September 1995, publicly traded Eidos Public Limited Company acquired Domark and Big Red Software, alongside Simis, for a total of {{GBP|12.9 million|link=yes}}.{{cite web |url=https://www.telecompaper.com/news/eidos-acquires-three-companies-unveils-placing--65391 |title=EIDOS ACQUIRES THREE COMPANIES, UNVEILS PLACING |date=25 September 1995 |website=Telecompaper |accessdate=29 October 2017}} The latter two were merged into Domark to create Eidos Interactive on 31 May 1996.{{cite magazine|last=Sherman|first=Christopher|date=April 1996|title=Four Way Merger Between Domark, Big Red, Simis, and Eidos|url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-016/page/n25/mode/2up|magazine=Next Generation|publisher=Imagine Media|issue=16|page=23}}{{cite magazine|last=Mallinson|first=Paul|date=March 1998|title=Final Fantasy VII|url=https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_61_March_1998/page/n47/mode/2up|magazine=PC Zone|publisher=Dennis Publishing|issue=61|page=49}}