Broderbund

The word "brøderbund" is not an actual word in any language and has never been used as a surname, but is a somewhat loose translation of "band of brothers" into a mixture of Danish, Dutch, German, and Swedish.{{cite news |url=http://retro.ign.com/articles/877/877923p1.html |title=IGN Presents: The History of Prince of Persia |last=McLaughlin |first=Rus |date=May 30, 2008 |work=IGN |page=1 |access-date=November 26, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220153327/http://retro.ign.com/articles/877/877923p1.html |archive-date=December 20, 2008}} The "ø" in "brøderbund" was used partially as a play on the letter ø from the Dano-Norwegian alphabet; however, the letter was mainly referencing the slashed zero found in mainframes, terminals, and early personal computers.{{cite web |url=http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/Oral_History/Carlston_Doug/Carlston_Doug_1.oral_history.2004.102658043.pdf |title=Oral History of Douglas Carlston |last=Bergen |first=Tim |date=November 19, 2004 |work=Computer History Museum |page=10 |access-date=November 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226134819/http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/Oral_History/Carlston_Doug/Carlston_Doug_1.oral_history.2004.102658043.pdf |archive-date=February 26, 2009 }} The three crowns above the logo are also a reference to the lesser national coat of arms of Sweden.{{Cn|date=July 2022}}

The company's name is pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|r|uː|d|ər|b|ʌ|n|d}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/11/business/broderbund-casts-itself-as-a-studio.html |title=Brøderbund Casts Itself as a Studio |last=Rifkin |first=Glenn |date=September 11, 1995 |work=The New York Times |page=D7 |access-date=November 27, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205190105/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE5DC1530F932A2575AC0A963958260 |archive-date=December 5, 2008 |url-access=limited}} instead of the popularly used {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|r|oʊ|d|ər|b|ʌ|n|d}}.

File:Broderbund_logo.svg

File:Doug Carlston (1985).jpg

Broderbund was founded by brothers Doug and Gary Carlston in 1980{{cite news |url=http://news.cnet.com/The-Learning-Co.-buys-Broderbund/2100-1001_3-212529.html |title=The Learning Co. buys Brøderbund |last=Pelline |first=Jeff |date=June 22, 1998 |work=CNET Networks |page=1 |access-date=November 26, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041126190952/http://news.com.com/The%2BLearning%2BCo.%2Bbuys%2BBrøderbund/2100-1001_3-212529.html |archive-date=November 26, 2004}} to market Galactic Empire,{{cite web |url=http://www.computerhistory.org/brochures/companies.php?alpha=a-c&company=com-42b9d3832be76 |title=Company: Brøderbund Software |work=Computer History Museum |access-date=November 27, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312085233/http://www.computerhistory.org/brochures/companies.php?alpha=a-c&company=com-42b9d3832be76 |archive-date=March 12, 2009}} a strategy computer game that Doug Carlston had created in 1979. Before founding the company, Doug was a lawyer and Gary had held several jobs, including teaching Swedish at an American college. Their sister Cathy joined the company a year later from Lord & Taylor.{{cite journal |last=Uston |first=Ken |date=September 1984 |title=A family affair; behind the scenes at Brøderbund |journal=Creative Computing |volume=10 |issue=9 |page=1 |url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n9/157_A_family_affair_behind_t.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091204232634/http://www.atarimagazines.com/creative/v10n9/157_A_family_affair_behind_t.php |archive-date=December 4, 2009}} Besides Doug and Gary Carlston, their brother Don wrote an Apple II game and invested $500 in the company.{{r|spillhistorie20240619}} Galactic Empire had many names taken from African languages; a group of merchants was named Broederbond, Afrikaans for "association of brothers". To emphasize its family origin while avoiding a connection with the ethnonationalist Afrikaner organization of the same name, the Carlstons altered the spelling when naming their company "Brøderbund".{{cite magazine |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=88 |title=A History of Computer Games |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=November 1991 |access-date=November 18, 2013 |author=Wilson, Johnny L. |pages=19–20 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202225217/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=88 |archive-date=December 2, 2013}} Gary Carlston said "If we had known we were going to be successful we would not have [chosen that name], as we endured a fair bit of criticism because of the South African connection".{{Cite web |date=2024-06-19 |title=A chat with Gary Carlston of Brøderbund |url=https://spillhistorie.no/a-chat-with-gary-carlston-of-broderbund/ |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Spillhistorie.no}}

The company's original intention was to market software for law offices, with games as a side business.{{r|spillhistorie20240619}} By 1982, Broderbund produced action games which, the company told Jerry Pournelle, sold much better than strategy games.{{cite magazine | url=http://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1982-07/1982_07_BYTE_07-07_Computers_in_the_Arts_and_Sciences#page/n381/mode/2up | title=Computers for Humanity | magazine=BYTE | date=July 1982 | access-date=19 October 2013 | volume=7 |issue=7| last=Pournelle |first= Jerry | pages=392 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105081855/https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1982-07/1982_07_BYTE_07-07_Computers_in_the_Arts_and_Sciences#page/n381/mode/2up | archive-date=January 5, 2019 | url-status=live }} Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co. invested in the company that year.{{r|fam}} In 1983, the Carlstons publicly discussed their plans to emphasize home utility software (Bank Street Writer and other "Bank Street" applications), computer literacy with The Jim Henson Company, and edutainment.{{Cite magazine |last=Barry |first=David |date=October 1983 |title=Profiles: The Carlston Trio |url=https://www.atarimagazines.com/v2n7/CarlstonTrio.html |magazine=Antic |access-date=2021-07-01}} By early 1984 InfoWorld estimated that Brøderbund was tied with Human Engineered Software as the world's tenth-largest microcomputer-software company and largest entertainment-software company, with $13 million in 1983 sales.{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kC4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80 |title=Company Strategies Boomerang |magazine=InfoWorld |date=April 2, 1984 |volume=6 |issue=14 |access-date=February 10, 2015 |last=Caruso|first=Denise |pages=80–83 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316090408/https://books.google.com/books?id=kC4EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA80&pg=PA80 |archive-date=March 16, 2015}} That year it took over the assets of the well-regarded but financially troubled Synapse Software. Although intending to keep it running as a business, they were unable to make money from Synapse's products, and closed it down after a year.{{cite web |url=https://www.dadgum.com/halcyon/BOOK/HALES.HTM |title=Steve Hales |quote=Synapse was owned by Brøderbund for another year while we tried to sell the Electronic Novels, but the market had already changed too much to make any money, so Brøderbund shut Synapse down. |access-date=June 13, 2014 |year=1997 |editor-last=Hague |editor-first=James |work=Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527065131/http://www.dadgum.com/halcyon/BOOK/HALES.HTM |archive-date=May 27, 2014 }}

Broderbund's The Print Shop software produced signs and greeting cards. Broderbund started discussions with Unison World about creating an MS-DOS version. The two companies could not agree on a contract, but Unison World developed a product with similar function and a similar user interface. Broderbund sued for infringement of their copyright. Brøderbund v. Unison (1986) became a landmark case in establishing that the look and feel of a software product could be subject to copyright protection.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QACY2JCu4BUC&pg=PA23 |page=23 |title=Software and Intellectual Property Protection: Copyright and Patent Issues for Computer and Legal Professionals |first=Bernard A. |last=Galler |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |year=1995 |isbn=0899309747 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714221811/http://books.google.ca/books?id=QACY2JCu4BUC&pg=PA23 |archive-date=July 14, 2014}}

The company turned down what Gary Carlston later described as "the worldwide rights to Tetris for $50,000".{{r|spillhistorie20240619}} Sierra On-Line and Broderbund ended merger discussions in March 1991.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=83 |title=Inside the Industry |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=June 1991 |access-date=November 17, 2013 |pages=62 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203004050/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=83 |archive-date=December 3, 2013}} By that year Brøderbund had about $50 million in revenue, and 25% share of the education market. Carmen Sandiego had been its first internally developed product, but the company now developed most of its software; Doug Carlston stated that Brøderbund needed "to control our own sources, to control our future". After an unsuccessful initial public offering in 1987, the company executed a private placement for 20% of shares with Jostens.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/09/business/software-star-hits-the-media-road.html |title=Software Star Hits the Media Road |work=The New York Times |date=July 9, 1991 |access-date=August 9, 2014 |author=Fisher, Lawrence M. |pages=D7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812213814/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/09/business/software-star-hits-the-media-road.html |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |url-access=limited}} Broderbund became a public company in November 1991 with the NASDAQ symbol BROD.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/10/business/broderbund-s-net-up-81.html |title=Broderbund's Net Up 81% |date=October 10, 1992 |work=The New York Times |page=1 |access-date=November 26, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207234204/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE1DC1338F933A25753C1A964958260 |archive-date=December 7, 2008 |url-access=limited}}{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/1997/34/roster34/brod.htm |title=Brøderbund Software, Inc. |date=July 19, 1997 |work=Business Week |access-date=November 27, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224031056/http://www.businessweek.com/1997/34/roster34/brod.htm |archive-date=December 24, 2008}} When it went public The Print Shop comprised 33% of total revenue, and the Carmen Sandiego series 26%.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=103 |title=The Print Shop Still Prints Money At Brøderbund Software |magazine=Computer Gaming World |issue=103 |date=February 1993 |access-date=July 6, 2014 |pages=82 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702235734/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=103 |archive-date=July 2, 2014}} After considering another merger with Electronic Arts in 1994,{{Cite news|last=Markoff|first=John|date=1994-02-11|title=COMPANY NEWS; Electronic Arts' Move Reflects Industry Trend|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/11/business/company-news-electronic-arts-move-reflects-industry-trend.html|access-date=2022-02-01|issn=0362-4331}} Brøderbund stock price and market capitalization climbed to $72.50 per share by September 1995,{{r|rifkin19950911}} and then fell steadily because of continued losses for several years.

The early and mid-1990s saw a video game industry trend of consolidation of development and publishing companies, as rising development costs and pressure from large retailers put pressure on smaller companies.{{cite web | url=https://www.wired.com/1998/06/broderbund-acquired/ | title=Broderbund Acquired | author=Sean Donahue | date=June 22, 1998 | publisher=Wired | accessdate=August 17, 2023}}{{cite web |author=Khoury, Mathew |date=February 15, 2018 |title=Where in the World Did Blockbuster Educational Games Go? |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/where-in-the-world-did-blockbuster-educational-games-go- |access-date=August 16, 2023 |website=Game Developer}} Brøderbund acquired PC Globe in July 1992.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=99 |title=Brøderbund Purchases PC Globe |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=October 1992 |issue=99 |access-date=July 4, 2014 |pages=16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702235549/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=99 |archive-date=July 2, 2014}} It attempted to purchase The Learning Company in 1995,{{cite news |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-learning-company-buys-broderbund-6-22-98 |title=The Learning Company buys Broderbund 6-22-98 |last=Daly |first=Brenon |date=June 29, 1998 |work=MarketWatch |access-date=November 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607210824/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-learning-company-buys-broderbund-6-22-98 |archive-date=June 7, 2011}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/09/business/learning-accepts-new-offer-from-brøderbund-software.html |title=Learning Accepts New Offer From Broderbund Software |last=Fisher |first=Lawrence |date=November 9, 1995 |work=The New York Times |page=1 |access-date=November 26, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205150443/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E0DD1439F93AA35752C1A963958260 |archive-date=December 5, 2008 |url-access=limited}} but was outbid by SoftKey, who purchased The Learning Company for US$606 million in cash and then adopted its name.

On June 22, 1998, The Learning Company bought Broderbund for about US$420 million in stock. The acquisition was structured as a stock swap, with The Learning Company issuing 0.80 shares for each share of Brøderbund's, with the purchasing price set at about 21 percent higher than Broderbund's valuation according to its stock price.{{cite web | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/4467013/Mattel-sale-ends-3.6bn-fiasco.html | title=Mattel sale ends $3.6bn fiasco | date=September 30, 2000 | publisher=The Telegraph | accessdate=August 17, 2023}} The Learning Company then fired five hundred employees at Broderbund the same year, representing 42% of the company's workforce.{{cite web|title=Brøderbund Software|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Broderbund-Software-Company-History.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020051344/http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Brøderbund-Software-Company-History.html|archive-date=October 20, 2008|access-date=November 27, 2008|work=FundingUniverse}} Doug Carlston explained that in a bid to roll up Broderbund, SoftKey used their previous acquisitions to weaken the company's position in the industry. They allegedly gave a rebate to Mindscape's PrintMaster, a direct competitor to Broderbund's Print Shop, that was more than the product was worth.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9i8Q_YB48M |title=Doug Carlston Brøderbund, Founder & Author, Global English |access-date=May 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706045814/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9i8Q_YB48M |website=YouTube |archive-date=July 6, 2017 |url-status=live }}

In 1998, Broderbund agreed a deal with Nickelodeon to develop CD-ROM games based on its animated cartoons, such as Rugrats.{{Cite magazine|author=|title=Nickelodeon, Brøderbund in Animation Deal|language=en-US|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/1998/02/nickelodeon-broderbund-in-animation-deal/|access-date=2021-11-17|issn=1059-1028}}

In 1999, the combined company was purchased by Mattel for $3.6 billion.{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/1998/12/15/feat.html |title=The investing game |last=Malik |first=Om |date=December 15, 1998 |work=Forbes |page=1 |access-date=November 26, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205130620/http://www.forbes.com/1998/12/15/feat.html |archive-date=December 5, 2008}} Mattel reeled from the financial impact of this transaction, and Jill E. Barad, the CEO, ended up being forced out in a climate of investor outrage.{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/2000/04/03/mu5.html |title=Mattel To Ditch The Learning Company |last=Doan |first=Amy |date=April 3, 2000 |work=Forbes |page=1 |access-date=November 26, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404130539/http://www.forbes.com/2000/04/03/mu5.html |archive-date=April 4, 2009}}{{Cite web | url=https://theoutline.com/post/6293/reader-rabbit-history-the-learning-company-zoombinis-carmen-sandiego?zd=1&zi=yqaj75jg | title=The rise and fall of the company behind 'Reader Rabbit' and all your favorite educational games | access-date=November 5, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106053409/https://theoutline.com/post/6293/reader-rabbit-history-the-learning-company-zoombinis-carmen-sandiego?zd=1&zi=yqaj75jg | archive-date=November 6, 2018 | url-status=live }} Mattel sold their game division Mattel Interactive as well as all its assets in September 2000 to Gores Technology Group, a private acquisitions firm, for a share of whatever Gores could obtain by selling the company. During this time, Broderbund products were owned by The Learning Company Deutschland GmbH, located in Oberhaching, Germany. Headed by Jean-Pierre Nordmann, the company was a subsidiary of The Learning Company (formerly SoftKey), which itself was a wholly owned subsidiary of Gores Technology Group.{{Cite web|title=TLC – The Learning Company|url=http://www.learningcompany.de:80/home/portrait_tlc.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011107171802/http://www.learningcompany.de/home/portrait_tlc.html|archive-date=November 7, 2001|access-date=March 5, 2017|website=www.learningcompany.de}} The company published games under two logos: Blue (Broderbund) and Red (The Learning Company). The "Brøderbund" label was used for "high-quality infotainment, design and lifestyle titles such as Cosmopolitan My Style 2 and PrintMaster", while "The Learning Company" label was used for children's software.{{Cite web|title=Unsere Labels|url=http://www.learningcompany.de:80/home/portrait_labels.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011107170445/http://www.learningcompany.de/home/portrait_labels.html|archive-date=November 7, 2001|access-date=March 5, 2017|website=www.learningcompany.de}}

In 2001, Gores sold The Learning Company's entertainment holdings to Ubi Soft, and most of the other holdings, including the Brøderbund name, to Irish company Riverdeep.{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/08/27/BU151631.DTL&type=business |title=Irish group buys Broderbund software firm |last=Norr |first=Henry |date=August 27, 2002 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |page=1 |access-date=November 27, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404090529/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fchronicle%2Farchive%2F2002%2F08%2F27%2FBU151631.DTL&type=business |archive-date=April 4, 2009}} Many of Brøderbund's games, such as the Myst series, are published by Ubisoft. The Brøderbund line of products is published by Encore, Inc. under license from Riverdeep.{{cite press release |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2009/10/19/idUS149099+19-Oct-2009+BW20091019 |title=Announcing the Release of Brøderbund's PrintMaster 2.0 |date=October 19, 2009 |work=Reuters |pages=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106090036/http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/10/19/idUS149099%2B19-Oct-2009%2BBW20091019 |archive-date=November 6, 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://ir.navarre.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=105157&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1225252&highlight= |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129184621/http://ir.navarre.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=105157&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1225252&highlight= |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 29, 2013 |title=Encore, Inc & Riverdeep Sign Expanded License Agreement |publisher=Press Release |access-date=May 2, 2011}} Under the terms of the agreement, Encore now manages the Broderbund family of products as well as Brøderbund's direct to consumer business. In May 2010, Encore acquired the assets of Punch! Software.{{cite web |url=http://ir.navarre.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=105157&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1427895&highlight= |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129130043/http://ir.navarre.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=105157&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1427895&highlight= |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 29, 2013 |title=Encore, Inc. Acquires Punch! Software |publisher=Press Release |access-date=May 2, 2011}}

In 2014, Doug Carlston donated a collection of Brøderbund's business records, software, and a collection of games that includes Myst, Prince of Persia, and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? to The Strong National Museum of Play. The Strong National Museum of Play forwarded the collection to the ICHEG museum for preservation.{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/3/5467718/brøderbund-museum-of-play-collection-myst-prince-of-persia-carmen-sandiego |title=Brøderbund founder donates collection including Myst, Prince of Persia to Museum of Play |first=Dave |last=Tach |date=March 4, 2014 |access-date=August 13, 2014 |publisher=polygon.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140612124712/http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/3/5467718/brøderbund-museum-of-play-collection-myst-prince-of-persia-carmen-sandiego |archive-date=June 12, 2014}}

In 2017, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt offered the Brøderbund, The Print Shop, Calendar Creator, and ClickArt brands for licensing.{{Cite web |url=http://www.hmhco.com/at-home/featured-shops/the-learning-company/licensing-opportunities |title=Licensing Opportunities |website=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |access-date=January 17, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118050559/http://www.hmhco.com/at-home/featured-shops/the-learning-company/licensing-opportunities |archive-date=January 18, 2017}}

{{main|List of Brøderbund products}}

Broderbund scored an early hit with the game Galactic Empire, written by Doug Carlston for the TRS-80. The company's first title for the Apple II, Tank Command, was written by the third Carlston brother, Professor Donal Carlston.

The company became a powerhouse in the educational and entertainment software markets with titles like Fantavision, Choplifter, Apple Panic, Lode Runner, Karateka, Wings of Fury, Prince of Persia, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, The Guardian Legend, Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, and Myst, which stayed the highest grossing home video game for years.

Broderbund became one of the most dominant publishers in the computer market of the 1980s, releasing video games for virtually all major computer systems in the United States.{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/company/382.html |title=Brøderbund Company Information |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905021517/http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/company/382.html |archive-date=September 5, 2011 |website=GameFAQs |access-date=December 9, 2010}}

Like most early computer gaming developers, Broderbund began as an Apple II-focused company and began expanding to other platforms as time went along. They released IBM PC ports of a few games very early on, however, it was not until after 1985 that Broderbund would seriously develop for PC compatibles. Due to their strong focus on education titles, they were one of a few developers to actively support the Apple IIGS in the late 1980s. Some of the more popular Broderbund titles were licensed to Western European and Japanese developers and ported to systems in those regions. During the 1990s, Brøderbund mostly concentrated on educational titles for PCs and Macintoshes with a few forays into RPGs and strategy games.

Broderbund published the Print Shop series of desktop publishing making programs;{{cite news|last=Shannon|first=L.R.|date=September 14, 1993|title=Peripherals – For desktop advice, a publishing wizard|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/14/science/peripherals-for-desktop-advice-a-publishing-wizard.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 27, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205231349/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEEDF113AF937A2575AC0A965958260|archive-date=December 5, 2008 |url-access=limited}} Family Tree Maker{{cite news|last=Biersdorfer|first=J.D.|date=May 13, 1999|title=News watch – Family Tree Maker software now has 1.5 billion names|page=1|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/13/technology/news-watch-family-tree-maker-software-now-has-1.5-billion-names.html?sq=broderbund+family+tree&scp=7&st=cse|url-status=live|access-date=November 27, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205145658/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9804E6DD113FF930A25756C0A96F958260&scp=7&sq=broderbund%20family%20tree&st=cse|archive-date=December 5, 2008 |url-access=limited}} (a genealogy program supported by hundreds of CDs of public genealogy data); 3D Home Architect,{{cite news|date=June 23, 1994|title=Company news – Brøderbund shares jump on late earnings report|page=1|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/23/business/company-news-brøderbund-shares-jump-on-late-earnings-report.html?sq=brøderbund+architect&scp=1&st=cse|url-status=live|access-date=November 27, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728003111/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/23/business/company-news-broderbund-shares-jump-on-late-earnings-report.html?sq=broderbund+architect&scp=1&st=cse|archive-date=July 28, 2018 |url-access=limited}} a program for designing and visualizing family homes; and Banner Mania, a program for designing and printing multi-page banners. By the end of the 1980s, games represented only a few percent of Broderbund's annual sales, which by then were heavily focused in the productivity arena and early education and learning areas.

Just before being acquired by The Learning Company (formerly SoftKey), Broderbund spun off its Living Books series by forming a joint venture with Random House Publishing.{{cite news|last=Adelson|first=Andrea|date=September 11, 1993|title=Company news – Random House children's books headed for PC's|page=1|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/11/business/company-news-random-house-children-s-books-headed-for-pc-s.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 26, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205231344/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6DF133BF932A2575AC0A965958260|archive-date=December 5, 2008 |url-access=limited}} Despite the success and quality of the Living Books series, the joint venture was only marginally successful and was dissolved with The Learning Company deal.

For a brief time, Broderbund was involved in the video game console market when it published a few games for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) through its New Ventures Division.{{cite news |last=Carlsen |first=Clifford |title=Brøderbund Software Inc. jettisons Nintendo, games. |newspaper=San Francisco Business Times (San Francisco, California) |page=1 |date=September 10, 1990}} All of Broderbund's games for the NES, including the port of its own franchises Lode Runner, Spelunker, and Raid on Bungeling Bay, were developed by third-party Japanese companies. Broderbund published some titles that were produced by companies that didn't have a North American subsidiary, such as Irem's Deadly Towers, Compile's The Guardian Legend, Imagineer's The Battle of Olympus, and Legacy of the Wizard, the fourth installment in Nihon Falcom's Dragon Slayer series.{{cite news|last=Pollack|first=Andrew|date=January 9, 1989|title=Trade show's hottest item: the TV set|page=1|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/09/business/trade-show-s-hottest-item-the-tv-set.html?pagewanted=2|url-status=live|access-date=November 27, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205145443/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE6DF1031F93AA35752C0A96F948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2|archive-date=December 5, 2008 |url-access=limited}}

Broderbund also developed and marketed an ill-fated motion sensitive NES controller device called the U-Force, which was operated without direct physical contact between the player and the device.{{cite news|last=Pollack|first=Andrew|date=January 9, 1989|title=Trade show's hottest item: the TV set|page=1|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/09/business/trade-show-s-hottest-item-the-tv-set.html?pagewanted=2|url-status=live|access-date=November 27, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205145443/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE6DF1031F93AA35752C0A96F948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2|archive-date=December 5, 2008 |url-access=limited}} Broderbund also served as distributing agent of Irem's North American NES release of Sqoon, because Irem didn't yet have its own American operation.{{cite magazine|date=1987|title=Index By Game Manufacturers|magazine=The Official Nintendo Player's Guide|publisher=Nintendo of America|page=161}} In 1990, Broderbund sold its New Ventures Division, including manufacturing equipment, inventory, and assets, to then-fledgling company THQ.{{cite web |last=Carlsen |first=Clifford |title=Brøderbund Software Inc. jettisons Nintendo, games. (THQ Inc. buys New Ventures division from Broderbund) |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-8921768/brøderbund-software-inc-jettisons.html |publisher=San Francisco Business Times |access-date=November 10, 2012 |date=September 10, 1990 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127162001/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-8921768/brøderbund-software-inc-jettisons.html |archive-date=January 27, 2013}}

Broderbund released in the United States Arsys Software's 1986 third-person action RPG shooter WiBArm.{{cite web |first=John |last=Szczepaniak |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers4.htm |title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier |page=4 |publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101 |access-date=March 16, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113213821/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers4.htm |archive-date=January 13, 2011}} Reprinted from {{Cite magazine |title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier |magazine=Retro Gamer |issue=67 |year=2009 }}

Broderbund briefly had a board game division, which published Don Carlston's Personal Preference, along with several board game versions of its video games.

{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area|Oregon|Companies|Video games}}

• List of companies based in Oregon
• Red Orb Entertainment — Broderbund's game publishing division, later supported by Mindscape

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.broderbund.com/}}
• [http://www.mobygames.com/company/brøderbund-software-inc Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730001830/https://www.mobygames.com/company/br%C3%B8derbund-software-inc |date=July 30, 2022 }} at MobyGames

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