Coktel Vision

{{Infobox company

| name = Coktel Vision

| logo = Coktel Vision.svg

| type = Subsidiary

| industry = Video games

| fate = Merged into Mindscape

| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1984}}

| founder = Roland Oskian

| defunct = {{End date and age|df=yes|2005|10}}

| hq_location_city = Paris

| hq_location_country = France

| parent = {{Unbulleted list|Sierra On-Line (1994–1996)|Vivendi Universal Games (1996–2005)|Mindscape (2005–2011)}}

}}

Coktel Vision (also known as Coktel and Coktel Studio) was a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris. It was best known for its educational and adventure games.

History

Coktel Vision was founded in 1984 by Roland Oskian, an engineer and a former executive at Matra Espace.{{cite web |url=https://www.lesechos.fr/1994/05/lamericain-sierra-on-line-absorbe-coktel-vision-881547 |title=L'américain Sierra-On-Line absorbe Coktel Vision |language=fr |trans-title=American Sierra-On-Line absorbs Coktel Vision |first=Pierre |last=de Gasquet |date=4 May 1994 |website=Les Echos |access-date=22 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820163413/https://www.lesechos.fr/1994/05/lamericain-sierra-on-line-absorbe-coktel-vision-881547 |archive-date=20 August 2019 |url-status=live }} The French gaming market was still developing at the time, the company consisted of only several people who worked from Oskian's house, with Roland acting as a director and composer and his wife Catherine creating graphics and cover art.{{cite magazine |title=From the Archives: Coktel Vision |first=David |last=Crookes |date=28 December 2018 |magazine=Retro Gamer |issue=189 |publisher=Future Publishing |pages=44–47}}

Coktel made its name by publishing simulation, action and narrative-driven adventure titles for the Thomson and Amstrad CPC computers. Their catalogue included both original and licensed games often based on Franco-Belgian comics such as Asterix, Lucky Luke and Blueberry. They saw a quick growth and in several years entered the edutainment market, while also starting to port their games to PC and Macintosh.

In 1986, Muriel Tramis joined Coktel Vision. Known as the first female French video game designer, she quickly turned into the studios' leading talent, developing some of its best-selling games and gaining the informal title of "Roberta Williams of France".{{cite web |url=https://actualite-jeu-video.blogs.la-croix.com/muriel-tramis-creatrice-dadibou-va-recevoir-la-legion-dhonneur/2018/07/19/ |title=Muriel Tramis, créatrice d'Adibou, va recevoir la Légion d'honneur |language=fr |trans-title=Muriel Tramis, creator of Adibou, received the Legion of Honour |first=Patxi |last=Berhouet |date=19 July 2018 |website=La Croix |access-date=23 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190903145828/https://actualite-jeu-video.blogs.la-croix.com/muriel-tramis-creatrice-dadibou-va-recevoir-la-legion-dhonneur/2018/07/19/ |archive-date=3 September 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.senscritique.com/liste/Game_designers_un_repertoire_enrichi/2049736/page-3 |title=Game designers : un répertoire enrichi |language=fr |trans-title=Game designers: an enriched repertoire |author=Dunslim |date=16 March 2018 |website={{ill|SensCritique|fr}}}} Tramis often explored political and social themes novel for its time such as imperialism, slavery and eroticism, collaborating with the créolité writer Patrick Chamoiseau.{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-30-ten-unsung-gaming-heroes-article |title=Ten Unsung Gaming Heroes |first=Tristan |last=Donovan |date=30 November 2011 |website=Eurogamer |access-date=23 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429111752/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-30-ten-unsung-gaming-heroes-article |archive-date=29 April 2012 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.cnc.fr/jeu-video/actualites/muriel-tramis-pionniere-du-jeu-video---je-ne-me-never-ask-the-question-of-the-legitimacy_953398 |title=Muriel Tramis, pionnière du jeu vidéo : " Je ne me suis jamais posé la question de la légitimité " |language=fr |trans-title=Muriel Tramis, video game pioneer: "I never asked myself the question of legitimacy" |date=11 March 2019 |website=Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée |access-date=23 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617194616/https://www.cnc.fr/jeu-video/actualites/muriel-tramis-pionniere-du-jeu-video---je-ne-me-never-ask-the-question-of-the-legitimacy_953398 |archive-date=17 June 2019 |url-status=live }} Yet her name is usually associated with more family-friendly series like Gobliiins co-created with Pierre Gilhodes and Adibou, the long-running commercially successful educational games that had sold over 1.5 million copies by 1997.{{cite web |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2018/07/19/muriel-tramis-premiere-creatrice-de-jeux-video-decoree-de-la-legion-d-honneur_5333620_4408996.html |title=Muriel Tramis, première créatrice de jeux vidéo décorée de la Légion d'honneur |language=fr |trans-title=Muriel Tramis, the first video game designer decorated with the Legion of Honor |date=19 July 2018 |website=Le Monde |access-date=23 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617194631/https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2018/07/19/muriel-tramis-premiere-creatrice-de-jeux-video-decoree-de-la-legion-d-honneur_5333620_4408996.html |archive-date=17 June 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.csoon.com/issue21/adiboo.htm |title=Adiboo: I can read, I can count! |first=Frederick |last=Claude |date=January 2017 |website=Coming Soon Magazine |access-date=23 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516154903/http://www.csoon.com/issue21/adiboo.htm |archive-date=16 May 2019 |url-status=live }}

Tramis described Coktel Vision as a diverse company with a "start-up atmosphere" that allowed plenty of freedom to its designers.{{cite web |url=https://obscuritory.com/essay/muriel-tramis-interview/ |title=Muriel Tramis speaks about her career and the memory of Martinique |first=Phil |last=Salvador |date=5 March 2018 |website=The Obscuritory |access-date=23 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805005948/https://obscuritory.com/essay/muriel-tramis-interview/ |archive-date=5 August 2019 |url-status=live }} During the early 1990s Coktel experimented with various formats such as 3D and FMV and enjoyed continued strong growth: in 1993 it made 75 million francs against 30 million in 1992, with the Adibou series covering 65% of the French edutainment market and 35% of the European market. By 1996 those numbers increased up to 75% in France.

In 1992, the company was acquired by the American publisher Sierra On-Line (the deal was finalised on 29 October 1993).{{cite web |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/724991/0000891020-96-000721.txt |title=Sierra On-Line Form 10-K |date=1 July 1996 |website=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission |access-date=24 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416004925/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/724991/0000891020-96-000721.txt |archive-date=16 April 2018 |url-status=live }} Ken Williams later said that Sierra was more interested in expanding its European educational sales than in Coktel's games.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAemLilaNjk |title=Sierra Flashback w/ Ken & Roberta - Good, Bad & Disappointments |date=2022-03-18 |last=Lindsey |first=Jason |language=en-US |publisher=YouTube |time=9:35}} As part of the deal, Sierra published popular French titles worldwide while Coktel localised and published Sierra's games through its Tomahawk publishing label. In 1996 after Urban Runner became a commercial failure the company decided to focus on educational titles rather than adventure games.

In February 1996, Sierra along with its subsidiaries was acquired by CUC International, with Coktel becoming part of CUC's new CUC Software branch.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/21/business/cuc-will-buy-2-software-companies-for-1.8-billion.html |title=CUC Will Buy 2 Software Companies for $1.8 Billion |first=Peter H. |last=Lewis |date=21 February 1996 |website=The New York Times |access-date=22 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721043501/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/21/business/cuc-will-buy-2-software-companies-for-1.8-billion.html |archive-date=21 July 2018 |url-status=live }} CUC was then merged with HFS Incorporated into Cendant and in 1998 sold its software branch to the French publisher Havas, which was acquired by Vivendi.{{cite web |url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/alain-rsquos-masterplan-havas-havas-rsquos-alain-de-pouzilhac-wants-secure-us-uk-merger-prepared-risks-find-perfect-mate-caroline-marshall/24740 |title=Alain's Masterplan for Havas |first=Caroline |last=Marshall |date=17 April 1988 |website=Campaign}} Coktel continued producing edutainment titles, focusing on the European market only; in 1999 Roland Oskian left the company, and in 2003 he was followed by Muriel Tramis after the new management decided to subcontract some of the major Coktel's titles.

In October 2005, Coktel Vision was sold to French publisher Mindscape, wherein eleven Coktel employees were absorbed into Mindscape.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/vu-games-cede-coktel-a-mindscape-44419.html |title=VU Games cède Coktel à Mindscape |language=fr |trans-title=VU Games sells Coktel to Mindscape |author=Poischich |date=21 October 2005 |website=Gamekult |access-date=22 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722125622/https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/vu-games-cede-coktel-a-mindscape-44419.html |archive-date=22 July 2018 |url-status=live }} Mindscape retained the Coktel brand until closing in 2011.

Subsidiaries

MDO – a Bordeaux-based company which did all the programming. Named after its three founders: Mathieu Marciacq, Arnaud Delrue and Roland Oskian.
Tomahawk – presented as a subsidiary, it was only a label that Coktel Vision used to publish simulation and erotic games to distance themselves from edutainment titles.{{cite web |url=https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2018/03/interview-with-muriel-tramis.html |title=Interview with Muriel Tramis |first=Ilmari |last=Jauhiainen |date=19 March 2018 |website=The Adventure Gamer |access-date=23 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617194804/https://advgamer.blogspot.com/2018/03/interview-with-muriel-tramis.html |archive-date=17 June 2019 |url-status=live }}