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Datasoft

{{Short description|American video game publisher (1980-1987)}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Datasoft

| logo = Datasoft Logo.svg

| type =

| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|June 12, 1980}}{{cite magazine |title=Profiles: Pat Ketchum|magazine=Antic|issue=5|publisher=Antic Publishing|date=August 1983|page=12|url=https://archive.org/details/1983-08-anticmagazine/page/12|access-date=16 December 2024}}

| founder = Pat Ketchum

| location_city = Chatsworth, California

| location_country = US

| key_people =

| industry = Video games
Productivity software

| num_employees =

| parent =

}}

Datasoft, Inc. (also written as DataSoft) was a software developer and publisher for home computers founded in 1980 by Pat Ketchum and based out of Chatsworth, California. Datasoft primarily published video games, including ports of arcade video games, games based on licenses from movies and TV shows, and original games. Like competitor Synapse Software, they also published other software: development tools, word processors, and utilities. Text Wizard, written by William Robinson and published by Datasoft when he was 16, was the basis for AtariWriter. Datasoft initially targeted the Atari 8-bit computers, Apple II, and TRS-80 Color Computer, then later the Commodore 64, IBM PC, Atari ST, and Amiga. Starting in 1983, a line of lower cost games was published under the label Gentry Software.

Datasoft went into bankruptcy,{{When|date=December 2020}} and its name and assets were purchased by two Datasoft executives, Samuel L. Poole and Ted Hoffman.{{fact|date=June 2018}} They renamed the company IntelliCreations and distributed Datasoft games until it closed.

Software

=Games=

{{Div col}}

;1982

;1983

;1984

;1985

;1986

;1987

  • 221B Baker Street
  • Alternate Reality: The Dungeon
  • Bismarck
  • Black Magic
  • Dark Lord
  • Force 7
  • Gunslinger{{cite web |title=Gunslinger |url=http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-gunslinger_2354.html |website=Atari Mania |access-date=2010-09-24 |archive-date=2010-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100827154153/http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-gunslinger_2354.html |url-status=live }}
  • Saracen

;1988

{{Div col end}}

=Games under the Gentry Software label=

  • Leap'in Lizards! (1983)
  • Magneto Bugs (1983)
  • Maniac Miner (1983)
  • Maxwell's Demon / Memory Mania (1983)
  • Rosen's Brigade (1983)
  • Sea Bandit (1983)
  • Spiderquake (1983)
  • Starbase Fighter (1983)
  • Target Practice (1983)

=Education=

  • Bishop's Square / Maxwell's Demon (1982){{cite web |title=Bishop's Square / Maxwell's Demon |url=http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-bishop-s-square-maxwell-s-demon_6900.html |website=Atari Mania |access-date=2020-12-29 |archive-date=2021-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122163047/http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-bishop-s-square-maxwell-s-demon_6900.html |url-status=live }}

=Word processing=

  • Text Wizard (1981)
  • Spell Wizard (1982)
  • Letter Wizard (1984)

=Other software=

  • Micro-Painter (1982){{cite web |title=Micropainter |url=http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-micro-painter_31609.html |website=Atari Mania |access-date=2020-12-28 |archive-date=2022-06-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622152528/http://www.atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-micro-painter_31609.html |url-status=live }}

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite journal |last1=Cohen |first1=Frank |title=The Making of AtariWriter Plus |journal=ANALOG Computing |date=June 1987 |issue=55 |pages=9–10 |url=https://archive.org/details/analog-computing-magazine-55/page/n9/mode/2up}}

{{cite journal |title=New Products |journal=ANALOG Computing |date=September 1983 |issue=13 |page=17 |url=https://archive.org/details/analog-computing-magazine-13/page/n17/mode/2up}}

}}

External links

  • {{MobyGames company|company=datasoft-inc}}
  • [http://www.if-legends.org/~adventure/Datasoft,_Inc.html Adventureland Company Profile]

Category:Atari 8-bit computers

Category:Video game companies established in 1980

Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States

Category:Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles

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