Panther Games

Panther Games was founded in 1985{{cite web | url = http://www.mobygames.com/company/panther-games-pty-ltd | title = Moby Games: Panther Games Pty Ltd profile | publisher=MobyGames | access-date = 2013-01-10 }} by David O’Connor in Canberra, Australia.

In the early years Panther Games initially focused on developing and producing board games and released three titles in the mid 80’s, Trial of Strength, Shanghai Trader and Warlords.{{cite web | url = http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8208/trial-of-strength | title = Board Game Geek: Trial of Strength | publisher=BoardGameGeek | access-date = 2013-01-10 }}{{cite web | url = http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/796/shanghai-trader | title = Board Game Geek: Shanghai Trader | publisher=BoardGameGeek | access-date = 2013-01-10 }}{{cite web | url = http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7267/warlords-china-in-disarray-1916-1950 | title = Board Game Geek: Warlords China in Disarray 1916-1950 | publisher=BoardGameGeek | access-date = 2013-01-10 }}

However, the company shifted their focus to developing computer games in the late 1980s with the release of their first computer wargame, Fire Brigade, in 1988 on Mac, DOS, Atari and Amiga.{{cite web | url = http://www.mobygames.com/game/fire-brigade-the-battle-for-kiev-1943 | title = Moby Games: Fire Brigade the battle for Kiev 1943 | publisher=MobyGames | access-date = 2013-01-10 }} Fire Brigade currently forms part of the historical collection of software; hardwere; trade and promotional materials that document the history of Apple Inc. and its contributions to the computer industry and society. This collection is currently housed at Museum Victoria, Melbourne.Reg. No: HT 13672 {{cite web | url = http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/1231526/apple-macintosh-software-game-fire-brigade-the-battle-for-kiev-1943-3-floppy-disk-1989 | title = Apple Macintosh Software Game - 'Fire Brigade The Battle for Kiev 1943', 3½" Floppy Disk, 1989 | publisher = Museum Victoria | access-date = 2013-01-11 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150215091928/http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/items/1231526/apple-macintosh-software-game-fire-brigade-the-battle-for-kiev-1943-3-floppy-disk-1989 | archive-date = 15 February 2015 | df = dmy-all }}

Following the success of Fire Brigade, Panther Games took a step into the mainstream games market with the releases of sci-fi adventure Alien Drug Lords and puzzle challenge game Cubit in 1991.{{cite web | url = http://hol.abime.net/3241 | title = Hall of Light - The database of Amiga Games: Alien Drug Lords: The Chyropian Connection | access-date = 2013-01-10 }}{{cite web | url = http://hol.abime.net/3141 | title = Hall of Light - The database of Amiga Games: Cubit | access-date = 2013-01-10 }}

In 1996 Panther Games decided to return to its wargame roots and instigated development of a new real-time computer game engine for a novel operational wargame series to be called Airborne Assault (AA).The use of a real-time engine without a hexagon grid for a wargame was novel as traditional computer wargames run on a turn-based system where there are dedicated phases for planning, movement and engagement. The AA engine (later rebranded Command Ops) allowed for planning, movement and engagement to be played in continues time and the hexagon grid was no longer needed to determine movement capabilities of units.{{cite web | url = http://www.wargamer.com/article/3161/Command-Ops:-Highway-to-the-Reich | title = THE GAME & THE THREE T's: TRAVEL, TIME AND TRICKLE-DOWN | date=5 March 2012 | access-date = 2013-01-11 | publisher=The Wargamer |first=John |last=Thompson }} Panther Games' AA game engine and the associated AI capabilities has notably been referenced in publications by Peter Perla at Center for Naval Analyses (CNA), Michael Peck at Defence News and the Digital Humanities at King's College London.Perla, Peter P. & Markowitz, Michael C. (January, 2009) {{cite web | url = http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/D0019256.A2.pdf | title = Wargaming Strategic Linkage | pages=93–94 | access-date = 2013-01-12 | publisher=Center for Naval Analyses}}Peck, Michael (10 August 2010) {{cite web | url = http://www.defensenews.com/article/20100824/TSJ01/8240314/Battle-smarts | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130215193135/http://www.defensenews.com/article/20100824/TSJ01/8240314/Battle-smarts | url-status = dead | archive-date = 15 February 2013 | title = Battle smarts: Top-notch AI puts command sim ahead of the pack | access-date = 2013-01-14 | publisher=Defencenews.com}}Peck, Michael (21 June 2012) {{cite web | url = http://www.defensenews.com/article/20120621/TSJ01/306210004/Game-Revie | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130215203348/http://www.defensenews.com/article/20120621/TSJ01/306210004/Game-Revie | url-status = dead | archive-date = 15 February 2013 | title = Game Review: 'Highway to the Reich' | access-date = 2013-01-12 | publisher=Defencenews.com}}Sabin, Philip (2010) {{cite web | url = http://dh2010.cch.kcl.ac.uk/academic-programme/abstracts/papers/html/ab-715.html#fnLink10 | title = Wargames in a Digital Age | access-date = 2013-01-12 | publisher=Digital Humanities at King's College London}}

The first title to be produced in the series was Airborne Assault: Red Devils over Arnhem (RDOA) and was released in 2002 through wargame publisher battlefront.com.{{cite web | url = http://au.gamespot.com/airborne-assault-red-devils-over-arnhem/ | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130216023955/http://au.gamespot.com/airborne-assault-red-devils-over-arnhem/ | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2013-02-16 | title = Gamespot AU: Airborne Assault Red Devils over Arnhem | publisher = GameSpot | access-date = 2013-01-11 }} However, in Europe, Panther Games used a different publisher, CDV Software Entertainment AG, and the title for the game was simply Airborne Assault.{{cite web | url = http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/airborne-assault-red-devils-over-arnhem/cover-art/gameCoverId,34681/ | title = Moby Games: CDV cover art for Airborne Assault | publisher=MobyGames | access-date = 2013-01-11 }}

The second and third instalments of the AA series were released through a new publisher, Matrix Games, with Airborne Assault: Highway to the Reich (HTTR) coming out in 2003 and Airborne Assault: Conquest of the Aegean (COTA) in 2006.{{cite web | url = http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=42980&tab=sysreqs | title = Allgame: Airborne Assault Highway to the Reich | publisher=Allgame | access-date = 2013-01-11 }}{{cite web | url = http://www.matrixgames.com/products/313/details/Conquest.of.the.Aegean | title = Matrix Games: Airborne Assault Conquest of the Aegean | publisher=Matrix Games | access-date = 2013-01-11 }}

In 2010, Panther Games rebranded their long running games series to Command Ops and released their latest title, Command Ops: Battles from the Bulge (BFTB).{{cite web | url = http://www.pcworld.com/article/197693/battles_from_the_bulge.html | title = Why PC Wargame Battles From The Bulge Costs So Much | date=1 June 2010 | access-date = 2013-01-11 | publisher=PC World |first=Matt |last=Peckham }}

In 2012, the first official expansion pack Panther Games has ever released came out titled, Command Ops: Highway to the Reich. This is an expansion pack for BFTB and covers content from the original two AA games.{{cite web | url = http://www.matrixgames.com/products/421/details/Command.Ops:.Highway.to.the.Reich | title = Matrix Games: Command Ops Highway to the Reich | publisher=Matrix Games | access-date = 2013-01-11 }}

18 October 2014, Panther Games in conjunction with Lock 'n Load publishing jointly announce Panther Games' move to Lock 'n Load publishing following the split between Panther games and Matrix Games. Following the announcement it was revealed Panther Games through Lock n' Load would be re-releasing Panther Games' successful 1985 board game Trial of Strength with a new edition. it would be the first time the board game has been re-released since its initial release in 1985. In addition, it was revealed Panther Games' new game engine, Command Ops 2, would be released through the publisher along with all subsequent data packs for the engine. This represented a new method of content delivery for the company.{{cite web | url = http://forums.lnlpublishing.com/threads/welcome-panther-games.867/ | title = Welcome Panther Games | publisher=Lock 'n Load | first= | last= | date=2014-10-18 | access-date = 2015-07-31 }}{{cite web | url = http://grogheads.com/?p=6388 | title = Breaking News: Panther Games signs with LNLP | publisher=Grogheads | first= | last= | date=2014-10-20 | access-date = 2015-07-31 }}

June 2015, Command Ops 2 goes public beta and the "Commander Pack" consisting of all five modular data packs for Command Ops 2 goes on sale 16 June 2015.

Parallel to its commercial wargame development, Panther Games also provides professional services to the military. Simulation Australia (part of the Australian Department of innovation, Industry, Science and Research) describe Panther Games' professional services capabilities to include wargame design and development; artificial intelligence; user interface; programming; scenario development (including for JSAF); Puckstering (for JSAF) and a wide range of Analysis.{{cite web | url = http://directory.simulationaustralia.org.au/company/panther-games-pty-ltd/ | title = Panther Games | year=2012 | publisher=simulationaustralia.org.au | access-date = 2013-01-14 }}

In 2007, Panther Games was a team partner along with Booz Allen Hamilton, Ball Solutions, CAE and Calytrix Technology in the successful Joint Decision Support and Simulations Centre (JDSSC) project for the Australian Department of Defence.{{cite web | url = http://www.calytrix.com/news/newsitem/94/ | title = Calytrix Teams on JDSSC | date = 22 March 2007 | publisher = Calytrix Technologies | access-date = 2013-01-11 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120322202516/http://calytrix.com/news/newsitem/94/ | archive-date = 22 March 2012 | url-status = dead }}

In 2009, Panther Games became an associate member of the joint Defence-Industry initiative, Rapid Prototyping, Development and Evaluation Program (RPDE).{{cite web | url = http://www.rpde.org.au/participants | title = RPDE Participants | publisher=RPDE | access-date = 2013-01-14 }}

In October 2010, Panther Games began a four-month scoping study for the Australian Defence Simulation Office (ADSO) to determine the Defence requirements for a course of action analyser simulation tool.

• Trial of Strength (1985)
• Warlords: China in Disarray, 1916 – 1950 (1986)
• Shanghai Trader (1986)

• Fire Brigade (1988)
• Alien Drug Lords (1991)
• Cubit (1991)
• Airborne Assault: Red Devils over Arnhem (2002)
• Airborne Assault: Highway to the Reich (2003)
• Airborne Assault: Conquest of the Aegean (2006)
• Command Ops: Battles from the Bulge (2010)
• Command Ops: Highway to the Reich (2012) – expansion to BFTB
• Command Ops: Battles for Greece (2013) - expansion to BFTB
• Command Ops 2 (2015)
• Command Ops 2: Bastogne (2015)
• Command Ops 2: Foothills of the Gods (2015)
• Command Ops 2: Highway to the Reich (2015)
• Command Ops 2: Knock On All Doors (2015)
• Command Ops 2: Ride of the Valkyries (2015)
• Command Ops 2: The Cauldron (2015)
• Command Ops 2: Westwall (2015)

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{Official website|http://panthergames.com/|name=Panther Games Official Website}}
• [http://directory.simulationaustralia.org.au/company/panther-games-pty-ltd/ Panther Games'] directory profile at Simulation Australia
• [http://store.lnlpublishing.com/panther-games Panther Games LnL Products Home]
• [http://lnlpublishing.com Lock 'n Load Publishing Home]

{{Panther Games}}

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Category:Video game companies established in 1985

Category:Video game companies of Australia

Category:Video game development companies

Category:Companies based in Canberra

Category:1985 establishments in Australia