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Personal Software Services

{{Short description|Defunct British video game publisher}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}

Personal Software Services (PSS) was a British software company based in Coventry, founded by Gary Mays and Richard Cockayne in 1981.Your Computer, June 1986, p. 84 The company was acquired by Mirrorsoft in 1987.The Independent, 25 March 1995, "Taking pain out of gain" PSS produced video games for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, Atari 8-bit computers, Amstrad CPC, Oric computers, and IBM PC compatibles.

PSS was known for strategic wargames, such as Theatre Europe and Falklands '82. Several games produced by the French company ERE Informatique were distributed in Britain by PSS, including Get Dexter.

History

Personal Software Services was founded in Coventry, England, by Gary Mays and Richard Cockayne in 1981.{{cite journal|title=History of PSS|journal=Your Computer|date=13 June 1986|volume=6|issue=6|pages=84–85|url=https://archive.org/stream/your-computer-magazine-1986-06/YourComputer_1986_06#page/n83/mode/2up|accessdate=3 October 2015}} The company had a partnership with French video game developer ERE Informatique, and published localised versions of their products to the United Kingdom.{{cite web|title=Personal Software Services overview|url=http://www.retroisle.com/pubspotlight.php?n=PSS|publisher=Retro Aisle|accessdate=18 October 2015}} The Wargamers series was conceptualised by software designer Alan Steel in 1984 with Battle for Midway. During development of these titles, Steel would often research the topic of the upcoming game and pass on the findings to other associates in Coventry and London.{{cite journal|last1=Connor|first1=Peter|url=https://archive.org/stream/amstrad-action-006/Amstrad_Action_006#page/n96/mode/1up|title=Special: PSS|journal=Amstrad Action|date=March 1986|issue=6|pages=97–99|accessdate=5 February 2016}} Some games of the series were met with controversy upon release, such as Theatre Europe. In 1983, the company received recognition for being "one of the top software houses" in the United Kingdom, and was a finalist for BBC Radio 4's New Business Enterprise Award for that year.{{cite journal|title=PSS: Blade Alley Competition|url=https://archive.org/stream/crash-magazine-05/Crash_05_Jun_1984#page/n37/mode/1up|journal=Crash|date=June 1984|issue=5|page=28|accessdate=5 February 2016}}

In 1988, Cockayne took a decision to alter their products for release on 16-bit consoles, as he found that smaller 8-bit home computers such as the ZX Spectrum lacked the processing power for larger strategy games. Cockayne claimed that PSS were not pulling out of the 8-bit market,{{cite journal|last1=Jarratt|first1=Steve|title=Seasonal Drought|journal=Crash|date=May 1988|issue=52|page=7|url=https://archive.org/stream/crash-magazine-52/Crash_52_May_1988#page/n5/mode/2up|accessdate=18 October 2015}} but no more 8-bit games were released post-1988.

Following years of successful sales throughout the mid 1980s, Personal Software Services experienced financial difficulties, in which Cockayne admitted that "he took his eye off the ball." The company was acquired by Mirrorsoft in February 1987,{{cite journal|title=Mirrorsoft has new strategy with PSS|journal=Personal Computing Weekly|date=12 February 1987|volume=6|issue=7|page=6|url=https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1987-02-12/page/n5/mode/2up?view=theater|accessdate=18 October 2015}} and was later dispossessed by the company due to strains of debt.{{cite journal|last1=Arnot|first1=Chris|title=Taking pain out of gain|journal=The Independent|date=26 March 1995|accessdate=4 October 2015|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/taking-pain-out-of-gain-1612866.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/taking-pain-out-of-gain-1612866.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}

Games

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=After Mirrorsoft acquisition=

References

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External links

  • [https://www.mobygames.com/company/1319/personal-software-services/ PSS] at MobyGames
  • [http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekpub.cgi?regexp=^pss$ PSS at World of Spectrum]

{{Personal Software Services}}

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Category:Defunct video game companies of the United Kingdom

Category:Video game companies established in 1981

Category:Video game companies disestablished in 1988

Category:Defunct companies of England

Category:Companies based in Coventry

Category:1981 establishments in England

Category:1988 disestablishments in England

Category:British companies disestablished in 1988

Category:British companies established in 1981