SN Systems
{{Short description|British software company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = SN Systems Limited
| logo = File:SN Systems Logo.svg
| caption =
| type = Subsidiary
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1990}}
| founder = Andy Beveridge
Martin Day
| defunct = {{End date and age|2025|4|1}}
| fate = Integrated into Sony Interactive Entertainment
| location = Bristol, England, United Kingdom
| key_people = Andy Beveridge
(director)
Martin Day
(research director)
| industry = Software development
Video games
| products = ProDG
SNC Compiler
SN-DBS (Distributed Build Server)
| revenue =
| assets =
| parent = Sony Interactive Entertainment (2005–2025)
| divisions =
| subsid =
| homepage = {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250224115236/https://www.snsystems.com/
|title=snsystems.com }}
}}
SN Systems was a provider of Windows based development tools for games consoles and virtual reality headsets, including the PlayStation VR2, PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation,{{cite journal|title=The Development System |journal=Next Generation|issue=6|publisher=Imagine Media|date=June 1995|pages=49–50}} PlayStation Vita, and PSP.
The company had provided tools for the Atari ST, Amiga, Sega Saturn, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Super NES, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS.
History
The company was founded in 1990 by Martin Day and Andy Beveridge.{{cite web|title=Our History|url=http://www.snsys.com/about-us/our-history|publisher=SN Systems Ltd. | access-date=January 16, 2015}} Both directors have backgrounds of developing game console software development tools, such as SNASM and Psy-Q, at Cross Products and later Psygnosis.
SN Systems' long association with the PlayStation line of consoles began in 1993, when PlayStation manufacturer Sony acquired Psygnosis, who were publishing SN Systems' tools at the time. While Sony had provided MIPS R4000-based Sony NEWS workstations for PlayStation development, Psygnosis disliked the thought of developing on these expensive workstations and asked SN Systems to create a PC-based development system. At the 1994 Winter Consumer Electronics Show, Psygnosis arranged an audience for SN Systems with Sony's Japanese executives, and Sony were impressed enough with their development tools that they decided to abandon their plans for a workstation-based development system in favor of using SN Systems' development system exclusively.
In 1999, SN Systems won a Game Developer Magazine "Front Line Award" in the Programming Environment category for its Nintendo 64 development product called SN64.{{cite web|title=1999 FRONT LINE AWARDS FINALISTS & WINNERS|url=http://gdmag.com/frontlineawards/index.php?year=1999#fin_win| url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123041014/http://gdmag.com/frontlineawards/index.php?year=1999 | archive-date=January 23, 2013 | publisher=Game Developer Magazine|access-date=January 15, 2015}}{{cite web |others= |title=SN64 Nintendo64® Development Tools |url=http://www.snsys.com/n64.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020614123954/http://www.snsys.com/n64.htm |archive-date=June 14, 2002 |access-date=January 15, 2015 |publisher=SN Systems}} The company won again in 2005, this time for the ProDG for PSP suite.{{cite web|title=2005 FRONT LINE AWARDS FINALISTS & WINNERS|url=http://gdmag.com/frontlineawards/index.php?year=2005#fin_win| url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502080405/http://gdmag.com/frontlineawards/index.php?year=2005 | archive-date=May 2, 2013 | publisher=Game Developer Magazine|access-date=January 15, 2015}}
SN Systems was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2005,{{cite web|title=SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT TO START PROVIDING PRODG TOOLS FOR PLAYSTATION ® 3 GAME CONTENT DEVELOPMENT|url=http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/050927be.pdf|publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.|access-date=September 27, 2005|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051105114732/http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/pdf/050927be.pdf|archive-date=November 5, 2005}} to provide tools for the PlayStation 3, and future consoles.
Based in Bristol, England, the company had satellite offices in San Mateo, California and Dublin, Ireland.{{cite web|title=SN Systems expands to Ireland|website=MCV|date=3 September 2008|url=http://www.develop-online.net/news/30437/SN-Systems-expands-to-Ireland|publisher=Develop|access-date=3 September 2008}}
On 5 February 2025, it was announced that SN Systems was to be fully integrated into Sony Interactive Entertainment on 1 April 2025.{{cite web |author1=SIE Communications |title=Sony Interactive Entertainment Announces the Integration of Wholly Owned Subsidiary SN Systems |url=https://sonyinteractive.com/en/press-releases/2025/sony-interactive-entertainment-announces-the-integration-of-wholly-owned-subsidiary-sn-systems/ |website=Sony Interactive Entertainment |access-date=5 February 2025 |date=5 February 2025}}
Products
Central to the SN Systems product line was the ProDG suite, comprising a compiler and integration with Microsoft Visual Studio, together with a debugger and additional build tools.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Sony Interactive Entertainment}}
Category:Programming tools for Windows
Category:Sony Interactive Entertainment
Category:British companies established in 1990
Category:Companies based in Bristol
Category:Software companies established in 1990
Category:Software companies of England
Category:Video game development companies
Category:2005 mergers and acquisitions