Elite Systems is a UK video game developer and publisher established in 1984 as Richard Wilcox Software.[1] They are best known for producing home computer conversions of popular arcade games.[2] Elite also published games under the budget re-release labels Encore and Hit-Pak.
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History
Under the name Richard Wilcox Software, only one title was published:Blue Thunder for the ZX Spectrum, Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64. In August 1984, the group was relaunched under the name Elite Systems,[3] expanding the team to include graphic designer Rory Green; programmers Neil Bate, Andy Williams and Stephen Lockley; administrators Paul Smith and Pat Maisey; and Wilcox's brother Steve handled sales and marketing.[1] Their first release under the new Elite Systems label was Kokotoni Wilf,[1] which also carried the first of their anti-counterfeiting holograms on the cassette inlay card.[3]
By 1986, the team were hiring freelancers and developing many home computer licenses of arcade machines. Ghosts 'n Goblins, for example, was converted by freelance programmer Nigel Alderton and graphics designer Karen Trueman. The Alderton-based headquarters housed a row of arcade cabinets for games that were being converted. Their hardware had been hacked so the team could analyze the games to ensure an accurate, licenced conversion.[2]
In 1986, Elite was awarded "Software House of the Year" by Computer & Video Games magazine. And in 1989 it got a "Game of the Year" award for Paperboy by the British software industry[4].
Around 2003, with the rise in the popularity of mobile games, Elite began to publish mobile games, with a focus on mobile conversions of classic games. Elite has also developed and published some new games, such as AVP.
In 2005, the publication Retro Gamer credited the Elite team in Volume 2-Issue 1 as Richard Benton, Matthew Hyden and Steve Wilcox.
Elite is currently working on an update to Paperboy, and also port popular games to Danger's Sidekick devices.
List of games
List of mobile games
- All-new Paperboy - In Development
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge
- R-Type
- Atlantis Quest
- Double Dragon EX
- Paperboy
- Star Warriors
- Alien vs. Predator
- Bombjack
- Chuckie Egg
List of older games
References
- ^ a b c "News Input - Elite Under Way". CRASH (9): p. 43. October 1984. http://www.crashonline.org.uk/09/news.htm.
- ^ a b Smith, Rachael (May 1986). Show Us Your Wimpy.
- ^ a b "Frontlines – Holo Victory?". Your Spectrum (9): p. 3. October 1984. http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jg27paw4/yr08/yr08_03.htm.
- ^ Retro Gamer magazine, issue 65. Pages 53, 54
External links
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