// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Park Place Productions in a good spot? Yes, it's in a place.
 | This article needs more citations. (April 2009) |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Pacific Dataworks International |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Michael Knox Troy Lyndon |
| Defunct | 1994 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Successor | Sony Imagesoft |
Number of employees | 130 (1993) |
| Divisions | Spirit of Discovery Bug Busters Sports Forum |
Park Place Productions was a corporation founded in 1989 by Michael Knox,[1] Troy Lyndon and Stephen Quinn.
History
[edit]The company's predecessor was Pacific Dataworks International (originally Lyndon & Associates before it was incorporated in May 1987, other names considered include Discovery Software, which was rejected due to the similarity of the game publisher Discovery Software International, and Grey Matter), a company co-founded by Troy Lyndon and Christopher Riggs in 1987 to develop work for Capcom, after Lyndon leaving Gamestar.[2] Michael Knox had also worked for Pacific Dataworks International as well.[1]
The company broke up in 1989, as Lyndon and Knox formed Park Place Productions (initially operating with the Pacific Dataworks name before settling on Park Place) and Riggs formed Riggs International (later Radiance Software) to develop its first game for Capcom, Pocket Rockets, and went on to work for TurboGrafx-16 and other platforms, such as the TurboGrafx-16 versions of Hyper Dyne Side Arms, TaleSpin and Darkwing Duck, the multiplatform title The Great Waldo Search, the NES game Rollerblade Racer and the SNES version of Andre Agassi Tennis, and evolved into Enigma Interactive in 1993, which was later sold to Beachport Entertainment Group, to develop the Sega Genesis game Popeye in High Seas High-Jinks.[3][4] James Haldy, who worked for Pacific Dataworks, and subsequently worked for Park Place, later left to start his own company to produce a Jonny Quest game for MicroIllusions, but never materialized.[5]
The company's first product under the name was ABC Monday Night Football for home computers in a deal with Data East, through a design deal with Season Ticket Productions, a compamy founded by Scott Orr of Gamestar.[6][7][8]
In 1990, contracted by Electronic Arts, the company produced John Madden Football for the Genesis video game console, described as "the most successful sports game of all time."[1][9] Other popular titles that the company developed include Monday Night Football (DOS, 1989), and Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing (Genesis, 1992).[1] In 1991, the company made a major setback when Jim Simmons, who was with Pacific Dataworks and Park Place, left the company for Electronic Arts under the development company Digital Arts.[10] The company later acquired Knight Technologies.[11] Park Place Productions went on to become the largest independent developer of computer games in 1993 with 130 developers making 45 games for 14 video game publishing companies. The company owned a testing company, Bug Busters, which handled testing of its games.[12] The company later launched a publishing label, Spirit of Discovery, used to publish games, supervised by Knox, and spun off in 1994.[13] In 1993, the company launched a publishing sports label, Sports Forum, meant to publish games.[14]
At the end of December 1993 the company collapsed.[15] Co-founder Troy Lyndon had left two months earlier to start Studio Arts Multimedia.[15][7] Jack Thornton had also left the company to form CetaSoft.[16] After milestones for some of the projects hadn't been met, publishers denied further payments, which worsened the situation.[15] One large customer that accounted for 30% of business, decided to pull out of its contracts.[15] This led to a chain reaction with other business partners dropping their projects.[15] Park Place Productions could not pay its employees in December 1993.[15] Before the end of December 1993, a group of 30 employees started to work for a newly established operation of Sony Imagesoft based in San Diego's Sorrento Valley.[15][17][18] Park Place Productions subsequently opened a lawsuit against Sony, alleging that these employees were acquired in a hostile takeover and took with them hardware, software, and proprietary source codes from Park Place.[19][20] During the implosion, Acclaim handed off development of NFL Quarterback Club to Iguana Entertainment and Lennox Lewis Boxing to Software Creations of America, which was later renamed to Foreman for Real, Tengen hired its internal development team to do Dick Vitale's "Awesome, Baby!" College Hoops, Sony Imagesoft hired Ringler Studios and Absolute Entertainment to do ESPN Sunday Night NFL, and RazorSoft hired Glen Volk to do a new version of Pigskin Footbrawl for the SNES, while GameTek removed its logo from the Genesis version of Jeopardy! Sports Edition.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] The company attempted to rebuilt with a smaller staff, but subsequently went bust in 1994.[12] Donald W. Landon subsequently joined Ocean of America.[29]
On 15 September 2009, co-founder Michael Knox died in Kaneohe, Hawaii of colon cancer. He was 48.[1]
Games
[edit]This included games by the company's predecessor, Lyndon & Associates/Pacific Dataworks International.
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Bernardo, Rosemarie (2009-09-26). "Software expert produced 'Madden' football video game". Honolulu Star Bulletin. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
- ↑ "Troy Lyndon: Defender of the Commodore Crown". Commodore Magazine. August 1988. pp. August 1988.
- ↑ "The Retrogaming Times - Twenty-Fifth Issue - March 2020". www.classicplastic.net. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
- ↑ "More Sega Channel prototypes dumped". Sonic and Sega Retro Forums. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ Kunkel, Bill (November 1989). "From Cartoons to Computer". Video Games & Computer Entertainment. p. 116.
- ↑ Sauer, Mark (1992-11-24). "Park Place Pruductions [sic] Dynamic Duo". Newsbank.
- 1 2 Lyndon, Troy. "The Official Site of Troy Lyndon". troylyndon.us. Archived from the original on 2025-07-08. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
- ↑ "Scott Orr opens Season Ticket". Video Games & Computer Entertainment. April 1989. p. 16.
- ↑ Patrick Hruby. "The franchise". ESPN. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
- ↑ Harris, Blake J. "John Madden Hockey". Read-Only Memory. Archived from the original on 2015-11-26. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
- ↑ Forhan, Karl. "Straight from the Cat's Mouth". Classic Gamer Magazine. pp. 40–42.
- 1 2 SMS Power, CRV (November 11, 2011). "E-mail interview". Private.
- ↑ "Spirit of Discovery". 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-02-02.
- ↑ "INC. MAGAZINE'S ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD GOES TO PARK PLACE PRODUCTIONS EXECUTIVES" (PDF). July 1993. Archived from the original on August 28, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Donald C. Bauder (January 1, 1994). "Software firm's collapse is fast, harsh". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. C1 – section Business.
- ↑ "About - CetaSoft". CetaSoft. Archived from the original on May 30, 1997. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Park Place Isn't Bankrupt, but Payroll's Empty". The San Diego Union-Tribune. January 4, 1994.
- ↑ Kunkel, Bill (May 1994). "Park Place: Raid or Rescue?". Electronic Games. p. 9.
- ↑ "$390M+ Lawsuit Vs. Sony Thrust into Spotlight". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 92. Ziff Davis. March 1997. p. 18.
- ↑ "African-American software company sues Sony Corp. for close to $500 million". Business Wire. December 19, 1996. Archived from the original on 2014-08-28. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
- ↑ "NFL Quarterback Club '95". GamePlayers. February 1995. p. 82.
- ↑ "Lost Levels :: View topic - Snes Central Unreleased Games Project". www.forums.lostlevels.org. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Michael Knox (@mikeknox61)". MobyGames. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Emmanual Valdez - LinkedIn".
- ↑ "Joe Hight". MobyGames. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Joe Brisbois - LinkedIn".
- ↑ "Timothy Hays Bio" (PDF). USOU. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Acclaim product development update". Video Game History Foundation Library – Digital Archive. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Donald W. Landon". MobyGames. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
External links
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