13-09-2002 06:49									#1
	NEWS: "MicroPROSE Is No More" Inflate your Upload Space

From our news centre:

quote: One of the longest-running development houses in the PC gaming era, and one which is indeed close to the hearts of Civilization fans, closed today. MicroPROSE`s (MPS) 20-year lifespan has ended, the result of a decision of its France-based owner, Infogrames (IG). IG bought the company and its parent Hasbro Interactive from Hasbro in December of 2000 and the deal was finalized the following month. The story of MPS` demise was brokered today by Gamer.tv and picked up by The Wargamer (WG). Since being purchased by Hasbro Interactive, MPS` involvement in the PC market declined and several offices -- save the one in Hunt Valley, Maryland where much work on the first two Civilization titles were completed -- were subsequently closed. According to Gamer.tv, who learned of the closure from a source within IG, all employees at the one remaining studio have accepted redundancy terms and left. Neither Gamer.tv or WG have yet been able to reach either IG or MPS to confirm the details of the closure. MicroPROSE was owned by Spectrum Holobyte when it released Civilization, expansion pack CivNet, and Civilization II and its expansions Conflicts in Civilization Scenario Collection, Fantasic Worlds and Multiplayer Gold Edition. Test of Time, the fourth and final add-on for CivII, hit store shelves under the Hasbro Interactive label, only months after becoming apart of its network. A year-and-a-half before being sold to Infogrames, Hasbro acquired MPS from Spectrum. Other popular titles MPS spawned during its two illustrious decades were the X-COM, Worms and Master of Orion series, and Falcon 4.0.

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Dan; Apolyton CS

	13-09-2002 07:33									#2
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

so yeah, i officially hate Hasbro, and Infogrames.

wait, didn't i say that before? well, to banish all doubt.

i hate Hasbro, and i hate Infogrames.

Last edited by Q Cubed on 13-09-2002 at 07:43

	13-09-2002 07:39									#3
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

....Infogrames is just proving itself in my mind again.

	13-09-2002 07:52									#4
	Tired of ads?

Typical...

	13-09-2002 08:03									#5
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

To be fair, Microprose wasn't the company it used to be, they haven't released anything innovative like Civilization, Railroad Tycoon or X-com in years, so I can understand Infogrames decision. But I regret the demise of this company never the less...

	13-09-2002 08:21									#6
	Tired of ads?

They practically created the TBS market, and now they are gone.....figures.

	13-09-2002 08:23									#7
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

That's really sad - MPS was my favorite games developer for many happy years.

	13-09-2002 08:44									#8
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

That really is too bad.

	13-09-2002 09:19									#9
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

In Memoriam MicroPROSE.

Made Civilization, Civilization II, Civilization II Ultimate Classic Collection, CivNet, Railroad Tycoon, Railroad Tycoon Deluxe, Transport Tycoon, Transport Tycoon Deluxe and many other great games that I haven't played.

Well, it's true that they haven't done anything decent for years now. IMO they fell back after Sid and several others left the company. But it's still the end of one of the great players in the PC game sector. At least 10 years ago they almost owned the field with a few other competitors.

Luckily I have now FiRAHxis and PopTop Software.

	13-09-2002 09:50									#10
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

An era comes to an end ...

	13-09-2002 10:19									#11
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

--"the result of a decision of its France-based owner, Infogrames (IG)."

Bah...French companies, bah!

	13-09-2002 11:32									#12
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

It's a sad day. I remember most of my favorite games in the past (okay, I do still play them) started with the Mircoprose screen. It's so sad to know that you never will see it in a new game

	13-09-2002 11:46									#13
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: Civilization Scenario Collection

what? Microprose had nothing to do with that. Allard and I had

	13-09-2002 14:16									#14
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Yes, it's really really sad. I grew up with Microprose and Civ was my first contact with strategy games. I was fascinated from the first moment I played the game. And don't forget Colonization. People tend to remember the Civ-series but almost all time forget Col. Actually it's a classic too, still on my HD and always will be. For some time I played it day and night and occasionally today.

	13-09-2002 14:54									#15
	Suffering from ads?

'Tis a sad day.

	13-09-2002 16:35									#16
	Got spare money?

All good things come to an end. Since Sid left the company was never the same! I will always remember Micropose in one way or another.


So long...

	13-09-2002 17:06									#17
	Get a bigger avatar today!

That is a trend on the gaming business nowadays: fusions and conglomerates being created, whilst minor companies get closed or absorbed. Microprose, as some people said, was not the powerful player it had been in the past (during the brilliant Civ and Civ2 years) and, therefore, it was not lucrative for infogrames anymore.

Great designers are now trying to survive setting up their own companies (Sid/Firaxis, Brian Reynolds/BHG, Geoff Crammond/Simergy), but in order to produce their games (which have become increasingly expensive to produce, by the way) they have to get a partnership with big names (EA, infogrames, microsoft).

	13-09-2002 17:46									#19
	Increase Your PM Length

Here I was thinking it had already been killed

	13-09-2002 22:42									#20
	Remove this text

When I look back at the past years of MicroPROSE, I have a feeling that this means a yet another The Column article for me. There's too much to put into one one post, so I guess I use my weekend writing about Microprose as I can't do much else either when I'm away from any PC's.

	13-09-2002 22:49									#21
	Got spare money?

It´s truely sad news

Sounds to me like Infogreed had milked it just for its well known titles (such as "Civilization", "Master of Orion", "XCOM").

Maybe Sid and Brian made the right choice by leaving a sinking ship some years ago.

	14-09-2002 00:09									#22
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

Come on people let's be realistic. The Microprose of Sid and "Wild Bill Stealy" that we knew during the 80's and 90's died a long time ago. The beginning of the end for MPS started when they were bought by Spectrum Holobyte after disastrous results in the coinop arcade market. After Simtex (MoM fame) went the rot really started to set in.

I'm not going to mourn the passage of company that was reduced to a "slap on"-sticker brand

	14-09-2002 02:56									#23
	Put an end to popups!

quote: Other popular titles MPS spawned during its two illustrious decades were the X-COM, Worms and Master of Orion series, and Falcon 4.0.

I recall Worms was made with/by "Team 17". Was that a subsidiary company?

	14-09-2002 04:02									#24
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Shame, TTDLX and the older civ games are classics.

	14-09-2002 09:07									#25
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

*cries* Runs to room...

oh wait im already in my room. Serouisly I need a tissue.

	14-09-2002 14:27									#26
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by leftover_crack oh wait im already in my room. Serouisly I need a tissue.

It's too easy, I'm not gonna say it. It's too easy I'm not gonna say it...

	14-09-2002 15:38									#27
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

20 years is a nice run for a game company.

Unlike most PC game firms, they left their mark, and will be missed.

Hasbro is some piece of work, they killed AvalonHill and now this.

Bastards.

	14-09-2002 15:49									#28
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

I thought it was Infogreed, not Hasbro that was "to blame".

	14-09-2002 15:52									#29
	Support Apolyton

I'll sure miss MPS - They had many good games.
(Civ & X-Com (parts 1-3) genrees just to mention.)

	15-09-2002 04:09									#30
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: Originally posted by Chris 62 Hasbro is some piece of work, they killed AvalonHill and now this.

It's sad when the icons of our youth disappear. Part of our youth goes with it.

RAH