K-Byte

K-Byte was a software developer and contract manufacturer of electronic parts once based in Troy, Michigan, with a manufacturing plant in Gaylord, Michigan. It was originally a division of Kay Enterprises Co. (owned by Koltanbar Engineering) until it was sold to Patrick J. Flynn in 1983.

The first half of the 1980s brought growth and deals with companies like CBS and Atari. Unfortunately, nonpayment by some customers led K-Byte to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1986. Tampa, Florida-based Reptron Electronics acquired the company later that year and eventually closed the original K-Byte facility in Troy.

Under Reptron, the K-Byte Manufacturing division (later folded into Reptron Manufacturing Services) grew to include plants in Tampa, Florida, and Hibbing, Minnesota. The Gaylord and Hibbing plants closed in 2007 after Reptron was purchased by Kimball Electronics.

• Associated Press. "Hibbing electronics firm to be shuttered." StarTribune 27 Oct. 2007. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. [1]
• Bloomberg Businessweek. "Patrick Flynn: Executive Profile & Biography - BusinessWeek." Bloomberg Businessweek. Bloomberg Businessweek, 2011. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. <http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=334403&ticker=CMG:US&previousCapId=26446&previousTitle=CHIPOTLE%20MEXICAN%20GRILL%20INC>.
• "Kimball Electronic’s official announcement, Plant History." Gaylord Herald News 23 May 2007. Petsokey News. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. [2]
• Kopy-Rite. "History of KOPY-RITE software manufacturing, from diskette and tape duplication to CD, CD/R and DVD, DVD/R Replication, Duplication." Kopy-Rite. Kopy-Rite, 2002. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. <http://www.kopyrite.com/history.htm>.
• Markoff, John. "Two corporate giants jump into software publishing." InfoWorld 1 Nov. 1982: 1+. Google Books. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. [3]
• Reptron Manufacturing Services. "Reptron." Reptron Manufacturing Services. Reptron Manufacturing Services, 2006. Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. <http://web.archive.org/web/20070221234555/http://www.reptronmfg.com/locations.php>.
• "Space Game For Atari." Compute! January 1983: 225. Classic Computer Magazine Archive. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. [4]

Research Methods: Actual mentions, interviews, online resources (see Links), shared staff

5200

• K-Razy Shoot-Out (US Publisher: CBS Electronics) [Dr. Keith Dreyer, Torre Meeder]
• Mountain King (US Publisher: CBS Electronics) [Bob Matson]

Not technically developed by K-Byte. Matson said he wrote the game for E.F. Dreyer, Inc., a company founded by Dr. Keith Dreyer and Torre Meeder. [5] (Incidentally, E.F. Dreyer was Keith's father.)

Adam

• The Best of Electronic Arts (unreleased?) (Coleco)

Apple II

• G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (programming) (US Publisher: Epyx)
• Science Literacy: The Lio Project (US Publisher: Looking Glass Learning Products) [Bob MacDowell]
• Science Literacy: Lortep Project (US Publisher: Looking Glass Learning Products) [Bob MacDowell]
• Street Sports Soccer (US Publisher: Epyx)
• Summer Games II (US Publisher: Epyx)

Atari 8-bit

• Barnyard Blaster (US Publisher: Atari) [James Zalewski]
• Boulders and Bombs (US Publisher: CBS Software) [Torre Meeder, Dr. Keith Dreyer]
• Jack and the Beanstalk (unreleased)
• K-Klimber (unreleased) [Bob MacDowell]

Clone of Crazy Climber, not finished

• K-Razy Antiks (US Publisher: CBS Software) [Kenneth Otto, Merilee Otto]
• K-Razy Kritters (US Publisher: K-Byte, CBS Software) [Torre Meeder, Dr. Keith Dreyer]
• K-Razy Shoot-Out (US Publisher: K-Byte, CBS Software) [Keith Dreyer, Torre Meeder, Chuck Miller]
• K-Star Patrol (US Publisher: CBS Software) [Dr. Keith Dreyer, Torre Meeder]
• Math Mileage (US Publisher: CBS Software) [Marcia Burrows]
• Mountain King (US Publisher: CBS Software) [Bob Matson]

Not technically developed by K-Byte. Matson said he wrote the game for E.F. Dreyer, Inc., a company founded by Dr. Keith Dreyer and Torre Meeder. [6] (Incidentally, E.F. Dreyer was Keith's father.)

• Peanut Butter Panic (US Publisher: CBS Software) [James Zalewski] [7]
• Satan's Hollow (unreleased) (CBS Software) [Tom Sonday?]

Commodore 64

• 4x4 Off-Road Racing (programming) (US Publisher: Epyx)

Game Design: Ogdon Micro Design

• Ballblazer (US Publisher: Epyx; UK Publisher: Activision)
• Crystal Castles: Diamond Plateaus in Space (EU Publisher: US Gold)
• Defender (US Publisher: Atarisoft) [Joe Simko]
• Dig Dug (US Publisher: Atarisoft) [Mike Reno]
• Donkey Kong (US Publisher: Atarisoft) [Doug Dragin]
• Donkey Kong Jr. (unreleased) (Atarisoft) [Greg Broniak]
• Math Mileage (US Publisher: CBS Software) [Doug Dragin]
• Missile Command (unreleased) (Atarisoft) [Bob MacDowell]
• Mountain King (US Publisher: Beyond) [Doug Dragin]
• Pole Position (US Publisher: Atarisoft)
• Sesame Street Letter-Go-Round (US Publisher: CBS Software)
• The Sporting News Baseball (programming) (US Publisher: Epyx)

Game Design: Ogdon Micro Design

• Street Sports Basketball (sound?) (US Publisher: Epyx)
• Street Sports Football (programming) (US Publisher: Epyx)

Game Design: Ogdon Micro Design

• Street Sports Soccer (programming) (US Publisher: Epyx)

Game Design: Ogdon Micro Design

• Track & Field (US Publisher: Atarisoft) [Joe Simko, Dan Danhof & Matt Decker]
• WarGames (US Publisher: Coleco)
• World Games (programming, music) (US Publisher: Epyx)

Games in red share a sound driver.

IBM PC

• Ballblazer (unreleased) (Epyx)
• Koronis Rift (unreleased) (Epyx)
• Murder on the Zinderneuf (US Publisher: Electronic Arts)
• M.U.L.E. (US Publisher: IBM)

TI-99/4A

• Donkey Kong (US Publisher: Atarisoft) [Douglas Craig, Howard Scheer]
• Moon Patrol (US Publisher: Atarisoft) [Douglas Craig]
• Ms. Pac-Man (US Publisher: Atarisoft) [Howard Scheer]
• Pac-Man (US Publisher: Atarisoft) [Howard Scheer]

Unknown

• APBA Major League Players Baseball
• Pole Position (Atarisoft) [Tom Sonday?]

VIC-20

• K-Razy Antiks (US Publisher: CBS Software) [Steve Adams]
• K-Razy Shoot-Out (unreleased) (CBS Software?) [Bob MacDowell]
• K-Star Patrol (US Publisher: CBS Software) [Jim Stolzenfeld]
• Mountain King (US Publisher: Beyond) [Jim Stolzenfeld - programmer; Bob MacDowell - video design]

Links

• AtariAge thread
• Former K-Byte programmer Howard Scheer remembers colleague Tom Sonday (Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
• 1984 WXYZ-TV report on K-Byte
• World of M.U.L.E. interview with programmer Lynn Hock, who worked on the IBM version of M.U.L.E. (Internet Archive Wayback Machine)