Park Place Productions

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Maktal, Inc. dba Park Place Productions was a development company near San Diego, California, United States [1], started by Michael Knox and Troy Lyndon in 1989 [2] with $3,000 and a credit card. [3] With clients such as Electronic Arts, it grew to be North America's largest independent game development company. [4]

Meteoric growth brought much expansion. Contract developer Knight Technologies was acquired. Software testing was moved in-house, which was spun off into a company called Bug Busters. Spirit of Discovery (originally incorporated in California on January 2, 1992 [5]) was established as a publishing arm for DOS and Windows software. [6] (It eventually relocated to Kaneohe, Hawaii. [7])

However, by 1994, Park Place was experiencing financial problems. Further compounding matters, Sony Imagesoft opened up a studio nearby and hired a number of former Park Place employees. [8] Still, the company limped along for a few more years with a much smaller staff.

Lyndon later started Christian game maker Left Behind Games in 2001. Knox served on the board of directors for a time. [9] Knox died of colon cancer on September 15, 2009, at the age of 48. [10]

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

3DO

  • 3D Adventures (unreleased)
  • 3D Football (unreleased)

Commodore 64

  • ABC Monday Night Football (US Publisher: Data East)
Game Design: Season Ticket Productions
  • Dream Team, The: 3 on 3 Challenge (US/CA Publisher: Data East)
Game Design: Season Ticket Productions

DOS

  • ABC Monday Night Football (US Publisher: Data East)
Game Design: Season Ticket Productions
  • Batman Returns (US/EU Publisher: Konami)
Game Design: Subway Software
  • Beat the House (US Publisher: Spirit of Discovery)
  • Berenstain Bears Learn About Counting, The (US Publisher: Compton's New Media)
  • Bo Jackson Baseball / TV Sports: Baseball (US Publisher: Data East; EU Publisher: Mindscape)
  • Body Illustrated (US Publisher: Spirit of Discovery)
  • David Robinson Basketball (unreleased?) (Sega)
  • Draft & Print (US Publisher: Spirit of Discovery)
  • Dream Team, The: 3 on 3 Challenge (US/CA Publisher: Data East)
Game Design: Season Ticket Productions
  • Dvorak on Typing (US Publisher: Interplay)
  • Facts in Action (US Publisher: Spirit of Discovery)
  • Human Calculator, The (US Publisher: Compton's New Media)
  • Learn to Type? [11]
  • NFL Video Pro Football (US Publisher: Konami)
  • Typing for Today (US Publisher: Interplay)

Famicom/NES

  • Roundball: 2-on-2 Challenge (US/EU Publisher: Mindscape)

Game Boy

  • Chessmaster, The (US Publisher: Hi Tech Expressions; JP Publisher: Altron)
  • New Chessmaster, The (US Publisher: Hi Tech Expressions; JP Publisher: Altron)

Jaguar

  • 3D Football (unreleased) [12]

Macintosh

  • Beat the House (US Publisher: Interplay)
Did Park Place do this version?

Mega CD/Sega CD

  • Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (unreleased) (Sunsoft)
  • NFL's Greatest: San Francisco vs. Dallas 1978-1993 (US Publisher: Sega)

Development of ESPN Baseball Tonight and ESPN National Hockey Night was likely started at Park Place but finished at Sony Imagesoft. (Sony hired a number of former Park Place employees.)

Mega Drive/Genesis

  • Champions World Class Soccer (EU/US Publisher: Flying Edge; JP Publisher: Acclaim; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
  • Dan Marino Power Play Football (unreleased) (Virgin)
  • Dick Vitale's "Awesome, Baby!" College Hoops (US/AU Publisher: Time Warner Interactive)
  • ESPN Baseball Tonight (US Publisher: Sony Imagesoft)
  • Jeopardy! (US Publisher: GameTek)
  • Jeopardy!: Deluxe Edition (US Publisher: GameTek)
  • Jeopardy!: Sports Edition (US Publisher: GameTek)
  • Joe Montana Football (US/EU/JP Publisher: Sega)
  • John Madden Football / John Madden American Football (US/EU Publisher: Electronic Arts; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
  • Lennox Lewis Boxing (unreleased) (Acclaim)
  • Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing (US/EU Publisher: Virgin)
  • NHL Hockey / EA Hockey / Pro Hockey (US/EU Publisher: Electronic Arts; JP Publisher: Electronic Arts Victor)
  • Road to the Cup Hockey '94 (unreleased) (Electro Brain) [13]

Development of ESPN National Hockey Night and ESPN SpeedWorld was likely started at Park Place but finished at Sony Imagesoft. (Sony hired a number of former Park Place employees.)

Lobo was originally being programmed at Park Place. It was finished at Ocean of America.

Super Famicom/Super NES

  • Champions World Class Soccer (JP/US Publisher: Acclaim)
  • ESPN Baseball Tonight (US Publisher: Sony Imagesoft)
  • John Madden Football / Pro Football (US Publisher: Electronic Arts; JP Publisher: Imagineer)
  • Kawasaki Caribbean Challenge (US Publisher: GameTek)
  • Kung Fu: The Legend Continues (unreleased) (Sunsoft)
  • Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing (unreleased) (Virgin)
  • NFL Football (US/JP Publisher: Konami)
  • NHLPA Hockey 93 (US Publisher: Electronic Arts)
  • Pigskin Footbrawl (unreleased) (RazorSoft)
  • Road to the Cup Hockey '94 (unreleased) (Electro Brain)
  • Super Slam Dunk / Magic Johnson no Super Slam Dunk (US/JP Publisher: Virgin)

Development of ESPN National Hockey Night and ESPN SpeedWorld was likely started at Park Place but finished at Sony Imagesoft. (Sony hired a number of former Park Place employees.)

NFL Quarterback Club was originally being developed at Park Place. Unfortunately, Park Place programmers going to Sony delayed the game [14], and the final product was developed at Iguana. [15]

Windows

  • Beat the House (US Publisher: Interplay)]
  • Beat the House 2 (game design) (US Publisher: Interplay)
Developer: Cetasoft
  • Caesars Palace series (game design) (US Publisher: Interplay)
Developer: Cetasoft
  • Gales Indy Extreme (unreleased)
  • Jeopardy! (US Publisher: GameTek)
Jeopardy! Deluxe?
  • Wheel of Fortune (US Publisher: GameTek)
Wheel of Fortune Deluxe?

Links