Park Place Productions

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Park Place Productions was a development company near San Diego, California, started in 1989 by Michael Knox and Troy Lyndon with $3,000 on Knox's credit card (Sauer). In a few years, it grew to be North America's largest independent game developer with over 100 employees and clients including Electronic Arts, Acclaim, and Virgin (Lyndon).

This meteoric growth brought rapid expansion and diversification. A green screen filming studio was built, a benefit to the sports games for which the company was known (Lyndon). Contract developer Knight Technologies, also based in the San Diego area, was acquired (Forhan 41). Software testing was moved in-house (then spun off into a company called Bug Busters) (Private). Edutainment and practical applications were developed in addition to games (Sauer). A publishing arm for DOS and Windows software was formed, Spirit of Discovery ("Entrepreneur of the Year"), that was buoyed by a "hybrid publishing agreement" with Konami (Sauer). (Spirit of Discovery later became an independent entity and relocated with the Knox family to Kaneohe, Hawaii. [Spirit of Discovery])

However, by late 1993, Park Place had clearly overextended itself. As deadlines were missed, publishers quit paying and pulled their contracts ("Harsh"). Also, Lyndon left that November because of a dispute. Eventually the company couldn't make payroll ("Empty").

Sony, Park Place's largest customer, offered to buy the company, but Knox refused to sell. As a result, 30 employees resigned on December 27, 1993, to join a new Sony Imagesoft operation in nearby Sorrento Valley ("Empty") (what became Sony Interactive Studios America/989 Studios). Park Place later filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Sony, alleging the electronics giant attempted a hostile takeover ("African-American software company").

Nevertheless, Park Place attempted to rebuild and limped along with a much smaller staff until at least 1995 (Private).

Lyndon later ran Christian game maker Left Behind Games, started in 2001. Knox served on the board of directors for a time. (Jenkins) Knox died of colon cancer on September 15, 2009, at age 48 ("Software Expert").

WORKS CITED

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
  • The Dream Team: 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)
  • The Berenstain Bears Learn About Counting (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)
  • The Dream Team: 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)
  • The Human Calculator (US Publisher: Compton's New Media)
  • Learn to Type? [1]
  • 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

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

Jaguar

  • 3D Football (unreleased) [2]

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)

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 (unreleased) 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)
Originally contracted to Knight Technologies
  • 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 [3], and the final product was developed at Iguana. [4]

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
  • Galles Indy Extreme (unreleased)
  • Jeopardy! Deluxe Edition (US Publisher: GameTek)
  • Wheel of Fortune Deluxe Edition (US Publisher: GameTek)

Links