Nice Ideas

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Based in le parc international d'activités de Valbonne Sophia Antipolis, a technology park near the south coast of France, Nice Ideas was originally started in February 1983 as Mattel Electronics' French office, established to develop Intellivision and ColecoVision games that would appeal to European sensibilities. Half the programmers were recruited in London, the other half in Paris. [1]

Mattel was unable to shut down the French office as it had the rest of Mattel Electronics due to French labor laws and economic incentives taken advantage of to move into Valbonne Sophia Antipolis. Director Tim Scanlon eventually found investors so the division could become independent. Renamed Nice Ideas, the company stayed in business a couple more years. [2]

Research Methods: Actual mentions, online resources

ColecoVision

  • Bump 'n' Jump (US Publisher: Coleco)
  • BurgerTime (US Publisher: Coleco)
  • Fireman (unreleased) (Coleco)
  • Hot'n'cold (unreleased)
  • Illusions (US Publisher: Coleco)
  • Scarfinger (unreleased)

Commodore 64

  • Illusions (unreleased?) (Nice Ideas) [3]
  • Stunt Flyer (US Publisher: Sierra On-Line)

Intellivision

  • Adventure (unreleased)
  • Championship Tennis (EU Publisher: Dextell; US Publisher: INTV) [Patrick Aubry]
  • Fireman (unreleased) [Patrick Aubry]
  • Hard Hat (unreleased) (Mattel) [Grahame Matthews]
  • Hot'n'cold (unreleased)
  • Illusions (unreleased) [Armand Barraud]
  • Magic Carpet (unreleased) (Mattel)
  • PizzaTime (unreleased) (Mattel)
  • Scarfinger (unreleased) (Mattel) [Stephen Burt]
  • Spina the Bee (unreleased) (Mattel) [Monique Simonot]
  • The Treasure of Yxolt (unreleased)
  • World Cup Soccer (EU Publisher: Dextell; US Publisher: INTV) [Marc Grant]

MSX

  • Pyro-Man (FR Publisher: Nice Ideas; JP Publisher: Romox)

Links