Penguin Software

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Penguin Software was a video game publisher from Geneva, Illinois that produced games for the Apple II, Macintosh, Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computers. They are mostly known for their Transylvania series and for the RPG Xyphus.

The company was founded in 1978 by Mark Pelczarski but adopted the name of "Penguin Software" only in 1981. Like many other home computer publishers at the time, Penguin Software openly credited the developers of their games on boxes and title screen; developers that were often not direct employees of Penguin Software but rather independent designers that were contracted by Penguin Software to make games for them.

One of the other widely-touted aspects of Penguin Software's titles was that they deliberately did not use copy protection, thus making it easier to back up their programs. Pelczarski took out advertisements in many computer magazines to describe his position, and asked that users of their software not abuse their trust.

Penguin Software was confronted by Penguin Books in regard of infringement of their name. Fearing that the legal costs of a lawsuit could have decimated his company, even in the case of an eventual victory, Pelczarski renamed his company Polarware in 1986, ending the "Penguin Software" brand. In 1987 Polarware was acquired by another company and then disbanded in 1988.

[edit] External links

• Magic Tree Mark Pelczarski's website
• Penguin Books letters discussing use of the name
• Penguin Software company profile from MobyGames
• Cover of the game "Crime Wave" from Penguin Software from the Scott Schram website, creator of that game.
• Cover of the game "Pie-Man" from Penguin Software from the Scott Schram website. Scott converted Eagle Berns' original Apple II version of the game to the Commodore 64.
• More Apple II games from Penguin Software from the Apple II World site (Japanese website)