Company Logo |
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| Type | Offene Erwerbsges. (OEG) |
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| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | Schladming, Austria, (1991) |
| Founder(s) | Albert und Martin Lasser with Wilfried Reiter |
| Headquarters | Schladming, Austria |
| Key people | Albert & Martin Lasser, Wilfried Reiter |
| Products | Video games |
| Website | max-design.at (offline) |
Max Design was an Austrian game developer located in Schladming who originated various games which attained cult status – like the Anno-series – especially in German-speaking regions. In 2004 the company abandoned its activities while selling all property including all of their game title licence-rights to Sunflowers – one of the companies they co-developed and -published with before on Anno 1503 and Anno 1602.
After the closing in 2004 the founders took a leave of absence and are since 2006 again with the new but legal and commercial completely unrelated company Red Monkeys active in the video game sector.[1]
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Max Design was founded in 1991 by the brothers Albert Lasser and Martin Lasser together with Wilfried Reiter.
The company became well known for its challenging Business simulation games, which has to this day a great fan base and greatly influenced the imagination of the “typical German WiSim” (WiSim, German: WirtschaftsSimulation, for economic simulation) back in the nineties as a discrete game genre with its game series of “History Experience” (German title „Erlebte Geschichte Teil I“ for 'experienced history part I') or “Patrician” (German title „Der Patrizier“). Its game titles was besides a highly playful demand greatly affected by a remarkable faithfulness of reality in depiction of the simulated historical era.
Max Design was famous for its extensive game instructions and handbooks – which, in the opinion of many gamers truly deserved the name Handbook – with background informations for the underlying topic of the game. Thusly, for example belongs several articles on climate change and background informations to the game Burntime while the customer of Oldtimer (English Version: Motor City) could enjoy impressive large-scale in-game animation sequences with atmospherical background images and clips while listening to a 90 minutes [sic!] lasting soundtrack. Also included was a 150-page Hardcover handbook with comprehensive background material in which the history of the early automobile industry with articles and voluminous graphical material was diligent prepared. Furthermore, the PC-Version was additionally shipped with a electronic automobile encyclopædia on CD with image and movie-material from the period of promoterism. This was 1992 – where the CD wasn't as nearly as widespread as today. 1869 got a historical digest of the imperialism from 1854 to 1880 as well as a encyclopædia of seamanlike terminology.
The from Max Design developed and initiated while later conjointly with Sunflowers Interactive Entertainment Software released game 1602 (English Version: 1602 A.D.) marked even in two ways an edge. On the one hand it became with about two million copies the by then most successful German/Austrian computer game at all.[2] It laid the foundation for the Anno-series. Along with the sequel titles there was sold about 4.2 million copies as of April 2006.[3] On the other hand Sunflowers secured itself the first shares of Max Design within the cooperation. Otherwise, the continuing shift of balance of power between those two companies heading at Sunflowers was a lot discussed within the fan community with the appearance of Anno 1503.
At last, after twelve years Max Design officially get off the game sector on April 15th, 2004. As per press release this is a matter of an adjustment phase[4] which duration is uncertainly. All employees except the founding members were laid off. In the same year the company fully ceased all its activities. The Anno-series was continued – while under its control – by Sunflowers in cooperation with Related Designs.
In an interview, one of the company's founder later declared, after twelve years of developement the core team was “tired” and needed some time for a re-orientation.[3]
For the game's music of 1869 and Burntime was Hannes Seifert responsible, one of the later founders and CEO's of neo Software, who also made the music on several other games at this time. For his success Der Clou! Max Design also acted as the Publisher.
With Petko Max Design tried in the middle of the nineties to place an adventure. A playable demo was still released but the game has never gone gold.[7]