Black Legend (company)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founder | Richard M. Holmes |
| Defunct | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Welwyn , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, Germany |
Key people | Richard M. Holmes, Steven Bailey, Duncan Lowthian |
| Products | Video games (Amiga, MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows) |
Black Legend was a UK-based video game publisher that predominantly operated within the Amiga gaming sector. Established in Switzerland in 1992 by Richard M. Holmes, the company moved to Hertfordshire (St Albans initially, then Welwyn) in England during 1993 after forming an alliance with the distribution firm Kompart. Black Legend primarily focused on releasing titles developed by smaller studios, many originating from former Soviet Union countries. The downturn of the Amiga platform in 1994 eventually resulted in Black Legend ceasing operations in 1996, with its German branch in Mülheim an der Ruhr closing later that year.
History
In 1992, Richard M. Holmes, aged 20 and based in Switzerland, founded Black Legend. The firm concentrated on the underserved Amiga gaming market while also publishing some PC games. It collaborated with small independent developers, particularly those from nations of the former Soviet Union. Soon after its inception, Holmes established contact with Steven Bailey from the UK distributor Kompart, which led to a collaborative relationship. By August 1993, Black Legend was incorporated into Kompart, with Holmes, Bailey, and Duncan Lowthian appointed as joint directors. Operating out of St Albans, England, Kompart took charge of distribution, marketing, and PR efforts, enabling Black Legend to dedicate itself to publishing activities.
By late 1993, Black Legend had released four titles: Fatman: The Caped Consumer (developed by Hungarian company I/O Product) for Amiga and MS-DOS; Moscow Nights, a collection themed around Russia for MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows; Hyperion, an economical Amiga game created by Norwegian developer Offence Software; and Hungary for Fun, a compilation featuring Kid Pool, Logic, and Zarcan.
In 1994, the company relocated from St Albans to Welwyn and inaugurated a German office in Mülheim an der Ruhr, staffed by ex-Blue Byte personnel. This branch was responsible for localizing and distributing Black Legend’s games within Germany. Nevertheless, as publishers increasingly shifted attention from the Amiga platform to consoles such as the PlayStation (console), Kompart opted to discontinue Black Legend in 1996. Prior to closing in July 1996, the German office launched Colony Wars 2492 and Five-A-Side Soccer. Efforts to find alternative distributors for Five-A-Side Soccer and Evil's Doom were unsuccessful. Subsequently, Holmes took on the role of European product manager at Eidos Interactive and went on to establish several other gaming enterprises including IncaGold, Play Sunshine, and Lolly.
Games published
| Year | Title | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Fatman: The Caped Consumer | Amiga, MS-DOS |
| Moscow Nights | Amiga, Microsoft Windows, MS-DOS | |
| Hyperion | Amiga | |
| Hungary for Fun | Amiga | |
| 1994 | Football Glory | Amiga, MS-DOS |
| Mega Motion | Amiga | |
| Exploration | MS-DOS | |
| Crystal Dragon | Amiga | |
| Statix | Amiga | |
| Tactical Manager | Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS | |
| Tactical Manager Italia | Amiga | |
| Embryo | Amiga | |
| 1995 | Tower of Souls | Amiga, MS-DOS |
| Behind the Iron Gate | Amiga | |
| Tactical Manager 2 | Amiga | |
| Wheelspin | Amiga | |
| Inordinate Desire | MS-DOS | |
| Demo Maniac | Amiga | |
| Turbo Trax | Amiga | |
| Citadel | Amiga | |
| 1996 | Colony Wars 2492 | MS-DOS |
| Five-A-Side Soccer | Amiga |
Cancelled
- Doom of Evil