Games by Apollo

Games by Apollo Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Video games
Founded	October 1981 (1981-10)
Founder	Pat Roper
Defunct	1983 (1983)
Fate	Bankruptcy
Headquarters	Richardson , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Pat Roper (President), Ed Salvo (Director of Development)
Products	Video games for Atari 2600, Atari 5200, ColecoVision, Intellivision
Number of employees	25 (programmers recruited) (1981)

Games by Apollo Inc.—commonly referred to as Apollo—was a third-party creator of titles for the Atari 2600 console, headquartered in Richardson, Texas. Established in October 1981 by Pat Roper as a division of National Career Consultants (NCC), Apollo debuted with the release of Skeet Shoot. Despite this initial launch and ten additional games, the company failed to achieve commercial viability, ultimately becoming one of the earliest firms to declare bankruptcy amid the video game crash of 1983.

Formation

In 1980, Pat Roper, then president of Texas-based NCC, recognized the burgeoning potential within the video game industry after experiencing NFL Football on the Intellivision. He founded Games by Apollo, selecting the name "Apollo" to evoke themes of youthfulness and dynamism.

Instead of hiring established developers from companies like Mattel or Atari, Roper placed advertisements in the Dallas Morning News and San Francisco Chronicle. Among those who responded was Ed Salvo, a young programmer from Iowa, who proposed Skeet Shoot, which he developed over approximately four weeks. After some initial reluctance, Salvo sold the game to Apollo for $5,000 and committed to creating a follow-up title, Spacechase. Roper then appointed Salvo as director of development, assigning him the task of recruiting 25 programmers to broaden Apollo’s game lineup.

Market presence

Following Activision, Games by Apollo was one of the pioneering third-party developers for the Atari 2600 platform. Their best-selling product was Spacechase. A marketing innovation introduced by Apollo was a personalized or "monogrammed" edition of this game; fewer than ten copies were sold commercially, with several distributed to media figures including Electronic Games co-founder Arnie Katz. The show PM Magazine featured a segment highlighting Apollo and Spacechase, showcasing Salvo crafting a customized version for Leeza Gibbons where her initials appeared when her ship was destroyed. Other notable programmers at Apollo included Dan Oliver (Space Cavern), Steve Stringfellow (Lochjaw), and Ernie Runyon (Lost Luggage).

Apollo’s Space Cavern holds distinction as the first scrolling game on the 2600 system. This title came about after Roper accompanied Salvo to the Winter Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where they observed Imagic's Demon Attack. Inspired by this, Roper instructed programmer Dan Oliver to develop a comparable game, which became Apollo’s third release.

At the June 1982 CES in Chicago, Apollo showcased its products with a dedicated booth and employed models to demonstrate gameplay. Shortly thereafter, they hired Cyndy Spence—formerly with Atari—as advertising director; she secured representation from the major agency Benton & Bowles.

Apollo is also recognized for featuring the first human female protagonist in a home video game: Billy Sue in Wabbit (Atari 2600, 1982), depicted as a resilient woman protecting her farm against invading rabbits.

Another prominent release was Lochjaw, a shark-themed clone of Pac-Man. The company faced legal pressure from MCA, owner of Universal Studios, over alleged copyright infringement related to Jaws. To avoid expensive litigation, Roper renamed the game Shark Attack. Due to its brief availability under its original name, authentic Lochjaw cartridges are now exceedingly rare.

By late 1982, Apollo attempted to diversify by developing titles for platforms such as the Atari 5200, ColecoVision, and Intellivision, but none reached market before the company folded in late 1983.

Decline

In its early phase, Roper made substantial investments in an effort to rival Activision's achievements, targeting $27 million in revenue and planning an expansive eight-story complex comprising eight buildings. Despite these ambitions, sales figures fell short of projections. Additionally, Roper acquired a helicopter to circumvent traffic congestion in Dallas, employing an engineer dedicated to its assembly and upkeep.

Towards the end of 1982, several pivotal employees—Ed Salvo, Terry Grantham, and Mike Smith—departed from Apollo to establish Video Software Specialists (VSS). This new venture focused on creating games for clients such as CBS Electronics, K-tel (Xonox), Sunrise, and Wizard Games. Salvo remarked that Apollo filed for bankruptcy merely two weeks following their exit.

Facing mounting pressure from the advertising firm Benton & Bowles, Apollo sought protection under Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 12, 1982. The company owed Benton & Bowles $2.5 million, representing half of its total outstanding liabilities. Although President Patrick Roper endeavored to restructure the business, these efforts did not succeed. Programmer Larry Martin worked diligently to finalize the title Guardian before creditors forced a shutdown of operations.

Games developed

• Final Approach
• Guardian
• Infiltrate
• Lost Luggage
• Pompeii (never released)
• Racquetball
• Shark Attack (also known as Lochjaw)
• Skeet Shoot
• Space Cavern
• Spacechase
• Squoosh (unreleased)
• Wabbit

External links

• Comprehensive database of all Apollo game releases – featuring screenshots, box art, manual scans, catalogs, and company background information.