Penguin Software
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Video games |
| Predecessor | MP Software, Co-op Software |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founder | Mark Pelczarski |
| Defunct | 1988 (rebranded to Polarware starting 1986, acquired by Merit Software in 1988) |
| Fate | Rebranded to Polarware, later acquired by Merit Software |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Illinois , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Mark Pelczarski, David Lubar, Chris Jochumson, Jeffrey (JJ) Jay, Steve Greene, Peg Smith, Trish Glenn |
| Products | Graphics Magician, Complete Graphics System, Transylvania series, Spy's Demise, Xyphus, Comprehend engine |
Penguin Software was a software company and video game publisher headquartered in Geneva, Illinois. It specialized in creating graphics and application programs as well as video games for various systems such as the Apple II, Mac, IBM PC compatible machines, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari 8-bit computers, and Atari ST. Among its prominent titles were graphics applications like Graphics Magician and Complete Graphics System, adventure games including the Transylvania series, action titles such as Spy's Demise, and role-playing games like Xyphus.
History
The company originated in 1978 under the name "MP Software," founded by Mark Pelczarski. Its inaugural product was the graphics tool Magic Paintbrush. Afterward, it operated briefly as "Co-op Software" before rebranding to "Penguin Software" in 1981 to concentrate on publishing software. A distinctive aspect of Penguin Software was its practice of openly acknowledging independent developers involved with its products and compensating them through royalties rather than hiring them as employees.
Penguin Software’s flagship offerings were its graphics software, which achieved significant commercial success during the early 1980s. In 1981, Pelczarski developed The Complete Graphics System, a drawing and 3D graphics package designed for the Apple II. Later that year, Pelczarski collaborated with David Lubar to create Special Effects, reinforcing the company's identity as "the graphics people". The following year, Pelczarski, Lubar, and Chris Jochumson launched The Graphics Magician, a development tool that allowed programmers to produce animations and compressed graphics for both games and educational programs.
Developers who created software utilizing Graphics Magician could submit their work for publication; accepted projects were refined and released by Penguin Software, with royalties paid to their creators. Early titles included the animated game Pie Man by Eagle Berns and Michael Kosaka, along with the adventure game Transylvania by Antonia Antiochia. Numerous other Apple II publishers licensed The Graphics Magician at no cost, requiring only attribution that served as promotional exposure for Penguin Software’s technology.
Penguin Software notably refrained from implementing copy protection measures to simplify backup processes, relying on users’ integrity—a policy publicly endorsed by Pelczarski.
As software distribution expanded into bookstores, trademark conflicts arose with Penguin Books. To prevent expensive legal battles, Pelczarski gradually replaced the "Penguin Software" name with "Polarware" beginning in 1986.
Due to varying hardware specifications among platforms such as Apple II, Macintosh, IBM PCs, Commodore, and Atari systems, Penguin Software/Polarware prioritized cross-platform development strategies to facilitate simultaneous releases without complete rewrites. The portability of assets created with Graphics Magician supported this approach. They also developed Comprehend, a platform-independent language for adventure games employed in several titles. The geography-themed "Adventures Around the World" series utilized these innovations but was overshadowed by the earlier launch of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego.
In 1987, Polarware underwent an employee buyout led by Jeffrey (JJ) Jay, Steve Greene, Peg Smith, and Trish Glenn. This group produced the children's educational series The Electric Crayon, authored by Brian A. Rice. The following year, Merit Software acquired Polarware, resulting in the discontinuation of the Polarware brand.
Legacy
As Merit Software progressed with newer offerings, the rights to its earlier software titles were reclaimed from the remnants of Polarware. Many of these older programs were later made available as freeware. After the official support for these products ended, a dedicated fan developed a reconstructed version of the Comprehend engine source code, facilitating the adaptation of these games for contemporary platforms.
Software titles
| Title | Author | Publication Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Magic Paintbrush | Mark Pelczarski | 1978/1981/1984 |
| The Complete Graphics System | Mark Pelczarski | 1981 |
| Special Effects | Mark Pelczarski and David Lubar | 1981 |
| The Complete Graphics System II | Mark Pelczarski | 1982 |
| The Graphics Magician | Mark Pelczarski, David Lubar, and Chris Jochumson | 1982 |
| Pie Man | Eagle Berns and Michael Kosaka | 1982 |
| Spy's Demise | Alan Zeldin | 1982 |
| Transylvania | Antonio Antiochia | 1982/1985 |
| Crime Wave | Scott Schram | 1983 |
| Thunderbombs | Tom Becklund | 1983 |
| The Quest | Dallas Snell, Joe Toler, and Joel Ellis Rea | 1983 |
| The Coveted Mirror | Eagle Berns and Holly Thomason | 1983/1986 |
| Expedition Amazon | Willard Phillips | 1983 |
| Bouncing Kamungas | Tom Becklund | 1983 |
| Pensate | John Besnard | 1983 |
| Transitions | Andre Schklowsky | 1983 |
| Paper Graphics | Robert Rennard | 1983 |
| Cat Graphics | David Shapiro | 1983 |
| Short Cuts | Kelly Puckett | 1983 |
| 'Minit Man' | 'Greg Malone' | '1983' |
| 'Stellar 7' | 'Damon Slye / Dynamix' | '1984' |
| 'The Spy Strikes Back' | 'Robert Hardy and Mark Pelczarski' | '1984' |
| 'Ring Quest' | 'Dallas Snell, Joel Ellis Rea, Joe Toler, and Ron Goebel' | '1984' |
| 'Xyphus' | 'Robert Waller and Dave Albert' | '1984' |
| 'Arcade Boot Camp' | 'John Besnard' | '1984' |
| 'Sword Of Kadash' | 'Chris Cole / Dynamix' | '1984' |
| 'Disk Repair Kit' | 'David Winzler' | '1984' |
| 'Disk Arranger' | 'William Swanson' | '1984' |
| ' Transylvania II: The Crimson Crown' | 'Antonio Antiochia' | '1985' |
| 'Oo-Topos' | 'Michael Berlyn, Muffy Berlyn, Raimund Redlich, and Brian Poff' | '1985' |
| 'Home Connection' | 'William Shaw' | '1985' |
| 'Home Data Manager' | 'Mark Pelczarski' | '1985' |
| 'The Spy's Adventures in Europe' | 'Mark Pelczarski, Marsha Meuse, Elizabeth Redlich, and Brian Poff' | '1986' |
| 'The Spy's Adventures in North America' | 'Mark Pelczarski, Mark Glenn, Brian Poff, and Elizabeth Redlich' | '1986' |
| 'The Spy's Adventures in South America' | 'Mark Pelczarski, Brian Poff, and Elizabeth Redlich' | '1986' |
| 'Electric Crayon: Fun on the Farm' | 'Brian Rice' | '1986' |
| 'Electric Crayon: This Land Is Your Land' | 'Brian Rice' | '1986' |
| 'Electric Crayon: ABC's' | 'Brian Rice' | '1986' |
| 'Talisman: Challenging the Sands of Time' | 'Bruce Hoffman, Raimund Redlich, and Brian Poff' | '1987' |
| 'Sesame Street Crayon: Letters For You' | 'Brian Rice' | '1987' |
| 'Sesame Street Crayon: Numbers Count' | 'Brian Rice' | '1987' |
| 'Sesame Street Crayon: Opposites Attract' | 'Brian Rice' | '1987' |
| "The Spy's Adventures in Europe" | "1987" | |
| "Electric Crayon Deluxe: Dinosaurs Are Forever" | "Brian Rice" | "1988" |
| "All Dogs Go to Heaven" | "Michael Robert Hausman" | "1989" |
| "Electric Crayon Deluxe: At the Zoo" | "Brian Rice" | "1989" |
| " Transylvania III: Vanquish the Night" | "Antonio Antiochia" | "1990" |
General References
- Archive of Polarware
- The Softalk Apple Project resource
- Penguin Software/Polarware information, Apple2Online
- Penguin Software exhibit, Museum of Computer Adventure Game History
- Penguin Software Collection, International Center for the History of Electronic Games at the Strong National Museum of Play
- Company profile for Polarware, MobyGames
- [Additional Apple II titles by Penguin Software] from Apple II World (Japanese site, archived)