Simtex
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Steve Barcia |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Fate | Shut down |
| Successor | None |
Area served | Personal computers |
Key people | Steve Barcia |
| Products | Master of Orion series, Master of Magic, 1830: Railroads & Robber Barons, Mech Lords, Guardians: Agents of Justice |
| Owner | Spectrum HoloByte (from 1995) |
| Parent | Spectrum HoloByte (from 1995) |
Simtex Software was a company established in 1988 by Steve Barcia, focusing on creating turn-based strategy video games for personal computers. The studio is best known for developing the initial two installments of the Master of Orion series. The firm discontinued its operations in 1997.
History
In 1995, Simtex was acquired by Spectrum HoloByte.
Games
- Master of Orion (1993)
- Master of Magic (1994)
- 1830: Railroads & Robber Barons (1995)
- Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares (1996)
- Mech Lords (later retitled Metal Lords following a legal disagreement with FASA Corporation; never released)
- Guardians: Agents of Justice (under development at the time of company closure; remained incomplete)
Following Simtex's shutdown, the ownership of its game rights transferred to Atari, who maintained them until a 2013 auction redistributed these assets. Currently, the Master of Orion franchise rights belong to Wargaming, whereas publishing rights for Master of Magic are held by Slitherine. Trademark documentation indicates that eXtremePro Group Inc possesses full intellectual property ownership. A third entry in the Master of Orion series, titled Master of Orion III, was developed by Quicksilver Software and released by Atari in 2003.