Sirius Software
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder | Terry Bradley, Jerry Jewell |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Terry Bradley, Jerry Jewell, Nasir Gebelli |
| Products | Video games for Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, VIC-20, Atari 2600 |
Sirius Software was a video game publisher based in California, known for producing titles primarily for the Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64, and VIC-20 platforms. Established in 1980 by Terry Bradley and Jerry Jewell, the company developed and released more than 160 games before ceasing operations in 1984. The majority of their software was originally created for the Apple II and subsequently adapted for other systems. Sirius also developed games for the Atari 2600, which were distributed by 20th Century Fox Video Games between 1982 and 1983. The company's downfall was largely due to Fox's failure to pay outstanding royalties. Programmer Nasir Gebelli's early successes played a key role in building Sirius’s strong presence in the Apple II market.
History
Jerry Jewell and Terry Bradley founded Sirius in 1980, and the company rapidly gained traction before closing in 1984 following a significant unpaid royalty dispute with 20th Century Fox, amounting to over USD $18 million. Throughout its operation, Sirius produced and distributed upwards of 160 software titles and hardware products globally. The combination of Jewell’s expertise in sales and Gebelli’s programming skills propelled the company from a small apartment setup into a multimillion-dollar business within just one year. By mid-1982, Gebelli’s notable release Gorgon, an Apple II version of the arcade classic Defender, had sold approximately 23,000 copies, ranking it among the top-selling computer games during that period. Estimates from early 1984 placed Sirius as the 15th-largest microcomputer software firm worldwide, reporting sales of $11 million for the previous year.
In an effort to rival Sierra On-Line, Sirius ventured into publishing graphical adventure games; however, these titles achieved only modest commercial results. Although their primary focus was on Apple II software, Sirius also produced games for the Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, and VIC-20 platforms.
The Smithsonian Institution created a "living history" video highlighting Jewell’s influential role in the development of the early personal computing industry.