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Sierra On-Line)
Sierra Entertainment was a computer game developer and publisher.
History
Sierra started modestly as On-Line Systems in 1980, with founders Ken and Roberta Williams programming games and managing the company from their own home. Their first game was Mystery House, the world's first graphic adventure game.
In 1982 the company changed its name to Sierra On-Line and moved to Oakhurst, California.
In 1984, Sierra developed King's Quest, initially published by IBM, to show off the advanced technology of the IBM PCjr. The success of that game (subsequently ported to other platforms) set forth one of the most popular series Sierra has ever created, and spurred them into creating numerous adventure game series based on the Quest theme. In the years to come Sierra would remain on the forefront of groundbreaking computer game design, sometimes creating large blockbusters and other times, failed experiments.
Starting in 1990, Sierra began acquiring other companies, including Dynamix (1990), Bright Star Technologies (1992), Coktel Vision (1993) and Impressions Games (1995).
In 1991 Sierra started an online serviced called The Sierra Network. Pre-WWW, it was comparable to services like CompuServe or Prodigy except that its interface was completely graphical. Thematically it was a "kingdom" in which you visited different "lands" to post on message boards, exchange emails and play games. It was renamed ImagiNation Network and sold to AT&T in 1994 who sold it to AOL in 1996.
In 1994, Sierra moved its headquarters to Bellevue, Washington to attract more talent.
In 1996, the company was sold to CUC and Ken Williams left one year later. CUC later merged with HFS Corporation to form Cendant Software. After the discovery of an accounting scandal, Sierra was sold again to French publisher Havas who in turn were acquired by French giant Vivendi.
Sierra's location in Oakhurst was renamed Yosemite Entertainment in 1998, then shut down in 1999, on a day that has become known to Sierra fans as "Chainsaw Monday".
The company was renamed Sierra Entertainment in 2002.
In June 2004, Vivendi reorganized the Vivendi Universal games group, distributing Sierra's work to other units and shutting down the Sierra name.
Companies Under the Sierra Umbrella
Note:
fos means fully owned subsidiary.
pub means publishing relationship.
Sierra's Games
Adventure Games
- Mission Asteroid (1980, re-released by SierraVenture, 1982))
- Mystery House (1980, produced in 1979, re-released by SierraVenture in 1982)
- The Wizard and the Princess / Adventure in Serenia (1980, re-released by SierraVenture in 1982)
- Cranston Manor (1981)
- Ulysses and the Golden Fleece (1981, re-released by SierraVenture in 1982)
- Softporn Adventure (1981)
- Time Zone (1982 (produced in 1981, re-released by SierraVenture in 1982)
- Dark Crystal (1982)
- Gelfling Adventure (1984)
- Mickey's Space Adventure (1984)
- The Black Cauldron (1984, re-released en 1986)
- Winnie the Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood (1986)
- Dragon's Keep
- Troll Tales
- Gold Rush! (1988)
- The Colonel's Bequest (1989)
- Codename: Iceman (1989)
- Conquests of Camelot: King Arthur, The Search for the Grail (1989)
- Laura Bow II: Dagger of Amon Ra (1991)
- Eco Quest 1: The Search for Cetus
- Eco Quest 2: Lost Secret of the Rainforest (1991)
- Conquests of Long Bow: The Adventures of Robin Hood (1992)
- Freddy Pharkas
- Frontier Pharmacist (1993)
- Urban Runner (1995)
- Rama (1996)
- Lighthouse (1996)
- Shivers (1996)
- Shivers II: Harvest of Souls (1997)
- Betrayal in Antara (1997)
- King's Quest series
- King's Quest: Quest for the Crown (1984, produced in 1983, re-released in 1987, improved version 1989)
- King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne (1985)
- King's Quest III: To Heir is Human (1986)
- King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella (1988)
- King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart go Yonder! (1990, CD-ROM version 1991)
- King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (1992, CD-ROM version 1993)
- King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride (1994)
- King's Quest VIII: Mask of Eternity (1998)
- Space Quest series
- Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter (1986, improved version 1990)
- Space Quest II: Vohaul's Revenge (1987)
- Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon (1989)
- Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers (1991)
- Space Quest V: Roger Wilco in the Next Mutation (1993)
- Space Quest VI: The Spinal Frontier (1995)
- Leisure Suit Larry series
- Leisure Suit Larry I: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards (1987, improved version in 1991)
- Leisure Suit Larry Goes Looking for Love (In Several Wrong Places) / Leisure Suit Larry II (1988)
- Leisure Suit Larry III: Passionate Patti in Pursuit of the Pulsating Pectorals (1989)
- Leisure Suit Larry V: Passionate Patti Does a Little Undercover Work (1991)
- Leisure Suit Larry VI: Shape Up or Slip Out (1993)
- Leisure Suit Larry VII: Love for Sail
- Police Quest series
- Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel (1987, improved version in 1991)
- Police Quest II: The Vengeance (1988)
- Police Quest III: The Kindred (1990)
- Police Quest IV: Open Season (1993)
- Police Quest: S.W.A.T. (1995)
- Police Quest: S.W.A.T. 2 (1998)
- Quest for Glory series (formerly Quest for Glory)
- Hero's Quest/Quest for Glory I: So You Want to be a Hero (1989, enhanced version in 1991)
- The Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire (1990)
- The Quest for Glory III: Wages of War (1992)
- Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness (1994)
- Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire (1998)
- Gabriel Knight series
- Gabriel Knight: The Sins of the Fathers (1993)
- Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within (1995)
- Gabriel Knight: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned (1999)
- Manhunter series
- Manhunter: New York (1988)
- Manhunter 2: San Francisco (1989)
- Phantasmagoria series
- Phantasmagoria (1995)
- Phantasmagoria II: A Puzzle of Flesh (1996)
- Phantasmagoria Stagefright (1997)
Other Notable Games
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