Company:Paragon Software

From HandWiki
MicroProse Greensburg
FormerlyCustomized Software Systems (1985-1986)
Microsphere Corporation (1986-1987)
Paragon Software Corporation (1987-1992)
TypePrivate
IndustryVideo games
FatePublishing business merged into MicroProse
Assets became Take-Two Interactive
SuccessorTake-Two Interactive
FoundedDecember 12, 1985; 40 years ago (1985-12-12)
Founders
  • Mark E. Seremet
  • Antony Davies
DefunctSeptember 30, 1993 (1993-09-30)
Headquarters
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
,
U.S.
Number of employees
19 (1992)
ParentMicroProse (1992-1993)

Paragon Software Corporation was an American video game developer based in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that was originally formed on December 12, 1985 as Customized Software Systems by Mark E. Seremet and Antony Davies, with backing from John Antinori, and it was renamed to Paragon Software in 1986.[1] The company was later sold to MicroProse in 1992.[2]

The company was best known for games developed around licenses from Marvel Comics,[3] including The Amazing Spider-Man and Captain America in Dr. Doom's Revenge!,[4] and licenses from Game Designers' Workshop, such as the MegaTraveller series.[5]

History

The company initially started life as Customized Software Systems.[1] The company was initially founded on December 12, 1985 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, by Mark E. Seremet and Antony Davies, and specialized on computer software programming.[1]

In 1986, F.J. Lennon joined the company and turned their attention from business software to making video games.[1][6] Davies later quit to pursue his PhD.[7] The company later changed its name from Customized Software Systems to Microsphere Corporation, and eventually settling on Paragon Software in 1987, as the company developed its first video game, Master Ninja: Shadow Warrior of Death.[8]

In early 1988, the company signed a distribution deal with Electronic Arts, in order that Electronic Arts became a distributor for Paragon's titles, but it did not last long.[9]

In mid 1988, the company signed exclusive licensing deals with Game Designers' Workshop and Marvel Comics to develop video games.[10][11] Also in late 1988, the company signed a distribution deal with Medalist Software Group, a division of MicroProse, to distribute their computer game titles.[11]

On July 27, 1992, MicroProse announced that it had acquired Paragon Software, and that the company would be merged into MicroProse as a result of it, and the development team became MicroProse Greensburg.[2] The company had 19 employees at the time.[2]

The studio's final game under the Paragon label, XF5700 Mantis Experimental Fighter, was released under the MicroProse branding on September 2, 1992.[12] The company continued producing games for MicroProse, including BloodNet and Challenge of the Five Realms: Spellbound in the World of Nhagardia.[13]

Many executives later bought back their assets from MicroProse in light of the company's financial troubles, and later reformed it into Take-Two Interactive Software in 1993, and the Greensburg team became Take-Two's development studio.[14][15] Subsequently, MicroProse would sell the Amiga and Macintosh rights to BloodNet and Master of Orion, among other games to Take-Two Interactive in 1994.[16]

Games

Year Title Publisher(s)
1987 Master Ninja: Shadow Warrior of Death Paragon Software
Alien Fires: 2199 AD
1988 Twilight's Ransom
Wizard Wars
Guardians of Infinity: To Save Kennedy
1989 Software:X-Men: Madness in Murderworld
The Amazing Spider-Man and Captain America in Dr. Doom's Revenge! Paragon Software, Empire Software
1990 Space: 1889
Software:MegaTraveller 1: The Zhodani Conspiracy
The Amazing Spider-Man Paragon Software
The Punisher
1991 Millennium: Return to Earth Paragon Software, Empire Software
Twilight: 2000
Software:MegaTraveller 2: Quest for the Ancients
Troika Paragon Software
Software:X-Men II: The Fall of the Mutants
1992 XF5700 Mantis Experimental Fighter MicroProse
Challenge of the Five Realms: Spellbound in the World of Nhagardia
1993 BloodNet

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "The Paragon View". ACE (50): 34-36. November 1991. https://archive.org/details/ACE35Aug90/ACE/ACE50-Nov91/page/n33/mode/2up. Retrieved July 21, 2026. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gilmore, Kathy; Bake, Elizabeth (July 27, 1992). "MICROPROSE ACQUIRES PARAGON SOFTWARE". https://www.thefreelibrary.com/MICROPROSE+ACQUIRES+PARAGON+SOFTWARE-a012393324. 
  3. ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (April 14, 2009). "City of Heroes team renamed Paragon Studios". https://www.gamespot.com/articles/city-of-heroes-team-renamed-paragon-studios/1100-6207897/. 
  4. ↑ IGN Staff (May 8, 2007). "Top 10 Tuesday: Longest Game Titles". http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/05/09/top-10-tuesday-longest-game-titles. 
  5. ↑ McNamara, Tom (December 6, 2004). "Sequels We'd Like to See". http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/12/07/sequels-wed-like-to-see. 
  6. ↑ Addict, Crpg (2020-01-31). "The CRPG Addict: Paragon of Suffering: An Interview with F.J. Lennon". https://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2020/01/paragon-of-suffering-interview-with-fj.html. 
  7. ↑ "Economics prof. reveals video game-creating past" (in en-US). The Duquesne Duke. http://www.duqsm.com/economics-prof-reveals-video-game-creating-past/. 
  8. ↑ "Paragon Introduces New Game". Computer Entertainer: pp. 3. September 1987. https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-6-6/page/n3/mode/2up. 
  9. ↑ "Two New Affiliated Labels Sign with Electronic Arts". Computer Entertainer: pp. 6. January 1988. https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-6-11/page/n5/mode/2up. 
  10. ↑ "News from Paragon Software". Computer Entertainer: pp. 6. August 1988. https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-7-5/page/n5/mode/2up. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Paragon Software Now Affiliated with MicroProse". Computer Entertainer: pp. 8. December 1988. https://archive.org/details/computer-entertainer-7-9/page/8/mode/2up. 
  12. ↑ Gilmore, Kathy (September 2, 1992). "MICROPROSE RELEASES MANTIS". https://www.thefreelibrary.com/MICROPROSE+RELEASES+MANTIS-a012585085. 
  13. ↑ "Paragon's Progress". Video Games & Computer Entertainment: pp. 93. October 1992. https://archive.org/details/video-games-computer-entertainment-october-1992/page/n93/mode/2up. 
  14. ↑ "Bloodnet: A conversation with Laura Kampo and John Antinori". StayForever.de. May 3, 2018. https://www.stayforever.de/artikel/bloodnet-a-conversation-with-laura-kampo-and-john-antinori. 
  15. ↑ "Origin Systems, Inc.". http://www.origin.ea.com/about.html. 
  16. ↑ "Dearth of Mac Gaming". Computer Game Review: pp. 12. August 1994. https://archive.org/details/computer-game-review-august-1994/page/12/mode/2up. 



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