Beam Software

Beam Software was an early Australian video game developer founded in 1980, known for developing several classic games, later closed due to business issues.

Beam Software originated in Melbourne in 1980, founded by Alfred Milgrom and Naomi Besen. The founders had established Melbourne House in London in 1977 as a publishing company, and the Australian development operation was initially created to produce books and software for that business. The Beam name condensed the founders' names and became the identity associated with the development studio. During the home-computer era, Beam produced software for systems such as the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, TRS-80, Apple II, BBC Micro, and related platforms. The Hobbit, released in 1982, was a major early achievement. Designed as a text adventure with an advanced parser and events that continued in real time even when the player did not enter commands, it demonstrated the studio's interest in richer interaction models. The Way of the Exploding Fist followed in 1985 and became a landmark two-player martial-arts game. Its success and Golden Joystick recognition made Beam one of Australia's most visible game developers of the period. The late 1980s brought structural and technological disruption. Melbourne House's United Kingdom publishing arm was sold to Mastertronic in 1987 for £850,000. Beam thereafter relied on different publishing arrangements while moving from eight-bit computers into sixteen-bit systems and dedicated consoles. It obtained a Nintendo developer licence and created games for the NES, including locally oriented sports titles such as Aussie Rules Footy and International Cricket. The studio also produced licensed adaptations, arcade-style games, handheld software, and projects for Sega platforms. Beam's 1990s output showed substantial stylistic range. Nightshade, released in 1992 for NES, combined dark superhero comedy with an adventure-oriented structure. Shadowrun, released for Super NES in 1993, used a keyword-based dialogue system that allowed players to unlock new conversational branches. Baby T-Rex and related regional adaptations illustrated the company's approach to repackaging a game for different markets and licensed characters. The business also worked on ports and adaptations such as Super Smash TV, WCW SuperBrawl Wrestling, Bug!, and Norse By Norse West: The Return of the Lost Vikings. After establishing Laser Beam Entertainment in 1991, Beam used that label for PC publishing and releases including Krush Kill 'n' Destroy and its sequels. The Melbourne House identity was restored in 1997, and Laser Beam was discontinued. The studio expanded its PC portfolio with strategy, sports, and racing products, including KKND 2: Krossfire, DethKarz, NBA Action 98, Cricket 97, and GP 500. In 1998 it also released Alien Earth and continued its interest in dialogue-driven role-playing and adventure design. Infogrames acquired the company in 1999 and renamed it Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd. Under the new ownership, the studio concentrated increasingly on console development, racing games, third-person action, and licensed entertainment. Its projects included Le Mans 24 Hours, Looney Tunes: Space Race, Grand Prix Challenge, Men in Black II: Alien Escape, and Transformers. The 2004 Transformers game for PlayStation 2 was based on the Transformers Armada property and became one of the studio's strongest recent commercial performers, reaching the top of the United Kingdom PlayStation 2 chart. The studio also worked on PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions of Test Drive Unlimited. Atari later sought to reduce its internal development operations and sell studios. Krome Studios acquired Melbourne House in November 2006, and the business was renamed Krome Studios Melbourne. The renamed studio remained active for several years but closed on 15 October 2010, at the same time as Krome's Brisbane office. Beam Software's wider activities also included Smarty Pants Publishing for children's software, VideoBeam video compression, and Famous Faces facial-motion-capture technology. The organization's long history reflects the transition from independent home-computer development to console production, licensed games, technology work, and ownership by successive international publishers.

• 2010

  The studio closes

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  Krome Studios Melbourne closed on 15 October, together with Krome's Brisbane office.

• 2006

  Krome Studios Melbourne is formed

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  Krome Studios acquired Melbourne House from Atari and renamed the studio Krome Studios Melbourne.

• 2004

  Transformers becomes a major recent release

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  The PlayStation 2 Transformers game reached the top of the United Kingdom PlayStation 2 chart.

• 1999

  Infogrames acquires Beam Software

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition resulted in the name Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd.

• 1997

  The Melbourne House brand is revived

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  The company discontinued the Laser Beam identity and returned to the Melbourne House name for publishing and development activities.

• 1993

  Shadowrun is released

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  The Super NES role-playing game used a keyword-based dialogue system to create branching conversations.

• 1992

  Nightshade is released

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  The NES title introduced a dark superhero-comedy concept that later influenced the studio's work on Shadowrun.

• 1991

  Laser Beam Entertainment is launched

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  Beam created a publishing division under the Laser Beam Entertainment name after the earlier Melbourne House sale.

• 1987

  Melbourne House publishing arm is sold

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  The United Kingdom publishing business was sold to Mastertronic as Beam focused more directly on development.

• 1985

  The Way of the Exploding Fist wins a Golden Joystick

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  The two-player martial-arts title won Best Overall Game at the Golden Joystick Awards.

• 1982

  The Hobbit is released

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  The text adventure introduced an advanced parser and real-time story behavior and became one of Beam's best-known early releases.

• 1980

  Beam Software is founded

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  The Melbourne-based game development operation was founded by Alfred Milgrom and Naomi Besen.

• 1977

  Melbourne House is established in London

  [1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  Alfred Milgrom and Naomi Besen established Melbourne House as a publishing company, preceding the creation of the Melbourne development studio.

A technically ambitious, platform-diverse Australian game developer with a heritage in home-computer software and later expertise in console adaptations, licensed entertainment properties, sports games, racing games, and PC releases.

• Text adventure · 1982

  The Hobbit

  A 1982 home-computer adventure based on J. R. R. Tolkien's novel. Its parser supported varied natural-language commands, while real-time character behavior meant that the game world continued to develop when the player paused between commands. It became a defining early release for Beam Software and an important example of ambitious interactive fiction.

• Fighting game · 1985

  The Way of the Exploding Fist

  A two-player martial-arts fighting game released in 1985 for several home computers. Its direct combat format helped popularize one-on-one fighting games outside arcades and earned the title the Golden Joystick Award for Best Overall Game.

• Role-playing game · 1993

  Shadowrun

  A 1993 Super NES role-playing game that adapted the Shadowrun setting and emphasized investigation and conversation. Its dialogue design used acquired keywords to unlock additional branches, giving the player a more structured conversational system than was common in console role-playing games of the period.

• Real-time strategy · 1997

  Krush Kill 'n' Destroy

  A PC real-time-strategy series published under the Laser Beam identity and later associated with Melbourne House. The original game was followed by KKND Xtreme and KKND2: Krossfire, extending Beam's work beyond its established console and home-computer development.

• Racing game · 1998

  DethKarz

  A 1998 Windows racing game that formed part of Beam's late-1990s move toward computer racing software. It was followed by other racing projects, including GP 500 and console-oriented racing work after the Infogrames acquisition.

• Licensed action game · 2004

  Transformers

  A PlayStation 2 game released in 2004 and based on Hasbro's Transformers Armada property. The title was one of the Melbourne studio's most commercially successful recent releases and reached the top of the United Kingdom PlayStation 2 games chart.

• Racing game port

  Test Drive Unlimited ports

  The studio completed PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions of Eden Games' Test Drive Unlimited. The work reflected the Melbourne team's later role in adapting large-scale racing software for additional console and handheld platforms.

• 2010

  Close the Melbourne development studioStrategy

  Background

  Krome Studios undertook a broader closure that also affected its Brisbane office.

  Action taken

  Krome Studios Melbourne was closed on 15 October 2010.

  Aftermath

  The studio ceased operations, ending the Beam Software and Melbourne House development lineage under the Krome name.

  Source

• 2006

  Transfer ownership to Krome StudiosM&A

  Background

  Atari was reducing its internal development activities and sought buyers for studios including Melbourne House.

  Action taken

  Krome Studios acquired Melbourne House from Atari and renamed it Krome Studios Melbourne.

  Aftermath

  The renamed Melbourne studio operated until its closure in October 2010.

  Source

• 1999

  Join InfogramesM&A

  Background

  Beam Software operated in an increasingly international and console-focused game market.

  Action taken

  Infogrames acquired the company and renamed the Melbourne operation Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd.

  Aftermath

  The studio continued producing console, racing, action, and licensed titles under Infogrames and later Atari ownership.

  Source

• 1991

  Create the Laser Beam publishing identityStrategy

  Background

  After the sale of the Melbourne House publishing operation, Beam retained ambitions to publish software alongside its development work.

  Action taken

  The company established Laser Beam Entertainment and used the label for PC releases and publishing activities.

  Aftermath

  The Laser Beam identity was later discontinued when the Melbourne House brand was relaunched in 1997.

  Source

• 1987

  Separate publishing from developmentStrategy

  Background

  The industry was moving from eight-bit to sixteen-bit platforms, while the company lacked sufficient management capacity to operate both its United Kingdom publishing activity and development operation.

  Action taken

  The Melbourne House publishing arm was sold to Mastertronic, allowing the Australian business to focus more heavily on development.

  Aftermath

  Beam continued releasing games through different publishers and later created the Laser Beam Entertainment publishing identity.

  Sale price of Melbourne House UK publishing arm. £850,000 (1987)

  Source

• 2010

  Krome Studios Melbourne closes[1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  Bankruptcy · Other

  The Melbourne studio closed on 15 October 2010, alongside Krome Studios' Brisbane office.

• 2006

  Krome Studios acquires Melbourne House[1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Leadership change

  Krome Studios purchased Melbourne House from Atari, leading to the adoption of the Krome Studios Melbourne name.

• 1999

  Beam Software is acquired by Infogrames[1]Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Leadership change

  Infogrames acquired Beam Software, and the Melbourne operation was renamed Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd.

1. 1Beam Softwareen.wikipedia.org