Brasoft

Brasoft (also styled BraSoft) was a Brazilian developer and distributor of computer software and video games, founded in 1984 by Paulo Milliet Roque. Its initial goal was to translate and adapt foreign software for the Brazilian market. Its first product was a fully Portuguese-language version of the WordStar word processor, including packaging and manuals. By 1986, the company had captured 50% of the Brazilian word processor market, and the success of WordStar led it to adopt a star logo similar to the one on the program's box. Brasoft was the first Brazilian distributor to have its facilities and commercial activities fully integrated on a local network. Drawing on its experience deploying Ethernet networks in Brazil, the company gave more than a hundred presentations of this product to large corporations. In 1988, it launched PC Tools from Central Point Software in Brazil and began distributing Flow Charting from Patton & Patton Software. During 1989 and 1990, it released Ventura Publisher from Xerox Corporation. Profits in 1989 led Brasoft to consider entering the hardware business, to be led by civil engineer Leonel Penna Franca, a friend of Milliet, and the company even reserved a lot in the Vitória industrial district, but after the economic impact of the Collor Plan in 1990 they gave up. Instead, they opened a computer game division, after a suggestion by Folha de S. Paulo reporter Silvia Bassi, who believed that market opening created an opportunity. Milliet and Franca went to the Consumer Electronics Show and began negotiating with developers, and two months later returned to Brazil having secured the rights to publish 27 games from producers such as LucasArts, Sierra Entertainment, Maxis, Electronic Arts and MicroProse. All would have Portuguese manuals and boxes, manufactured in Brazil. In 1991, Brasoft participated in the fifth edition of Fenasoft (National Software Fair), selling two thousand software units at the event. Eight years after its launch, WordStar reached 62% of the DOS word processor market in Brazil. In 1993, the company launched the first CD-ROM games in the Brazilian market during the seventh edition of Fenasoft. In the same period, it launched SoftKey products and later the Main Street line from WordPerfect Corporation and Microsoft Home series from Microsoft, as well as a series of educational titles. In 1995, Brasoft launched a game simultaneously with the United States for the first time, Star Wars: Dark Forces from LucasArts. Also that year, it launched the first fully Portuguese-dubbed children's title, Achados & Perdidos from GTE Entertainment, and published the first Portuguese-subtitled game, Full Throttle from LucasArts. In 1996, the company launched the first two Macintosh games subtitled in Portuguese: Star Wars: Rebel Assault II and The Dig, both from LucasArts. It opened branches in Rio de Janeiro and Fortaleza, named BraSoft Rio and BraSoft Nordeste, respectively. Its headquarters was in São Paulo, originally on Avenida Angélica and later on Avenida Paulista, and in 1997 its office had 70 employees, at least 80% of them dedicated to marketing and commercialization of its products. That same year the company acquired the Caracol studio, owned by Pedro Milliet, cousin of Paulo, which already worked on dubbing and localization of games, to centralize demands for Portuguese software. Its main manufacturing location was in Barueri, in the Alphaville neighborhood. In 1995, Brasoft filed for bankruptcy protection (concordata), suffering from default and falling sales. Three years later the company sold its copyrights and brands to Pi Editora, based in São Caetano do Sul. The BraSoft name continued to be used by Pi Editora on its products. In 2003, Pi Editora, using the BraSoft brand, joined with Green Land Studios to produce domestic games. In 2004, Pi Editora ended its game editing and publishing activities.

Brasoft was founded in 1984 by Paulo Milliet Roque with the initial goal of translating and adapting foreign software for the Brazilian market. Its first product was a fully Portuguese-language version of the WordStar word processor, including its box and manuals. By 1986, the company had achieved 50% of the Brazilian word processor market. The success of WordStar led Brasoft to adopt a logo with a star similar to the one on the program's box. Brasoft was the first Brazilian distributor to have its facilities and commercial activities fully integrated on a local network. With the experience gained in deploying Ethernet networks in Brazil, the company gave more than a hundred presentations of this product to large companies. In 1988, Brasoft launched PC Tools from Central Point Software in Brazil and began distributing Flow Charting from Patton & Patton Software. During 1989 and 1990, they released Ventura Publisher from Xerox Corporation. Profits in 1989 led Brasoft to consider entering the hardware business, which would be led by civil engineer Leonel Penna Franca, a friend of Milliet, and the company even reserved a lot in the Vitória industrial district, but after the economic impact of the Collor Plan in 1990 they gave up. Instead, they opened a computer game division, after a suggestion by Folha de S. Paulo reporter Silvia Bassi, who believed that market opening created an opportunity. Milliet and Franca went to the Consumer Electronics Show and began negotiating with developers, and two months later returned to Brazil having secured the rights to publish 27 games from producers such as LucasArts, Sierra Entertainment, Maxis, Electronic Arts and MicroProse. All would have Portuguese manuals and boxes, manufactured in Brazil. In 1991, Brasoft participated in the fifth edition of Fenasoft (National Software Fair), managing to sell two thousand software units at the event. Eight years after its launch, WordStar reached 62% of the DOS word processor market in Brazil. In 1993, the company launched the first CD-ROM games in the Brazilian market during the seventh edition of Fenasoft. In the same period, they launched SoftKey products and later the Main Street line from WordPerfect Corporation and Microsoft Home series from Microsoft, as well as a series of educational titles. In 1995, Brasoft launched a game simultaneously with the United States for the first time, Star Wars: Dark Forces from LucasArts. Also that same year, it launched the first fully Portuguese-dubbed children's title, Achados & Perdidos from GTE Entertainment, and published the first Portuguese-subtitled game, Full Throttle from LucasArts. In 1996, the company launched the first two Macintosh games subtitled in Portuguese: Star Wars: Rebel Assault II and The Dig, both from LucasArts. It opened branches in Rio de Janeiro and Fortaleza, named BraSoft Rio and BraSoft Nordeste, respectively. Its headquarters was in São Paulo, originally on Avenida Angélica and later on Avenida Paulista, and in 1997 its office had 70 employees, at least 80% of them dedicated to marketing and commercialization of its products. That same year the company acquired the Caracol studio, owned by Pedro Milliet, cousin of Paulo, which already worked on dubbing and localization of games, to centralize demands for Portuguese software. Its main manufacturing location was in Barueri, in the Alphaville neighborhood. In 1995, Brasoft filed for bankruptcy protection (concordata), suffering from default and falling sales. Three years later the company sold its copyrights and brands to Pi Editora, based in São Caetano do Sul. The BraSoft name continued to be used by Pi Editora on its products. In 2003, Pi Editora, using the BraSoft brand, joined with Green Land Studios to produce domestic games. In 2004, Pi Editora ended its game editing and publishing activities.

• 2004

  Pi Editora ended game editing and publishing activities.

• 2003

  Pi Editora, using the BraSoft brand, partnered with Green Land Studios.

• 1998

  Sold copyrights and brands to Pi Editora.

• 1997

  Acquired Caracol studio; had 70 employees.

• 1996

  Launched first Macintosh games subtitled in Portuguese; opened branches in Rio de Janeiro and Fortaleza.

• 1995

  Launched Star Wars: Dark Forces simultaneously with the US; filed for concordata.

• 1993

  Launched the first CD-ROM games in the Brazilian market.

• 1991

  Participated in the fifth Fenasoft, selling 2,000 software units.

• 1990

  Abandoned hardware plans after the Collor Plan; opened a game division.

• 1989

  Released Ventura Publisher from Xerox Corporation.

• 1988

  Launched PC Tools in Brazil and began distributing Flow Charting.

• 1986

  Achieved 50% of the Brazilian word processor market.

• 1984

  Founded by Paulo Milliet Roque.

Brazilian software localizer and distributor, later a major publisher of localized games.

• WordStar (Portuguese version)

  Fully Portuguese word processor, including box and manuals.

• PC Tools

  Utility software from Central Point Software, launched in Brazil in 1988.

• Flow Charting

  Flowcharting software from Patton & Patton Software, distributed from 1988.

• Ventura Publisher

  Desktop publishing software from Xerox Corporation, released 1989–1990.

• Localized games

  Games from LucasArts, Sierra, Maxis, Electronic Arts, MicroProse, etc., with Portuguese manuals and boxes.

1. 1Brasoft - Wikipedia (Portuguese)pt.wikipedia.org
2. 2Brasoft - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Landing - legendarynames.comlegendarynames.com
4. 4Our Mission and Story | Legendary Nameslegendarynames.com