Broderbund
Former American developer and publisher of video games, educational software, productivity applications, and creative tools.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Broderbund Software was an American software developer and publisher whose products helped define the early consumer-computing market. Founded in Eugene, Oregon, in 1980 by brothers Doug and Gary Carlston, the company initially marketed Galactic Empire, a strategy game written by Doug. Its early catalog was centered on Apple II software, but Broderbund subsequently expanded across most major personal-computer platforms and became one of the leading American publishers of games, educational programs, and home productivity tools. The company’s best-known early games included Choplifter, Lode Runner, Karateka, and Prince of Persia. These titles combined accessible controls with technically ambitious animation and design, helping establish Broderbund as an important Apple II publisher and later giving the company a presence on IBM-compatible PCs, Macintosh computers, and other systems. Broderbund also published third-party software and supported ports for international markets. A short-lived console division, New Ventures, released Nintendo Entertainment System products, including licensed and internally originated properties, and developed the U-Force motion-sensitive controller. Broderbund’s business increasingly moved beyond games during the 1980s. The Print Shop became a major consumer desktop-publishing product, allowing users to create signs, banners, greeting cards, and other printed materials on home printers. Other important product families included Bank Street educational applications, Family Tree Maker genealogy software, 3D Home Architect, Banner Mania, and a broad range of early-learning programs. The company also became strongly associated with edutainment, including Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, Reader Rabbit, Logical Journey of the Zoombinis, and the Living Books series. School editions of selected products added classroom-oriented features for teachers and students. Broderbund experienced rapid growth and corporate change. It acquired the assets of the financially troubled Synapse Software in 1984, although the operation was closed after failing to become profitable. It later acquired PC Globe and pursued or discussed several strategic combinations, including talks with Sierra On-Line and Electronic Arts. After an unsuccessful initial public offering in 1987 and a later private placement, Broderbund became a public company in 1991 under the NASDAQ symbol BROD. By the early 1990s, education and productivity software accounted for much of its business, while games represented a smaller share of revenue. The company’s attempted 1995 acquisition of The Learning Company was unsuccessful; SoftKey acquired that company instead and adopted The Learning Company name. In 1998, The Learning Company acquired Broderbund in a stock transaction valued at approximately $420 million. A substantial workforce reduction followed. The combined company was purchased by Mattel in 1999, but Mattel later divested its interactive-software operations to Gores Technology Group. In 2001, Gores sold the entertainment assets to Ubi Soft, now Ubisoft, while Riverdeep acquired most other holdings, including the Broderbund name. Encore subsequently published and managed licensed Broderbund products, including The Print Shop and related creative and productivity lines. Broderbund no longer operates as an independent company. Its legacy is divided among current rights holders: Ubisoft controls many entertainment properties, while the Broderbund name and several productivity, design, and educational brands have continued through licensing and publishing arrangements. The company’s software, business records, and game collection were donated to The Strong National Museum of Play in 2014 for preservation through the International Center for the History of Electronic Games.
History
Broderbund began in Eugene, Oregon, in 1980 when Doug and Gary Carlston formed a company to market Galactic Empire, a strategy game Doug had created in 1979. Their brother Don also contributed an Apple II game and invested in the venture, while their sister Cathy joined the company in 1981. The unusual name was derived loosely from expressions meaning “band of brothers,” with the stylized slashed-o character referencing early computer displays and Scandinavian visual motifs. The company originally considered legal-office software its principal opportunity, but games quickly proved commercially stronger. Broderbund’s early Apple II releases established a reputation for polished design and technical ambition. Choplifter, Lode Runner, Karateka, and later Prince of Persia became defining products of the 8-bit computer era. In 1982, venture investment from Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co. supported expansion. By 1983, the company was publicly describing a broader strategy involving home utilities, computer literacy, and educational software, including the Bank Street line and projects connected with The Jim Henson Company. In 1984, Broderbund acquired the assets of Synapse Software, a respected but financially troubled publisher. The attempt to operate Synapse as a continuing business did not succeed, and Broderbund closed the operation after approximately a year. Broderbund meanwhile expanded its own development and publishing activities. The Print Shop, originally designed for producing signs and banners with dot-matrix printers, became a major consumer software franchise and helped move the company into desktop publishing. A legal dispute with Unison World over a similar MS-DOS product led to Broderbund v. Unison in 1986, a significant software-copyright case concerning the protectability of a program’s visual appearance and user interface. During the late 1980s, Broderbund supported Apple II, Apple IIGS, Macintosh, IBM-compatible PCs, and other platforms. It also entered the console market through its New Ventures division. Several Nintendo Entertainment System releases were developed by Japanese third parties, including adaptations or licensed products associated with Lode Runner, Spelunker, The Guardian Legend, and other properties. The division also introduced the U-Force, a contactless motion-sensitive NES controller. Broderbund sold the New Ventures assets to THQ in 1990. Broderbund’s commercial center shifted increasingly toward educational and productivity software. It published Family Tree Maker, 3D Home Architect, Banner Mania, and other creative or household applications, while building major educational franchises such as Carmen Sandiego, Reader Rabbit, and Living Books. The company often produced school editions with features designed for classroom use. By the end of the 1980s, games represented only a small portion of annual sales compared with productivity and early-learning products. The company’s corporate structure evolved as the software industry consolidated. Broderbund acquired PC Globe in 1992 and explored combinations with larger publishers, including Sierra On-Line and Electronic Arts. An attempted 1995 purchase of The Learning Company failed after SoftKey outbid Broderbund and then adopted The Learning Company name. Broderbund became publicly traded on NASDAQ in November 1991 under BROD, following an unsuccessful 1987 initial offering and a later private placement involving Jostens. The Print Shop and Carmen Sandiego were especially important contributors when the company went public. On June 22, 1998, The Learning Company acquired Broderbund through a stock exchange valued at about $420 million. The combined business reduced Broderbund’s workforce substantially. In 1999, Mattel acquired The Learning Company for approximately $3.6 billion, but the transaction placed heavy financial pressure on Mattel and was followed by the sale of Mattel Interactive and related assets to Gores Technology Group in 2000. Broderbund products were subsequently administered through The Learning Company’s international corporate structure, with different product categories using Broderbund and The Learning Company branding. In 2001, Gores divided the former portfolio. Ubisoft acquired the entertainment holdings, including important Broderbund-originated game properties, while Riverdeep acquired most other assets and the Broderbund name. Encore later published Broderbund products under license and managed direct-to-consumer activity. Although the original company ceased to exist independently, the brand continued in licensed graphics, productivity, and educational products, while Ubisoft maintained many entertainment franchises. The preservation of Broderbund’s software and records through The Strong National Museum of Play and the International Center for the History of Electronic Games helped document the company’s role in personal-computer history.
- 2014
Company archive donated for preservation
[1]Doug Carlston donated company records, software, and games to institutions dedicated to preserving electronic-game history.
- 2001
Portfolio divided between Ubisoft and Riverdeep
[1]Ubisoft acquired entertainment assets, while Riverdeep acquired the Broderbund name and much of the remaining portfolio.
- 1998
Acquired by The Learning Company
[1]The Learning Company acquired Broderbund in a stock transaction valued at approximately $420 million.
- 1992
PC Globe acquired
[1]Broderbund expanded its educational and reference portfolio by acquiring PC Globe.
- 1991
Broderbund became publicly traded
[1]The company completed its public-market listing on NASDAQ under the symbol BROD.
- 1990
New Ventures division sold to THQ
[1]Broderbund sold its NES-related division, manufacturing equipment, inventory, and associated assets to THQ.
- 1986
Broderbund v. Unison decision
[1]Broderbund pursued a copyright case over the visual appearance and interface of a competing Print Shop-like product.
- 1984
Synapse Software assets acquired
[1]Broderbund took over the assets of financially troubled Synapse Software, although the operation was later closed.
- 1982
Early venture investment
[1]Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co. invested in the growing software company.
- 1980
Broderbund founded in Oregon
[1]Doug and Gary Carlston established Broderbund to market Galactic Empire and other computer software.
Products and positioning
Broderbund positioned itself as a creator and publisher of accessible, high-quality software for home entertainment, education, creativity, and personal productivity. Its identity combined technically notable computer games with practical applications that made personal computers useful for families, students, teachers, and small-scale home publishing.
Desktop publishing
The Print Shop
The Print Shop was Broderbund’s leading home-publishing franchise. It enabled users to create signs, banners, greeting cards, and other printed materials, originally with dot-matrix printers. Its accessible templates and output-focused workflow made it one of the company’s most commercially important products and a major contributor to Broderbund’s identity in consumer productivity software.
Action-adventure video game · 1989
Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia was one of Broderbund’s most influential entertainment properties. Its fluid character animation, acrobatic movement, traps, and time-sensitive level design distinguished it from many contemporary computer games. The franchise later became part of Ubisoft’s entertainment portfolio after the sale of The Learning Company’s game assets.
Puzzle-platform video game · 1983
Lode Runner
Lode Runner was a major early Broderbund game built around platform navigation, digging through surfaces, and evading enemies. It originated on personal computers and became one of the company’s best-known 8-bit titles, receiving ports and adaptations for multiple systems and international markets.
Educational geography and history software · 1985
Carmen Sandiego
The Carmen Sandiego series combined detective-style pursuit with geography, history, and general-knowledge learning. Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? became a signature Broderbund educational property and helped demonstrate that educational software could have a strong entertainment structure and broad consumer appeal.
Adventure video game · 1993
Myst
Myst was a visually rich exploration and puzzle adventure that became one of the most commercially prominent computer games of its era. Broderbund published the title and helped bring it to a broad home-computer audience. The property later moved with Broderbund’s entertainment holdings to Ubisoft.
Early-learning software
Reader Rabbit
Reader Rabbit was a family of early-learning programs designed to support reading, language, and foundational educational skills through animated activities and games. It formed part of Broderbund’s major edutainment business and was marketed to children, families, and schools.
Interactive children's books · 1992
Living Books
Living Books adapted illustrated children's literature into interactive multimedia software, adding narration, animation, and clickable activities. Broderbund created a joint venture with Random House around the series shortly before the acquisition by The Learning Company; the venture was later dissolved.
Genealogy software
Family Tree Maker
Family Tree Maker was a genealogy application that allowed users to record family relationships and organize historical research. Broderbund supported the product with extensive genealogical reference material distributed across numerous compact discs, making it a notable consumer database and family-history product.
Typing instruction software
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing used lessons, exercises, and performance feedback to teach keyboard skills. The product became part of the Broderbund-branded productivity and educational portfolio that continued through later licensing arrangements.
Brand decisions
2001
Separate entertainment and non-entertainment holdingsM&ABackground
Following the sale of The Learning Company’s interactive assets to Gores Technology Group, the portfolio was reorganized.
Action taken
Ubisoft acquired the entertainment holdings, while Riverdeep acquired most other holdings and the Broderbund brand.
Aftermath
Broderbund continued as a licensed brand, while many of its major games became part of Ubisoft’s catalog.
1998
Accept acquisition by The Learning CompanyM&ABackground
Broderbund faced an increasingly consolidated software market and had previously competed unsuccessfully to acquire The Learning Company.
Action taken
The Learning Company exchanged 0.80 of its shares for each Broderbund share in a transaction valued at approximately $420 million.
Aftermath
Approximately 500 Broderbund employees were dismissed in the same year, and the company ceased operating as an independent publisher.
transaction value. approximately US$420 million (1998)
1990
Exit the NES publishing divisionStrategyBackground
Broderbund had developed a short-lived console business through its New Ventures division.
Action taken
The company sold the division, including equipment, inventory, and related assets, to THQ.
Aftermath
Broderbund concentrated more heavily on computer games, educational software, and productivity applications.
1984
Acquire Synapse Software assetsM&ABackground
Synapse Software had a strong reputation but was experiencing financial difficulty.
Action taken
Broderbund acquired Synapse’s assets and attempted to continue the business.
Aftermath
The operation did not become profitable and was closed after about a year.
Recent events
- 2017
Broderbund brands offered for licensing[1]
Other
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt offered the Broderbund, The Print Shop, Calendar Creator, and ClickArt brands for licensing.
- 2014
Broderbund collection donated for video-game preservation[1]
Other
Doug Carlston donated Broderbund business records, software, and games to The Strong National Museum of Play, which transferred the collection to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games.
- 2001
Broderbund entertainment assets sold to Ubi Soft[1]
M&A
Gores Technology Group sold The Learning Company’s entertainment holdings, including many Broderbund game properties, to Ubi Soft, now Ubisoft.
- 1999
Mattel acquired The Learning Company[3]
M&A
Mattel purchased The Learning Company, bringing Broderbund’s assets into Mattel’s interactive-software operations.
- 1998
Broderbund acquired by The Learning Company[1]
M&A
The Learning Company agreed to acquire Broderbund in a stock transaction valued at approximately $420 million.
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