Casady & Greene

Casady & Greene was an American software publisher and developer active from 1988 until its closure on July 3, 2003. The company was formed through the combination of two small Macintosh software businesses: Robin Casady's CasadyWare and Michael Greene's Greene, Inc. Its origins therefore combined two distinct activities that became important parts of the classic Macintosh software ecosystem: typeface publishing and application and game development. Robin Casady had established Casady Company in 1984 as a publisher of bitmap fonts for the Macintosh. The fonts were developed jointly by Casady and Richard Ware, and the business began advertising in Macworld in early 1985. In 1986, the company expanded into PostScript fonts and was renamed CasadyWare in recognition of Ware's contribution. At the same time, Michael Greene had become involved in Macintosh software through Greene Johnson, a business associated with the spelling checker Spellswell. After Greene Johnson dissolved, Greene founded Greene, Inc. and developed QuickDEX, a desk-accessory card-catalog program based on an earlier concept by Bill Atkinson. Greene, Inc.'s early success came from Crystal Quest, a color arcade game created by Patrick Buckland. Greene encountered the game as shareware in 1987 and later published an expanded edition. Apple provided Greene, Inc. with an early Macintosh II, enabling Buckland to add color support before the machine's public release. Crystal Quest became one of the first color games for the Macintosh II and benefited from strong early-hardware sales as well as extensive coverage in MacUser. Games were the company's principal source of revenue between 1987 and 1990. The corporate combination in 1988 was driven partly by practical banking and payment-processing circumstances. CasadyWare was available for purchase because its font business was not producing sufficient sales, while Greene, Inc. needed continued access to CasadyWare's credit-card merchant account. Greene, Inc. acquired CasadyWare, dissolved itself, and retained CasadyWare as the surviving corporation, which was renamed Casady & Greene, Inc. The arrangement allowed the new business to continue operating while preserving an existing merchant-account relationship. During the 1990s, Casady & Greene broadened its catalog considerably. Its products included Macintosh utilities such as Crash Barrier, the AME security suite, InfoGenie, iData, and InstaFiles!, as well as productivity software including Let's Keep It Simple Spreadsheet and Spreadsheet 2000. The company also published and distributed a substantial games portfolio, including Crystal Quest-related products, Glider and Glider PRO, Sky Shadow, Mission Starlight, Mission Thunderbolt, Silicon Casino, AmoebArena, Step On It!, Zone Warrior, and other titles. In late 1990, the company consolidated its PostScript font catalog into a package sold for both Macintosh and Windows, and that product performed well. Casady & Greene also acted as an initial distributor of SoundJam MP, the music application that later became the basis for Apple's iTunes, and distributed established Macintosh utilities such as Conflict Catcher and Spell Catcher. Despite this breadth, the company was unable to make a successful transition from the classic Mac OS to Apple's Unix-based Mac OS X. Some titles were later remade for OS X, with only a smaller subset receiving compatibility updates for Intel-based Macs. Casady & Greene ultimately ceased operations in 2003, ending a significant chapter in independent Macintosh software publishing.

Casady & Greene developed out of two separate Macintosh businesses established during the formative years of the platform. Robin Casady founded Casady Company in 1984 to publish bitmap fonts. The typefaces were developed with Richard Ware, and the company advertised in Macworld beginning in January 1985. Its early business involved sharing exhibition space and payment-processing arrangements with Greene Johnson, a separate company associated with the Macintosh spelling checker Spellswell. Casady Company moved into PostScript fonts in 1986 and changed its name to CasadyWare to acknowledge Ware's role. Michael Greene later left Greene Johnson and founded Greene, Inc. in 1987. Its first product was QuickDEX, a desk-accessory card-catalog utility that could remain available while another Macintosh application was in use. Greene, Inc. then entered game publishing after Greene contacted Patrick Buckland about the shareware game Crystal Raider. Buckland expanded the game into Crystal Quest, and an early Macintosh II supplied by Apple allowed development of a color version. Greene, Inc. released Crystal Quest alongside the Macintosh II launch. Its status as an early color game for the new computer, combined with favorable MacUser coverage, produced unusually strong commercial results. Games remained the primary revenue source from 1987 through 1990. In 1988, Casady put CasadyWare up for sale because its font sales were insufficient to support the company. Greene, Inc. required access to CasadyWare's existing credit-card merchant account, and regional banks were reluctant to establish new accounts for software businesses after an unrelated software-company bankruptcy. Greene, Inc. consequently purchased CasadyWare, dissolved itself, and retained CasadyWare as the surviving corporation. That corporation was renamed Casady & Greene, Inc., creating the company generally known as C&G. The combined company maintained a broad catalog. Its games included Crystal Quest and a related editor, Glider, Glider PRO, Sky Shadow, Mission Starlight, Mission Thunderbolt, Aqua Blooper Piper, Pararena, Spaceway 2000, Silicon Casino, AmoebArena, Step On It!, Zone Warrior I and II, Crystal Crazy, and other titles. Its non-game catalog included the AME security suite, Crash Barrier, InfoGenie, iData, InstaFiles!, QuickDEX, and spreadsheet products such as Let's Keep It Simple Spreadsheet and Spreadsheet 2000. The company also sold fonts. In late 1990 it combined its PostScript font range into a package offered for Macintosh and PC, which became a strong seller. Casady & Greene operated as both a publisher and a distributor. It distributed Conflict Catcher and Spell Catcher, two recognized classic-Macintosh utilities, and initially distributed SoundJam MP. SoundJam MP later became the foundation for Apple's iTunes, giving C&G a connection to one of the most consequential digital-music products of the early 2000s. Nevertheless, the company's principal platform remained the classic Mac OS. Unlike some competing independent Macintosh developers, it did not successfully reposition its catalog for Mac OS X, Apple's Unix-based successor platform. A number of titles were remade for OS X, and only a smaller number were subsequently adapted for Intel-based Macs. Casady & Greene closed on July 3, 2003.

• 2003

  Company closes

  [1]Casady & Greeneen.wikipedia.org

  Casady & Greene ceased operations on July 3 after failing to make a successful transition to Mac OS X.

• 1990

  PostScript font catalog consolidated

  [1]Casady & Greeneen.wikipedia.org

  Casady & Greene consolidated its PostScript font products into a Macintosh and PC package that sold strongly.

• 1988

  Casady & Greene established

  [1]Casady & Greeneen.wikipedia.org

  Greene, Inc. acquired CasadyWare, retained it as the surviving corporation, and renamed it Casady & Greene, Inc.

• 1987

  Greene, Inc. publishes QuickDEX and Crystal Quest

  [1]Casady & Greeneen.wikipedia.org

  Michael Greene founded Greene, Inc.; the company released QuickDEX and published Crystal Quest, an early color Macintosh II game.

• 1986

  Casady Company becomes CasadyWare

  [1]Casady & Greeneen.wikipedia.org

  The business expanded into PostScript fonts and adopted the CasadyWare name.

• 1985

  First Macworld advertising

  [1]Casady & Greeneen.wikipedia.org

  Casady Company began advertising its Macintosh font business in Macworld.

• 1984

  Casady Company founded

  [1]Casady & Greeneen.wikipedia.org

  Robin Casady established Casady Company as a publisher of Macintosh bitmap fonts.

An independent classic-Macintosh software house spanning games, fonts, productivity applications, system utilities, and third-party distribution.

• Video game · 1987

  Crystal Quest

  A color arcade game by Patrick Buckland and one of Greene, Inc.'s breakthrough products. Its release coincided with the Macintosh II launch, making it one of the earliest prominent color games for that platform. Casady & Greene later published related Crystal Quest material, including a game editor.

• Video game

  Glider PRO

  A later entry in Casady & Greene's Glider game line and part of the company's catalog of Macintosh entertainment software. It represented the publisher's continuing focus on distinctive, independent games for the classic Mac platform.

• System utility

  Crash Barrier

  A Macintosh crash-recovery utility in Casady & Greene's non-game software portfolio. It complemented the company's broader range of system, security, and maintenance tools for classic Mac OS users.

• Productivity utility

  Spell Catcher

  A spelling and writing utility distributed by Casady & Greene for Macintosh users. It was one of the established productivity tools associated with the company's distribution business.

• System utility

  Conflict Catcher

  A classic-Macintosh troubleshooting utility distributed by Casady & Greene. It belonged to the category of tools designed to help users identify and manage conflicts among extensions and system components.

• Digital music software

  SoundJam MP

  A digital-music application for which Casady & Greene served as the initial distributor. The software later became the basis for Apple's iTunes, connecting C&G's distribution activities with the development of a major consumer music platform.

• Font software · 1990

  Casady & Greene PostScript Fonts

  A consolidated package of the company's PostScript font offerings. Released for both Macintosh and PC in late 1990, it performed well and extended Casady & Greene's original typography business beyond its Macintosh-only beginnings.

• 2003

  Closure after the Mac OS X transitionStrategy

  Background

  The company faced the shift from classic Mac OS to Apple's Unix-based Mac OS X.

  Action taken

  Casady & Greene closed its operations on July 3, 2003.

  Aftermath

  Some titles were remade for Mac OS X, but the company did not complete a successful platform transition and its catalog was discontinued.

  Source

• 1990

  Consolidation of the PostScript font catalogStrategy

  Background

  The company sought to strengthen its typography business after games had been its main revenue source during the preceding period.

  Action taken

  Casady & Greene combined its PostScript font offerings into a single package for Macintosh and PC.

  Aftermath

  The consolidated package sold well, providing a successful cross-platform font product.

  Source

• 1988

  Greene, Inc. acquires CasadyWareM&A

  Background

  CasadyWare was available for sale because its font business was not generating enough sales, while Greene, Inc. needed continued access to CasadyWare's existing credit-card merchant account.

  Action taken

  Greene, Inc. purchased CasadyWare, dissolved itself, and retained CasadyWare as the surviving corporation, which was renamed Casady & Greene, Inc.

  Aftermath

  The transaction created a combined publisher with software, games, utilities, and font offerings.

  Source

1. 1Casady & Greeneen.wikipedia.org