Merchise

Merchise was a computer-software and game-development group formed around 1991 at the University of Las Villas, now commonly associated with the Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas in Santa Clara, Cuba. The group was initiated by engineer Medardo Rodriguez as a programming research team, while the name Merchise was proposed by co-founder Miguel Cepero and referred to a Mayan wizard deity. Rather than operating as a conventional commercial studio, Merchise brought together students and contributors from several university departments, including electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, and chemistry. Members worked during free time and night shifts, creating software, graphics, and interactive experiments. The group became known in Cuba for its unconventional approach to software and for its interest in video games at a time when games were treated with suspicion in many educational settings. Merchise sought to develop a local Cuban game-development niche and promoted free-thinking experimentation as part of its working culture. That ambition also contributed to tensions with prevailing institutional attitudes, and the group was eventually threatened with dissolution. Its early arcade project, Axthor, did not succeed, but the team gained stronger recognition through La Fortaleza: en las entrañas de la Bestia, a text-based role-playing game created by Miguel Cepero. The game received positive attention in Cuba and Mexico and led to further development within the group. Merchise subsequently worked on Fortaleza II, also known as La venganza de la bestia, and on Escape del Castillo de la Física, an educational point-and-click adventure designed to help students solve physics problems. By the end of 1994, Escape had attracted contributors from multiple university departments and received approval from university authorities. Physics teachers participated in the project, and the software was tested with children from different grades and schools. Its development helped demonstrate to institutional stakeholders that games could function as educational tools rather than merely recreational products. A significant technical achievement was Magister Ludi, Merchise's own engine and authoring tool. It was used to create the group's games and other interactive environments across university departments and served a role comparable to contemporary adventure-game development systems. The tool reflected Merchise's emphasis on building reusable technical infrastructure rather than producing isolated software projects. In 1995, Canadian software developer Oceanus Communications presented the group with an opportunity to pursue larger international projects. From approximately 1997 through 2003, many former Merchise members worked with Oceanus Communications in Ottawa, Ontario. This period produced projects involving web, mail, news, file-transfer, and browser integration; multiplayer games; and large-scale online simulations. Among the better-known projects were Skipper, Netris Kombat, and Legacy Online, previously known as Starpeace. Legacy Online was conceived as a persistent world-simulation game with city-building and massively multiplayer elements. Merchise itself was dismantled in 2003, although the work associated with its former members continued to have an afterlife. Legacy Online returned to operation in 2008 through fan involvement, with a small number of hosted worlds reported at that time. Merchise is therefore remembered primarily as an influential Cuban software and game-development experiment that connected university research, educational technology, independent game design, and later international online-software development.

Merchise emerged around 1991 at the University of Las Villas in Santa Clara, Cuba. Engineer Medardo Rodriguez created the group as a programming research team, while engineer Miguel Cepero proposed the Merchise name. The group was unusual in its composition: students from electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, and chemistry contributed code and graphics outside normal study hours. This cross-disciplinary structure encouraged experimentation in software, graphics, and interactive media. The group's ambitions included creating a Cuban market for video games. That goal was difficult in a setting where games were widely regarded as harmful and were restricted in schools. Merchise's willingness to explore games and other forms of free-thinking software made it institutionally controversial and contributed to attempts to dissolve the group. Its first major arcade effort, Axthor, was unsuccessful, but the text role-playing game La Fortaleza: en las entrañas de la Bestia received favorable attention in Cuba and Mexico. The project was followed by Fortaleza II, or La venganza de la bestia. Merchise's most important educational project was Escape del Castillo de la Física. The point-and-click adventure was designed around physics problems and drew participants from several departments. By late 1994, university authorities had approved the project, and physics teachers had joined the team. Trials with children from different grades and schools provided evidence that games could support learning. The group also created Magister Ludi, an internal engine and authoring system used for its games and for interactive environments developed across the university. In 1995, Canadian software company Oceanus Communications offered an opportunity to develop projects aimed at international markets. From roughly 1997 to 2003, many former Merchise members worked with Oceanus in Ottawa. Projects from this period included Skipper, which combined web, FTP, mail, news, and browsing functions; Netris Kombat, a networked Tetris-style game with weapons and defenses; and Legacy Online, formerly called Starpeace, a persistent online world-simulation project. Merchise was ultimately dismantled in 2003. Legacy Online later returned to a server in 2008 through fan involvement, preserving part of the group's software legacy after the original organization had ended.

• 2008

  Legacy Online is revived by fans

  [1]Merchiseen.wikipedia.org

  Fan involvement brings the former Starpeace project back to server operation.

• 2003

  Merchise is dismantled

  [1]Merchiseen.wikipedia.org

  The original Merchise group ceases to operate as an organization.

• 2000

  Legacy Online is released

  [1]Merchiseen.wikipedia.org

  The project formerly known as Starpeace is released as a persistent online world-simulation game.

• 1997

  Ottawa development period starts

  [1]Merchiseen.wikipedia.org

  Former Merchise members begin working with Oceanus Communications in Ottawa on online, Internet, and game projects.

• 1995

  Oceanus Communications collaboration begins

  [1]Merchiseen.wikipedia.org

  Oceanus Communications opens a route for Merchise members to pursue larger software projects and international markets.

• 1994

  Educational game development gains institutional support

  [1]Merchiseen.wikipedia.org

  Escape del Castillo de la Física receives university approval, incorporates physics teachers, and is tested with schoolchildren.

• 1991

  Merchise is established

  [1]Merchiseen.wikipedia.org

  Medardo Rodriguez forms a programming research group at the University of Las Villas in Santa Clara, Cuba.

An experimental, education-oriented Cuban software group combining university research, game development, interactive media, and online-system design.

• Arcade game

  Axthor

  An early two-dimensional arcade project developed by Merchise. It was stylistically compared with Another World but did not achieve the success the group hoped for.

• Text role-playing game

  La Fortaleza: en las entrañas de la Bestia

  A text-based role-playing game created by Miguel Cepero. Positive reviews in Cuba and Mexico helped establish Merchise's reputation and encouraged the development of additional games.

• Role-playing game

  Fortaleza II: La venganza de la bestia

  A follow-up to La Fortaleza developed during Merchise's early game-production period. It formed part of the group's effort to build a locally produced Cuban game portfolio.

• Educational point-and-click adventure

  Escape del Castillo de la Física

  An interactive adventure designed to teach and test physics concepts. The project used a visual game format, involved physics teachers, and was evaluated with children from multiple grades and schools.

• Game engine and authoring tool

  Magister Ludi

  Merchise's own development engine and authoring environment. It was used to build the group's games and other interactive environments across university departments.

• Internet integration software

  Skipper

  An Oceanus-era software project intended to integrate web browsing with FTP, email, and news functions.

• Multiplayer computer game

  Netris Kombat

  A networked game based on the Tetris formula, enhanced with multiplayer functionality and weapons or defensive mechanics.

• Massively multiplayer world simulation game · 2000

  Legacy Online

  A persistent online simulation project formerly known as Starpeace. It was conceived as a large-scale world and city-management environment and later received limited fan-supported hosting.

• 1995

  Pursue international development through Oceanus CommunicationsStrategy

  Background

  After building experience in Cuban university software and games, Merchise received an opportunity to work with a Canadian developer on larger projects.

  Action taken

  Members of the group entered a collaboration with Oceanus Communications, eventually relocating much of the activity to Ottawa.

  Aftermath

  The collaboration produced Internet, multiplayer, and online-world projects, but the original Merchise group was dismantled in 2003.

  Source

• 1994

  Use games as a physics-education toolStrategy

  Background

  Merchise needed to demonstrate that game development could have educational value in an environment where games were often viewed negatively.

  Action taken

  The group built Escape del Castillo de la Física with physics teachers and tested it with children from different grades and schools.

  Aftermath

  The project was approved by university authorities and provided evidence that interactive games could support teaching.

  Source

1. 1Merchiseen.wikipedia.org