Editing Muse Software (section)

== History ==
Muse Software was incorporated by Ed Zaron on August 1, 1978,<ref name ="Maryland Business Express">{{cite web |url=https://egov.maryland.gov/BusinessExpress/EntitySearch/BusinessInformation/D00917153 |title=MICRO USERS SOFTWARE EXCHANGE, INC.: D00917153 |website=[[Maryland Business Express]] |accessdate=October 8, 2017}}</ref> with Silas S. Warner becoming the first employee. Initially publishing games, the team also sold non-game software such as ''[[Super-Text]]'', a [[word processor]] written by Zaron, and ''[[Appilot]]'', a course-writing language written by Warner. Their original market was for the [[Apple II]], with their first programs sold on [[Compact audio cassette#Data recording|cassettes]], and later on [[floppy disk]]s. They expanded their software offerings for the [[Atari 8-bit computers]] and [[Commodore 64]], plus ported both ''Castle Wolfenstein'' games to the [[IBM Personal Computer|IBM PC]]. The company also ran a retail store on the corner of Charles Street and Mulberry Street in Baltimore, called "Muse Software and Computer Center," which was closed down in 1982.{{cn|date=June 2022}}

At its peak, Muse was making more than {{US$|2&nbsp;million|link=yes}} per year in sales. According to Zaron, the growth of Muse's sales was "extremely slow" because of a slump in the home computer software market. The company, which had about 40 employees at its peak in 1983, had shrunk down to just six prior to filing for [[Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 7 bankruptcy]] protection in 1985. Warner, who was leaving Muse to join [[MicroProse]], said the company had difficulty setting up a sales program because of the long-term illness of a key sales employee.{{cn|date=June 2022}} Muse Software was found to be in forfeiture on October 7, 1987.<ref name="Maryland Business Express" />

In 1992, [[id Software]] released ''[[Wolfenstein 3D]]'', based on Muse Software's ''[[Wolfenstein]]'' [[intellectual property]]. It brought the ''Wolfenstein'' brand to a much larger audience.{{cn|date=June 2022}}