Editing PF.Magic (section)

==History==
PF.Magic was born out of a failed hardware venture with [[AT&T]] and [[Sega]] to build a [[Sega Genesis]] accessory called "The Edge", which was to allow for [[online multiplayer]] over telephone lines. AT&T pulled out of the venture due to the cost of the device, leaving the company with half their initial funding.<ref name=Gamasutra>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-replay-interviews-rob-fulop|last=Donovan|first=Tristan|date=March 23, 2011|title=The Replay Interviews: Rob Fulop|publisher=UBM|work=Gamasutra|access-date=March 16, 2024|archive-date=August 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210823234041/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134686/the_replay_interviews_rob_fulop.php|url-status=live}}</ref> The company's predecessor was Interactive Productions, a company Fulop had founded in Foster City after his stints at [[Atari, Inc.|Atari]] and [[Imagic]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wallis |first=Alistair |date=November 23, 2006 |title=Playing Catch Up: Night Trap's Rob Fulop |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/playing-catch-up-i-night-trap-i-s-rob-fulop |access-date=2023-09-02 |website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] |language=en |archive-date=2023-09-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902181724/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/playing-catch-up-i-night-trap-i-s-rob-fulop |url-status=live}}</ref>

With their hardware project cancelled, the company needed a new product to work on. Co-founder [[Rob Fulop]] saw the controversy generated by ''[[Night Trap]]'', a game he worked on, and wanted to make something that was the complete opposite of it. Fulop talked with a [[mall Santa]] who told him that the number one gift children requested for Christmas was still a puppy. After this conversation, the idea of doing a title about animals came about, resulting in ''Petz'', which was based on the graphics technology they previously used in ''Ballz''. ''Petz'' was an enormous success, became one of the company's flagship products and has been credited with popularizing [[virtual pet]]s.<ref name=Gamasutra />