Editing Bullfrog Productions (section)

=== Background, founding, and early years (1982–1989) ===
{{See also|Peter Molyneux#Early career}}
[[File:Peter Molyneux - Game Developers Conference 2010 (2).jpg|upright=0.7|thumb|left|Peter Molyneux, co-founder of Bullfrog Productions, in 2010]]
In 1982, entrepreneur Peter Molyneux met Les Edgar at an audio electronics shop called PJ Hi-Fi.<ref name="ChairPM">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |location=Bournemouth |issn=1742-3155 |title=In The Chair With Peter Molyneux |pages=82–89 |issue=71}}</ref> When Molyneux left the company where he was working, Edgar suggested that they start a new one,<ref name="ChairPM"/><ref name="Legend">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/petermolyneux/index.html |title=GameSpot Presents Legends of Game Design: Peter Molyneux |last=Dulin |first=Ron |work=[[GameSpot]] |access-date=26 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050830100952/http://www.gamespot.com/features/petermolyneux/index.html |archive-date=30 August 2005}}</ref> which would later develop business software for the [[Commodore 64]] as Taurus Impact Systems (also known as Taurus Software).<ref name="Progress"/><ref name="Legend"/> The new company was named after Molyneux and Edgar's shared [[astrological sign]], the [[Taurus (astrology)|Taurus]].<ref name="Progress"/> At some point, Molyneux accepted a deal to export money systems to Switzerland and baked beans to the Middle East.<ref name="ChairPM"/>

One day, Taurus received a call from the head of [[Commodore International|Commodore]] Europe, wanting to discuss the future of the [[Amiga]] and Taurus' software's suitability for the system.<ref name="ChairPM" /><ref name="Legend"/> Molyneux was invited to Commodore Europe's headquarters, where he was offered several Amiga systems and a space at a show in Germany.<ref name="ChairPM"/><ref name="Legend"/> When Molyneux was told that they were anticipating getting his network running on the Amiga, he realised that they had mistaken his company for one called Torus, a producer of networking systems.<ref name="ChairPM" /><ref name="Legend"/> Molyneux wanted the Amiga systems, so he did not inform Commodore of this error.<ref name="Legend"/> He received them and began writing a database program called Acquisition.<ref name="ChairPM"/> Commodore kept asking about the database, and Molyneux gave them excuses because they were threatening to shut Taurus down.<ref name="ChairPM"/> When Acquisition was finished, it was shown at the exhibition in Germany, and won product of the year. 2,000 copies were sold to a company in the United States, giving Molyneux and Edgar funds to sustain Taurus.<ref name="ChairPM"/>

Another program Taurus wrote was a [[computer-aided design]] (CAD) package called X-CAD.<ref name="Progress">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[The One (magazine)|The One]] |publisher=[[Ascential|EMAP]] |title=Work In Progress Bullfrog |issue=12 |date=September 1989 |pages=24–28 |issn=0955-4084 |url=https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-12/page/n23/mode/2up |access-date=8 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170319081815/https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-12 |archive-date=19 March 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> They knew the Amiga was becoming a gaming machine, and a friend of Molyneux's asked him to convert ''Druid II: Enlightenment'' from the Commodore 64 to the Amiga.<ref name="ChairPM" /> According to Edgar, it was around this time Bullfrog was founded in preparation for the day when Acquisition was no longer important and they could focus on games.<ref name="History">{{cite web |title=Bullfrog Productions: A History Of The Legendary UK Developer |url=https://www.nowgamer.com/bullfrog-productions-a-history-of-the-legendary-uk-developer/ |website=NowGamer |access-date=11 June 2017 |date=22 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706050106/https://www.nowgamer.com/bullfrog-productions-a-history-of-the-legendary-uk-developer/ |archive-date=6 July 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bullfrog was originally a brand of Taurus; Molyneux explained that this was because they wanted to avoid confusion over business software and money-making opportunities.<ref name="ChairPM" />

The name came from an ornament of a bullfrog located in the office:<ref name="Progress"/> when asked by ''[[Joystick (magazine)|Joystick]]'' why the name "Bullfrog" was chosen, Molyneux stated that they wanted "an idiotic name" without having to find one, and there happened to be a sculpture of a colourful frog on a pedestal labelled "Bull Frog by Leonardo" on the table.<ref name="JSBullfrog">{{cite magazine |magazine=Joystick |date=October 1993 |pages=85, 86 |title=Bullfrog Entretien Avec Peter Molyneux : Créateur, Programmeur Et Co-fondateur De Bullfrog|trans-title=Interview With Peter Molyneux : Creator, Programmer And Co-founder Of Bullfrog |issue=42 |language=fr}}</ref> Afterwards, Molyneux and Edgar were running out of money, and Edgar suggested they close the company down.<ref name="ChairPM"/> It was at this point when Molyneux came up with the idea of ''[[Populous (video game)|Populous]]''.<ref name="ChairPM"/> The conversion of ''Druid II: Enlightenment'', ''Populous'', and a [[shoot 'em up]] game called ''[[Fusion (video game)|Fusion]]'' were the first games developed under the Bullfrog brand.<ref name="History"/>