Editing Gold Box (section)

===Licensing and development===
In the mid-1980s TSR, after seeing the success of the ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'' series and other [[computer role-playing game]]s (CRPGs), offered its popular ''[[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]]'' (''AD&D'') property to video game companies. Ten companies, including [[Electronic Arts]], ''Ultima'' creator [[Origin Systems]], and [[Sierra Entertainment]] applied for the license.<ref name="allen1">{{cite web | first=Allen | last=Rausch | date=2004-08-16 | title=SSI's "Gold Box" Series | url=http://au.gamespy.com/articles/539/539214p1.html | access-date=2009-01-02}}</ref><ref name="maher20160318">{{cite web | url=http://www.filfre.net/2016/03/opening-the-gold-box-part-3-from-tabletop-to-desktop/ | title=Opening the Gold Box, Part 3: From Tabletop to Desktop | publisher=The Digital Antiquarian | date=2016-03-18 | access-date=19 March 2016 | author=Maher, Jimmy}}</ref> [[Strategic Simulations, Inc.]] (SSI) president [[Joel Billings]] had, along with many other companies, earlier contacted TSR about licensing ''AD&D'', but TSR was not interested at that time. Although smaller and less technically advanced than other bidders, SSI unexpectedly won the license in 1987 because of its computerized wargaming experience, and instead of releasing a single ''AD&D'' game as soon as possible, the company proposed a broad vision of multiple series of games and spinoffs that might become as sophisticated as TSR's tabletop original.<ref name="allen1"/>{{r|maher20160318}}

After winning the ''AD&D'' license, the number of SSI's in-house developers increased from seven to 25, including the company's first full-time computer-graphic artists. TSR significantly participated in the games' development, including designing [[Ruins of Adventure|a tabletop module]] on which the first SSI game would be based. Using ''[[Wizard's Crown]]{{'}}s'' detailed combat system as a base for their work,{{r|maher20160318}} the development of the Gold Box engine and the original games was managed by SSI's [[Chuck Kroegel]]<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=G.M. The Independent Fantasy Roleplaying Magazine |publisher=Croftward |issue=1| volume=1 |date=September 1988| page=20| title=Advanced Dungeons & Dragons}}</ref> and [[George MacDonald (game designer)|George MacDonald]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Pool of Radiance Rule Book |publisher=A&a Printers and Lithographers |location=US |year=1988 |pages=29}}</ref> Later versions were led by Victor Penman<ref>{{cite book |title=Pools of Darkness Adventurer's Journal |publisher=American Lithographers |location=US |year=1991 |pages=1}}</ref> and Ken Humphries.<ref>{{cite book |title=Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed Log Book |publisher=American Lithographers |location=US |year=1992 |pages=1}}</ref>