Editing MicroProse (section)

====1990s====
In the early 1990s, MicroProse released the strategy games ''[[Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon]]'' and ''[[Civilization (video game)|Sid Meier's Civilization]]'', designed by Meier and developed by its internal division, MPS Labs, on multiple platforms. Critically acclaimed, both of them quickly became two of the bestselling strategy games of all time and spawned multiple sequels. Some of MicroProse's simulation games from the 1980s received [[video game remake|remakes]] in the early 1990s, such as ''[[Night Hawk: F-117A Stealth Fighter 2.0]]'', ''[[Silent Service II]]'' and ''[[Gunship 2000]]'', and made some first cautious attempts to expand into the console market with ''[[F-117A Stealth Fighter]]'' and ''[[Super Strike Eagle]]'' (MicroProse also ported several of their titles to the 16- and 32-bit consoles during the mid-1990s). Brand new simulation and strategy titles included ''[[1942: The Pacific Air War]]'', ''[[Dogfight (video game)|Dogfight]]'', ''[[Fields of Glory]]'', ''[[Formula One Grand Prix (video game)|Formula One Grand Prix]]'', ''[[Harrier Jump Jet (video game)|Harrier Jump Jet]]'', ''[[Knights of the Sky]]'', ''[[Starlord (video game)|Starlord]]'', ''[[Subwar 2050]]'' and ''[[Task Force 1942]]''.

MicroProse attempted to diversify beyond its niche roots as a sim and strategy game company, looking for opportunities into the arcade game industry. MicroProse designed further action-strategy titles such as ''[[Sid Meier's Covert Action|Covert Action]]'' (also designed by Sid Meier) and ''[[Hyperspeed]]'', and experimented with the [[Role-playing video game|role-playing]] genre by developing ''[[BloodNet]]'' and ''[[Darklands (video game)|Darklands]]'' (in addition to publishing ''[[The Legacy: Realm of Terror]]''). The company invested a large sum of money to create its [[arcade game]] division as well as their own [[Graphic adventure game|graphic adventure]] [[game engine]]. Meier felt that Stealey was taking the company in a risky direction, and the two could not work out their differences.  Meier opted to quietly sell Stealey his share of the company but remained on in the same apparent role for all other purposes to the rest of the staff and their customers to allow Stealey to proceed in this direction.<ref name="pcgamesn meier memoir">{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamesn.com/sid-meiers-memoir-civilization | title = An excerpt from Sid Meier's Memoir! on the making of Civilization | first = Richard | last = Scott-Jones | date = September 1, 2020 | access-date = September 26, 2020 | work = [[PCGamesN]] | archive-date = September 19, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200919020135/https://www.pcgamesn.com/sid-meiers-memoir-civilization | url-status = live }}</ref>

The arcade division did not perform well, and was canceled after making only two games: ''F-15 Strike Eagle: The Arcade Game'' and ''Battle of the Solar System'' (both of which featured high-end 3D graphics but failed to become popular as they were too different from existing machines), while the adventure game engine was used for just three games: ''[[Rex Nebular and the Cosmic Gender Bender]]'', ''[[Return of the Phantom]]'' and ''[[Dragonsphere]]'', before it was sold off to [[Sanctuary Woods]].{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

In August 1991, MicroProse filed for an [[initial public offering]]. The company hoped to raise $18 million to help repay debts from its unsuccessful arcade games.<ref name="cgw199111">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=88 |title=MicroProse Files for Initial Public Offering |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=November 1991 |issue=88 |access-date=November 18, 2013 |pages=12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202225217/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=88 |archive-date=December 2, 2013 }}</ref>  In 1992 MicroProse acquired [[Paragon Software]].<ref name="cgw199210">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=99 |title=MicroProse Acquires Paragon Software |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=October 1992 |issue=99 |access-date=July 4, 2014 |pages=16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702235549/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1992&pub=2&id=99 |archive-date=July 2, 2014 }}</ref> It also acquired [[Leeds]]-based flight simulation developer [[Vektor Grafix]],<ref>"MicroProse buys Vektor Grafix", ''Computer Business Review Online''</ref> which had already developed titles for them (such as ''[[B-17 Flying Fortress (video game)|B-17 Flying Fortress]]''), turning it into a satellite development studio named MicroProse Leeds.