Editing MicroProse (section)

===Under Spectrum HoloByte (1993–1998)===
In December 1993, following [[Black Wednesday]] in the UK, MicroProse Software Inc. merged with [[Spectrum HoloByte]], another game company that specialized in simulation games, to form MicroProse Inc.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Spectrum + MicroProse = MicroProse Inc.|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=56|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=March 1994|page=186}}</ref> Bill Stealey, who was good friends with Spectrum HoloByte president [[Gilman Louie]], convinced Louie to help MicroProse as Stealey was afraid that some bank would not understand the company culture. MicroProse UK was forced to close its two satellite studios of MicroProse in northern England and dispose of over 40 staff at its [[Chipping Sodbury]] head office (Microprose Chipping Sodbury). A core group of artists, designers, and programmers left MicroProse UK to join [[Psygnosis]], which opened an office in [[Stroud]] specifically to attract ex-MicroProse employees. In 1994, Stealey departed MicroProse and Spectrum HoloByte agreed to buy out his shares. He later commented, "Spectrum Holobyte had a lot of cash and very few products. Microprose had a lot of products and no cash. It was a great marriage, but the new company only needed one chairman, so I resigned."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Interactive Magic |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=21 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=September 1996|pages=109–110}}</ref> Stealey went on to found an independent game company [[Interactive Magic]] (also specializing in vehicle simulators and strategy games), while [[Andy Hollis]] departed for [[Origin Systems]], and [[Sandy Petersen]] joined [[id Software]].

Spectrum Holobyte managed to line up licenses, including ''[[Top Gun]]'' (''[[Top Gun: Fire At Will]]''), ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' (''[[Magic: The Gathering (MicroProse)|Magic: The Gathering]]''), ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' (''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity|A Final Unity]]'', ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation: Birth of the Federation|Birth of the Federation]]'', ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation: Klingon Honor Guard|Klingon Honor Guard]]'') and ''[[MechWarrior (video game series)|MechWarrior]]'' (''[[MechCommander]]'', ''[[MechWarrior 3]]''). Strategy game ''[[UFO: Enemy Unknown]]'' proved to be an unanticipated hit in 1994, spawning multiple sequels. In 1996, Spectrum HoloByte/MicroProse bought out [[Simtex]], earlier a developer of MicroProse-published bestsellers ''[[Master of Orion]]'' and ''[[Master of Magic]]''. Simtex was re-branded as MicroProse Texas (''[[Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares]]''), based in [[Austin, Texas]]. Other MicroProse developed and/or published games during that period included ''[[7th Legion (video game)|7th Legion]]'', ''[[Addiction Pinball]]'', ''[[AEGIS: Guardian of the Fleet]]'', ''[[Civilization II]]'', ''[[Dark Earth (video game)|Dark Earth]]'', ''[[F-15 Strike Eagle III]]'', ''[[Fleet Defender]]'', ''[[Grand Prix 2]]'', ''[[Pizza Tycoon]]'', ''[[Sid Meier's Colonization]]'', ''[[Tinhead (video game)|Tinhead]]'', ''[[Transport Tycoon]]'', ''[[X-COM: Apocalypse]]'', ''[[X-COM: Interceptor]]'' and ''[[X-COM: Terror from the Deep]]''. Insufficient financial resources largely prevented MicroProse from developing games for other game platforms, therefore MicroProse concentrated on the [[PC game]] market.<ref name="habrobuysmicroprose">{{cite news| url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1998/08/13/BU104878.DTL |title=Hasbro Buying Alameda's MicroProse |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080428233122/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fchronicle%2Farchive%2F1998%2F08%2F13%2FBU104878.DTL |archive-date=April 28, 2008 |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]}}</ref>

MicroProse Software continued as separate subsidiary company under Spectrum HoloByte until 1996. That year, Spectrum HoloByte started cutting a majority of the MicroProse staff to reduce costs. Soon after, it consolidated all of its titles under the MicroProse brand (essentially renaming itself MicroProse). MicroProse's remaining co-founder Sid Meier, along with [[Jeff Briggs]] and [[Brian Reynolds (game designer)|Brian Reynolds]], departed the company after the staff cut, forming a new company named [[Firaxis Games]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/1997/07/25/sid.html |title=Sid starts up. Again |work=Forbes |date=July 25, 1997 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025014949/http://www.forbes.com/1997/07/25/sid.html |archive-date=October 25, 2012 }}</ref>

On October 5, 1997, [[GT Interactive]] announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire MicroProse for $250 million in stock. The deal was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of both companies. After the announcement MicroProse's stock price reached $7 a share. GT Interactive expected the deal to be completed by the end of that year.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1997_Oct_5/ai_19817403 "GT Interactive to Expand as World's Fastest Growing Interactive Entertainment Company Through Acquisition of MicroProse"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120709232442/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1997_Oct_5/ai_19817403 |date=July 9, 2012 }} from BNET Research Center</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F03E6DB103DF935A35753C1A961958260 |title=$250 Million Stock Deal for Microprose |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210231550/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F03E6DB103DF935A35753C1A961958260 |archive-date=February 10, 2009  |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 6, 1997 |url-access=limited|last1=Jones |first1=Dow }}</ref> The acquisition was canceled on December 5, as according to both CEOs "the time is simply not right" for the deal. MicroProse's stock plummeted to just $2.31 after the announcement of the deal's cancellation,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9404E5DD1E3DF935A35751C1A961958260 |title=Company News; Microprose And Gt Interactive End Merger Talks |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211072035/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9404E5DD1E3DF935A35751C1A961958260 |archive-date=February 11, 2009  |newspaper=The New York Times |date=December 6, 1997 |url-access=limited|last1=Jones |first1=Dow }}</ref> and the company had estimated losses of $7–10 million during the third quarter of 1997 which are largely attributed to dislocations caused by the aborted merger.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Unhappy Holidays |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=38|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=February 1998|page=26}}</ref> According to ''Computer Gaming World'', the merger was annulled due to a "fundamental" disagreement over how the joint company would be writing off its research and development costs, as MicroProse insisted to keep their method of paying off the developer immediately.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Computer Gaming World |title=Near Total Annihilation? |issue=164 |date=March 1998 |page=40 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gaming_World_Issue_164/page/n43/mode/1up}}</ref>

In November 1997, MicroProse was sued by both [[Avalon Hill]] (who had the U.S. publishing rights to the name ''[[Civilization (series)|Civilization]]'')<ref name="fah">[http://www.gis.net/~pldr/fah.html The Fall of Avalon Hill] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203105143/http://www.gis.net/~pldr/fah.html |date=February 3, 2013 }} from Academic Gaming Review</ref> and Activision for [[copyright infringement]]. MicroProse responded by buying Hartland Trefoil, which was the original designer and manufacturer of the [[Civilization (1980 board game)|''Civilization'' board game]], and then sued Avalon Hill and Activision for trademark infringement and unfair business practices as a result of Activision's decision to develop and publish ''Civilization'' video games.<ref name="hartland trefoil">{{cite web|url=http://www.mimgames.com/tga/tgg/misc/microprose.shtml |title=MicroProse Buys out Hartland Trefoil |publisher=Mimgames |access-date=July 31, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209092936/http://www.mimgames.com/tga/tgg/misc/microprose.shtml |archive-date=February 9, 2012 }}</ref> Because [[Hasbro]] was negotiating the acquisition of both Avalon Hill and MicroProse, the lawsuits were settled in July 1998. Under the terms of the settlement MicroProse became the sole owner of the rights of the name ''Civilization'' and Activision acquired a license to publish a ''Civilization'' video game which was later titled ''[[Civilization: Call to Power]]''.<ref name="fah" /><ref name="MICROPROSE-INC-Aug-1998-10-Q">{{cite web |url=http://edgar.secdatabase.com/1199/104746998030753/filing-main.htm |title=MICROPROSE INC, Form 10-Q, Quarterly Report, Filing Date Aug 12, 1998 |publisher=secdatabase.com |access-date=May 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515112231/http://edgar.secdatabase.com/1199/104746998030753/filing-main.htm |archive-date=May 15, 2018 |url-status=live  }}</ref>