Editing Ambrosia Software

{{Short description|Defunct American software company}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Ambrosia Software
| logo = New Ambrosia Software Logo.png
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| industry = [[Software industry|Software]], [[Video game industry|video games]]
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1993|08|18}}
| defunct = {{End date and age|2019|07|19}}{{Citation needed|date=September 2020}}
| location = [[Rochester, Monroe County, New York|Rochester]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Andrew Welch|Dominic Feira}}
| products = [[Shareware]] [[video game]]s and utilities
| revenue = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income = 
| num_employees = 
| parent = 
| subsid = 
| footnotes = 
| homepage = {{Official URL}}
}}

'''Ambrosia Software''' was a predominantly [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]] [[software]] and [[Mac gaming|gaming]] company founded in 1993 and located in [[Rochester, Monroe County, New York|Rochester]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[United States|U.S]]. Ambrosia Software was best known for its Macintosh remakes of older arcade games, which began with a 1992 version of [[Atari, Inc.]]'s ''[[Asteroids (video game)|Asteroids]]'' from 1979. The company also published utility software. Its products were distributed as [[shareware]]; demo versions could be downloaded and used for up to 30 days. Later the company released some products for [[iOS]]. Ambrosia's best-selling program was the utility Snapz Pro X,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://macslash.org/article.pl?sid=02/01/23/1836201&mode=archive |title=MacSlash Interview: Andrew Welch of Ambrosia |publisher=MacSlash (retrieved from the [[Internet Archive]]) |date=2002-01-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231193241/http://macslash.org/article.pl?sid=02%2F01%2F23%2F1836201&mode=archive |archive-date=2007-12-31 |access-date=2011-04-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[[Snapz Pro X|More information on Snapz Pro X]]</ref> according to a 2002 interview with company president Andrew Welch.

In 2017, customers reported on Ambrosia's Facebook page that attempts to contact the company were unsuccessful and they were unable to make new purchases.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/AmbrosiaSW/|title=Ambrosia Software|website=[[Facebook]]|access-date=6 February 2018}}</ref> As of July 2019, the website is offline. As of May 2021, the website resolves but leads to a domain parking page with ads unconnected to the company.

== History ==
The first game distributed under the Ambrosia Software name was ''[[Maelstrom (1992 video game)|Maelstrom]]'', a 1992 [[Video game remake|remake]] of the 1979 ''[[Asteroids (arcade game)|Asteroids]]'' arcade video game. It uses raster graphics similar in style to Atari's later ''[[Blasteroids]]'' (1987) and the Atari ST game ''Megaroids'' (1988).<ref>{{cite web |title=Megaroids |url=http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-megaroids_9945.html |website=Atari Mania}}</ref> Despite the concept being 13 years old at the time of release, ''Maelstrom'' was popular at a time when Macintosh action games were in short supply, and it won some software awards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macobserver.com/news/99/december/991208/maelstorm3code.html |title=Into the Maelstrom |access-date=2011-04-28 |date=1999-12-08 |publisher=The Mac Observer | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110608104639/http://www.macobserver.com/news/99/december/991208/maelstorm3code.html| archive-date= 8 June 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref>

''Ambrosia Software'' was incorporated August 18, 1993, by Andrew Welch after he graduated from the [[Rochester Institute of Technology]] in 1992.<ref name="rit">"Home-grown Ambrosia feeds software niche", Michael Saffran. In ''RIT: The University Magazine'',  Vol. 10, #1</ref> ''Maelstrom'' was followed by more action games, including  [[Apeiron (video game)|''Apeiron'']] (a remake of [[Centipede (arcade game)|''Centipede'']]), ''Swoop'' (a clone of ''[[Galaxian]]''), and ''Barrack'' (a clone of ''[[JezzBall]]''). In 1999, Cameron Crotty of ''[[Macworld]]'' wrote that "No other company has gotten so much mileage out of renovating mid-1980s arcade hits."<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Crotty|first1=Cameron|title=Mars Rising|url=http://www.macworld.com/article/1014755/marsRising.html|date=January 1999|journal=[[Macworld]]}}</ref>

Nearly all of the company's ten employees were laid off in 2013, but Welch denied rumors of the company closing.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Mathis|first1=Joel|date=April 11, 2013|title=Despite layoffs, Ambrosia says it's still in business|url=http://www.macworld.com/article/2033846/despite-layoffs-ambrosia-says-its-still-in-business.html|url-status=live|website=[[Macworld]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130415074254/http://www.macworld.com:80/article/2033846/despite-layoffs-ambrosia-says-its-still-in-business.html |archive-date=April 15, 2013 }}</ref> In late 2018, the company's last remaining employee announced that Ambrosia was officially shutting down operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lifeandtimes.games/episodes/files/pax-aus-19-ambrosia-sw-talk|title=Bonus: The Rise & Fall of Ambrosia Software, '90s Mac Legends - PAX Aus 2019 talk}}</ref>

== Products ==
=== Games ===
Ambrosia Software's games, in order of release:
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Games published by Ambrosia Software<ref>{{cite web|author = <!-- not stated -->|title = Products|url = http://www.ambrosiasw.com/support/faqs/products|website = Ambrosia Software|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150905095302/http://www.ambrosiasw.com/support/faqs/products|archive-date = September 5, 2015}}</ref>
|-
! Year !! Game !! Author !! Platform
|-
| 1992 || ''[[Maelstrom (1992 video game)|Maelstrom]]''{{efn|Compare to ''[[Asteroids (video game)|Asteroids]]''}} || Andrew Welch || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1994 || ''Chiral''{{efn|Compare to ''[[Atomino]]''<ref>{{cite newsgroup|title = Swoop, Ambrosia, and all|last = Powell|first = Trevor|date = May 5, 1995|newsgroup = comp.sys.mac.games|url = https://groups.google.com/g/comp.sys.mac.games/c/3GZm7vVsWPQ/m/pUioOHnniykJ|access-date = January 4, 2025|quote = I finally got a good look at Atomino shortly after Chiral's release, and there are a number of similarities (gameplay is very similar).. Still, I like to think that great minds think alike.
}}</ref>}} || Trevor Powell, Andrew Welch || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1995 || ''[[Apeiron (video game)|Apeiron]]''{{efn|Compare to ''[[Centipede (video game)|Centipede]]''}} || Andrew Welch || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1995 || ''Swoop''{{efn|Compare to ''[[Galaxian]]''<ref>{{cite web|last = Wareing|first = David|title = Why was Swoop written?|url = http://www.ambrosiasw.com/support/faqs/products/swoop/Why-was-Swoop-written|website = Ambrosia Software|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150909085715/http://www.ambrosiasw.com/support/faqs/products/swoop/Why-was-Swoop-written|archive-date = September 9, 2015|quote = I (David) grew up with Galaxian, Missile Command, Tempest and a few zillion other arcade games... Swoop was created in order to put a high quality game from the early '80s vertical shootemup genre on the Mac.}}</ref>}} || David Wareing || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1996 || ''Barrack''{{efn|Compare to ''[[Jezzball]]''<ref>{{cite web|last1=Salvador|first1=Phil|date=May 17, 2012|title=Barrack|url=https://obscuritory.com/arcade/barrack/|url-status=live|website=The Obscuritory|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150129021848/http://obscuritory.com:80/arcade/barrack/ |archive-date=January 29, 2015 }}</ref>}} || Greg Lovette || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1996 || ''[[Escape Velocity (video game)|Escape Velocity]]'' || Matt Burch || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1996 || ''[[Avara]]'' || Juri Munkki || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1996 || ''[[Bubble Trouble (1996 video game)|Bubble Trouble]]'' || Alex Metcalf, David Wareing || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1997 || ''Harry the Handsome Executive'' || Ben Spees || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1998 || ''[[Mars Rising]]'' || David Wareing || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1998 || ''[[Escape Velocity Override]]'' || Matt Burch, Peter Cartwright || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1998 || ''Slithereens'' || Jesse Liesch || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1999 || ''Cythera'' || Glenn Andreas || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1999 || ''[[Ares (computer game)|Ares]]'' || Nathan Lamont || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 1999 || ''[[Ferazel's Wand]]'' || Ben Spees || [[Classic Mac OS]]
|-
| 2001 || ''[[Pillars of Garendall]]'' || [[Beenox]] || [[Classic Mac OS]], [[OS X]]{{efn|name=PowerPC|[[PowerPC]] only}}, [[Windows]]
|-
| 2001 || ''[[Deimos Rising]]'' || Sheryn Wareing, David Wareing || [[Classic Mac OS]], [[OS X]]{{efn|name=PowerPC}}, [[Windows]]
|-
| 2002 || ''[[Coldstone (game engine)]]'' || [[Beenox]] || [[Classic Mac OS]], [[OS X]]{{efn|name=PowerPC}}
|-
| 2002 || ''[[Escape Velocity Nova]]'' || Matt Burch, ATMOS || [[Classic Mac OS]], [[OS X]], [[Windows]]
|-
| 2002 || ''[[Bubble Trouble (1996 video game)|Bubble Trouble X]]'' || Alex Metcalf, David Wareing || [[Classic Mac OS]], [[OS X]]
|-
| 2002 || ''pop-pop'' || Andrew Campbell || [[Classic Mac OS]], [[OS X]], [[Windows]]
|-
| 2003 || ''[[Uplink (computer game)|Uplink]]'' || [[Introversion Software]] || [[Classic Mac OS]], [[OS X]]
|-
| 2003 || ''Aki Mahjong Solitaire'' || Liquid Metal Software || [[OS X]]
|-
| 2004 || ''[[Apeiron (video game)|Apeiron X]]'' || Andrew Welch || [[Classic Mac OS]], [[OS X]]
|-
| 2005 || ''[[GooBall]]'' || [[Unity Technologies|Over the Edge Entertainment]] || [[OS X]]
|-
| 2005 || ''[[Darwinia (computer game)|Darwinia]]'' || [[Introversion Software]] || [[OS X]]
|-
| 2005 || ''[[El Ballo]]'' || ProRattaFactor || [[Classic Mac OS]], [[OS X]]{{efn|name=PowerPC}}
|-
| 2006 || ''[[Redline (Ambrosia Software game)|Redline]]'' || Jonas Echterhoff || [[OS X]]
|-
| 2006 || ''[[SketchFighter 4000 Alpha]]'' || Lars Gäfvert || [[OS X]]
|-
| 2007 || ''[[DEFCON (computer game)|DEFCON]]'' || [[Introversion Software]] || [[OS X]]
|-
| 2008 || ''Aki Mahjong Mobile'' || Kent Sutherland || [[iOS]]
|-
| 2008 || ''Mr. Sudoku'' || Tod Baudais || [[iOS]]
|-
| 2008 || ''mondo Solitaire'' || Glenn Andreas  || [[iOS]]
|-
| 2008 || ''mondo Top 5 Solitaire'' || Glenn Andreas || [[iOS]]
|-
| 2008 || ''[[Aquaria (computer game)|Aquaria]]'' || Bit Blot || [[OS X]]
|-
| 2009 || ''[[Multiwinia]]'' || [[Introversion Software]] || [[OS X]]
|-
| 2010 || ''Aki Mahjong for iPad'' || Jerome Knope || [[iOS]]
|-
| 2010 || ''Mr. Sudoku for iPad'' || Tod Baudais || [[iOS]]
|-
| 2010 || ''Mondo Solitaire for iPad'' || Glenn Andreas || [[iOS]]
|-
| 2010 || ''Mondo Top 5 Solitaire for iPad'' || Glenn Andreas || [[iOS]]
|-
| 2011 || ''Mondo Solitaire for Mac'' || Glenn Andreas || [[OS X]]{{efn|[[x86|Intel]] only}}
|-
| 2011 || ''HypnoBlocks'' || Lars Gäfvert || [[iOS]]
|}
{{notelist}}
Ambrosia, in conjunction with DG Associates, has also released the ''Escape Velocity Nova'' card-driven board game.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cohen|first=Peter|date=October 20, 2004|title=Ambrosia makes Darwinia and EV board game|url=https://www.macworld.com/article/172926/ambrosia-3.html|url-status=live|access-date=April 11, 2023|website=Macworld|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503221936/https://www.macworld.com/article/172926/ambrosia-3.html |archive-date=May 3, 2021 }}</ref>

=== Productivity software ===
Ambrosia Software's utilities, in order of release:
* Eclipse — [[Screen saver]] CDEV
* Big Cheese Key — FKey to mask screen image from boss.
* FlashWrite — Text editor [[Desk Accessory]]
* FlashWrite ][
* ColorSwitch — [[Menu bar]] item to change monitor color depth
* EasyEnvelopes — Envelope printing Desk accessory. Later a [[Mac OS X v10.4]] and [[Mac OS X v10.5]] [[Dashboard (Mac OS)|Dashboard]] widget.
* Snapz
* To Do!
* Oracle
* ColorSwitch Pro
* Snapz Pro — Screen capture application
* iSeek — Desktop search application
* Snapz Pro X — Mac OS X-compatible version of original
* WireTap Pro — Audio recording utility
* Screen Cleaner Pro — [[April Fool's]] joke
* Dragster — [[File transfer]] application
* iToner — [[iPhone]] custom ringtone transfer utility
* WireTap Studio — Audio recording, editing and master storage; won a 2007 "Eddy Award" from ''Macworld''
* WireTap Anywhere — professional virtual audio patchbay utility, enabling the recording of any Mac OS X application's audio output from within any Mac OS X audio application.
* Soundboard — Mac OS X Audio playback ("computerized cart machine")
* Big Cheese Key X — Mac OS X-compatible version of original

== Abandoned projects ==

In 1996, Ambrosia announced the development of a 3D horror-themed adventure game called ''Manse'' by Brian Barnes.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1 = Barnes|first1 = Brian|last2 = Welch|first2 = Andrew|title = Manse|url = https://docmaker.whpress.com/files/the-ambrosia-times-3-4/page10.html|magazine = The Ambrosia Times|volume = 3|issue = 4|date = July 1996|access-date = January 3, 2025}}</ref> It was demoed at [[Macworld Expo]] in 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine|last = Whong|first = Jason|title = In Development|url = http://ambrosiasw.com/Ambrosia_Times/July_98/WhatsNew.html|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20001008064725/http://ambrosiasw.com/Ambrosia_Times/July_98/WhatsNew.html|archive-date = October 8, 2000|department = What's New|magazine = The Ambrosia Times|volume = 5|issue = 4|date = July 1998|quote = We will be demoing the redesigned Manse engine at our booth.}}</ref>

In 2014, Tod Baudais claimed to be continuing work on a cancelled Ambrosia project called'' Goo Moo'',<ref>{{cite web|last = Baudais|first = Tod|date = September 3, 2014|title = DT3: Open Sourcing my Game Engine. Fourteen years of free time. Cross Platform (Tablets and Desktop) and Free. Used on 30-ish commercial projects so far.|url = https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/2fbkzr/dt3_open_sourcing_my_game_engine_fourteen_years/|website = [[Reddit]]|url-status = deviated|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140908073258/https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/2fbkzr/dt3_open_sourcing_my_game_engine_fourteen_years/|archive-date = September 8, 2014|access-date = January 3, 2025|quote = We did have a deal to do another game for them (GooMoo) but they went under before we finished. Eventually we'll get it done and release it!}}</ref> or ''Gooliens'', a game about a green alien blob that must grow in size in order to abduct cows.<ref>{{cite web|author = <!-- not stated -->|date = October 2013|title = Blogs away!|url = http://www.somegame.co/wordpress/|website = Some Game Company|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160205043011/http://www.somegame.co/wordpress/|archive-date = February 5, 2016|quote = For our first post, I’m going to give a basic introduction to our current game, Gooliens. The premise of the game is fairly simple. You’re an alien on a mission to abduct cows.}}</ref>

== Shareware policies ==
One of Ambrosia's founding [[mantras]] was that shareware software should not be distributed as [[crippleware]]. The company's software was released on the [[honor system]] with only a short reminder that you had used the unregistered software for "x" amount of time, creating what is commonly called [[nagware]].<ref name="matt_slot_tidbits_shareware">{{cite web |url=http://tidbits.com/article/6752 |title=The Plain Truth about Casual Software Piracy |publisher=[[TidBITS]] |author=Slot, Matt |date=2002-03-11 |access-date=2011-04-28}}</ref>

This policy was later changed and the company employed typical shareware [[Copyright infringement of software|piracy]] prevention measures,<ref name="ambrosia_times_cds_shareware"/> as well as more innovative ones such as used in the Escape Velocity line of games where the team's mascot, Hector the Parrot (known in-game as Cap'n Hector), would use her heavily armed ship to ceaselessly attack players of unregistered copies after the trial period had expired. Their software products therefore began to fall under the category of crippleware.<ref name="ambrosia_times_cds_shareware">{{cite web|author=Welch|first=Andrew|date=2000-01-22|title=Ambrosia Times: President's Letter: On CDs and Shareware|url=http://www.ambrosiasw.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=26&t=34016#|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050322153817/http://www.ambrosiasw.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=26&t=34016|archive-date=March 22, 2005|access-date=2011-04-28|publisher=Ambrosia Software}}</ref> Although the company no longer provides new expiring license codes, Ambrosia's founder Andrew Welch released Decoder Ring<ref name="macintoshgarden_decoder_ring">{{cite web|author=Welch|first=Andrew|date=2023-10-01|title=Decoder Ring|url=https://macintoshgarden.org/games/decoder-ring}}</ref> which allows anyone to generate new license codes.

Matt Slot has written about the factors that played into the policy change.<ref name="matt_slot_tidbits_shareware"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618111545/https://www.ambrosiasw.com/ |title=Official website}}
* [http://www.ambrosiaarchive.com The Ambrosia Archive] (a fan-run archive of Ambrosia Software installers)

{{Ambrosia Software}}

[[Category:American companies established in 1993]]
[[Category:American companies disestablished in 2019]]
[[Category:Ambrosia Software| ]]
[[Category:Companies based in Rochester, New York]]
[[Category:Macintosh software companies]]
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1993]]
[[Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2019]]
[[Category:Privately held companies based in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in New York (state)]]
[[Category:1993 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:2019 disestablishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Defunct software companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct computer companies based in New York (state)]]