Editing Imagic

{{short description|American video game company}}
{{for-multi|the company formerly known as iMagic|IEntertainment Network}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Imagic
| logo = Imagic logo.svg
| type = [[Private company|Private]]
| foundation = 1981
| defunct = 1986
| fate = [[Liquidation]]
| location_city = [[Los Gatos, California]]
| location_country = [[United States]]
| location = 
| key_people = Bill Grubb<br />Dennis Koble<br />Bob Smith<br /> [[Rob Fulop]]
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| products = 
| revenue = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income = 
| num_employees = 
| homepage = 
}}

'''Imagic''' ({{IPAc-en|ɪ|ˈ|m|æ|dʒ|ɪ|k}} {{respell|i|MA|jik}}) was an American [[video game developer]] and [[video game publisher|publisher]] that created games initially for the [[Atari 2600]]. Founded in 1981 by [[corporate alumni]] of [[Atari, Inc.]] and Mattel, its best-selling titles were ''[[Atlantis (video game)|Atlantis]]'', ''[[Cosmic Ark]]'', and ''[[Demon Attack]]''.<ref name="daaa">{{Cite web |title=Demon Attack |url=http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=134 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015094507/http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=134 |archive-date=2012-10-15 |access-date=2007-04-09 |publisher=Atari Age}}</ref> Imagic also released games for [[Intellivision]], [[ColecoVision]], [[Atari 8-bit computers]], [[TI-99/4A]], [[IBM PCjr]], [[VIC-20]], [[Commodore 64]], [[TRS-80 Color Computer]], and [[Magnavox Odyssey²]]. Their Odyssey² ports of ''Demon Attack'' and ''Atlantis'' were the only [[Third-party developer|third-party]] releases for that system in America. The company never recovered from the [[video game crash of 1983]] and was liquidated in 1986.

==History==
Imagic was the second third-party publisher for the Atari 2600, formed after [[Activision]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Classic Gaming Expo Distinguished Guest: Alan Miller |url=http://www.cgexpo.com/bios/amiller.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208143935/http://www.cgexpo.com/bios/amiller.htm |archive-date=February 8, 2012 |access-date=2006-08-30 |website=Classic Gaming Expo}}</ref> Founders included Bill Grubb, Bob Smith, [[Rob Fulop]], and Denis Koble from [[Atari, Inc.]],<ref name="rfgam">{{Cite web |title=Playing Catch Up: Night Trap's Rob Fulop |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=11832 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070108225158/http://gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=11832 |archive-date=January 8, 2007 |access-date=2007-04-09 |website=[[Gamasutra]] |publisher=CMP}}</ref> Jim Goldberger, Dave Durran and [[Brian P. Dougherty|Brian Dougherty]] from [[Mattel]]<ref name="Atlantis">{{Cite episode |year=1982 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhy0bs_7eGA |title=The Making of Atlantis |series=Enterprise |network=[[PBS]] |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> as well as Pat Ransil<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NbOw1eAbgk&t=17s |title=Just Kidding TV Show - The Making of Imagic's Wing War |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> and Gary Kato.

Grubb previously served as the vice president of sales and marketing for Atari for 18 months.<ref name="nyt1">{{Cite news |last=Hayes |first=Thomas C. |date=22 November 1982 |title=Imagic Scores in Video Games |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/22/business/imagic-scores-in-video-games.html |access-date=29 January 2014 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Before that, he was with the marketing department at [[Black and Decker]] for 11 years.<ref name="atarihq1">{{Cite web |last=Grubb |first=Bill |last2=Koble |first2=Dennis |date=January 1983 |title=Video Games Interview: Bill Grubb and Dennis Koble |url=http://www.atarihq.com/othersec/library/imagic.html |access-date=29 January 2014 |website=Video Games Magazine |publisher=Atari HQ}}</ref> It was Grubb's goal to take Imagic public<ref name="Atlantis" /> and to eventually overtake [[Activision]] as the number one third-party video game publisher.<ref name="atarihq1" /> Fulop, meanwhile, was previously a programmer at Atari, and claimed in a 2019 interview with ''Paleotronic Magazine'' that he left the company in favor of Imagic after being paid for developing the [[Atari 2600]] port of ''[[Missile Command]]'' with a [[Safeway]] coupon for a free turkey rather than the monetary Christmas bonus he had expected.<ref name="Paleotronic 2019">{{Cite web |date=29 March 2019 |title=An Interview with Atari 2600 Developer and Imagic Co-Founder Rob Fulop |url=https://paleotronic.com/2019/03/29/an-interview-with-atari-2600-developer-and-imagic-co-founder-rob-fulop/ |access-date=5 February 2024 |website=Paleotronic Magazine |ref=Paleotronic 2019}}</ref>

Atari sued Imagic over ''Demon Attack'' because of its resemblance to ''[[Phoenix (1980 video game)|Phoenix]]'',<ref name="dareview">{{Cite web |last=Nobles |first=Ethan C. |date=February 19, 2002 |title=Demon Attack: This Game Is Pure Imagic! |url=http://www.ataritimes.com/article.php?showarticle=224 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061025043822/http://www.ataritimes.com/article.php?showarticle=224 |archive-date=2006-10-25 |access-date=2007-04-10 |website=Atari Times}}</ref> to which Atari had the exclusive home-version rights. The case was settled out of court.

Despite initial success and sales greater than projections, the company's fortunes reversed after the stock market dumped videogame stocks in late 1982, scuttling Imagic's initial plan to become a publicly traded company.<ref name="Atlantis" />

==Fan club==
During its height, Imagic ran a fan club for their games, the Numb Thumb Club, which published an annual newsletter.<ref name="nt">{{Cite web |title=Imagic Titles for Intellivision |url=http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/credits/imagic.shtml |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208104806/http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/credits/imagic.shtml |archive-date=2006-12-08 |access-date=2007-04-09 |website=Intellivision Lives |publisher=Intellivision Productions}}</ref> Only two issues were published before Imagic's decline began in late 1983.<ref name="nt" />

==Decline==
Although Imagic grew quickly in its early years, it was irreparably harmed by the [[video game crash of 1983]]. It released 24 games before going out of business by 1986, but the exact time it disbanded is unknown. In 1983, the company laid off 40 of their 170 employees<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 17, 1983 |title=Imagic Layoffs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/09/17/business/imagic-layoffs.html |page=34 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> but appeared at the 1984 [[Consumer Electronics Show]] with plans for four [[IBM PCjr]] games.<ref name="cook19840306">{{Cite news |last=Cook |first=Karen |date=1984-03-06 |title=Jr. Sneaks PC into Home |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZhoP0KRkQe4C&pg=PA35 |access-date=24 October 2013 |work=[[PC Magazine]] |pages=35 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> The rights to Imagic's most popular titles have been owned by [[Activision]] since the late 1980s,{{Citation needed|date=May 2017}} and they have been re-released on several occasions.

==Games==
{{More citations needed section|date=August 2020}}
Imagic 2600 cartridges were distinct from both Activision and Atari cartridges with an extended ridge at the top of the cart.  Packaging was distinctive due to the use of reflective silver on the boxes, with a tapered, ridged end intended for an easy grip. The years are for the original versions only, not subsequent ports.

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:left;"
|-
! style="min-width: 100px;" |Title 
! style="min-width: 70px;" |Released 
! style="min-width: 150px;"|Platform
|-

|''[[Atlantis (video game)|Atlantis]]''
| 1982
| Atari 2600, Intellivision, Vic-20 (1983), Atari 8-bit (1983), Odysssey 2 (1983)
|-

|''[[Cosmic Ark]]''
| 1982
| Atari 2600
|-

|''[[Demon Attack]]''
| 1982
| Atari 2600, Intellivision, Atari 8-bit (1983), Odyssey 2 (1983), Vic-20 (1983), TI-99/4A (1983), IBM PC (1984), TRS-80 CoCo (1984), Commodore 64 (1984)
|-

|''[[Dragonfire (video game)|Dragonfire]]''
| 1982
| Atari 2600, Intellivision, Vic-20 (1983), ZX Spectrum (1984), TRS-80 CoCo (1984) Colecovision (1984), Commodore 64 (1984), Apple II (1984)
|-

|''[[Fire Fighter (video game)|Fire Fighter]]''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Atari 2600 VCS Fire Fighter : Scans, Dump, Download, Screenshots, Ads, Videos, Catalog, Instructions, ROMs |url=http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-2600-vcs-fire-fighter_7648.html |website=AtariMania.com}}</ref>
| 1982
| Atari 2600
|-

| ''[[Beauty & the Beast (1982 video game)|Beauty & the Beast]]''
| 1982
| Intellivision
|-

| ''[[Microsurgeon (video game)|Microsurgeon]]''
| 1982
| Intellivision, IBM PC (1984), TI-99/4A (1984)
|-

| ''[[Riddle of the Sphinx (Atari 2600)|Riddle of the Sphinx]]''
| 1982
| Atari 2600
|-

| ''Swords & Serpents''<ref name="nt" />
| 1982
| Intellivision
|-

| ''[[Star Voyager (Atari 2600)|Star Voyager]]''
| 1982
| Atari 2600
|-

| ''Trick Shot''
| 1982
| Atari 2600
|-

| ''[[Dracula (1983 video game)|Dracula]]''<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 1983 |title=Availability Update |magazine=[[Computer Entertainer|The Video Game Update]] |volume=2 |issue=1 |p=4}}</ref>
| 1983
| Intellivision
|-

| ''Fathom''
| 1983
| Atari 2600, Intellivision
|-

| ''Ice Trek''
| 1983
| Intellivision
|-

| ''Laser Gates''
| 1983
| Atari 2600
|-

| ''Moonsweeper''<ref name="holyoak19840530">{{Cite news |last=Holyoak |first=Craig |date=May 30, 1984 |title=Here Are ColecoVision's Jewels |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PqZNAAAAIBAJ&pg=7081%2C6575510 |access-date=10 January 2015 |work=[[Deseret News]] |pages=4 WV |via=[[Google News]]}}</ref>
| 1983
| Atari 2600, Colecovision, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, MSX, TI-99/4A
|-

| ''[[No Escape!]]''
| 1983
| Atari 2600
|-

| ''Nova Blast''
| 1983
| Intellivision, Colecovision, Commodore 64 (1984)
|-

| ''[[Quick Step (video game)|Quick Step]]''
| 1983
| Atari 2600
|-

| ''Safecracker''
| 1983
| Intellivision
|-

| ''Shootin' Gallery''
| 1983
| Atari 2600
|-

| ''Solar Storm''
| 1983
| Atari 2600
|-

| ''Subterranea''
| 1983
| Atari 2600
|-

| ''Tropical Trouble''
| 1983
| Intellivision
|-

| ''Truckin'<nowiki/>''
| 1983
| Intellivision
|-

| ''White Water!''
| 1983
| Intellivision
|-

|''Wing War''
| 1983
| Atari 2600, Colecovision (1984), TI-99/4A (1984)
|-

| ''[[Chopper Hunt]]'', formerly ''Buried Bucks'' from [[ANALOG Computing#analog software|ANALOG Software]]
| 1984
| Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64
|-

| ''[[Injured Engine]]''
| 1984
| Commodore 64, Apple ii
|-

| ''Touchdown Football''
| 1984
| IBM PC, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, Atari 7800
|-

| ''Tournament Tennis''
| 1984
| Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Colecovision, MS-DOS (1985), Atari ST (1985), Amstrad CPC (1985), Sinclair QL (1985), Thompson TO (1985)
|-

|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Atari 2600}}

[[Category:Atari 2600]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1981]]
[[Category:Video game companies disestablished in 1986]]
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in the San Francisco Bay Area]]