Sierra
| |
| Sierra | |
| Type | Brand name owned by Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1979 (On-Line Systems) 1982 (Sierra On-Line) 1994 (Yosemite Entertainment) 2002 (Sierra Entertainment) (Yosemite Entertainment closed in 1999) (Sierra Entertainment closed in 2008) |
| Headquarters | Bellvue, Washington, U.S. |
| Key people | Ken Williams, founder Roberta Williams, founder |
| Industry | Video games |
| Products | Video games |
| Number of people | Not disclosed |
| Website | http://www.sierragames.com/ |
Sierra is a brand and publishing label owned by Microsoft.
On-Line Systems
Sierra was founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems in Simi Valley, California, by the husband and wife team of Ken Williams and Roberta Williams. They initially formed the company to develop and distribute graphic adventure games that were designed by Roberta and programmed by Ken.
Sierra On-Line
In 1982, the company was incorporated in Oakhurst, California as Sierra On-Line. It was named after the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the western United States. Roberta and Ken continued to make games, which were so successful that the company expanded to a point where, by the early 1990s, it became one of the largest publishers of computer games.
Yosemite Entertainment
Due to company growth, beginning in August 1993 and continuing into 1994, the key staff of Sierra On-Line moved to a larger building in Bellvue, Washington.
The staff that remained at the Oakhurst building became Yosemite Entertainment. In 1998, this division published games under the Sierra FX label.
Acquisition of Sierra On-Line by CUC International/Cedant Corporation
Sierra On-Line was sold to CUC International in 1996. In December 1997, CUC International merged with HFS Incorporated to become the Cendant Corporation.
Closure of Yosemite Entertainment
On April 16, 1998, it was revealed that CUC International fraudulently inflated its worth by $500 million USD in its 1996 and 1997 records. As a result of the accounting scandal, many divisions of Sierra On-Line, including Yosemite Entertainment, closed in 1999.
In September 1999, Codemasters established a North American division in Oakhurst, California. It moved into the former Yosemite Entertainment building and hired much of its staff.
Sierra On-Line becomes a division of Vivendi Universal
Cendant Corporation was sold to Havas S.A. in 1998. Later that year, Havas S.A. was acquired by Vivendi.
In June 2000, Vivendi, Seagram, and Canal Plus merged to become Vivendi Universal. Havas S.A. was renamed Vivendi Universal Publishing. This made Sierra On-Line a division of Vivendi Universal.
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra On-Line was renamed Sierra Entertainment in 2002 and the company was unincorporated in August 2004. However, it continued to operate as a division within Vivendi Universal.
Closure
Vivendi merged with Activision, forming Activision-Blizzard in 2008. After the merger, the entire Sierra Entertainment staff was laid off, and the Bellvue office was closed. In 2009, the Sierra label was retired.
Return of the Sierra label
Activision, which became an independent company in 2013 after they purchased Vivendi's share of the Activision Blizzard stock, brought the Sierra label back on August 7, 2014. The Sierra label was re-established to publish games developed by independent game developers, for both original games and games developed based on the Sierra game licenses.
Video games developed by On-Line Systems (1979-1982) owned by the WEC Museum
| Title | System | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mystery House | Apple II | 1980 | ADL adventure game. |
| Ulysses and the Golden Fleece | Apple II | 1980 | ADL adventure game. |
| Wizard and the Princess | Apple II | 1980 | ADL adventure game. |
Video games published by On-Line Systems (1979-1982) owned by the WEC Museum
| Title | Developer | System | Published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Softporn Adventure | Blue Sky Software | DOS | 1981 | This text adventure was remade into Leisure Suit Larry. |
Video games developed by Sierra On-Line (1982-2002) owned by the WEC Museum
Video games published by Sierra On-Line (1982-2002) owned by the WEC Museum
Video games published by Sierra FX (1998)
| Title | System | Published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police Quest: SWAT 2 | Windows | 1998 | 3D real-time tactics game. |
| Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire | Windows | 1998 | 3D adventure role-playing game. |
Video games published by Sierra Entertainment (2002-2009)
| Title | Developer | System | Published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half-Life 2 | Valve Software | Windows | 2004 | 3D first-person shooter. |
| SWAT 4 | Irrational Games | Windows | 2005 | 3D real-time tactics game. |
Video games published by Sierra (2014-2016)
| Title | Developer | System | Published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved | Lucid Games | Xbox One | 2014 | Shoot 'em up video game. |
| Shiftlings | Rock Pocket Games | Xbox One | 2015 | Puzzle platform game. |
| Velocity 2X | FuturLab | Xbox One | 2015 | Puzzle platform game. |
| King's Quest: The Complete Collection (digital) King's Quest: Adventures of Graham (retail) |
The Odd Gentlemen | Windows Xbox One |
2015-2016 | 3D episodic adventure game. |
