Difference between revisions of "Software Creations"

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{{Infobox Company
 
{{Infobox Company
| Name        = Software Creations, Ltd.
+
| Name        = Software Creations, Ltd.
| Founded      = 1987
+
| Image        = Software Creations - 05.png
| Headquarters = Manchester, Greater Manchester, England
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| Founded      = 1987
| Website      =  
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| Headquarters = Manchester, Greater Manchester, England
 +
| Aliases      = Acclaim Studios Manchester
 +
| Website      =  
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
:''Not to be confused with [[Software Creations (USA)]].''
 
:''Not to be confused with [[Software Creations (USA)]].''
  
'''''Software Creations, Ltd.''''' was a British game developer founded by [[Mike Webb]] and Richard Kay. The company was known for developing arcade, movie, TV and comic tie-ins and for producing some of their own titles such as Solstice. They also employed Tim and Geoff Follin.
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'''''Software Creations, Ltd.''''' (nicknamed '''''Creations''''' by employees) was a British game developer founded by former [[Ocean Software]] programmers [[Mike Webb]] and Richard Kay. The company was known for developing arcade, movie, TV and comic tie-ins and for producing some of their own titles such as Solstice. They also employed Tim and Geoff Follin.
  
 
When they made NES games, the company usually didn't put staff credits in their games, however, most of the time, the credits can be found in the game's ROM.
 
When they made NES games, the company usually didn't put staff credits in their games, however, most of the time, the credits can be found in the game's ROM.
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===Nintendo 64===
 
===Nintendo 64===
[[Sound Images]]' [[Tony Williams]] and [[Paul Tonge]] programmed a piece of software. Music was input through a piano roll editor.
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[[Sound Images]]' [[Tony Williams]] and [[Paul Tonge]] programmed a piece of software. Music was input through a piano roll editor on an N64 cartridge. The program also had the ability to import MIDI files.
  
 
===NES===
 
===NES===
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===SNES===
 
===SNES===
The SNES sound driver was programmed by Mike Webb. Music was written in assembly. The instrument samples are probably from a Korg M1.
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The SNES sound driver was programmed by Ruddy and Software Creations co-founder Mike Webb. Unlike most other SNES composers who used MIDI interfaces for their SNES music, Similar to their NES driver, Software Creations' SNES sound driver required composers to write their music in 65C816 [[assembly]] language machine cone macros. According to Tim, the instrument samples came from several sources, including an Ensoniq ASR-10 and real guitars and bass guitars. Since the music used hexadecimal numbers for notation, a pair of numbers would be typed in; one for the note pitch, and another for the amount of frames. The composers had to make sure all channels had the exact same frame count for proper looping.
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In 1994, the company developed a music editor and sequencer for the SNES called ''Dream''. [https://twitter.com/KevEdwardsRetro/status/1410677771874050050]
  
 
===Genesis/Mega Drive===
 
===Genesis/Mega Drive===
The company itself used [[Sound Images]]' sound driver.
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Most of Software Creations' Genesis games' sound was done by [[Sound Images]], mostly by Tony Williams. He would run [[MIDI]] files through a program that converted them to his sound driver.
  
 
==Audio Personnel==
 
==Audio Personnel==
 
These composers worked for Software Creations:
 
These composers worked for Software Creations:
* [[Chris Jojo]]
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* [[Chris Jojo]] - Composer.
* [[David Whittaker]]
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* [[David Whittaker]] - Composer.
* [[Geoff Follin]]
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* [[David Wise]] - Composer for [[World Games (NES)]].
* [[Matthew Cannon]]
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* [[Geoff Follin]] - Lead composer.
* [[Mike Webb]]
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* [[Martin Goodall]] - Composer.
* [[Paul Tonge]]
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* [[Matthew Cannon]] - Composer.
 +
* [[Mike Webb]] - SNES sound driver programmer.
 
* [[Peter Clarke]] - Commodore 64 composer (freelance 1987).
 
* [[Peter Clarke]] - Commodore 64 composer (freelance 1987).
* [[Stephen Ruddy]] - Programmer.
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* [[Sound Images]] - Composition and arrangement.
* [[Suddi Raval]]
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** [[Paul Tonge]] - Later worked for Software Creations.
* [[Tim Follin]]
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** [[Tony Williams]]
* [[Tony Williams]]
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* [[Stephen Ruddy]] - Sound driver programmer for various consoles.
 +
* [[Suddi Raval]] - Composer.
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* [[Tim Follin]] - Lead composer.
 +
 
 +
==Image Gallery==
 +
<gallery>
 +
Software Creations - 01.png|1987-1991
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Software Creations - 02.png|1991-1994
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Software Creations - 03.png|1994-1997
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Software Creations - 04.png|1997-2002
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Software Creations - 05.png|2002-2003
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</gallery>
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
 
* [https://www.mobygames.com/company/software-creations-ltd mobygames.com/company/software-creations-ltd] - MobyGames.
 
* [https://www.mobygames.com/company/software-creations-ltd mobygames.com/company/software-creations-ltd] - MobyGames.

Revision as of 11:48, 17 April 2022

Software Creations, Ltd.
Software Creations - 05.png
Founded 1987
Headquarters Manchester, Greater Manchester, England
Other Names Acclaim Studios Manchester
Not to be confused with Software Creations (USA).

Software Creations, Ltd. (nicknamed Creations by employees) was a British game developer founded by former Ocean Software programmers Mike Webb and Richard Kay. The company was known for developing arcade, movie, TV and comic tie-ins and for producing some of their own titles such as Solstice. They also employed Tim and Geoff Follin.

When they made NES games, the company usually didn't put staff credits in their games, however, most of the time, the credits can be found in the game's ROM.

In the early 2000s, Creations was bought by Acclaim and renamed Acclaim Studios Manchester.

Games

Music Development

Commodore 64

Every arranger had his own choice, but Tim Follin designed a sound driver, Stephen Ruddy programmed it, and both Follins used it.

Nintendo 64

Sound Images' Tony Williams and Paul Tonge programmed a piece of software. Music was input through a piano roll editor on an N64 cartridge. The program also had the ability to import MIDI files.

NES

Stephen Ruddy programmed Software Creations' music drivers for the NES and Tim and Geoff wrote in hexadecimal.

SNES

The SNES sound driver was programmed by Ruddy and Software Creations co-founder Mike Webb. Unlike most other SNES composers who used MIDI interfaces for their SNES music, Similar to their NES driver, Software Creations' SNES sound driver required composers to write their music in 65C816 assembly language machine cone macros. According to Tim, the instrument samples came from several sources, including an Ensoniq ASR-10 and real guitars and bass guitars. Since the music used hexadecimal numbers for notation, a pair of numbers would be typed in; one for the note pitch, and another for the amount of frames. The composers had to make sure all channels had the exact same frame count for proper looping.

In 1994, the company developed a music editor and sequencer for the SNES called Dream. [1]

Genesis/Mega Drive

Most of Software Creations' Genesis games' sound was done by Sound Images, mostly by Tony Williams. He would run MIDI files through a program that converted them to his sound driver.

Audio Personnel

These composers worked for Software Creations:

Image Gallery

Links