Company profile: Cinemaware

Cinemaware was a video game developer and publisher founded in 1985 by Bob Jacob. The company was known for pioneering a blend of gameplay and cinematic storytelling, drawing inspiration from classic films and television.
Cinemaware's titles were especially popular on platforms like the Amiga. Their most iconic games include Defender of the Crown (1986), a strategy game set in medieval England, and It Came From the Desert (1989), an action-adventure game inspired by 1950s monster movies. Many of their games featured a mix of different genres, from strategy to arcade-style action, with an emphasis on immersive storytelling.
Despite their early success, Cinemaware struggled financially in the early 1990s due to rising development costs and competition. The company eventually folded in 1991. In the early 2000s, the brand was briefly revived, with some of its classic games re-released for modern platforms. However, the original company's contributions to the evolution of cinematic storytelling in games remain its lasting legacy.
From the archived official site:
"Cinemaware was originally founded in 1985, and since then has become a leading developer of interactive entertainment software for next-generation game platforms and the Internet. Cinemaware's catalogue of hit game properties includes High Rollers CasinoTM, Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown®, Defender of the Crown®, SDI, The King of ChicagoTM, Sinbad and the Throne of the FalconTM, Rocket RangerTM, The Three Stooges®, Lords of the Rising SunTM, It Came from the DesertTM, WingsTM and the TV SportsTM franchise of sports games. These titles still reside among numerous "Best Games of All Time" lists in major game publications worldwide, have collectively sold millions of units across multiple platforms and are considered some of the most innovative games ever created."
Find out more about It Came from the Desert