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- Games Publishers Endorse the Acorn Platform
-
- Acorn Computers has secured the backing of leading mainstream games
- publishers to increase the number of entertainment titles available on the
- Acorn platform. In a related initiative, Acorn has announced that
- experienced ARM programmers will be available to help software houses port
- leading games titles to run on Acorn systems.
-
- Further underpinning Acorn's drive into the consumer market, software for
- Acorn computers will now be supplied to high street retailers by CentreSoft,
- a leading distributor and wholesaler of home entertainment software.
-
- The three-pronged attack, which was finalised at the end of July, will
- increase the number of games publishers offering titles on Acorn computers
- to include the mainstream publishers US Gold, Gremlin, Renegade, Ocean and
- Electronic Arts. In addition, CentreSoft's relationship with leading high
- street multiples is expected to result in the early availability of Acorn
- titles in key retail outlets such as Virgin, Boots, John Menzies, John Lewis
- and W H Smith.
-
- Richard Percy, Consumer Sales and Marketing Manager at Acorn, comments: " We
- are strongly positioning Acorn as the choice for home 'edutainment'
- computing. Acorn already has an impressive range of education software, but
- we recognise the need to balance this with a strong base of entertainment
- titles.
-
- "If Acorn is going to make its presence felt in the run up to Christmas, we
- need to get the leading, new games titles onto the Acorn platform at the
- same time as the PC and Amiga formats, and then get them into key retail
- outlets and high street multiples. CentreSoft is the ideal partner to
- achieve this as they have strong relationships with both games publishers
- and the major retailers. With this support and our own initiatives targeted
- at software houses, Acorn is set to make a serious impact on the home
- entertainment market."
-
- Bernadette Abbott, Director of the Personal Computer Division at Centresoft,
- adds: "The electronic home entertainment market is growing fast and there is
- enormous potential for Acorn to increase its market share significantly.
- CentreSoft has ten years experience of dealing with independent software
- publishers and supplying an expanding base of retail customers with games
- titles that sell. This expertise, in conjunction with the innovative
- products Acorn is targeting at the youth market, will maximise Acorn's
- opportunities in the consumer arena." CentreSoft Limited is a leading
- specialist distributor and wholesaler of entertainment computer software,
- video games, accessories and low end business software applications. While
- continuing to invest in its independent customer base, CentreSoft has also
- secured agreements to supply leading multiples such as Boots, John Menzies,
- WH Smith, Toys R Us and the Beatties Toy chain. CentreSoft Limited is part
- of the CentreGold Group, which has sales of #55.1 million and an operating
- profit of #2.24 million in the 1991-2 financial year.
-
- Ends
-
- Notes to Editors:
-
- Founded in 1978, with 1992 revenues of #48.2m, Acorn Computers has become
- one of the UK's leading providers of personal computer products to the
- consumer and education sectors. The powerful and innovative consumer product
- range, made up of the Archimedes range of computers, is based on the RISC OS
- operating system and uses technology based on the ARM microchip. With over
- 2,500 games, entertainment and business software titles available, the
- Archimedes provides the ideal solution for home computing. Acorn Computers
- Limited is part of the Acorn Computer Group plc, which went public on the
- USM in 1983.
-