a visionary studio
Immerse yourself in the fascinating history
of Psygnosis.
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Psygnosis
Games People Play - Tome One
Psygnosis, the story of a visionary studio
Psygnosis, a name that sounds like a legend in the history of video games, has left an indelible mark on the games industry. Founded in Liverpool in 1985, this British studio is responsible for some of the most innovative and influential productions of its time. A look back at the contributions that have enabled Psygnosis to shape the future of video games with iconic titles, groundbreaking graphics and a creative approach that has redefined industry standards.
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Before becoming one of the most iconic studios in video games, Psygnosis was rooted in a series of fascinating and sometimes chaotic events. It all began with Bug-Byte Software Ltd, a development company founded in Liverpool in the 1980s. It was in this creative breeding ground that several future key members of Psygnosis cut their teeth. One of the major turning points came with the birth of Imagine Software, an ambitious company which promised to revolutionise the industry with its Megagames. The slogan Imagine... The name of the game made a lasting impression. However, behind the glitz and flashy communication, internal management is catastrophic. The TV programme Commercial Breaks even documented, in real time, Imagine's downfall, swept away by its debts and overweening ambition. When Imagine Software went bankrupt, new hope was born with Finchspeed, the company set up to pick up the pieces. Out of this chaotic transition came Psygnosis, founded by former Imagine Software employees. The name itself, Psygnosis, both intrigued and amused: a strange and mysterious word, reflecting the studio's strong visual identity. This identity became even more recognisable thanks to Roger Dean, the famous album cover illustrator, who designed the emblematic logo: a stylised owl with piercing eyes, symbolising a new era in video games. |
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| The rise of Psygnosis: First games, partner studios and experiments After its foundation, Psygnosis took its first steps with Brataccas, an ambitious game born of the ashes of the Bandersnatch project, initially planned by Imagine Software. Although technically impressive, the game suffered from laborious gameplay. Despite this, it marked the very first official title from Psygnosis, laying the foundations for a complex, futuristic aesthetic. This was followed by landmark titles such as Barbarian and Terrorpods, in which the studio continued to experiment with rich graphics and singular worlds, reinforcing its brand image. Meanwhile, the Psygnosis R&D department was pushing the technical limits on 16-bit machines, laying the foundations for the studio's future success on the Amiga and Atari ST. It was also during this period that Psygnosis began collaborating with external studios that would become legends of the video game world: - DMA Design, future creators of GTA, delivered Blood Money, a visually brilliant shoot'em up. - Reflections Interactive, for its part, developed Shadow of the Beast, a revolutionary title for its time, both in terms of graphics and sound, which quickly became a symbol of the Amiga era. Psygnosis also explores other avenues with game compilations and launches numerous projects that never see the light of day, victims of technical constraints or abandoned creative directions. This culture of ambitious prototyping is an integral part of the studio's DNA. The company also collaborates with entities such as WJS Design, which is developing The Killing Game Show, a futuristic arcade-style action game. Raising Hell Software, meanwhile, is one of the many satellite studios gravitating around Psygnosis, often looking for their first chance. The story of Bizarre Creations also begins here, as a partner of Psygnosis. This studio would later become famous for Project Gotham Racing, but it was alongside Psygnosis that it got its start, confirming the publisher's role as an incubator of major talent in the industry. |
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From CD mastery to the Sony era (1991-1993) Titles like Agony emerged: a magnificent shoot ‘em up on the Amiga, recognisable by its sumptuous graphics and dreamlike universe, enhanced by a memorable soundtrack. Psygnosis confirms its status as a studio with a unique aesthetic, where image and sound are as important as gameplay. While Lemmings explodes the charts, Psygnosis is not resting on its laurels. The studio continued to push innovation and explore the growing capabilities of the CD-ROM, which was becoming a veritable technological playground. The Pre-PlayStation period: a laboratory of ideas During this period, Psygnosis positioned itself as a visionary publisher, developing and publishing games for a multitude of platforms, often ahead of their time. Titles such as Hired Guns - a tactical first-person shooter - offered a four-player split-screen experience, foreshadowing modern cooperative FPSs. With Microcosm, the studio is embarking on another major technological adventure: Full Motion Video (FMV) gaming. Designed for the FM Towns, a top-of-the-range Japanese machine, then ported to CD-ROM PC and 3DO, the game illustrates Psygnosis' desire to use the medium as an interactive cinema, combining pre-calculated video and gameplay. It was a bold gamble, but one that was limited by the technology available at the time. In the same spirit, games such as Walker (developed by DMA Design) show a growing mastery of animation, sound design and staging, with a massive combat walker travelling through different eras. The game was acclaimed on the Amiga and reinforced the reputation of DMA and Psygnosis as an avant-garde videogame duo. |
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| Towards the takeover - The meeting with Sony
This creative effervescence, this ability to juggle media (FM Towns, CD32, Mega-CD, PC CD-ROM), soon attracted the attention of a much bigger player: Sony. The Japanese firm was looking to enter the world of video games and needed a strong Western partner to support the launch of what would become PlayStation. |
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Celebrate the demoscene and retro computers with exceptional book series
Part of the retro computing history
Demoscene The logo Art
Demoscene: the Logo Art is the first book dedicated to logos and their creators for all demoscenes. Through its 400 pages you will discover more than 30 years of logo history within the demoscene.
Demoscene the Amiga years
This book is the first volume covering the years 1984 to 1993 with about 90 demos amongst the most famous and popular ones. Discover the technical, graphical and musical evolution of the Amiga demos throughout the years.
Demoscene The AGA years
From the Megademo, at the end of the 80s, to trackmos in the 90s, 1994 was the beginning of a new development for the Demoscene, with many demos released that used all the power of the Amiga 1200.
Demoscene the Amiga renaissance
Demos were back. The demoscene is back. In 1995, AGA overtook OCS demos in terms of the number of releases annually… until 2011, when OCS took over, and hasn’t dropped back since. This book close the Amiga demoscene history and will be available in September 2024.
Demoscene collection
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Offset printing
The entire printing process is standardised in order to comply with the strict regulations of the ISO 12647/2 standard, which establishes colour management as a key principle in offset printing.
High quality book printing high quality pictures
PEFC - FSC® Ensures that the papers are produced from wood originating in sustainably managed forests.
ISO 14001
Specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system.
ISO 9001
Finish
Hardcover edition, offset printing, sewn binding, Soft touch front, UV coating.
Shipping
Deliveries available in Europe, United States, Australia and all over the world.
Popular Books
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Livre très classieux, photos magnifiques. Je me suis surpris à faire de belles découvertes. Merci pour ce magnifique livre que je recommande à tout fan d'Amiga.
Une version dans la langue de Molière aurait été un plus pour moi.
Bravo pour tout ce travail et encore MERCI
Demoscene the AGA years vol. 2Rnooo
9 July 2022 What an amazing trip down memory lane. I was simultaneously reading and going to Youtube/Soundcloud to find all the Demo's and amazing music from that time period. Both books are well worth getting if you were at all involved in the Demo scene or if you just loved the productions. Demoscene the AGA years vol. 2Niels K (Split/BLC)
11 July 2022 I really enjoyed volume 1 and volume 2 is great too. I backed through Indiegogo and got the extra postcards, which look really nice. And the book itself is really well made, with the handy QR codes and so many great interviews with the sceners. It gives a really good flavour of how the Amiga demoscene was developing and making use of the new AGA hardware. Top work. Demoscene the AGA years vol. 2Merman
9 July 2022 - I hesitated to buy these books for a long time, but in the end I didn't regret it. I grew up with the Amiga and the demo scene was an important part of my youth (I'm almost 50 now). Reading the book and watching the corresponding demos on YouTube at the same time gave me a lot of great dejavu. The background information on the respective programmers, graphic designers and musicians is also very interesting, although there could have been a little more of it. I bought the first two parts together and am looking forward to the third part being released. Demoscene the Amiga yearsPeter W.
5 February 2024 What a trip down memory lane! Fantastic quality book and a must for everyone who enjoyed the demo scene a few decades ago (or just want to learn about it now) Demoscene the AGA years vol. 2Stefan
9 July 2022 - great work, many interresting interviews and high quality pictures (like the first book)
as a non Amiga user, i discovered many demos i missed and the past of people i knew on PC sceneDemoscene the AGA years vol. 2roudoudou
9 July 2022 Incredible job, amazing quality print, a must have for all old school scene members . CPT/ (the frog buds,paradox,angels,hysteria..) Demoscene the logo artbenjamin chape
30 January 2024 I have bought both edition! Amazing books! Looking forward to early PC years edition! Demoscene the AGA years vol. 2SK
8 July 2022 - NO! I DO NOT WANT TO RETURN THE BOOK! WHY WOULD YOU ASK ME TO RETURN IT?!? Demoscene the AGA years vol. 2NO I DO NOT WANT TO RETURN THE BOOK!
9 July 2022 A high quality book remembering a lot of demos I knew but also discovering many others I did not ! A great job ! Demoscene the AGA years vol. 2Chris
9 July 2022 Incredibly TOP quality. Love both Demoscene books, looking forward to the third one. Demoscene the AGA years vol. 2Panayotis
9 July 2022 - Thanks for this amazing demoscene books. High quality pictures and logos, many great stories, interviews, demoscene facts and comments in two awesome books. A lot of work here, I love it! Thanks again and I recommend it very much. Demoscene the AGA years vol. 2Norby
10 July 2022 Incredible job, amazing quality print, a must have for all old school scene members . CPT/ (the frog buds,paradox,angels,hysteria...) Demoscene the AGA yearsbenjamin chape
30 January 2024 Amazing book for an old folk like me. High quality print and very fast shipping. I recommend! Demoscene the Amiga years vol. 1Cedric Guillemet
9 May 2023
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