(Off-Topic: You’re going to want to edit the date on your “Beyond Human Released in USA” post. You can’t see the pencil icon in the lower right part of your post?)
September 13th, 1985
Letter sent to Horse-Drawn Games CEO Irene Stevenson
Content of Letter
Hello there. We at Gadgeteer Games are wondering if you could give us more information on the toy companies you contracted with for your merchandise. We can give you 1/5 of the profits of any resultant merchandise sales to make it worth your while.
Regards,
Oliver Zehn
Gadgeteer Games
September 20th, 1985
Response to Gadgeteer Games
Greetings from Horse-Drawn Games! Merchandise for our video games, with the exception of posters, is manufactured and distributed by Bashō USA, the North American branch of Japan-based toy company Bashō Novelties. Our licensed posters are printed and distributed by Blink! Wall Art, Ltd. I have enclosed contact information for both Bashō USA and Blink! Wall Art, Ltd. with this letter.
Regards,
Irene Stevenson
Horse-Drawn Games - Scottsdale, Vermont, USA
September 27th, 1985
Letter sent to Horse-Drawn Games CEO Irene Stevenson
Content of Letter
Thank you, we appreciate the info. We’ll stick to our agreement and give you 1/5 of our merchandise sales until the sequel for our first game has been released.
Regards,
Oliver Zehn
Gadgeteer Games
October 7, 1985
Letter sent to Horse-Drawn Games.
The Game Wagon will be released in Europe on November 20th, 1985. Are you fine with this date
-From Loch-Ness software
October 14, 1985
Gadgeteer Games
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Buddy Bear’s Toyland
Marketing now in effect for Canada and the United States
- Three types of posters created by Blink! Wall Art, Ltd. can now be seen in toy store and electronics shop windows for the upcoming PC game Buddy Bear’s Toyland, and are available for puchase. Prices are $0.75 CAD ($0.55 USD as of 14/10/1985) and are to be lowered to $0.50 CAD once the game is released. Limit 3 per customer.
- The first poster is of Buddy Bear firing a water gun called the “sniper soaker” at an as-of-yet unnamed enemy that resembles a jellybean somehow lit on fire.
- The second is of a battle against the Homework Goblin King, with the Fashion Doll Princess in a cage hanging above the fight as Buddy Bear brandishes a wooden toy sword - that might not actually be in the game - against the villain.
- The third is Buddy Bear posing in the Windup Armor, a set of colorful clockwork armor that is apparently powered by the windup key on the back.
- An ad in magazines takes the form of an included mini comic book. The story shows a quick series of events where the Princess and her army of tin soldiers try to defend Play Town from the invading army of the Homework Goblins, only to fail and end with the capture of the Princess. The comic then shows the reasoning behind Buddy Bear’s decision to fight back, followed by a short battle with two Homework Goblins. The comic ends with Buddy Bear setting off towards the Homework Goblin King’s castle with the words “To be continued… BY YOU!”
- “Toys Galore” toy stores that are selling the game will be giving away free 6-inch Buddy Bear stuffed toys with a purchase of the game while supplies last.
- In addition, 12-inch stuffed Buddy Bears and plastic Pretty Princess Fashion Dolls, will be sold upon the release of the game. Made by Bashō USA, the toys are of higher quality than the free toy given away with the game.
- “Radio Mansion” electronics stores will not be giving away the free toy, but will instead provide a free poster while supplies last.
Analysis by BizKnow Magazine
“According to inside sources, the merchandising deal for the posters hands over 4/5 of all profits to Blink! until the game is released after which they are entitled to 3/5 of the profit, while the toy-making contract with Bashō USA states that the toy company will receive 3/5 of all profits until 1 month after the game has been released, after which they receive 2/5 of the profit.
In combination with an earlier deal made with Horse-Drawn Games for contacts with these companies, this means Gadgeteer Games will receive no profits on posters and 1/5 profits on toys until the game is released, after which they will reap 1/5 of poster sales. In addition, 1 month after release they will get 2/5 of all toy sales until a potential future sequel to Buddy Bear’s Toyland is released.
After such a sequel is released, Horse-Drawn Games will receive no further share of the profits and any deals with Blink! Wall Art, Ltd. and Bashō USA will have to be renegotiated.”
August Chart
Car Shop: 9.0
*You’d think someone would be crazy to release a game about selling cars, but the risk paid off. It’s addictive as you try to keep up with the competition. The variety of ways in doing this means the game has longevity. This is the first game of its kind and I hope to see more. *
August Sales:
Car Shop: 21,000 (+4.2%)
October 21, 1985
Gadgeteer Games
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Home Computer Game Enthusiast Magazine
Price change on Buddy Bear’s Toyland dashes hopes
“Those kids hoping to see ‘Buddy Bear’s Toyland’ under the tree this Christmas will be sorely disappointed if their parents don’t pony up 35 bucks. Despite early promises of an unheard of price of $10 CAD, Gadgeteer Games today announced that a reevaluation is forcing them to stick to the prices used by the rest of the industry.
The nature of the new price, or rather prices, is another issue. Due to a poor Canadian dollar and the cost of customs to the USA, American customers will be paying a handsome 35 dollars USD for Buddy Bear’s Toyland and any future games from the company for the forseeable future. Buddy Bear’s Toyland is still TBA, but it will sell for 40 CAD north of the border.”
October 28, 1985
Gadgeteer Games
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Funds: 2.5%
Buddy Bear’s Toyland released in USA and Canada.
Gadgeteer Games released their first game today, hoping to capture the hearts of young home computer gamers with Buddy Bear’s Toyland, a platformer with an interesting new toy-themed world. Although playable by older gamers, the developers recommend it for the 8-12 demographic.
As the goggle-wearing living toy Buddy Bear, you must travel from your home of Play Town to the dark and forboading castle of the Homework Goblin King, to do battle with the villainous monarch and free the Pretty Princess Fashion Doll who has been kidnapped.
Unfortunately for Buddy Bear, his cotton-stuffed body is useless against the minions of the Goblin King. In order to defeat enemies, Buddy Bear receives power-ups from toy chests, which he then uses to dispatch his foes. The toy chests are completely random in contents except when a boss or puzzle requires otherwise. Toy chests refill after the power-up weapon you’re using has been expended, and points are subtracted every time a weapon is fired and doesn’t hit an enemy.
Although potential competitors Peter the Penguin and Mirrors exist, the former seems far off to release and the latter is a puzzle game much different from Buddy Bear’s Toyland. Buddy Bear’s Toyland also has the advantage of a unique new feature called ‘achievements’, of which little has been revealed. The game looks to be the first of it’s kind on any platform!
Buddy Bear’s Toyland will sell for $35 in the United States, and $40 CAD in Canada, and includes a manual (controls, setting, list of power-ups, artwork, and a page dedicated to information on the new ‘achievements’ feature) and a bonus depending on where you purchased it. Those who bought the game at Toys Galore retailers will recieve a small stuffed Buddy Bear toy, while Radio Mansion customers will get one copy each of all three of the different posters used in the marketing campaign (a surprise, as originally only one poster of a random type would be included).
Though the price may seem higher for Gadgeteer Games’ home country, the reality is that a poor Canadian Dollar places the game at an average $30 USD. With Americans paying $5 more for nothing but getting a copy that came through customs, we expect those close to the border may pick up a copy in Canada on trips northward, inflating sales figures for Canadian retail.
For everyone else in America, Gadgeteer Games is hoping the price will not offput customers, as the company spent 250 grand on marketing and plans to hold onto more of their funds for an emergency. We shall see whether that is a smart move. The game is advertised in magazines, with posters in stores, and fittingly enough has merchandise toys made by Bashō USA.
October 30, 1985
Pixel Studios
Los Angeles, California, US
Funds: ??%
Pixel Studios is resigning from the market, will return at a ‘later date’
Pixel Studios, a gaming/console company who sparked technical innovation, is resigning from the market.
‘‘Don’t worry, the PixelCube and all of it’s variants will stay in production. Development kits are being given away free at our headquarters here in LA, so if you’re interested, just head on down to the LA HQ.’’ -Evan Havvid
''We’re not gaining much cash from our games, or from the PixelCube, actually hardly enough to keep them in production. Bio-hazard, our only title, will go for 75% off at any stores selling. The PixelCube will go for 25% off. They will stay in active manufacturing until either:
A) Sales plummet to 0
B) We aren’t getting enough money to continuously manufacture them anymore
It is up to any game developers/store owners if they would like to sell games that are manufactured after what we’re titling, the downfall of Pixel Studios.
Maye we’ll rejoin in the 2000’s, when technical innovation is at it’s peak.
Maybe.’’
((Quitting, rejoining when there is better tech 
))
November 11, 1985
Gadgeteer Games
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Funds: 2.5%
Buddy Bear’s Toyland to be ported to Pixel Cube
The continuing market campaign for Buddy Bear’s Toyland now shows photos of the game being played on the Pixel Cube console. When asked about the images, lead developer Oliver Zehn confirmed that a port of the game to the Pixel Cube is now in progress, mainly due to Pixel Studios giving away free licenses for the console.
In addition, he said that with the new, higher capacity CDs, more content should be provided from Pixel Cube games. He hinted at not merely porting but expanding the game for it’s Pixel Cube release.
The launch date is still to be determined.
Jim and Ned Discuss!
Today’s topic is upcoming games.
Ned: It seems there’s a lot of vaporware lately. So let’s start with the most prominent, Astrid’s Pony Tales II. The original Astrid’s Pony Tales sold like hotcakes, and a sequel was promised. Fans are still wondering where that went to.
Jim: It’s a shame, but I hear it’s due to problems within the company. Executives keep pushing the game back to make way for other titles, and who knows what strange reasoning is behind it. Pony Tales II would be a hit, I’m sure. But what about Demon Heart?
Ned: Last I heard, it was one of the games that Pony Tales was pushed aside for. That was several months ago. Looks like something is rotten in Horse-Drawn Games. Speaking of vaporware, what about the Pixel Cube’s two “upcoming” titles?
Jim: Fittingly for a console that has been abandoned by its parent company - for no discernible reason, I might add - the unnamed games from BM Games and Bamboo Cane Inc. disappeared a few months before the console went into “clearance sale mode”. Strangely, as soon as the Pixel Cube was declared a lost cause, Gadgeteer Games decides to take advantage of the free devkit and port its new PC game Buddy Bear’s Toyland to the console.
Ned: Meanwhile, Terror-Ville had a false-start launch when stores never received copies of the game on the launch date originally announced. Apparently there was a major fire at the factory that produced the game copies, and the entire launch stockpile was lost. Now they’ve had to start manufacturing from scratch and push back the launch date.
Jim: That wasn’t even the whole story. Supposedly two programmers died while making the game, and several workers were killed in the factory fire. There was also a string of smaller incidents, and the whole situation has lead to some of those in the know to declare the horror-survival game to be cursed.
Ned: Cursed? Really? This is an industry at the cutting edge! How could they possibly believe in a silly superstition?
Jim: Probably because the disks are manufactured in China. Japanese workers would never fall for that cr-
Ned: Isn’t that a bit racist? I’m sure the Japanese have weird superstitions of their own. I know for a fact that the number 4 is considered as unlucky as we consider 13, in both China AND Japan.
Jim: So how about those other startups?
Ned: You mean Indie Pug Games and Mayhem Corp? They announced their new games in August and then disappeared into thin air. I doubt they’ll lead anywhere.
Jim: Well, that’s all the time we have for today. Hopefully next time the developers won’t have dropped the ball 7 different times.
November 17, 1985
Horse-Drawn Games
Scottsdale, Vermont, USA
Horse-Drawn Games released a statement today in response to recent confusion as to release dates. Horse-Drawn Games assured their customers that Astrid’s Pony Tales II is still slated for a December, 1985 release, as originally announced in April. Horse-Drawn Games also began distributing a leaflet, in each copy of their games and in each magazine featuring an ad for one of Horse-Drawn’s games, with information on upcoming and planned titles.
Astrid’s Pony Tales II
December, 1985
The Albiyan Empire and the Duchy of Bostor have been at war for nearly a decade, but is someone manipulating the conflict? Selene, Martyn, Marona, Gustav, and Elinor seek to end the fighting, and uncover a sinister plot.
Sixgun Hero
February, 1986
The barrier between the world of humans and the world of monsters has shattered and flooded the old west with magical beasts! Load up your trusty revolver, and bring peace to a frontier torn asunder by dangerous creatures.
Strange Pony Tales: Dark Phantasm
TBA, 1986
A mysterious spirit invades the city of Magdalaria and begins stealing dreams. At the same time, angry wraiths appear to wreak havoc on innocent lives. A group of outcasts who can see ghosts band together to exorcise the city-wide haunting.
The other side of the leaflet mentions that Astrid’s Pony Tales: The Animation is in production, and will begin airing in June of 1986.
Jim and Ned Discuss!
An apology to Horse-Drawn Games…
Ned: We’d like to extend a formal apology to Horse-Drawn Games. Apparently we were misinformed!
Jim: Namely about Demon Heart: A Cold Tale, and who was supposed to be producing it. It looks like the fault lied with Palm Studios and not Horse-Drawn Games! Whoops! Our bad.
Ned: We’ll be looking forward to the games announced by Horse-Drawn for the coming months!
Announcement
November 22
Satyr Studios
New World
Topics : Sci-Fi
Genres : Simulation, Sandbox(?)
Price : 34,99$
Languages : English
Platform : PC
Features :
-Trade with 28+ Resorcures
-Be friends, enemies or allign with 9 races
-Explore 5+ Galaxies, 22 planets, and over 15 stations
-Buy 32+ ships
-Upgrade Your ship for 8 other ways
-Destroy 21+ ships!
-Or, just use New World to free explore those 2 real and 3 other galaxies.
-2D V.2
-Good enemies AI (when in battle)
-Many Sprites
-Sandbox-Gameplay
-Full Animations
-Realistic damage graphic
-Voice Acting for other races
And Even More!
Release Date: Beginning of Febraury, 1986
November 23,
The Gamewagon has been released in Scotland and England, with a lot of the titles Horse Drawn and other companies made
November 28, 1985
Gadgeteer Games
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Funds: 2.5%
Buddy Bear’s Toyland for Pixel Cube release date announced.
Gadgeteer Games has announced the North American release date for the Pixel Cube port of Buddy Bear’s Toyland today, in an attempt to use the console’s younger audience to their advantage.
‘While PC is free to develop for, not many kids can afford a PC, which is bad news for a game like this. Our best option is to place it on as many platforms as possible. Right now, though, we can only afford to use license-free platforms due to our financial state.’ said Lead Developer Oliver Zehn.
To make use of the CD’s extra space, the Pixel Cube version of Buddy Bear’s Toyland will have a few additions. While the original game had 4-bit (16 color) graphics and blips for sound, the Pixel Cube CD version will have 5-bit (32 color) graphics and 4 channel mono sound.
The multiplayer mode also recieved an upgrade; while the PC version required that at least one person use the keyboard, with the keyboard forced upon the second player, the Pixel Cube port will allow 2 controller multiplayer. It will also support a keyboard for use by either player, for those who liked the PC keyboard controls.
In another surprise move, the Pixel Cube version will go for only $25 on both sides of the border, unlike the PC version’s split pricing model. Buddy Bear’s Toyland for the Pixel Cube will be released on December 10th of this year.
September Charts
Beyond Human: 8.25
*A different direction from Horse-Drawn here. Though not as extensive as previous games from the company, it nonetheless is a solid entry. Its more action-based focus compared to other RPGs and its mature setting help to separate it from the competition. A solid game… *
September Sales:
Beyond Human: 100,000 (+25%)
Car Shop: 19,000 (+3.8%)
Other News:
The Inclusion of gore in Beyond Human is appearing to cause a controversy. Jack Thomas is calling for the cancellation of the game, claiming it is corrupting the youth. Talks of a rating system, similar to movies are being heard. It remains to be seen, what effect this has on sales of Beyond Human.
October Charts
Buddy Bear’s Toyland: 8.75
Brilliant game, there is a boxload of content in this as you try to collect every weapon, hidden level and achievement. Though the difficulty is low, you’ll be ignoring that as there’s simply so much to do. The high score and two-player mode means there’s competitive fun as well. I look forward to future games from this company.
October Sales:
Beyond Human: 75,000 (+18.7)
Buddy Bear’s Toyland: 60,000 (+10.5%)
Car Shop: 17,500 (+3.5%)
December 5, 1985
Gadgeteer Games
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Funds: 13%
New game hinted at by Gadgeteer Games employee!
“Despite riding high on sales of ‘Buddy Bear’s Toyland’ and preparing to port said game to the Pixel Cube next week, it seems Gadgeteer Games is already looking forward, at least according to an insider who asked not to be named.
'We’ve got a new game in the works, completely unlike anything yet on the market. It’s probably a niche game, but we’re hoping it will lend us the capital for an even bigger project further down the road.'
Mysterious! TWO new game concepts?! Or perhaps something else? We’ll have to wait and see…”