Difference between revisions of "Keypunch Software"

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(Created page with "'''Keypunch Software''' was an American software distributor from around 1985-1993. The company usually published budget software packages by mail, but also sold in some s...")
 
 
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'''Keypunch Software''' was an American [[software]] distributor from around 1985-1993. The company usually published budget software packages by mail, but also sold in some stores. They focused mostly on [[video game]]s made for the [[Commodore 64]], [[MS-DOS]], [[Apple II]], and [[Atari 8-bit]], but also distributed any other software they thought they could sell. The company was notorious for selling software they didn't own, usually by taking existing free games and modifying them to make them seem like something else. They would usually remove all credits and re-title the games so the original developers wouldn't find out.
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[[Image:Keypunch Software - Logo.svg|thumb|256x256px|Logo.]]
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'''Keypunch Software''' was an American [[software]] distributor from around 1985-1993. The company usually published budget software packages by mail, but also sold their products in some stores. They focused on the home computers of the day, [[Commodore 64]], [[MS-DOS]], [[Apple II]], and [[Atari 8-bit]], and mostly published [[shovelware]] [[compilation video game]]s, but also distributed any other software they thought they could sell. The company was notorious for selling software they didn't own, usually by taking existing games that were being distributed as [[freeware]] or [[open source]], and modifying them to make them seem like a new game. They would usually remove all credits and re-title the games so the original developers wouldn't find out.
  
 
==Personal==
 
==Personal==
My cousin had several Keypunch software bundles for his [[Tandy 1000]], and, although most of the games were pretty awful, we played them a lot because we didn't have many other options. It wasn't until I was in my 20s and started making Web pages about the games that I discovered that some of the Keypunch titles were just rebranded older free games. The more I researched the games, the more I discovered that Keypunch was essentially a pirate organization.
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My cousin had several Keypunch software bundles for his [[Tandy 1000]], and, although most of the games were pretty awful, we played them a lot because we didn't have many other options. When I was in my 20s, I started making fan Web pages for some of the games they published, and, while researching the games, I discovered that Keypunch had just rebranded older free games. The more I researched the games, the more I discovered that Keypunch was essentially a pirate organization and lost a lot of respect for them.
  
 
==Games==
 
==Games==
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Strike Force - DOS - USA.jpg|''[[Strike Force]]''
 
Strike Force - DOS - USA.jpg|''[[Strike Force]]''
 
Swords and Sorcery - DOS - USA.jpg|''[[Swords and Sorcery]]''
 
Swords and Sorcery - DOS - USA.jpg|''[[Swords and Sorcery]]''
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</gallery>
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==Media==
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===Logo===
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The Keypunch Software logo consists of the Helvetica typeface with negative kerning. The top part is bold, the bottom part is narrow. It was used on pretty much all of their boxes, from 1986-1993.
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<gallery>
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Keypunch Software - Logo.svg|I made this vector art based on the logo used on their published boxes. The bottom part isn't as narrow as it should be.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
 
{{Link|MobyGames|https://www.mobygames.com/company/keypunch-software-inc}}
 
{{Link|MobyGames|https://www.mobygames.com/company/keypunch-software-inc}}
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{{Link|GameFAQs|https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/company/75427-keypunch-software-inc}}
  
  

Latest revision as of 09:34, 19 July 2022

Logo.

Keypunch Software was an American software distributor from around 1985-1993. The company usually published budget software packages by mail, but also sold their products in some stores. They focused on the home computers of the day, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II, and Atari 8-bit, and mostly published shovelware compilation video games, but also distributed any other software they thought they could sell. The company was notorious for selling software they didn't own, usually by taking existing games that were being distributed as freeware or open source, and modifying them to make them seem like a new game. They would usually remove all credits and re-title the games so the original developers wouldn't find out.

Personal

My cousin had several Keypunch software bundles for his Tandy 1000, and, although most of the games were pretty awful, we played them a lot because we didn't have many other options. When I was in my 20s, I started making fan Web pages for some of the games they published, and, while researching the games, I discovered that Keypunch had just rebranded older free games. The more I researched the games, the more I discovered that Keypunch was essentially a pirate organization and lost a lot of respect for them.

Games

These are the games made by Keypunch Software that are important to me:

Media

The Keypunch Software logo consists of the Helvetica typeface with negative kerning. The top part is bold, the bottom part is narrow. It was used on pretty much all of their boxes, from 1986-1993.

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-GameFAQs.png