Spectrum Computing

Grandslam, or rather Grandslam Entertainments if you go for the full name, was the new name for Quicksilva shortly after it was taken over by Argus Press.

They upped their game quite a bit, nabbing a few decent licenses here and there. A bit like a smaller Elite, if you see what I mean.

Here's the list of original ZX Spectrum games I've found by Grandslam, and they'll be up for voting in a 14-day-long poll starting around this time next week...

Chubby Gristle
Espionage
Flintstones, The
Hunt For Red October, The (book)
Hunt For Red October, The (movie)
Pac-Land
Pac-Mania
Peter Beardsley's International Football
Peter Shilton's Handball Maradona
Power Pyramids
Running Man, The
Saint And Greavsie
Scramble Spirits
Space Harrier II
Star Force Seven
Terramex
Thunderbirds

Of course, this thread is for you to point out any errors and omissions. Do correct me if necessary. Cheers.

Star Force Seven would have been Argus, if it had been released. Peter Shilton was released by Argus on the "Grand Slam" label before Grandslam even existed.

StooB wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2020 12:54 pm Star Force Seven would have been Argus, if it had been released.

Oops! I'll eliminate that MIA title then, that's pure error on my part. Thanks!

StooB wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2020 12:54 pmPeter Shilton was released by Argus on the "Grand Slam" label before Grandslam even existed.

Hmmm..



It's a little ambiguous but I think it's a proper Grandslam title. Probably the first Grandslam title. The database has it down as Grandslam Entertainments.

It's not ambiguous. Peter Shilton came out an entire year before Grandslam even existed (https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/mag.php ... 247&page=7), although presumably where they got the name from. It's been in the little bugs thread for a while.

StooB wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2020 1:55 pm It's not ambiguous. Peter Shilton came out an entire year before Grandslam even existed (https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/mag.php ... 247&page=7), although presumably where they got the name from. It's been in the little bugs thread for a while.

What I usually go with, is the brand on the packaging.

In the case of Peter Shilton's Handball Maradona!, Grandslam is a brand that's on the inlay, it's on the loading screen and it's kind of reflected in the catalogue number. Spectrum and Amstrad CPC versions make reference to Grandslam. The Commodore 64 version kicks off with the scrolling message: "ARGUS PRESS SOFTWARE PROUDLY PRESENT A GRANDSLAM PRODUCTION FOR THE CBM-64/128".

Granted, it may have come out from the legal entity that was Argus Press Software Ltd, before they legally became Grandslam Entertainments, but, many big brands formed new brands on a whim, like Code Masters creating Cartoon Time; Ocean creating Hit Squad; Mastertronic creating M.A.D., etc. These weren't necessary actual company names, but sister brands.

I believe that in 1987, when the managing director of Argus Press Software bought out the company from the main Argus Press business (a big media company whose core business was regional newspapers in the south east), it had to have a new name distinct from Argus Press, as it was no longer a part of that. What better than their new brand, Grandslam?

Argus Press Software had acquired Quicksilva and Bug-Byte, certainly. It also formed brands such as Mind Games and Grandslam.

Grandslam itself formed a very short-lived brand called Shades, which released only one game a quiz thing simply called Trivia.

I see this as a Grandslam game, even if Grandslam Entertainments Ltd did not exist at the time it came out.

I didn't realise there are two Hunt For The Red October games, I can only remember the one based on the film.

First Red October was Argus:

StooB wrote: ↑Tue Feb 18, 2020 11:57 am First Red October was Argus:

Okey dokey, I'll remove the book version and stick it under Argus Press. Well spotted!