Sierra

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Sierra logo.png
Sierra
Type Brand name owned by Microsoft
Founded 1979 (On-Line Systems)
1982 (Sierra On-Line)
1994 (Yosemite Entertainment)
2002 (Sierra Entertainment)
August 7, 2014 (Sierra)
(Yosemite Entertainment closed in 1999)
(Sierra Entertainment closed in 2008)
Headquarters Bellvue, Washington, U.S.
Key people Ken Williams, founder
Roberta Williams, founder
Industry Video games
Products Video games
Number of people Not disclosed
Website http://www.sierragames.com/

Sierra is a publishing label owned by Microsoft.

On-Line Systems

Sierra was founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems in Simi Valley, California, by the husband and wife team of Ken Williams and Roberta Williams. They initially formed the company to develop and distribute graphic adventure games that were designed by Roberta and programmed by Ken.

Sierra On-Line

In 1982, the company was incorporated in Oakhurst, California as Sierra On-Line. It was named after the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the western United States. Roberta and Ken continued to make games, which were so successful that the company expanded to a point where, by the early 1990s, it became one of the largest publishers of computer games.

Yosemite Entertainment

Due to company growth, beginning in August 1993 and continuing into 1994, the key staff of Sierra On-Line moved to a larger building in Bellvue, Washington.

The staff that remained at the Oakhurst building became Yosemite Entertainment. In 1998, this division published games under the Sierra FX label.

Acquisition of Sierra On-Line by CUC International/Cedant Corporation

Sierra On-Line was sold to CUC International in 1996. In December 1997, CUC International merged with Hospitality Franchise Systems to become the Cendant Corporation.

Closure of Yosemite Entertainment

On April 16, 1998, it was revealed that CUC International fraudulently inflated its worth by $500 million USD in its 1996 and 1997 records. As a result of the accounting scandal, many divisions of Sierra On-Line, including Yosemite Entertainment, closed in 1999.

In September 1999, Codemasters established a North American division in Oakhurst, California. It moved into the former Yosemite Entertainment building and hired much of its staff.

Sierra On-Line becomes a division of Vivendi Universal

Cendant Corporation was sold to Havas S.A. in 1998. Later that year, Havas S.A. was acquired by Vivendi.

In June 2000, Vivendi, Seagram, and Canal Plus merged. As Canal Plus owned Universal Studios, the resulting company was named Vivendi Universal. Havas S.A. was renamed Vivendi Universal Publishing. This made Sierra On-Line a division of Vivendi Universal.

Sierra Entertainment

Sierra On-Line was renamed Sierra Entertainment in 2002 and the company was unincorporated in August 2004. However, it continued to operate as a division within Vivendi Universal.

Closure

Vivendi merged with Activision, forming Activision-Blizzard in 2008. After the merger, the entire Sierra Entertainment staff was laid off, and the Bellvue office was closed. In 2009, the Sierra label was retired.

Return of the Sierra label

Activision, which became an independent company in 2013 after they purchased Vivendi's share of the Activision Blizzard stock, brought the Sierra label back on August 7, 2014. The Sierra label was re-established to publish games developed by independent game developers, for both original games and games developed based on the Sierra game licenses.

Video games developed by On-Line Systems (1979-1982) owned by the WEC Museum

Title System Released Notes
Mystery House Apple II 1980 ADL adventure game.
Ulysses and the Golden Fleece Apple II 1984 ADL adventure game.
Wizard and the Princess Apple II 1980 ADL adventure game.

Video games published by On-Line Systems (1979-1982) owned by the WEC Museum

Title Developer System Published Notes
Softporn Adventure Blue Sky Software DOS 1981 This text adventure was remade into Leisure Suit Larry.

Video games developed by Sierra On-Line (1982-2002) owned by the WEC Museum

Title System Released Notes
The Dark Crystal Apple II 1983 ADL adventure game.
Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress DOS 1983 Port of Ultima game to DOS.
Donald Duck's Playground TRS-80 CoCo 1984 AGI adventure game.
King's Quest DOS 1984 AGI adventure game.
King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne DOS 1985 AGI adventure game.
King's Quest III: To Heir is Human DOS 1986 AGI adventure game.
Season's Greetings from Tandy DOS 1986 AGI Christmas card.
Space Quest DOS 1986 AGI adventure game.
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards DOS 1987 AGI adventure game.
Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel DOS 1987 SCI adventure game.
Space Quest II: Vohaul's Revenge DOS 1987 SCI adventure game.
Christmas Card DOS 1988 SCI Christmas card.
King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella DOS 1988 SCI adventure game.
Leisure Suit Larry Goes Looking for Love (in Several Wrong Places) DOS 1988 SCI adventure game.
Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon DOS 1988 SCI adventure game.
Astro Chicken DOS 1988 SCI shooting game.
Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero DOS 1989 SCI adventure role-playing game.
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards DOS 1987 SCI adventure game.
Police Quest II: The Vengeance DOS 1989 SCI adventure game.
Leisure Suit Larry 3: Passionate Patti in Pursuit of the Pulsating Pectorals DOS 1989 SCI adventure game.
Laura Bow: The Colonel's Bequest DOS 1989 SCI adventure game.
Codename: ICEMAN DOS 1989 SCI adventure game.
Christmas Card DOS 1990 SCI Christmas card.
Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail DOS 1990 SCI adventure game.
King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown DOS 1990 SCI remake of the AGI adventure game.
Quest for Glory II: Trial By Fire DOS 1990 SCI adventure role-playing game.
King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! DOS 1990 SCI adventure game.
Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards DOS 1991 SCI remake of the AGI adventure game.
Leisure Suit Larry 5: Passionate Patti Does a Little Undercover Work DOS 1991 SCI adventure game.
Police Quest III: The Kindred DOS 1991 SCI adventure game.
Space Quest: Chapter I - The Sarien Encounter DOS 1991 SCI remake of the AGI adventure game.
Space Quest IV: Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers DOS 1991 SCI adventure game.
Fun-Seeker's Guide to Eastern Madera County DOS 1991 Humorous SCI travel guide.
Leisure Suit Larry 1: In the Land of the Lounge Lizards DOS 1991 SCI remake of the AGI adventure game.
Ms. Astro Chicken DOS 1991 SCI adventure game.
King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown DOS 1990 SCI remake of the AGI adventure game.
Space Quest: Chapter I - The Sarien Encounter DOS 1991 SCI remake of the AGI adventure game.
Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel DOS 1992 SCI remake of the AGI adventure game.
Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood DOS 1992 SCI adventure game.
Christmas Card DOS 1992 SCI Christmas card.
King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow DOS 1992 SCI adventure game.
Laura Bow: The Dagger of Amon Ra DOS 1992 SCI adventure game.
Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel DOS 1992 SCI remake of the AGI adventure game.
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War DOS 1992 SCI adventure role-playing game.
Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist DOS 1993 SCI adventure game.
Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out! DOS 1993 SCI adventure game.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers DOS 1993 SCI adventure game.
Police Quest IV: Open Season DOS 1993 SCI adventure game.
Quest for Glory IV: Wages of War DOS 1993 SCI adventure role-playing game.
King's Quest VII: The Princeless Bride DOS 1994 SCI adventure game.
Inside the Chest DOS 1994 SCI press-clipping viewer.
Behind the Developers' Shield DOS 1994 SCI art and document viewer.
King's Questions DOS 1994 SCI quiz game.
Phantasmagoria DOS 1995 SCI adventure game.
The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery DOS 1995 SCI adventure game.
Shivers DOS 1995 SCI adventure game.
Space Quest 6: The Spinal Frontier DOS 1995 SCI adventure game.
Torin's Passage DOS 1995 SCI adventure game.
Police Quest: SWAT DOS 1995 SCI adventure game.
Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail! DOS 1996 SCI adventure game.
Lighthouse DOS 1996 SCI adventure game.
Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh DOS 1996 SCI adventure game.
King's Quest: Mask of Eternity Windows 1998 3D adventure game.
Police Quest: SWAT 2 Windows 1998 3D real-time tactics game.
Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire Windows 1998 3D adventure role-playing game.
Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned Windows 1999 3D adventure game.
SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle Windows 1999 3D tactical shooter game.
SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle Windows 1999 3D real-time tactics game.
SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle Windows 1999 3D real-time tactics game.

Video games published by Sierra On-Line (1982-2002) owned by the WEC Museum

Title Developer System Released Notes
The Adventures of Willy Beamish Dynamix DOS 1991 DGDS adventure game
Gold Rush! MacNeill Computer Company DOS 1988 AGI adventure game
Red Baron Dynamix DOS 1990 Air combat simulation game
Rise of the Dragon Dynamix DOS 1990 DGDS Action-adventure game.
Gobliiins Coktel Vision DOS 1991 DEV puzzle game
Heart of China Dynamix DOS 1991 DGDS adventure game
Gobliins 2 Coktel Vision DOS 1992 DEV puzzle game
Red Baron: Mission Builder Dynamix DOS 1992 Expansion pack for Red Baron.
Goblins Quest 3 Coktel Vision DOS 1993 DEV puzzle game
Betrayal at Krondor Dynamix DOS 1993 Role-playing game
Space Quest V: The Next Mutation Dynamix DOS 1993 AGI adventure game
The Incredible Machine Version 3.0 Jeff Tunnell Productions Windows 1995 Puzzle game
MissionForce: CyberStorm Dynamix Windows 1996 Turn-based tactics game
Betrayal at Antara Dynamix Windows 1997 Role-playing game
Half-Life Valve Software Windows 1998 3D first-person shooter.
Red Baron 3D Dynamix Windows 1992 Red Baron II with 3D acceleration.
Return of the Incredible Machine: Contraptions Dynamix Windows 2000 Puzzle game
The Incredible Machine: Even More Contraptions Dynamix Windows 2001 Puzzle game

Video games published by Sierra FX (1998)

Title System Published Notes
Police Quest: SWAT 2 Windows 1998 3D real-time tactics game.
Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire Windows 1998 3D adventure role-playing game.

Video games published by Sierra Entertainment (2002-2009)

Title Developer System Published Notes
Half-Life 2 Valve Software Windows 2004 3D first-person shooter.
SWAT 4 Irrational Games Windows 2005 3D real-time tactics game.

Video games published by Sierra (2014-2016)

Title Developer System Published Notes
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved Lucid Games Xbox One 2014 Shoot 'em up video game.
Shiftlings Rock Pocket Games Xbox One 2015 Puzzle platform game.
Velocity 2X FuturLab Xbox One 2015 Puzzle platform game.
King's Quest: The Complete Collection (digital)
King's Quest: Adventures of Graham (retail)
The Odd Gentlemen Windows
Xbox One
2015-2016 3D episodic adventure game.