Although Billings expected that he and Lyon would write the first version of Computer Bismarck on a North Star computer, Apple Computer executive Trip Hawkins, who would later found Electronic Arts, persuaded Billings to switch to the Apple II because of its graphics.[3]Computer Bismarck appeared for the Apple in January 1980 and for the TRS-80 later in the year. Chuck Kroegel, who joined the company as an employee in 1983, was the co-author with David Landrey of many of the early SSI wargames and led product development for over ten years.
By late 1980, SSI advertised that its games could "take you from Waterloo to the Super Bowl. (By way of the North Atlantic.)"[4] In 1982 SSI launched their RapidFire line. Although the name implies action titles, it was in fact simply a branding of games being written by third party authors. The initial series consisted of Cytron Masters, The Cosmic Balance and Galactic Gladiators. Later titles included Epidemic!, a real time strategy title dealing with a global plague, Queen of Hearts, Cosmic Balance II, Broadsides and others. The branding effort did not last very long, and appeared to have been ended in either 1983 or 1984. Chris Smith reviewed SSI's RapidFire Line in The Space Gamer No. 59.[5] Smith commented that " RapidFire is a game line that deserves any award it can be nominated for. It is the best line of computer games I've ever seen, and the programs rate high on an individual basis also."[5]
By 1985, Antic wrote "serious computer wargamers consider [SSI] a company in a class by itself". It had 60 employees and had published 12 games in the previous year, most written in compiledBASIC. Developers such as Gary Grigsby received royalties of up to $20,000 per game.[6] By fiscal 1987 the company had $5 million in sales, and had released 89 games in its first eight years.[2]
By 1992, Computer Gaming World stated that SSI "is no longer known as, primarily, a wargame company [but] continues to publish its share of wargames".[7] In 1994, the company released Panzer General. Panzer General was a very approachable and easy-to-play game that nevertheless had some gameplay depth and the sense of continuity and goals. It was followed by three other games based on slightly modified versions of the basic engine, including Allied General and Pacific General, the latter arguably being the most balanced. Non-historical games based on the same system were also released, Star General and Fantasy General. These were later referred to collectively as the 5-Star General Series.
As the newer versions were released over a three-year period they increasingly became outdated in terms of improving computer hardware. In 1997 they released a new version, Panzer General II, with hand-painted maps and icons. It was very popular, selling well over 100,000 copies in its first release, and is still modded and played today.[citation needed]People's General was based on the same engine. In 1999 Panzer General 3D Assault introduced a true 3D engine, but gameplay was not particularly notable.[citation needed] A final attempt in 2000 was Panzer General III: Scorched Earth.
SSI was acquired by Mindscape in 1994, spent some time as part of Mattel, and finally became part of Ubisoft in March 2001, which retired the brand a few years later.[1]
Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the company's "Hasbro Gaming" division.
Panzer General is a 1994 computer wargame developed and published by Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI). It simulates conflict during World War II. The designers of Panzer General were heavily influenced by the Japanese wargame series Daisenryaku.
Steel Panthers is a series of computer wargames, developed and published by several different companies, with various games simulating war battles from 1930 to 2025. The first Steel Panthers game was released in 1995, and the most recent update was released in 2018 and is still updated regularly (yearly).
Wizard's Crown is a top-down role-playing video game published by Strategic Simulations in 1986. It was released for the Atari 8-bit computers, Atari ST, IBM PC compatibles, Apple II, and Commodore 64. A sequel, The Eternal Dagger, was released in 1987.
Gary Grigsby is a designer and programmer of computer wargames. In 1997, he was described as "one of the founding fathers of strategy war games for the PC." Computer Games Magazine later dubbed him "as much of an institution in his niche of computer gaming as Sid Meier, Will Wright, or John Carmack are in theirs."
Joel Billings is an American video game designer and producer. He is the founder of the computer game company Strategic Simulations (SSI). He was also the company's president.
Chuck Kroegel is an American video game designer. He was an executive for many years with Strategic Simulations (SSI), and played a role in developing their position as an industry leader in war games and role-playing video games. His career in the video game industry now spans over 30 years.
Computer Bismarck is a computer wargame developed and published by Strategic Simulations (SSI) in 1980. The game is based on the last battle of the battleship Bismarck, in which British Armed Forces pursue the German Bismarck in 1941. It is SSI's first game, and features turn-based gameplay and two-dimensional graphics.
Panzer Strike is a 1988 tactical wargame that simulates small unit actions during World War II. It was made for Apple II and Commodore 64 and was released by Strategic Simulations.
Panzer General 3D Assault is a 1999 computer wargame developed by Strategic Simulations, Inc (SSI) and published by The Learning Company. It is the third game in the Panzer General series, following Panzer General and Panzer General II.
A computer wargame is a wargame played on a digital device. Descended from board wargaming, it simulates military conflict at the tactical, operational or strategic level. Computer wargames are both sold commercially for recreational use and, in some cases, used for military purposes.
Roadwar Europa is a video game designed by Jeffrey Johnson, developed by George MacDonald, and published in 1987 by Strategic Simulations. The game was released for Amiga, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS. It is a sequel to the 1986 video game Roadwar 2000 also published by Strategic Simulations.
Steel Panthers is a 1995 computer wargame developed and published by Strategic Simulations. Designed by Gary Grigsby and Keith Brors, it simulates ground warfare during World War II, across the Western Front, Eastern Front and Pacific Theatre.
Kampfgruppe is a computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and published in 1984 by Strategic Simulations for the Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, and Commodore 64. Kampfgruppe is a game of tactical-scale combat on the Eastern Front. An MS-DOS port was released in 1987 followed by an Amiga version in 1988.
Typhoon of Steel is a 1988 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and published by Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) for the Apple II, Commodore 64, Amiga, and IBM PC. A follow-up to Grigsby's 1987 game Panzer Strike, it simulates military conflict during World War II.
Guadalcanal Campaign is a 1982 computer wargame developed by Gary Grigsby and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI). It was Grigsby's first released game and has been cited as the first monster wargame made for computers.
Objective: Kursk is a 1984 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and released by Strategic Simulations in 1984.
Carrier Strike: South Pacific 1942-44 is a 1992 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and published by Strategic Simulations Inc. It is a successor to Grigsby's earlier title Carrier Force.
Battle Cruiser is a 1987 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and published by Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI). It is the follow-up to Grigsby's earlier Warship.
War in the South Pacific is a 1987 computer wargame designed by Gary Grigsby and published by Strategic Simulations. It is classified as a monster wargame.
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