Sydney Development Corporation

Last updated
Sydney Development Corporation
Industry Enterprise Application Software (EAS)
video games
Founded1978
Founder Tarrnie Williams
Defunct1989
Headquarters,
Key people
Tarrnie Williams
RevenueCan$21 million In 1983
Number of employees
~100

Sydney Development Corporation ("SDC"), was the first publicly-traded software company in Canada. Founded by Tarrnie Williams, SDC developed an online real-time project management system for the IBM System z [ citation needed ] mainframe computer, then various different business applications for microcomputers such as the Apple II, and eventually became the first developer and publisher of computer games for microcomputers in Canada. [1] [2]

In 1981, SDC agreed to publish Evolution by Don Mattrick and Jeff Sembers, after Williams's 10-year-old son enjoyed a demo of the game. [3] Evolution sold over 400,000 copies, and Mattrick and Sembers went on to found Distinctive Software. [4]

Sydney Development Corp. was the fastest-growing public company in Canada in the five-year period 1978 to 1983 with fiscal year 1983 revenues of Can$21 million (equivalent to $57 million in 2023 [5] ).[ citation needed ]

The company filed for bankruptcy on 23 May 1989. [6]

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References

  1. "Case: Sydney Development Corp. [C]". MobyGames. Blue Flame Labs. February 14, 2009. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  2. "Case: Vancouver's video game family tree [C]". The Straight. The Georgia Strait. January 28, 2009. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  3. "A Distinctive Lineage". Escapist. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  4. Wolf, Mark J. P. (2015). Video Games Around The World. MIT Press. ISBN   978-0-262-52716-3.
  5. 1688 to 1923: Geloso, Vincent, A Price Index for Canada, 1688 to 1850 (December 6, 2016). Afterwards, Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021. and table 18-10-0004-13 "Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  6. The Financial Post Survey of Predecessor and Defunct Companies. Vol. 10. Financial Post. 1993. p. 203. Retrieved 2 July 2017.