Tsunami Games

Last updated
Tsunami Games
Founded1991
FounderEd Heinbockel
Defunct1999
Number of employees
35 (1992 [1] )

Tsunami Games (or Tsunami Media, Inc.) was an American video game developer and publisher founded in 1991 by former employees of Sierra Entertainment (then known as Sierra On-Line). [2] The company was based in Oakhurst, California, which at the time was also the home of Sierra. Between 1992 and 1996 Tsunami published several games, most notably adventure games and interactive movies, before becoming defunct.

Contents

History

Following the release of Police Quest III, designer Jim Walls and other Sierra staff joined Tsunami, a new Oakhurst studio formed by former Sierra chief financial officer Ed Heinbockel. [3] [4] In a later note on his personal site, Sierra co-founder Ken Williams recalled that the company “threatened litigation” related to Tsunami’s recruiting of Sierra personnel. [5]

In 1993 the company released the space-exploration title Protostar: War on the Frontier and published the police adventure Blue Force, designed by former Sierra designer Jim Walls. [6] [7] In 1994 Tsunami developed the licensed sequel Return to Ringworld, and released the full-motion-video title Flash Traffic: City of Angels, which was noted in that year’s COMDEX coverage. [8] [9]

List of games

Reception

Contemporary reviews were mixed. Computer Gaming World wrote that Protostar “delivers on some points and comes up short on others,” recommending it mainly to newcomers while noting it failed to break new ground. [10] The magazine’s Charles Ardai was critical of Blue Force, faulting its dialogue and pacing and concluding that “Walls and Tsunami both have better work in them.” [11] In a review of Return to Ringworld, CGW judged it “not as painful as the original voyage,” but still uneven. [12]

References

  1. ↑ Crumrine, Lisa (June 12, 1992). "Softwar's firm's products futuristic but easier to use". The Fresno Bee . p. 44. Archived from the original on June 21, 2025. Retrieved January 26, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ Crumrine, Lisa (June 12, 1992). "Software firm's products futuristic but easier to use". The Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on June 21, 2025. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  3. ↑ Maher, Jimmy (July 19, 2019). "Chief Gates Comes to Oakhurst: A Cop Drama". The Digital Antiquarian. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  4. ↑ Crumrine, Lisa (June 12, 1992). "Software firm's products futuristic but easier to use". The Fresno Bee. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  5. ↑ Williams, Ken (February 3, 2020). "Blue Force (forum comment)". SierraGamers.com. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  6. ↑ Schuytema, Paul (August 1993). "Tsunami's ProtoStar: Putting light years of exploration into a personal computer" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 109. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  7. ↑ Ardai, Charles (November 1993). "Unnecessary Force" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 112. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Return to Ringworld" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 122. September 1994. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  9. ↑ Greenman, Catherine C. (December 3, 1994). "Future of MPEG Uncertain at COMDEX" (PDF). Billboard. p. 82. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  10. ↑ Schuytema, Paul (August 1993). "Tsunami's ProtoStar: Putting light years of exploration into a personal computer" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 109. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  11. ↑ Ardai, Charles (November 1993). "Unnecessary Force" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 112. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Return to Ringworld" (PDF). Computer Gaming World. No. 122. 1994. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
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