Creative Sparks
Thorn EMI Computer Software (also known as Thorn EMI Video Programmes) was a British video games software house set up in the early 1980s as part of the now-defunct British conglomerate Thorn EMI. They released a number of games in the early 1980s using the same "Thorn EMI Video" label as their home video releases. Initially these were for the Atari 8-bit computers, and later for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and VIC-20 formats. In 1984, the Thorn EMI name was dropped in favour of Creative Sparks as the company felt its "big corporate" associations were inappropriate for the video games market.
Also recorded as Thorn EMI Computer Software
Creative Sparks
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Activity
- video game industry
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Thorn EMI Computer Software (also known as Thorn EMI Video Programmes) was a British video games software house set up in the early 1980s as part of the now-defunct British conglomerate Thorn EMI. They released a number of games in the early 1980s using the same "Thorn EMI Video" label as their home video releases. Initially these were for the Atari 8-bit computers, and later for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and VIC-20 formats. In 1984, the Thorn EMI name was dropped in favour of Creative Sparks as the company felt its "big corporate" associations were inappropriate for the video games market.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q5183549 · wikipedia · Thorn EMI Computer Software
In this article
'Thorn EMI' label
'Thorn EMI' label
• Blockade Runner • Carnival Massacre • Cribbage and Dominoes • Darts • Gold Rush • Home Financial Management • Mutant Herd • Orc Attack • River Rescue • Road Racer • Submarine Commander • Snooker and Billiards • The VIC Music Composer • Tower of Evil • Volcanic Planet • 8-Ball and Tournament Pool
'Creative Sparks' label
'Creative Sparks' label
• Black Hawk • Computer War • Countdown to Meltdown • Danger Mouse In Double Trouble • Danger Mouse In The Black Forest Chateau • Delta Wing • Snodgits • Special Delivery • Stagecoach • Story House • Tower of Evil • Danger Mouse in Making Whoopee
'Sparklers' label
'Sparklers' label
• Bargain Basement • Desert Burner • Doombase • Quackshot • St Crippens
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- United Kingdom
Releases
A budget label, Sparklers, was created in early 1985 to publish titles at £2.50. Later in 1985, Creative Sparks, Sparklers and the distribution company, Creative Sparks Distribution (CSD) gained independence from Thorn EMI after a management buyout. In July 1987, six months after buying software company Mikro-Gen for a "substantial" sum, Creative Sparks went into receivership with debts estimated at up to £1.5million. The back catalogue of the company was acquired by Tynesoft, Alternative Software and Maynard International (Top Ten Software). The former management at CSD went on to form Software Publishing Associates, owners of the Crysys and Pirate Software labels.
Many of the company's games listed below were issued on more than one label over the years. A typical example is River Rescue, first released under the Thorn EMI label, then later sold (with updated artwork) under the Creative Sparks brand. This was followed by a budget release on the company's own Sparklers label then- after Creative Sparks' demise- another budget reissue by Alternative Software.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Thorn EMI Computer Software”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q5183549: Creative Sparks
General reference · Wikidata
Literature
Literature
Creative Sparks or Paralysis Traps?
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Newsfield. News. Crash. 4. 101. May 1984.
- 2.Argus Specialist Press. News. Home Computing Weekly. 4. 19 March 1985.
- 3.Sunshine Publications. Management Buy-Out at Thorn EMI. Popular Computing Weekly. 4. 47. 21–27 November 1985.
- 4.Sunshine Publications. MikroGen is sold to distributor. Popular Computing Weekly. 5. 50. 6. 11–17 December 1986.
- 5.Sunshine Publications. Receiver Called In At Creative Sparks. Popular Computing Weekly. 6. 29. 24–30 July 1987.
- 6.Focus Magazines. Equinox may see the light of day. Popular Computing Weekly. 6. 38. 11. 25 September – 1 October 1987.
- 7.David Lester. Risen from the ashes. Popular Computing Weekly. Focus Magazines. 6. 49. 32. 10–16 December 1987.
- 8.World of Spectrum - Blockade Runner. World of Spectrum.
- 9.Atari 400 800 XL XE Carnival Massacre : scans, dump, download, screenshots, ads, videos, catalog, instructions, roms. www.atarimania.com.
- 10.World of Spectrum - Gold Rush. World of Spectrum.
- 11.Home Financial Management - Software - Game - Computing History. www.computinghistory.org.uk.
- 12.Atari 400 800 XL XE Orc Attack : scans, dump, download, screenshots, ads, videos, catalog, instructions, roms. www.atarimania.com.
- 13.Atari 400 800 XL XE River Rescue : scans, dump, download, screenshots, ads, videos, catalog, instructions, roms [Thorn EMI version]. www.atarimania.com.
- 14.World of Spectrum - Road Racer. World of Spectrum.
- 15.Atari 400 800 XL XE Submarine Commander : scans, dump, download, screenshots, ads, videos, catalog, instructions, roms. www.atarimania.com.
- 16.World of Spectrum - Volcanic Planet. World of Spectrum.
- 17.Computer War - Software - Game - Computing History. www.computinghistory.org.uk.
- 18.Countdown to Meltdown - Software - Game - Computing History. www.computinghistory.org.uk.
- 19.Danger Mouse in Double Trouble at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware. Spectrum Computing.
- 20.Danger Mouse in The Black Forest Chateau - Software - Game - Computing History. www.computinghistory.org.uk.
- 21.Delta Wing at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware. Spectrum Computing.
- 22.Snodgits at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware. Spectrum Computing.
- 23.Special Delivery at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware. Spectrum Computing.
- 24.Stagecoach at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware. Spectrum Computing.
- 25.Story House - Software - Game - Computing History. www.computinghistory.org.uk.
- 26.Bargain Basement!!! At Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware.
- 27.Desert Burner at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware. Spectrum Computing.
- 28.Doombase at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware. Spectrum Computing.
- 29.Quackshot at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware. Spectrum Computing.
- 30.St. Crippens at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware. Spectrum Computing.
- 31.Atari 400 800 XL XE River Rescue [ Creative Sparks version]. www.atarimania.com.
- 32.Atari 400 800 XL XE River Rescue [Sparklers version]. www.atarimania.com.
- 33.Atari 400 800 XL XE River Rescue [Alternative Software version]. www.atarimania.com.
- 34.River Rescue [title page screenshot].
References
Citations
References
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General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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- Crete University PressOrganisation
- Crime Victim Compensation and Support AuthorityOrganisation
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