Magic Bytes

It is associated with Germany. The record gives 1987 as its date of establishment or first appearance. Activity is recorded as ending in 2000. Its recorded seat is United States. The recorded field of activity is video game industry and software industry.

• Name — Magic Bytes • Type — Product brand • Industry — Software development industry Video game industry • Founded — 1987 • Founder — Thomas Meiertoberens • Key People — Rolf Lakämper, Bettina Wiedner • Website — http: www.magicbytes.com

Micro-Partner was founded by Thomas Meiertoberens, coming from Rainbow Arts of which he was co-founder, in 1986 in Gütersloh, Germany. At that time the initial team was formed by the owner Meiertoberens, the programmer Rolf Lakämper and the graphic designer Bettina Wiedner, all three in their twenties, and made itself known with the success of Mission Elevator, published in different countries of the world, the first German video game to have notable international success. In 1986, Meiertoberens obtained licenses to produce and market video games in Europe of comic characters Clever & Smart, Pink Panther and Tom & Jerry. The Magic Bytes brand was created in 1987 and was subsequently used to publish almost all micro-partner's games. Magic Bytes debut took place in 1987 with the European release of Western Games and Clever & Smart. Most games were adapted for Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore C64 & Amiga, some for MSX, ZX Spectrum and later mostly for PC's. On May 20, 1988, Meiertoberens founded an US counterpart, Magic Bytes USA Inc., in Tampa and agreed with US company Digitek, also in Tampa, to mutually publish the other company's titles on their continent and micro-partner published Digitek games in Europe under the Magic Bytes label. In 1991, micro-partner ceased operations due to non-payment of some of their wholesalers and publishing rights for Magic Bytes games changed to Magic Bytes Verlag R. Kleinegräber in German speaking countries and Magic Bytes Verlag started selling video games directly to end-users by mail-order or to Karstadt department stores. Magic Bytes Verlag started publishing video games from external German game developers and had notable success in Germany with BIING from reLINE in 1993 and Have a N.I.C.E. day from Synetic in 1997. In 2000, the last Magic Bytes game was released for that time period. In 2017, Thomas Meiertoberens, who in the meantime had moved to the United States in 1997 to manage a real estate company, brought the brand back into business by founding Magic Bytes LLC, of which he is CEO. The new US company, headquartered in Lewes and operating with representatives in Orlando and Bielefeld, Germany, is developing an Android game called Toonworld of which an early access version has been released in February 2021.

• Year — Game — Genre • 1987 — Western Games — Sport • 1987 — Clever & Smart — Action-Adventure • 1988 — Powerstyx — Strategy • 1988 — Minigolf — Sport • 1988 — Pink Panther — Action-Adventure • 1988 — Vampire's Empire — Action-Adventure • 1989 — Beam — Action • 1989 — Blue Angel 69 — Puzzle • 1989 — Eskimo Games — Sport • 1989 — Nightdawn — Action • 1989 — Tom & Jerry — Action • 1989 — Wall$treet — Educational • 1990 — Air Supply — Action • 1990 — Big Business — Business Simulation • 1990 — Domination — Action-Adventure • 1990 — USS John Young — Simulation • 1990 — North Sea Inferno — Action-Adventure • 1990 — Cyberworld — Action-Adventure • 1991 — Dino Wars — Action-Strategy • 1991 — The Second World — Adventure • 1992 — Dynatech — Economy Simulation • 1992 — Elysium — Economy Simulation • 1993 — Penthouse Hot Numbers — Puzzle • 1995 — Biing! — Economy Simulation • 1996 — Abenteuer Weltraum — Educational • 1997 — Have a N.I.C.E. Day! — Racing • 1997 — Drilling Billy — Action • 1998 — N.I.C.E. 2 — Racing • 1998 — Rent-a-Hero — Fantasy • 1999 — Biing! 2 — Economy Simulation • 1999 — Dark Secrets of Africa — Action-Adventure • 2000 — Crystal Hammer — Action