Cosmi Corporation Explained

Cosmi Corporation (COSMI) was an American computer software company based in Carson, California. It sold low-cost software directly to consumers in large retail outlets, computer stores, and drug, hardware, and grocery stores. It had two major imprints: Celery Software, and Swift Software/Swift Jewel.[1]

Platforms it has published for include: Atari 8-bit computers,[2] Atari 16-bit computers, the VIC-20, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, and Amiga, Apple II computers, IBM and Tandy compatibles, Windows, Palm OS, and PocketPC.

Origin

Cosmi Corporation was founded in 1982 by George Johnson. Its business model was of vertical integration, rapidly pivoting into trendy or popular product niches, and maintaining low prices.[3] It published and distributed software for personal computer systems.

Products

Cosmi products included games, such as Forbidden Forest, The President Is Missing, and Aztec Challenge. It also published utility software including a database, word processor, spreadsheet, street maps, vacation planners, and a 3D World Atlas.[4] [5] [6]

Further examples include:

Shovelware

In 2001, Cosmi began publishing shovelware, which was sold at Best Buy and Office Depot.[9] [10]

Examples from this era include:

All of which were published on the same disk. The installer would ask which one was being installed and then ask for a specific word on a specific page of the manual of the selected product, as a form of rudimentary DRM.

Mergers and Dissolution

In 2012, Cosmi acquired ValuSoft from the now-defunct video game publisher THQ for an undisclosed sum.[11] The company was renamed to ValuSoft Cosmi.

In 2018, ValuSoft Cosmi was renamed Play Hard Games.[12]

In 2020, Play Hard Games was acquired, and then dissolved, by Ziggurat Interactive. As of 2024, some of its games are still sold under the ValuSoft Cosmi brand.[13]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.mobygames.com/company/1522/cosmi-corporation/
  2. Web site: Cosmi Corporation . Moby Games . 2009-08-08 .
  3. Web site: Success Through Imitation, Not Innovation. 2000-03-15. Los Angeles Times. en-US. 2020-05-07.
  4. Web site: Screen Shot Gallery -- Commodore 64/128 . 2009-08-08 . Dan's 20th Century Abandonware . Dan Rose . https://archive.today/20090106145033/http://www.d2ca.org/d2ca-ssg-commodore.html . 2009-01-06 . dead .
  5. Web site: Software Review of: Street Maps USA with USA Vacation Planner. https://web.archive.org/web/20030828023910/http://www.alamopc.org/pcalamode/reviews/current/R20020602.shtml. usurped. August 28, 2003. Larry Grosskopf. 2009-08-08 . PC Alamode Magazine . June 2002.
  6. Web site: Phoenix Software lands distributor status for Cosmi Corporation. Associates. K. L.. 2007-10-05. ITWeb. en-ZA. 2020-05-07.
  7. Web site: Customer Reviews, Perfect Website Creator . 2009-08-08 . amazon.com . various reviewers .
  8. Web site: J. McNally. Platinum Perfect Pro Office System Software (mailing list thread). 2009-08-08. openoffice.org.
  9. Web site: Hotelguide.com Announces Distribution Partnership With Software Giant, Cosmi . https://web.archive.org/web/20110727081925/https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4007205.search?query=%22cosmi+corporation%22+site%3a . dead . 2011-07-27 . 2009-08-08 . hospitality.net.
  10. Entrepreneur . Pricing Your Product to Sell . Jane Applegate . March 2002 . 2009-08-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070503105931/http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/bookkeeping/financialanalysisandbudgeting/article50046.html . May 3, 2007 .
  11. Web site: Cosmi Software Acquires ValuSoft Division of THQ Inc. . 2016-01-17 . April 2012 . ValuSoft.
  12. https://asecretarea.com/2012/01/08/elite-forces-wwii-iwo-jima-windows/
  13. https://store.steampowered.com/curator/38030948-Cosmi-Valusoft/

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