Bright Star Technology
Bright Star Technology, Inc. was founded by Elon Gasper and Nedra Goedert during the early 1980s and was a key player in multimedia technology.[1] Well-known titles from Bright Star include HyperAnimation, Alphabet Blocks, and the Talking Tutors series. Bright Star was acquired by Sierra On-Line in 1992, and was a cornerstone of Sierra's educational games department.[2]
Since the acquisition, several computer-related companies have been founded with this name, or a similar one.
Prior to starting the company, Gasperwas teaching computer science at California Institute of Technology while trying to teach his daughter how to read. He became inspired by the lip-synchronization positions charts used in Disney animation. This inspired him to create animated tutors whose mouths moved realistically to humans.[3] This continued to Early Math, which follows the curriculum from the National Association of Teachers of Mathematics.[3]
In 1995, Information Technology Design Associates was hired to develop two titles for the Golden Books Interactive product line from Western Publishing Company.[4] These two titles were Colours and Shapes with Hickory and Science Shop with Monker.[5][6][7]
A.J.'s World was developed by Sierra's subsidiaries Coktel Vision and Bright Star Technology.[8]
Bright Star's games
- Alphabet Blocks
- AJ's World of Language
- AJ's World of Math
- AJ's World of Discovery
- Spelling Jungle (also sold as Basic Spelling and Yobi's Basic Spelling Tricks; code-named Spelling Demons)
- Spelling Blizzard (also sold as Advanced Spelling)
- Kid's Typing
- Early Math
- Beginning Reading
- The Lost Mind of Dr. Brain
- Discover ABC and 123 with Hickory & Me (also sold as separate ABC and 123 products; produced in cooperation with Golden Books Family Entertainment)
- Discover Math and Spelling with Monker (also sold as separate Math and Spelling products; produced in cooperation with Golden Books Family Entertainment)
Bright Star's language education products
- Berlitz Live! Spanish (produced in cooperation with Berlitz International, Inc.)
- Berlitz Live! Japanese (produced in cooperation with Berlitz International, Inc.)
References
- Kantra, Suzanne (May 1993). "See Dick and Jane Go High-Tech". Popular Science: 43.
- "Sierra On-Line Inc -- Company History". Funding Universe. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
- Oldenburg, Don (December 13, 1993). "COMPUTERS" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
- KatieCadet2012 (2018-05-13). "Discovered Treasures: Golden Books Interactive CD-ROMs". Katie Cadet's Computer and Video Game Collection. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
- "Children's Software: Western Publishing Co., publisher of..." Los Angeles Times. 1994-10-07. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
- "Elko Daily Free Press from Elko, Nevada on November 22, 1995 · 38". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
- Barbanel, Josh (1995-01-08). "SOFTWARE; Math Without Tears And the Moons of Mars (Published 1995)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
- "ST Report: 18-Feb-94 #1008". www.atarimax.com. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
- Oldenburg, Don (1993-12-13). "COMPUTERS". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-10-27.