Distinctive Software
 |
|
| Industry | Interactive entertainment |
|---|---|
| Fate | Merged into EA Canada |
| Successor | EA Canada |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Defunct | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada |
|
Key people
|
Don Mattrick Jeff Sember Paul Lee Tarrnie Williams Bruce McMillan |
| Products | Video games |
| Parent | Electronic Arts |
Distinctive Software Inc. (DSI) was a Canadian video game developer established in Burnaby, British Columbia, by Don Mattrick and Jeff Sember after their success with the game Evolution. Don Mattrick (age 17) and Jeff Sember approached Sydney Development Corporation, who agreed to publish Evolution in 1982. Distinctive Software was the predecessor to EA Canada. Most DSI games were distributed by Accolade.
Distinctive Software was best known in the late 1980s for their ports, racing and sports games, including the Test Drive series and Stunts. The code base for 1987's Test Drive was also used for Test Drive II: The Duel, 1988's Grand Prix Circuit, and 1989's The Cycles: International Grand Prix Racing.
DSI also made sports games like 4D Boxing, and the second title in the Hardball series, Hardball II.
In 1991, DSI was acquired by Electronic Arts in a deal worth US$11 million and became EA Canada. This was a significant blow to Accolade, which lost credibility and market share in the following years.
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