Publisher and distributor of CD-ROM based personal computer software
"Softkey" redirects here. For the input device, see soft key.
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SoftKey International
Trade name
The Learning Company (1995–1999)
Founded
1986; 38 years ago (1986) (as SoftKey Software Products)
Founders
Kevin O'Leary
Defunct
1999; 25 years ago (1999)
Fate
Acquired by Mattel and folded into Mattel Interactive
SoftKey International (originally SoftKey Software Products, Inc.) was a software company founded by Kevin O'Leary in 1986 in Toronto, Ontario.[1] It was known as The Learning Company from 1995 to 1999 after acquiring The Learning Company and taking its name.
SoftKey played a major role in the dissolution of the edutainment industry by the turn of the millennium.[2] Contributing factors include its reduction of the market price by releasing shovelware discs of freeware and shareware,[3] hostile takeovers of major edutainment software companies, reduction of these acquisitions to a skeleton staff, and questionable financial practices to maintain its stock price.[2]
In 1999, the company was acquired by Mattel in what Businessweek called one of "the Worst Deals of All Time".[4] It was subsequently folded into Mattel Interactive,[citation needed] Riverdeep Interactive Learning, and Software MacKiev.
^Burgess, Steve. "Kevin O'Leary". NUVO magazine. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
^ abpaleotronic (August 20, 2019). "The Family Business: An Interview with Brøderbund Software founder Doug Carlston". Paleotronic Magazine. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
^"Is the Educational Games Industry Falling Into the Same Trap It Did 20 Years Ago? - EdSurge News". EdSurge. February 7, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
^"Kevin O'Leary: He's not a billionaire, he just plays one on TV". Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
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fixed function or a fixed set of functions. A softkey often takes the form of a screen-labeled function key located alongside a display device, where the...
Brookdale Corporate Center in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. It was acquired by SoftKey in 1995 and was shut down in 1999. During the 1960s, Minnesota was a center...
Caillou. In 1995, the company was acquired by SoftKey in a hostile takeover bid, at which point SoftKey assumed the Learning Company name and brand. The...
California, then later to Novato, California. Brøderbund was purchased by SoftKey in 1998. Many of Broderbund's software titles, such as The Print Shop,...
an educational video game released by MECC in 1995. It was published by SoftKey Multimedia. It is a revised version of the original The Oregon Trail video...
Knowledge Adventure) SoftKey (acquired by Mattel, then Riverdeep) Brøderbund (acquired by Softkey) The Learning Company (acquired by SoftKey) Creative Wonders...
Turn the KeySoftly is a 1953 British drama film directed by Jack Lee and starring Yvonne Mitchell, Joan Collins, Kathleen Harrison, and Terence Morgan...
Learning Company was bought by SoftKey after a hostile takeover bid. Softkey adopted the name The Learning Company. Softkey embarked on a cost-cutting exercise...
In 1998, Broderbund was purchased by The Learning Company, (formerly SoftKey) who took responsibility for developing and publishing the series in 2001...
T/Maker by WordStar in 1993, but shortly after that, WordStar merged with SoftKey, which ultimately led to its discontinuation. It had a combination of powerful...
Canada The Learning Company, an American educational software company SoftKey, a Canadian shovelware company which acquired The Learning Company and...
mystery-solving teenagers. The series was created by The Learning Company (formerly SoftKey) as a counterpart to their Reader Rabbit series for older, elementary-aged...
Broderbund in 1995. It passed through the hands of The Learning Company, SoftKey, Mattel, and others before coming under its current ownership. A redesigned...
II personal computer that was published by Charles R. Haight under the SoftKey Publishing name, between 1981 and 1993, for a total of 89 issues. The magazine...
95 and Windows 98 (in a single three-platform release), distributed by SoftKey. Similar to other releases in the Virtual Pool series, the game is controlled...
and Robot Odyssey for the Apple II. The Learning Company was acquired by Softkey in 1995 for US$606 million. He has since worked on virtual reality projects...
actions, a form of softkey. On some keyboards/computers, function keys may have default actions, accessible on power-on. Function keys on a terminal may...
video game developed by American company Merit Studios and published by SoftKey for DOS. World Hockey 95 features full-motion video commentary and a three-quarter...
acquired in 1998 by The Learning Company (the company previously known as SoftKey) for $420 million, and the combined company was sold to Mattel for $3.6...
after its flagship product in 1989, WordStar International merged with SoftKey in 1993. WordStar was the first microcomputer word processor to offer mail...
Broderbund's entertainment library from The Learning Company (formerly SoftKey) and published the Myst sequels. The reviewer from Pyramid #29 (Jan./Feb...
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