The learning company

MicroPro International

It all started with MicroPro International Corp., founded in 1978 by Seymour Rubinstein ; after the company changed its name to SoftKey International, Inc. Rubinstein stayed with the company until 1986, when he left to create Surpass Corporation, which developed the spreadsheet program for Borland International in 1988, the program was released as Quattro Pro .

In the early days of computers, MicroPro International was best known for creating WordStar (word processor), CalcStar (spreadsheets), and DataStar (databases) for Apple II , Tandy , TRS-80 and DOS . The company changed its name to WordStar International , Inc in June 1989.

WordStar opened a branch in France, WordStar International SA , in 1991. Then the company acquired Lifetree Software Ltd. in 1991 and ZSoft in January 1993. Then, in February 1994, WordStar International merged with Spinnaker Software Corp. and SoftKey Software Products Inc., a Canadian-based taxation software company, to form the new company SoftKey International Inc., which was incorporated in Delaware ( USA ). In July of this year, a subsidiary of SoftKey Multimedia Inc was also formed.

By this time, SoftKey International, Inc. had become a multi-billion dollar company and a major rival in the highly competitive educational software market. The company is a developer and software provider. Products for increasing productivity, education / entertainment were available on magnetic disks and CD-ROMs .

In October 1996, the company changed its name to The Learning Company, Inc and relocated its headquarters in Cambridge , Massachusetts to the location of its subsidiary SoftKey Multimedia Inc.

The names The Learning Company, Inc., Softkey used as a brand until 1999.

The Learning Company (TLC)

In 1995, TLC became the focus of large software companies interested in purchasing it. In the same year, a “price war” took place between Brøderbund and SoftKey. SoftKey eventually acquired TLC for $ 606 million in cash. SoftKey took the name The Learning Company and continues to acquire other software companies, including Mindscape , Inc. in March 1998 for $ 150 million and, ironically, former rival Brøderbund in June of that year for $ 416 million.

Mattel Interactive

In the fall of 1998, Mattel agreed to the acquisition of The Learning Company through the exchange of stock shares, the deal amounted to $ 4.2 billion. ^[1] . In 1999, the name of the merged company was changed to Mattel Interactive. In 2000, Mattel sold The Learning Company due to financial losses to the Gores Technology group - the total loss amounted to about $ 3.6 billion. The acquisition of TLC was named one of the worst in corporate history by Mattel . TLC, along with Brøderbund , is currently a subsidiary of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt , however, some of the units acquired were sold to Ubisoft .

Acquired Companies

• Aris Multimedia Entertainment Inc. (June 1994).
• Compact Publishing , Inc. (July 1994).
• Software Marketing Corporation (September 1994).
• Tewi Verlag GmbH (July 1995).
• Future Vision Holding , Inc. (August 1995).
• The Learning Company (December 1995).
• Compton's NewMedia , Inc. (January 1996).
• Minnesota Educational Computing Corporation ( MECC ) (May 1996).
• Edusoft (August 1996).

Reader Rabbit / The ClueFinders Series

• Level at the base of the name
  • Reader Rabbit Baby
  • Reader Rabbit Toddler
  • Reader Rabbit Preschool
  • Reader Rabbit Preschool: Sparkle Star Rescue
  • Reader Rabbit Kindergarten
  • Reader Rabbit 1st Grade
  • Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade (now marketed as Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade: Classic )
  • Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade: Mis-cheese-ious Dreamship Adventures
  • The ClueFinders 3rd Grade Adventures (1998)
  • The ClueFinders 4th Grade Adventures (1998)
  • The ClueFinders 5th Grade Adventures (1999)
  • The ClueFinders 6th Grade Adventures (1999)
• Other names
  • Writer Rabbit (1987)
  • Reader Rabbit 1 (1989)
  • Reader Rabbit 2 (1990)
  • Reader Rabbit 3 (1991)
  • Reader Rabbit's Reading Journey (1993)
  • Math Rabbit (Later changed the name to Reader Rabbit Math )
  • The ClueFinders Math Adventures (1999)
  • The ClueFinders Reading Adventures (1999)
  • The ClueFinders Search and Solve Adventures (2000)
  • The ClueFinders: The Incredible Toy Store Adventure! (2001)
  • The ClueFinders: Mystery Mansion Arcade
  • Caillou magic playhouse
  • Spongebob SquarePants Typing
  • Some PBS Kids games

Zoombinis

• Zoombinis Logical Journey (1996)
  • Note: This game was redone in 2015.
• Zoombinis Mountain Rescue (2001)
• Zoombinis Island Odyssey (2002)

Super Solvers Series

• Midnight Rescue! (Later reprinted as Super Solvers Reading and later Leap Ahead! 3rd Grade )
• OutNumbered! (Later reprinted as Leap Ahead! 3rd Grade )
• Challenge of the Ancient Empires! ( Ancient Empires )
• Spellbound! (Later reprinted as Leap Ahead! Spelling )
• Gizmos & Gadgets!
• Mission: THINK

Super Seekers Games

• Treasure Mountain! (1990)
  • Note: This game was originally released as part of the Super Solvers series.
• Treasure MathStorm! (1992)
• Treasure Cove! (1994)
• Treasure Galaxy! (1994)

Carmen Sandiego Series

• Carmen Sandiego's ThinkQuick Challenge (1999)
• Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Treasures of Knowledge (2001)
  • Note: When The Learning Company acquired the Brøderbund Software, they acquired the rights to the Carmen Sandiego series. Only Carmen Sandiego games created by The Learning Company are listed here. Please note that some original Brøderbund games are now sold under the brand name of The Learning Company.

Scooby-Doo Series ! Mystery Adventures

• Scooby-Doo: Showdown in Ghost Town (2000)
• Scooby-Doo: Phantom of the Knight (2000)
• Scooby-Doo: Jinx at the Sphinx (2001)

Scooby-Doo Series ! Case Files

• Scooby-doo! Case File # 1: The Glowing Bug Man (2002)
• Scooby-doo! Case File # 2: The Scary Stone Dragon (2003)
• Scooby-doo! Case File # 3: Frights! Camera! Mystery! (2007)

Other games

• Prince of Persia 3D (1999)
• Real World Series
  • Operation Neptune (1991)
    • Note: This game was ultimately ranked as a Super Solvers series.
  • Time Riders in American History
  • Math for the real world
• Adventure / puzzle
  • Rocky's Boots (1982)
  • Gertrude's Secrets (1984)
  • Gertrude's puzzles
  • Robot Odyssey (1984)
  • Think Quick!
  • Logic Quest 3D (1996)
  • Road adventures usa
• Travels
  • Oregon trail
  • Amazon trail
  • Yukon trail
  • Africa trail
  • Mayaquest
• Tools and other programs
  • All-star typing
  • The american girls premiere
  • Read, Write, and Type
  • MetroGnomes' Music
  • The Children's Writing & Publishing Center
  • The writing center
  • Student writing center
• Other early educational programs
  • Magic spells
  • Bumble games
  • Bumble plot
  • Moptown hotel
  • Moptown parade
  • Wordspinner
  • Juggles' rainbow
  • Juggles' house
• Starflyers Series
  • Starflyers: Royal Jewel Rescue
  • Starflyers: Alien Space Chase

• SoftKey International, Inc.
• The Learning Company (TLC)
• The Learning Company (TLC)
• Houghton mifflin harcourt