Jellyvision

United States Founded 1989 Website

The Jellyvision Lab, Inc. is an American software company based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1989, and as a video game development company by Harry Gottlieb in 1995, Jellyvision has since transitioned to creating benefits guidance software. Jellyvision was originally founded in 1989 as an educational media company, later pivoting to develop video games. Founder Harry Gottlieb created the CD-ROM game You Don't Know Jack in 1995, which became a massive success and established a franchise of You Don’t Know Jack titles from 1995 to 1998. Facing a major shift in the computer game market, as players moved from personal computers to home consoles, Jellyvision shuttered in 2001. Later that year, Gottlieb launched a new company called the Jellyvision Lab, with a focus on developing business software inspired by You Don’t Know Jack's voice-driven interface. In 2009, Jellyvision developed the first version of ALEX, an interactive conversation that helps employees choose their benefits. The success of ALEX spurred Jellyvision's growth, and as of 2019 is the company's primary business focus, expanding to offer an interactive HSA product and year-round financial guidance. In 2008, the original Jellyvision Games was relaunched as a subsidiary of the Jellyvision Lab. It spun off into its own company in 2011, and rebranded as Jackbox Games in 2013.

Jellyvision at a Glance

Jellyvision started in Chicago in 1989 before Harry Gottlieb began making video games in 1995. The company focused heavily on quiz and trivia content during its early years. Their library shows a clear pattern where eleven of their thirteen listed titles fall into the Quiz/Trivia genre. Most of these games were built for PC, with eleven versions available on Microsoft Windows and seven on Mac. Three titles also appeared on PlayStation. The peak of their game development happened between 1995 and 2001. During the 1990s they released eight games, while the 2000s saw five more releases. The You Don't Know Jack series drove their reputation early on. You Don't Know Jack Vol. 1 XL from 1996 holds the highest rating at 80 out of 100. Several other entries in that franchise followed with scores of 70, including volumes 2 through 4 and a television edition. This period established them as a solid developer with mostly good to great ratings. However, their later output showed signs of decline. By the end of 2000 and into 2001, they released titles like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: 3rd Edition which received a score of just 48.3. Other entries from this time, such as You Don't Know Jack: Mock 2, did not reach the same heights as their earlier work. The overall average rating across their seven rated games sits at 66.9. This number reflects one great title, five good ones, and one mixed result. There are no poor ratings in the data, but the drop in quality toward 2001 is visible. The company shut down its game division in 2001 as players shifted to home consoles. Gottlieb then launched Jellyvision Lab to create business software for employee benefits. The original game studio returned later as a subsidiary in 2008 before becoming Jackbox Games in 2013. If you are looking at their history, you will see a clear transition from successful quiz games on PC to corporate tools and finally a rebranding that moved away from the original name. Their contribution to gaming is defined by that specific run of trivia titles from the late nineties.

Total Games

66.9

Avg Rating

1995

First Release

2001

Latest Release