Westwood Associates

Westwood Associates at a Glance

Westwood Associates operated as a game developer from 1985 until 1993 before rebranding to Westwood Studios. Based in the United States, this company released 19 games on PlayPile, all of which they developed themselves without publishing any titles under their own name. Their catalog shows a clear preference for older hardware, with DOS games making up the bulk of their output at 16 titles. They also released heavily for the Commodore C64/128/MAX, Amiga, and Apple II systems. Their reach extended to platforms like the Atari ST, PC-9800 Series, Mac, and Nintendo Entertainment System, though they produced fewer games for these later systems compared to their DOS focus. The company spent most of its active years on Role-playing games, creating 13 titles in that genre. They also developed 7 Adventure games and 3 Simulator titles. Their work spanned two decades with a slight shift in volume from the 1980s, where they released 10 games, to the 1990s, when they released 9 games. The quality of their output varied significantly. Across the six titles that have received ratings on IGDB, the average score sits at 69.8 out of 100. Their best work includes Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon with a score of 87.3 and Eye of the Beholder at 81.7. These two RPGs represent their highest achievements. However, their later releases did not match that same level of acclaim. Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun received a score of 64.8 in May 1992. Another D&D title, Order of the Griffon, appeared in early 1992. Ancient Glory was released in December 1993 as one of their final projects. While they had two great games and three good ones, they also produced one mixed-rated title. Their portfolio included other genres like Real Time Strategy, Strategy, Shooter, Racing, Hack and slash, Puzzle, and Card & Board Game, but these were minor parts of their overall output compared to their RPG focus. The company eventually merged with Virgin Interactive in 1992 and was later acquired by Electronic Arts before closing in 2003.

Release Timeline

Rating Distribution