Simulmondo
Italy's First Professional Video Game Studio and Pioneer of Kiosk Distribution
Simulmondo was an Italian video game development company founded in 1987 in Bologna by journalist Francesco Carlà. Widely acknowledged as Italy's first professional software house, it pioneered episodic kiosk publishing with adaptations of Dylan Dog, Tex, and Diabolik on the Commodore 64 and Amiga.
Pioneering Italian Themes and 3D Cameras
Beginning with an adaptation of the traditional Italian lawn bowling game Bocce in 1987, Simulmondo rapidly diversified. Their 1990 title 'I Play 3D Soccer' pioneered an over-the-shoulder 3D player-perspective camera long before modern sports simulations adopted the convention.
The Edicola Episodic Model
Collaborating with legendary comics publisher Sergio Bonelli Editore, Simulmondo distributed serialized floppy disks directly via Italian newsstands (edicole), creating an early precursor to episodic gaming that sold hundreds of thousands of copies.