Joel Billings’ Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) papers

Collection — Box: 1-3

Identifier: 112.1517

Staff Only

Joel Billings’ Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) collection contains a sample of corporate records from Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI). Document types include meeting minutes, business plans, financial statements, correspondence, statistics, news articles, and other documentation. Also in this collection are printouts of the BASIC computer code for the SSI games Tank and Computer Bismarck. The bulk of the materials are dated between 1979 and 1996. Additional scope and content information can be found in the “Contents List” section of this finding aid.

Joel Billings’ Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) collection is arranged in one series which has been further divided into seven subseries. The collection is housed in three archival document boxes and one flat folder.

Dates

1976 - 2001
Majority of material found within 1979 - 1996

Creator

Billings, Joel (Owner, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Please see The Strong's Digital Games Files Access Policy here .

Conditions Governing Use

This collection is open for research use by staff of The Strong and by users of its library and archives. Though the donor has not transferred intellectual property rights (including, but not limited to any copyright, trademark, and associated rights therein) to The Strong, he has given permission for The Strong to make copies in all media for museum, educational, and research purposes.

Extent

1.25 Linear Feet (3 boxes, 1 oversized flat folder)

Additional Description

Abstract

Joel Billings’ Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) papers are a compilation of corporate records from Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI). The bulk of the materials are dated between 1979 and 1996.

Historical Note

Joel Billings, an American video game designer, founded Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) in 1979.

A wargame enthusiast from an early age, Billings realized that contemporary strategy game companies were not dedicating resources to develop computer versions of their analog games. While in college, Billings designed and programmed a simple wargame called Tank. After discussing his ideas with other game programmers, Billings began SSI with a modest investment. (Apple executive Trip Hawkins convinced Billings to program on the Apple II due to its graphics capability.) The California-based company successfully published its first wargame, Computer Bismarck, in 1980.

SSI produced dozens of simulation games during the 1980s, branching into fantasy, science-fiction, and sports. In 1987, SSI acquired the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD

System of Arrangement

Series I: SSI corporate records, 1976-2001

Subseries A: Historical information

Subseries B: Business plans

Subseries C: Meeting minutes

Subseries D: Financial documents

Subseries E: Research and statistics

Subseries F: Computer code printouts

Subseries G: Advertisements

Custodial History

Joel Billings’ Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) papers were donated to The Strong in April 2012 as a gift from Joel Billings. The papers were accessioned under Object ID 112.1517.

Related Materials

The trade catalog collection housed in the library stacks at the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play at The Strong contains SSI product catalogs from 1981 through 1996.

The International Center for the History of Electronic Games at The Strong also holds dozens of SSI-published games.

Subjects

Record Groups

- List 03. Archival Collections Related to Video and Other Electronic Games

Related Names

Creator

Billings, Joel (Owner, Person)

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title: Finding Aid to Joel Billings’ Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI) Papers, 1976-2001
Status: completed
Author: Julia Novakovic
Date: 7 January 2014
Description rules: dacs
Language of description: English