 Personal Software Services was founded in Coventry , England , by Gary Mays and Richard Cockayne in November 1981 . The company was known for creating games that revolved around historic war battles and conflicts , such as Theatre Europe , Bismarck and Battle of Britain . The company had a partnership with French video game developer ERE Informatique and published localised versions of their products to the United Kingdom . The Strategic Wargames series was conceptualised in 1984 by software designer Alan Steel ; during development of these titles , Steel would often research the upcoming game 's topic and pass on his findings to associates in Coventry and London . In 1983 , the company was recognised as " one of the top software houses " in the United Kingdom , and was a finalist for BBC Radio 4 's New Business Enterprise Award . 
