Graphics chip pioneer Hercules Sytem Inc has now officially admitted that it has shut up shop for the last time. As we reported last month, the venerable Fremont, California-based company fell into financial difficulties and the majority of its staff including its management team walked out.
Hercules has had a rough ride in its 17 years. The company claimed to have developed the worlds first graphics card in 1982 – the Hercules Monochrome Graphics Adapter – and it pioneered high-end PC graphics hardware in the late eighties and early nineties. However, although the company’s products have always been well regarded – its latest Riva TNT2-based board is considered the fastest currently available – the firm’s fortunes ebbed as the nineties progressed. Last year Elsa AG of Aachen, Germany announced its intention to buy Hercules for $8.5m in cash. However, the deal fell through in November because the firms could not agree terms.
