Running with Scissors (company)

{{Short description|American video game developer}} {{Use American English|date=October 2019}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox company | name = Running with Scissors Studios LLC | logo = Running with Scissors logo.png | former_name = RWS, Inc. (1998-2019) | type = Private | industry = Video games | predecessor = Riedel Software Productions | founded = {{Start date and age|1996}} | founders = {{ubl|Vince Desi|Mike Riedel}} | hq_location_city = Tucson, Arizona | hq_location_country = U.S. | key_people = Vince Desi (CEO) | products = ''Postal'' series (1997–present) | website = {{URL|https://runningwithscissors.com/}} }} '''Running with Scissors Studios LLC''' ('''RWS''') is an American video game developer based in Tucson, Arizona. RWS was formed in 1996 by Vince Desi and Mike Riedel as a mature label for Riedel Software Productions (RSP), a work for hire developer that mainly produced licensed titles aimed towards children. RWS is known for producing the ''Postal'' franchise, which has caused controversy with its use of violence and crude humor.

== History == === Origins and Riedel Software Productions === [[File:Vince Desi.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Vince Desi (pictured in 2006) has led Running with Scissors as its chief executive officer since its founding.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" />]] Early in his life, Vincent James Desiderio Jr., a native of Brooklyn, New York with Italian roots, had picked up a high school teaching career before quickly abandoning it and leaving after one semester. He then took on several different jobs, working as a taxi driver, nightclub promoter, and recording studio manager.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="SF Chronicle: Dummy Type"/> While working as a recruiter on Wall Street, he adopted the short name "Vince Desi" upon request from his boss.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /> Seeking to hire workers in the computer industry, Desi eventually became a consultant for the video game company Atari, Inc. in the early 1980s.<ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" />

[[File:Riedel Software Productions logo.png|thumb|The logo of Riedel Software Productions (RSP), the work for hire game developer that would later become Running with Scissors.]] At Atari, Desi hired and befriended Mike Riedel, a German-born programmer and recent Rochester Institute of Technology dropout.<ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy" /><ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Electronic Games 3" /> With Desi as his business negotiator, Riedel created the game ''Spy vs. Spy'' (1984) for First Star Software and ''Mad'' magazine. The game was a success, spawning two sequels and netting Riedel industry-wide recognition.<ref name="Electronic Games 3" /><ref name="Computer Games: Spy vs. Spy" /> Amidst Atari's ongoing financial instability, Desi and Riedel founded Riedel Software Productions, Inc. (RSP) in 1986.<ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy" /><ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Spin: Thrill-Kill" /> RSP specialized in developing games based on licensed properties on a work for hire basis, mainly producing family-oriented titles for Children's Television Workshop, The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., the World Wrestling Federation, and others.<ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy" /><ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> Because Desi had no knowledge of programming and little interest in video games, he handled business affairs for the company, while Riedel was in charge of creative operations.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" />

By the early 1990s, when Desi was 39, several factors led him to wish to relocate; Desi and Riedel discussed several potential cities—including Phoenix, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Seattle—before they settled on Tucson, Arizona.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /> Desi, Riedel and RSP moved to Tucson in late 1991.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> At the time, RSP consisted of the two founders and two employees. However, one of the employees did not turn up at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where the team was supposed to meet for the relocation, while the other quit two weeks following the relocation and moved back to New York. RSP was welcomed to the city by officials and the Greater Tucson Economic Council. The company was among the list of companies (others including Hughes Electronics) honored for moving to the city in 1992.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /> In Tucson, RSP continued developing licensed games for children, earning several awards and receiving letters of recommendation from high-profile clients.<ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy" /><ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Inside Tucson Business" />

=== ''Postal'' and Running with Scissors === By 1996, the developers at RSP were bored of developing children's titles.<ref name="Spin: Thrill-Kill" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> Several project cancellations nearly closed the studio, and pay cuts were taken by staff.<ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy" /><ref name="SF Chronicle: Dummy Type" /> Desiring to produce games they would want to play themselves, Desi and Riedel established a new brand label, Running with Scissors (RWS), to allow RSP to develop mature games under a separate name.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /><ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy" /> The label is a reference to children going against parental discipline, with Desi telling the ''Wall Street Journal'' that "We wanted to come up with something that we felt good about, that also got the message across, 'What did your mother tell you to do when you were a kid? Don't run with scissors.'"<ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy"/> RWS was intended be run alongside RSP, drawing funding from RSP's sales and acting as RSP's edgier label. RSP was divided into three development teams: One, consisting of seven people, developed the first RWS game, one developed a game based on the film ''Free Willy'' (1993), and another developed an edutainment game for an academic publisher.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> According to Desi, the RWS team wanted to make the most outrageous and original game they could.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> Inspired by the arcade game ''Robotron: 2084'' (1982), which had been playable at the RSP offices, RWS began work on ''Postal''. The game saw the protagonist engage in mass murder, and it was named after the slang term "going postal", referring to murders performed by United States Postal Service (USPS) employees.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" />

Shortly after the reveal of the game in early 1997, the USPS counter-filed the trademark that RWS had filed for the word "Postal" in the area of electronic gaming. The USPS claimed it was moving into video games, and Marvin Travis Runyon, the United States Postmaster General at the time, sent RWS a letter condemning the game's theme.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> The legal battle was eventually dismissed with prejudice in June 2003.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /><ref name="GameSpot: Postal case dismissal" /> The theme also caused wider controversy within the media and the video game industry, to the surprise of Desi, who considered ''Postal'' to be more comical and "over-the-top" and stated that the game was not to be taken seriously.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> ''Postal'' was released in September 1997 for Windows and Mac OS as the first game of Ripcord Games, a publishing label of Matsushita Electric's Panasonic Interactive Media division.<ref name="GameSpot: Ripcord" /><ref name="Wired: Arizona" /> Following the release, the game was targeted by senator Joe Lieberman, who labeled it as one of the worst things in America, while retail chains CompUSA and Wal-Mart refused to sell the game.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /><ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> RSP's former children's game publishing clients ceased business with the studio due to its connection to ''Postal''.<ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy"/>

In its first week, ''Postal'' was sold over 10,000 times in the United States, and sales in Europe (where the game was released by Take-Two Interactive) were expected to reach 100,000.<ref name="GameSpot: RWS coverage" /> Desi estimated that the game generated roughly {{US$|5&nbsp;million|link=yes}} in revenue.<ref name="Tucson Weekly" /> RWS followed up ''Postal'' with ''Special Delivery'', an add-on of four levels released in August 1998 that allowed the player to murder lawyers, homeless people, and American Red Cross workers, among others.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /><ref name="GameSpot: Postal add-on" /> ''Postal Plus'', a bundle composed of ''Postal'' and ''Special Delivery'', released in 2000.

=== ''Postal 2'' and other projects === With ''Postal'' released, RWS conceived ''Flesh and Wire'', an original three-dimensional sci-fi-themed game in which the player controls a blob-shaped character; Desi described the game as unintentionally funny. However, the game was canceled by Ripcord in 1999 alongside two unannounced games, and RWS turned to focus only on ''Postal''. Consequently, RWS soon picked up development on ''Postal 2'', a sequel to ''Postal''. The company attempted to make its humor more evident than it was in the original game so it would reach a wider audience. When brainstorming ideas for the game, the team considered Gary Coleman, a former child actor known for his role in the show ''Diff'rent Strokes'', as a good fit for the game's theme. Desi called up Coleman, who agreed to his inclusion and performed himself in the game.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> ''Postal 2'' was released in April 2003 through publisher Whiptail Interactive.<ref name="AWN: Postal 2 release" /> ''Postal 2'' was shortly banned in 13 countries; New Zealand banned it in 2004 and Australia in 2005. Desi later struck a deal with the company Softwrap to have the game distributed online, which bypassed the bans.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> Due to the popularity of ''Postal 2'', Whiptail released ''Postal: Classic and Uncut'', containing the original ''Postal'' and ''Special Delivery'', as well as a demo version of ''Postal 2'', in August that year.<ref name="GameSpot: Classic and Uncut" /> This was followed by ''Share the Pain'', a version of ''Postal 2'' that introduced online multiplayer to the game.<ref name="Eurogamer: Postal 2 multiplayer" /> In Europe, this version was published by Greek company Hell-Tech.<ref name="GameSpot: Postal 2 Europe" /> A separate expansion, ''Apocalypse Weekend'', was released in 2005.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> The ''Postal Fudge Pack''—a compilation containing the original ''Postal'', ''Share the Pain'', ''Apocalypse Weekend'', the fan-made total conversion ''Eternal Damnation'', and the fan-made mod ''A Week in Paradise''—was released in November 2006.<ref name="GameSetWatch: Fudge Pack" /> A similar compilation, ''Postal: 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition'', was released the following year.<ref name="Wired: Tenth Anniversary" /><ref name="Shacknews: 10th Anniversary" /> Riedel left RWS in 2004, pivoting to engineering.<ref name="ZX Spectrum Book"/>

During ''Postal 2''{{'s}} development, RWS got in contact with Uwe Boll, a director of video game-based films like ''House of the Dead'', ''Alone in the Dark'', and ''BloodRayne''. Although Boll's films were usually received poorly, Desi believed that Boll's independent and anti-establishment attitude was a good fit for the ''Postal'' series. The resulting film was shot in the Vancouver area, with Desi playing himself as well as Krotchy, an anthropomorphic scrotum from the ''Postal'' universe. The film faced several issues, such as overlength and poor editing and marketing efforts.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" />

=== ''Postal III'', ''Postal Redux'', and ''Postal 4'' === RWS' next game was ''Postal III''; the company struck a deal with Russian publisher Akella that saw RWS create the script, music, design and character development for the game, which was then moved to Akella's in-house developers, Trashmasters, for programming and art production. During the development, however, the Russian economy fell and the development was mostly ramped down. ''Postal III'' was released in December 2011 to very bad reception, leading RWS to pull it from its online store the following year. Desi stated that the finished ''Postal III'' was "a product that should have never been published".<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> In response, RWS developed ''Paradise Lost'', a new add-on for ''Postal 2'' that was released in April 2015, twelve years after ''Postal 2''{{'s}} original release.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /><ref name="PCGamesN: Postal 2 expansion" /> In May 2016, the company released a remake of the original ''Postal'' titled ''Postal Redux''.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /><ref name="Gematsu: Postal Redux PS4" /> Another compilation, ''Postal XX: 20th Anniversary Edition'', was released in 2017.<ref name="Retro Gamer 195" /> RWS then released ''Postal 4: No Regerts'', first as an early access game in October 2019 and then fully in April 2022.<ref name="PC Gamer: Postal 4" /><ref name="Gematsu: Postal 4" /> The company worked with developers Hyperstrange and CreativeForge Games on the spin-off ''Postal: Brain Damaged''.<ref name="Gematsu: Brain Damaged" />

== Games == === As Riedel Software Productions === {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col" | Release year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Platforms ! scope="col" | Publisher ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- ! rowspan="3" scope="row" | 1987 | ''Big Bird's Special Delivery'' | rowspan="2" | Apple II | rowspan="2" | Hi Tech Expressions | rowspan="2" | Apple II conversion.<ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Ernie's Magic Shapes'' |- | ''MicroLeague Wrestling'' | Atari ST, Commodore 64 | MicroLeague | Co-developed with Subway Software.<ref name="Good Deal Games: Bill Kunkel"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- ! rowspan="3" scope="row" | 1988 | ''Commando'' | Atari 2600 | Activision | Atari 2600 conversion.<ref name="Computer Entertainer 7"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Matterhorn Screamer'' | rowspan="2" | Apple II, Commodore 64 | rowspan="7" | Hi Tech Expressions | rowspan="2" | Apple II and Commodore 64 conversions.<ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''The Chase on Tom Sawyer's Island'' |- ! rowspan="5" scope="row" | 1990 | ''Win, Lose or Draw'' | rowspan="2" | Nintendo Entertainment System | rowspan="2" | Nintendo Entertainment System conversion.<ref name="Nintendo: NES Games"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Remote Control'' |- | ''The Bugs Bunny Hare-Brained Adventure'' | rowspan="2" | MS-DOS | rowspan="2" | <ref name="Computer Entertainer 9"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers: The Adventures in Nimnul's Castle'' |- | ''Big Bird's Hide and Speak'' | Nintendo Entertainment System | <ref name="Nintendo: NES Games"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- ! rowspan="4" scope="row" | 1991 | ''Ikari Warriors'' | Atari 2600 | Atari Corporation | Atari 2600 conversion.<ref name="2600 Connection"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Daffy Duck, P.I.: The Case of the Missing Letters'' | rowspan="3" | MS-DOS | rowspan="7" | Hi Tech Expressions | rowspan="2" | <ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' |- | ''Adventures of Beetlejuice: Skeletons in the Closet'' | <ref name="RSP: Titles"/><ref name="Game Players 4"/> |- ! scope="row" | 1992 | ''Sesame Street: Countdown'' | Nintendo Entertainment System | <ref name="Nintendo: NES Games"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- ! rowspan="3" scope="row" | 1993 | ''The Hunt for Red October'' | rowspan="3" | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | rowspan="3" | <ref name="Nintendo: SNES Games"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Tom and Jerry'' |- | ''Beethoven: The Ultimate Canine Caper'' |- ! scope="row" | 1994 | ''Sesame Street: Counting Cafe'' | Sega Genesis | Electronic Arts | <ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- ! rowspan="3" scope="row" | 1995 | ''Cartoon Jukebox'' | rowspan="3" | Mac OS, Windows | rowspan="3" | Philips Interactive Media | rowspan="3" | Mac OS and Windows ports.<ref name="Computer Player: Philips Multiplatform"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Sandy's Circus Adventure'' |- | ''The Dark Fables of Aesop'' |- ! scope="row" | 1996 | ''Muppets Inside'' | Windows | Starwave | Supporting developer of the ''Beaker's Brain'' and ''Scope that Song'' minigames.<ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- ! rowspan="3" scope="row" | 1997 | ''Barbie Fashion Designer'' | Mac OS | Mattel Media | Mac OS port.<ref name="Billboard: Barbie"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Grolier's CornerStone Home'' | rowspan="2" | Mac OS, Windows | Grolier Interactive | <ref name="SkillsBank: CornerStone Home"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Wishbone Activity Zone'' | Palladium Interactive | <ref name="Palladium: Wishbone"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |}

==== Unreleased ==== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col" | Cancellation year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Platforms ! scope="col" | Publisher ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- ! scope="row" | 1993 | Untitled ''Donkey Kong'' game | CD-i | Philips Interactive Media | <ref name="Play Meter 18"/><ref name="Time Extension: Donkey Kong CD-i"/> |- ! scope="row" | 1994 | ''Bobby's World'' | Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Hi Tech Entertainment | Originally scheduled for late 1994. A prototype of the SNES version was uploaded to a public bulletin board system by a warez group in October 1994.<ref name="SNES Central: Bobby's World"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- ! rowspan="3" scope="row" | 1995 | ''Steven Seagal is the Final Option'' | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | TecMagik | Originally scheduled for early 1994 along with a Genesis version by a different developer. The game was delayed to early 1995 before being canceled. A prototype of the SNES version was later released online.<ref name="Nintendo Player: Steven Segal"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Free Willy'' | PC | Electronic Arts | <ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy"/><ref name="Kevin Gee"/><ref name="Pat Jenkins"/> |- | ''Zootopia'' | CD-i, Mac OS, Windows | Philips Interactive Media | <ref name="Electronic Games: Biz-Deals"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- ! rowspan="2" scope="row" | 1996 | ''Casper'' | Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Hi Tech Entertainment | <ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- | ''Gearheads'' | Super Nintendo Entertainment System | Philips Interactive Media | Originally scheduled for late 1996.<ref name="GamePro 97"/><ref name="GamePro 99"/><ref name="RSP: Titles"/> |- |}

=== As Running with Scissors === {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col" | Release year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Platforms ! scope="col" | Publisher ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- ! scope="row" | 1997 | ''Postal'' | Android, Dreamcast, Linux, Mac OS, macOS, Windows | Ripcord Games | rowspan="2" | |- ! scope="row" | 2003 | ''Postal 2'' | Linux, macOS, Windows | Whiptail Interactive |- ! scope="row" | 2011 | ''Postal III'' | Windows | Akella | Co-developed with Trashmasters. |- ! scope="row" | 2016 | ''Postal Redux'' | Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows | rowspan="7" | Running with Scissors | Remaster of ''Postal''. |- ! scope="row" rowspan="2" | 2022 | ''Postal 4: No Regerts'' | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows | |- | ''Postal: Brain Damaged'' | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Nintendo Switch | Developed by Hyperstrange and CreativeForge Games, published by Running with Scissors and Hyperstrange. |- ! scope="row" | 2023 | ''Poostall Royale'' | Windows | April Fools' joke. |- ! scope="row" | 2027 | ''Flesh & Wire'' | PlayStation 5, Windows | <ref name="Gematsu: Flesh and Wire"/> |- ! rowspan="2" scope="row" | TBA | ''Postal 2 VR'' | Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, Windows | Co-developed with Team Beef and Flat2VR Studios.<ref name="Gematsu: Postal 2 VR"/> |- |''Postal 2 Redux'' | Windows, MacOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch | Co-developed with Team Beef and Impact Inked. |}

==== Canceled ==== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col" | Cancellation year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Platforms ! scope="col" | Publisher ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- ! rowspan="3" scope="row" | 1999 | ''Flesh & Wire'' | Dreamcast, GameCube, PlayStation 2 | rowspan="3" | Ripcord Games | <ref name="IGN: Flesh & Wire"/><ref name="Game Developer: Flesh & Wire"/> |- | ''Guardian'' | rowspan="3" | Windows | rowspan="2" | <ref name="RSP: Titles"/><ref name="RSP: What's New"/> |- | ''New World Order'' |- ! scope="row" | 2000 | ''MobWorld'' | rowspan="2" | Running with Scissors | <ref name="MobWorld: Official Website"/> |- ! scope="row" | 2025 | ''Postal: Bullet Paradise'' | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows | Developed by Goonswarm Studios. Canceled in December 2025 after significant backlash over the use of AI-generated art.<ref name="Polygon: Bullet Paradise"/> |}

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<ref name="GameSpot: Postal add-on">{{cite web |url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_08/28_postal/index.html |title=Postal Add-on Kills All the Lawyers |author=Staff |date=August 28, 1998 |website=GameSpot |archive-date=December 5, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981205001228/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/98_08/28_postal/index.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot: Postal case dismissal">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/postal-court-case-dismissed/1100-6030580/ |title=Postal court case dismissed |first=Justin |last=Calvert |date=June 25, 2003 |website=GameSpot |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020095014/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/postal-court-case-dismissed/1100-6030580/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot: Ripcord">{{cite web |url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_05/27_postal/index.html |title=Panasonic's New Label |first=Helen |last=Lee |date=May 27, 1997 |website=GameSpot |archive-date=May 1, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990501190702/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_05/27_postal/index.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot: RWS coverage">{{cite web |url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_10/16_postal/index.html |title=Taking Aim at Postal |first=Curt |last=Feldman |date=October 16, 1997 |website=GameSpot |archive-date=January 19, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980119052202/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_10/16_postal/index.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Gematsu: Brain Damaged">{{cite web |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2020/09/retro-style-first-person-shooter-postal-brain-damaged-announced-for-consoles-pc |title=Retro-style first-person shooter POSTAL: Brain Damaged announced for consoles, PC |first=Sal |last=Romano |date=5 September 2020 |website=Gematsu |access-date=July 3, 2022 |archive-date=July 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711054202/https://www.gematsu.com/2020/09/retro-style-first-person-shooter-postal-brain-damaged-announced-for-consoles-pc |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gematsu: Flesh and Wire">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2026/02/running-with-scissors-announces-psychological-horror-first-person-shooter-flesh-wire-for-ps5-pc |last=Romano |first=Sal |title=Running with Scissors announces psychological horror first-person shooter Flesh & Wire for PS5, PC |website=Gematsu |date=February 25, 2026 |access-date=February 25, 2026 }}</ref>

<ref name="Gematsu: Postal 2 VR">{{cite web |url=http://gematsu.com/2025/03/postal-2-vr-announced-for-ps-vr2-steamvr-and-quest-2-and-3 |last=Romano |first=Sal |title=Postal 2: VR announced for PS VR2, SteamVR, and Quest 2 and 3 |website=Gematsu |date=March 11, 2025 |access-date=March 10, 2026 }}</ref>

<ref name="Gematsu: Postal 4">{{cite web |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2022/03/postal-4-no-regerts-launches-april-20 |title=Postal 4: No Regerts launches April 20 |first=Sal |last=Romano |date=March 28, 2022 |website=Gematsu |access-date=July 3, 2022 |archive-date=July 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703183432/https://www.gematsu.com/2022/03/postal-4-no-regerts-launches-april-20 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gematsu: Postal Redux PS4">{{cite web |url=https://gematsu.com/2017/06/postal-redux-ps4-version-cancelled |title=Postal Redux PS4 version cancelled |first=Sal |last=Romano |date=June 2, 2017 |website=Gematsu |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017120328/https://gematsu.com/2017/06/postal-redux-ps4-version-cancelled |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Good Deal Games: Bill Kunkel">{{cite web |url=https://www.gooddealgames.com/interviews/int_Bill_Kunkel.html |last=Thomasson |first=Michael |title=Interview: Bill Kunkel |website=Good Deal Games |date=October 16, 2000 |access-date=March 11, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001213161300/https://www.gooddealgames.com/interviews/int_Bill_Kunkel.html |archive-date=December 13, 2000 |url-status=live |quote=Well, I think we had a great concept behind the computer WWF Wrestling games we designed (and Mike Riedel programmed) around '87 and it was originally scheduled to be packed-in with the CDTV. }}</ref>

<ref name="IGN: Flesh & Wire">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/17/flesh-wire-announced |last=Harris |first=Craig |title=Flesh & Wire Announced |work=IGN |date=June 17, 1999 |access-date=February 26, 2026 }}</ref>

<ref name="Inside Tucson Business">{{cite news |last=Scliesman |first=Kyle |date=February 25, 2002 |title=Running With Scissors |url=https://www.insidetucsonbusiness.com/running-with-scissors/article_03e55766-ec8d-54d4-bcdc-01c9606ded24.html |work=Inside Tucson Business |access-date=March 22, 2026 }}</ref>

<ref name="Kevin Gee">{{cite web |url=https://kevingee.carbonmade.com/about |last=Gee |first=Kevin |title=About |access-date=February 21, 2026 }}</ref>

<ref name="MobWorld: Official Website">{{cite web |url=http://www.mobworld.com/ |title=Entrance |website=MobWorld.com |access-date=February 26, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020123110155/http://www.mobworld.com/ |archive-date=January 23, 2002 }}</ref>

<ref name="Nintendo: NES Games">{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/nes_games.pdf |title=NES Games |publisher=Nintendo |access-date=March 10, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221005931/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/nes_games.pdf |archive-date=December 21, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="Nintendo: SNES Games">{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/snes_games.pdf |title=SNES Games |publisher=Nintendo |access-date=March 10, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614155658/http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/snes_games.pdf |archive-date=June 14, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="Nintendo Player: Steven Segal">{{cite web |url=https://www.nintendoplayer.com/unreleased/steven-seagal-is-the-final-option/ |title=Steven Seagal is The Final Option (Unreleased, Super Nintendo) |work=Nintendo Player |access-date=February 1, 2026 }}</ref>

<ref name="Palladium: Wishbone">{{cite press release |url=http://www.palladium.net/Palladium/company/press/970409.htm |title=Palladium Launches Wishbone Activity Zone CD-ROM with Parent-Approved, Kid-Friendly Web Site |publisher=Palladium Interactive |date=September 4, 1997 |access-date=March 10, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000607172649/http://www.palladium.net/Palladium/company/press/970409.htm |archive-date=June 7, 2000 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="Pat Jenkins">{{cite web |url=http://www.angelfire.com/nv2/cartoonboy/images/Sea_FISH1.jpg |last=Jenkins |first=Pat |title=Free Willy (EA) Screen Shot |access-date=March 29, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016162737/http://www.angelfire.com/nv2/cartoonboy/images/Sea_FISH1.jpg |archive-date=October 16, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="Play Meter 18">{{cite magazine |date=September 1992 |title=Kids learn from video games |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-18-number-10-september-1992-600DPI/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2018%2C%20Number%2010%20-%20September%201992%20%28Compressed%29/page/27/mode/2up |magazine=Play Meter |volume=18 |issue=10 |page=28 |location=United States |access-date=March 11, 2026 |quote=In other news, Riedel Software Productions has signed an agreement with Philips Interactive Media of America to design and develop a new video game based on the original Nintendo characters from the arcade hit Donkey Kong. It's for Philips' Compact Disc Interactive (CD-I) player, the Imagination Machine. }}</ref>

<ref name="Polygon: Bullet Paradise">{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/new-postal-game-revealed-canceled-bullet-paradise/ |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |title=New Postal game revealed and immediately canceled after backlash |website=Polygon |date=December 5, 2025 |access-date=February 26, 2026 }}</ref>

<ref name="PC Gamer: Postal 4">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/postal-4-announced-and-launched-on-steam-early-access-today/ |title=Postal 4 announced and launched on Steam Early Access today |first=Lauren |last=Morton |date=October 14, 2019 |magazine=PC Gamer |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014215036/https://www.pcgamer.com/postal-4-announced-and-launched-on-steam-early-access-today/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="PCGamesN: Postal 2 expansion">{{cite web |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/postal-2/postal-2-is-getting-another-expansion-12-years-after-it-launched |title=Postal 2 is getting another expansion, 12 years after it launched |first=Fraser |last=Brown |date=April 16, 2015 |website=PCGamesN |access-date=October 5, 2019 |archive-date=April 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405080405/https://www.pcgamesn.com/postal-2/postal-2-is-getting-another-expansion-12-years-after-it-launched |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Retro Gamer 195">{{cite magazine |title=From the Archives: Running With Scissors |first=David |last=Crookes |magazine=Retro Gamer |issue=195 |publisher=Future Publishing |date=June 13, 2019 |pages=76–79}}</ref>

<ref name="RSP: Titles">{{cite web |url=http://www.rspinc.com/titles.htm |title=Titles Designed & Developed by RSP |publisher=Riedel Software Productions |date=1999 |access-date=February 1, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030411184655/http://www.rspinc.com/titles.htm |archive-date=April 11, 2003 }}</ref>

<ref name="RSP: What's New">{{cite web |url=http://www.rspinc.com/whatsnew.htm |title=What's New |publisher=Riedel Software Productions |date=1999 |access-date=February 21, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010106055000/http://www.rspinc.com/whatsnew.htm |archive-date=January 6, 2001 }}</ref>

<ref name="SF Chronicle: Dummy Type">{{cite news |last=Evenson |first=Laura |date=November 10, 1997 |title=Also Dummy Type |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/also-dummy-type-2796442.php |work=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=February 2, 2026}}</ref>

<ref name="Shacknews: 10th Anniversary">{{cite web |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/50173/postal-10th-anniversary-collectors-edition |title=Postal 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition Packaging: 'Slightly better than boxed Syphilis!' |first=Chris |last=Faylor |date=December 3, 2007 |website=Shacknews |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017164641/https://www.shacknews.com/article/50173/postal-10th-anniversary-collectors-edition |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="SkillsBank: CornerStone Home">{{cite press release |url=http://www.skillsbank.com/Pages/prcshome.html |title=SkillsBank Corporation Announces Grolier's CornerStone Home and Sets a New Standard in Home Educational Software |publisher=SkillsBank Corporation |date=February 27, 1997 |access-date=March 10, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980207010756/http://www.skillsbank.com/Pages/prcshome.html |archive-date=February 7, 1998 |url-status=dead |quote=Grolier's CornerStone Home will be available for shipment in early April at a price of less than $50.00 per grade level and subject area. }}</ref>

<ref name="SNES Central: Bobby's World">{{cite web |url=https://snescentral.com/article.php?id=0119 |title=Bobby's World |website=SNES Central |access-date=February 21, 2026 }}</ref>

<ref name="Spin: Thrill-Kill">{{cite magazine |last=Kushner |first=David |author-link=David Kushner (writer) |date=December 1999 |title=The Thrill-Kill Kult |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HJbW_6l-uRUC&pg=PA194#v=onepage&q&f=false |magazine=Spin |pages=194-198 |location=United States |access-date=March 28, 2026 }}</ref>

<ref name="Time Extension: Donkey Kong CD-i">{{cite web |last1=Szczepaniak |first1=John |title=Like Zelda And Mario, Donkey Kong Was Supposed To Get A Philips CD-i Game - What Happened? |url=https://www.timeextension.com/features/like-zelda-and-mario-donkey-kong-was-supposed-to-get-a-philips-cd-i-game-what-happened |website=Time Extension |access-date=May 25, 2024 |date=July 29, 2023 |archive-date=May 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524221728/https://www.timeextension.com/features/like-zelda-and-mario-donkey-kong-was-supposed-to-get-a-philips-cd-i-game-what-happened |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Tucson Weekly">{{cite web |url=https://www.tucsonweekly.com/newsopinion/shoot-to-thrill-1071401/ |title=Shoot To Thrill |first=Jim |last=Nintzel |date=December 12, 2002 |website=Tucson Weekly |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017093931/https://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/shoot-to-thrill/Content?oid=1071401 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="Wired: Arizona">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/1998/03/razing-arizona/ |title=Razing Arizona |first=Chris |last=Hudak |date=March 1, 1998 |magazine=Wired |access-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-date=December 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222101619/https://www.wired.com/1998/03/razing-arizona/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Wired: Tenth Anniversary">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2007/10/special-edition-2/ |title=Special Edition Marks ''Postal''{{'s}} Tenth Anniversary |first=Susan |last=Arendt |date=October 29, 2007 |magazine=Wired |access-date=March 11, 2017 |archive-date=June 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621092229/http://www.wired.com/2007/10/special-edition-2/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="WSJ: RSP Controversy">{{cite news |last1=Auerbach |first1=Jon G. |last2=Stecklow |first2=Steve |date=October 16, 1997 |title=RSP Provokes Controversy Over Its Gory Software Game |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB876951901156397000 |work=Wall Street Journal |access-date=February 2, 2026 }}</ref>

<ref name="ZX Spectrum Book">{{cite book |last1=Porter |first1=Rick |last2=Jones |first2=Darran |date=2012 |title=The ZX Spectrum Book: 30th Anniversary Special |url=https://archive.org/details/Sinclair_ZX_Spectrum_and_Commodore_64_Book-2012/page/n207/mode/2up |location=United States |publisher=Imagine Publishing |page=213 |isbn=978-1908222763 |access-date=March 30, 2026 |quote=After his work with FSS, Mike continued in the games industry and has credits on titles from Hi-Tech Expressions, Ripcord and Running With Scissors, the most famous of which are the Postal games, for which Mike was a producer. Since 2004, Mike's moved towards engineering. }}</ref>

}}

== External links == * {{Official website|https://runningwithscissors.com/}}

{{Postal}} {{Authority control}}

Category:1996 establishments in Arizona Category:Companies based in Tucson, Arizona Category:Postal (franchise) Category:Privately held companies based in Arizona Category:Video game companies established in 1996 Category:Video game companies of the United States Category:Video game development companies