Psygnosis, founded in 1984 by Ellis, Hetherington, and Lawson, became an iconic publisher in 8 and 16-bit home computer markets before being acquired by Sony in 1993 to support the PlayStation. Known for its distinctive owl logo designed by Roger Dean and graphically advanced titles like Wipeout and Shadow of the Beast, the studio pioneered CD-ROM development and remained influential until Sony closed Studio Liverpool in 2012.