Electronic Distribution Of Software (EDOS) was a form of legal electronic software distribution introduced in the UK in 1991. The basic premise was designed to enable games retailers to reap greater profits by stocking a wider range of games from participating software publishers without taking up precious shelf space. Original master copies of games were supplied to games retailers on encrypted CDs and copied to branded blank disks or tapes on demand for customers, much like PD software, using a custom 386SX PC in-store. Games were available for purchase at budget retail prices (under £10) on a wide range of 8- and 16-bit formats [Amiga, Atari ST, PC (3.5''/5.25'' disk), Amstrad CPC (cassette/disk), Spectrum (cassette only), C64/128 (cassette/disk), MSX]. The games supplied to customers on generic media (often with handwritten rather than printed labels) were packaged in plastic cases, with multi-format labelled game cover sleeves containing printed instructions on the reverse side relevant to the platform they were purchased for. Software publishers were then paid a royalty on each sale of their games by
Software on Demand Ltd. The basic price of the games in France in 1992 was as follows: Tape for C64, Amstrad, Spectrum, MSX : 49FF Floppy disk for C64, Amiga, Atari ST, PC : 39FF Floppy disk for Amstrad : 69FF For some of the more expensive games, the prices were labeled directly on the store shelves.
EDOS closed down its operation in mid-1994 following the withdrawal of major UK newsagent chain
John Menzies and a significant drop in the number of participating independent games retailers.
