D.A. Pursuit of Justice is a three-part video game series based around a criminal lawyer who is trying to convict guilty people. The three individual cases were sold separately or also as a three-case 8-CD bundle published by Alpha Software, shipped on September 15, 1997. The game is part of Legacy Software's RealPlay Series.
Gameplay
The player is a prosecuting attorney to needs to successfully present their case in court to win the trial and put the criminal behind bars. The gameplay consists of two sections: pre-trial and trial. The pre-trial phase sees the player collect evidence over four days - this can include police reports, witness interrogations, line-ups, jail snitch testimony, and physical evidence. The player puts their evidence into the Case Constructor, where they need to prove each element of the case. The trial phase sees the player put their witnesses on the stand, object to the defending lawyer's unacceptable questions, and citing criminal codes when the defending lawyer tries to poke holes in the argument.
The game encourages players to cultivate their problem solving, strategy, and analysis skills.
Development
Design and release
According to Talk Visual Corporation, the company was formed by the merger of Legacy Software with Videocall, Prior to the game's release, Gregg Ackerman of the AckermanBenson advertising production company joined Legacy Software, and he would become the title's executive producer. Of D.A. Pursuit of Justice he said: "We didn't intend this to be a graduate course in law" but that he wanted players to learn that "it's not easy being a lawyer." According to the credit.txt included on the game discs, writing and legal consultation was provided by Deputy District Attorney Loren Naiman.
Windows 95 CD-ROM game included interactive screens, full-motion video, and 16-bit color. The game had 500 pages (equivalent to two feature films), fifty-seven principal actors, 20 sets, six screenwriters, and took a year to complete. It was filmed on the streets of Los Angeles over a period of three weeks. The game saw the first use of the "Microsoft Designed for Windows 95" Logo. The game uses Microsoft DirectX 3 technology. A school edition was also made available. The three cases were collectively Alpha Interactive's second game in their "RealPlay" series, after the medical simulator title EmergencyRoom. This series aimed to "intertwine high intensity gameplay with simulated career experience".
The developers teamed up with crime-themed television network Court TV (currently known as TruTV) to create the spin-off game Legal Pursuit, to build consumer awareness. The game was featured on Court TV's website, and was later included in the bundle version of the game. It was also available on the Legacy Software website. D.A. Pursuit of Justice: The Rat Tattoo Murder was offered as a prize for an Arizona Republic-run competition. Legacy employee Lisa Stein presented and previewed the game at the 1997 E3 gaming expo. In collaboration with public interest law firm Public Counsel as part of their School-Linked Legal Assistance Program, The Sunset Boulevard Deuce was used as an education tool in North Hollywood and Los Angeles high schools to teach them about drink-driving. The program was led by Public Counsel attorney Andrea Ramos, and Legacy Software president Ariella Lehrer (who is also a cognitive psychologist). The game is unique for offering California attorneys MCLE credit, being equivalent to 18 units of continuing education credit at the State Bar of California. Of the 2001 re-release, Legacy Interactive CEO Ariella Lehrer said "Our customers like fast-paced excitement and thrills, but also real-life scenarios and problem-solving situations that challenge the mind more than the trigger finger".
In October 1996, Alpha Interactive anticipated the game would be released in the first quarter of 1997. The fourth quarter of 1996 saw Legacy Software and IBM mutually decide to terminate the D.A. Pursuit of Justice "DA License Agreement"; Legacy paid IBM $400,000 to obtain their rights, which would be effective January 3, 1997. In March, Alpha Interactive signed a contract with EduCorp, on the basis that their market research told them that the title would achieve synergy with the customer base and distribution reach of EduCorp. On March 17, 1997, it was announced that Legacy had terminated an agreement with IBM for co-publishing the title. An exclusive distribution contract was signed with Alpha Software Corporation on August 7, 1997.