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{{lowercase title}}{{Infoboxemulator|title = bleem!|image logo = Bleem cover artBleem_logo.jpgpng|imagewidth logowidth = 265200|first last-version = 1.6b|second active = No|third fate = Succumbed to legal fees from battling Sony in court ([[Legal_Status_of_Emulation#Direct_legal_action|a battle they won]])|platform = [[Emulators on Windows, |Windows]]<br/>[[Emulators on Dreamcast |Dreamcast]] <small>(Bleemcast)</small>|fourth target = [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation]]|developer = Bleem Company|fifth website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20010515082508/http://www.bleem.com/ Official site]|sixth = N/A

First released in 1999, Bleem! was initially developed by David Herpolsheimer (president) and Randy Linden,<ref name="company">{{cite web|title=Best Little Emulator Ever Made!|work=Best Little Emulator Ever Made!|first=Tom|last= Rhodes|publisher=Escapist Magazine|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_117/2295-Best-Little-Emulator-Ever-Made|accessdate=2015-01-02}}</ref> with Will Kempe, Scott Karol, Sean Kauppinen, Bryan Stokes, and Paul Chen, later of Rovio Entertainment, joining the team following its commercial release. The emulator's name was said to have stood for "''Bleem!'B''(styled as 'est ''bleem!'L'''ittle '''E'''mulator '''E'''ver '''M'''ade!", perhaps ) was a closed-source [[PlayStation emulators|PlayStation emulator]] released by the Bleem Company in reference 1999 for Microsoft Windows and [[Sega Dreamcast emulators|Sega Dreamcast]]. It gained notoriety for being one of the few commercial emulators to its ability to run PS1 games at full speed even on low-end computersbe marketed during the PlayStation's lifetime, though earning the bleem! website claims only Randy Linden knows ire of Sony and thus becoming the actual meaningsubject of a lawsuit.

First released in 1999, Bleem! was written in X86 assemblyinitially developed by David Herpolsheimer (president) and Randy Linden, allowing them to incorporate precise optimisations, with low<ref name="company">{{cite web|title=Best Little Emulator Ever Made!|work=Best Little Emulator Ever Made!|first=Tom|last= Rhodes|publisher=Escapist Magazine|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102110251/https://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_117/2295-Best-Little-Emulator-Ever-level and realMade|accessdate=2015-mode routines besides the use of the host PC's graphics hardware. While this allowed the emulator to run most if not all titles on a modest system of the day, this came at the cost of long01-term compatibility 02}}</ref> with newer operating systems. At the timeWill Kempe, Scott Karol, Sean Kauppinen, Bryan Stokes, Windows NT kernel-based operating systems were usually marketed towards enterprises and serversPaul Chen, and as most home computers ran on Windows 98later of Rovio Entertainment, Bleem! felt that there joining the team following its commercial release. The emulator's name was no need said to support NT. Besides issues with NT-based operating systems, game compatibility is modest at best, with all but one game (coincidentally titled have stood for "'''B'''est '''L'''ittle '''E'''mulator '''E'''ver '''M'One'') being plagued with various bugs and gameplay issues according ade!", perhaps in reference to its ability to Bleem's own compatibility chartsrun PS1 games at full speed even on low-end computers, though the bleem! website claims only Randy Linden knows the actual meaning.

A version of Bleem! for the Dreamcast was released alongside written in x86 assembly, allowing them to incorporate precise optimizations, with low-level and real-mode routines besides the Windows version, taking advantage use of the Dreamcast host PC's graphics hardware for enhanced graphics and the MIL-CD exploit found in . While this allowed the Dreamcast BIOS. The emulator was originally intended to be able to run every single game in most if not all titles on a modest system of the day, this came at the cost of long-term compatibility with newer operating systems. At the PlayStation librarytime, Windows NT-based operating systems were usually marketed towards enterprises and servers, but and as it most home computers ran on Windows 98, Bleem! felt that there was determined no need to be infeasiblesupport NT. Besides issues with NT-based operating systems, "Bleempaks" were proposed[[Emulation Accuracy|accuracy]] and game compatibility is modest at best, along with PS1-style controllers all but one game (since the original Dreamcast gamepad has fewer buttons, necessitating workaround button mappingscoincidentally titled ''One''), but neither saw release due being plagued with various bugs and gameplay issues according to technical difficultiesBleem's own compatibility charts.

A version of Bleem! for the Dreamcast was released alongside the Windows version called Bleemcast, taking advantage of the Dreamcast hardware for enhanced graphics and the MIL-CD exploit found in the [[Sega Dreamcast emulators|Sega Dreamcast]] BIOS. The emulator was originally intended to be able to run every single game in the PlayStation library, but as it was determined to be infeasible, "Bleempaks" were announced, along with PS1-style controllers (since the original Dreamcast gamepad has fewer buttons, necessitating workaround button mappings), but neither saw release due to technical difficulties. Ultimately, three boot disks were released, though a beta has since surfaced on the Internet. Intrepid hackers were able to create Bleemed games — discs games—discs of a PlayStation title with the Bleemcast! emulator built in. ISOs for many of these discs continue to circulate on file -sharing networks. Announced on January 4th, 2021, the Bleem brand was purchased by Piko Interactive for future use as a "retro gaming marketplace" to be called Bleem Powered.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bleem! Making Return as a Digital Games Marketplace|publisher=Piko Interactive|url=https://archive.is/TyVAb#0%}}</ref>

Two days after Bleem! started taking preorders for their emulator, Sony took umbrage and sued the company for unfair competition and copyright infringement. Bleem! won the suit on all counts, in that their way of reverse-engineering the PS1PlayStation's inner workings was done lawfully, and the use of PlayStation game screenshots were was deemed fair use. A protective order was issued to "protect David from Goliath".

This ended in a Pyrrhic pyrrhic victory , however, as the lawsuit forced Bleem! out of business due to legal fees. Despite this, the case established a precedent legitimising legitimizing console and computer system emulation - – no emulator author has since been sued for copyright infringement(apart from a DMCA complaint from Nintendo over a GitHub repo hosting a [[Game Boy Advance emulators|Game Boy Advance emulator]] that came with some of their games).