part 8

Flabio · Post by **Flabio** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:28 pm 0

TwistedScrote wrote:Ahhhhhh activison yes.. but I thought EA was around 84?

Might've been. I was only 6 in '82 so my memory of it all isn't that great

Wikipedia has EA down as being founded in '82. Activision as '79, Acclaim as '87, Ocean in '84.

I think it's recognised that Activision were the first ever third party publisher.

Mayhem · Post by **Mayhem** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:35 pm 0

I think EA technically started in 81, I think there's something for the Apple II out then. They were releasing stuff for the C64 as early as 83. There's a good interview with Trip Hawkins in Retro Gamer, probably got most of the answers there

As for Activision, yep they were the first ever third party publisher, founded 1st October 1979. Imagic were the second I believe.

TwistedScrote · Post by **TwistedScrote** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 9:36 pm 0

Might've been. I was only 6 in '82 so my memory of it all isn't that great

Wikipedia has EA down as being founded in '82. Activision as '79, Acclaim as '87, Ocean in '84.

I think it's recognised that Activision were the first ever third party publisher.

Agreed on Activision... David Crane and a few others were fed up not being credited on their work.. Atari were unwilling to give the credit and just treated them as factory workers.. It's covered really well in 'The Ultimate History Of Video Games'

That acclaim date is wrong surely? Acclaim did raid over moscow and Beach head in 84,85?

And you were 6 in 82? shit I'm old! I aassumed you were around the same age as me!

For a fogey I'm sure whupping yo ass on GW:RE tho according to the leaderboard!

AlbertKatraz · Post by **AlbertKatraz** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:05 am 0

TwistedScrote wrote:That acclaim date is wrong surely? Acclaim did raid over moscow and Beach head in 84,85?

No, that was Access Software.

Bruce & Roger Carver.

TwistedScrote · Post by **TwistedScrote** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:20 am 0

*Slaps forehead....*

Oh god of course... IIRC Bruce died last year?

Clasic games and the first sign of American presentation of games...

They were genuinely way ahead of the uk in the style of games... but I always thought they lacked the eclectic (sp) style of the games from the UK

AlbertKatraz · Post by **AlbertKatraz** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:43 am 0

TwistedScrote wrote:*Slaps forehead....*

Oh god of course... IIRC Bruce died last year?

Clasic games and the first sign of American presentation of games...

They were genuinely way ahead of the uk in the style of games... but I always thought they lacked the eclectic (sp) style of the games from the UK

I don't think anything technically *wow* came out of the US until Doom.

US games on the C64 were always a bit 'old-fashioned' in the techniques department.

toxibunny · Post by **toxibunny** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:55 am 0

TwistedScrote wrote:
Might've been. I was only 6 in '82 so my memory of it all isn't that great

Wikipedia has EA down as being founded in '82. Activision as '79, Acclaim as '87, Ocean in '84.

I think it's recognised that Activision were the first ever third party publisher.

Agreed on Activision... David Crane and a few others were fed up not being credited on their work.. Atari were unwilling to give the credit and just treated them as factory workers.. It's covered really well in 'The Ultimate History Of Video Games'

That acclaim date is wrong surely? Acclaim did raid over moscow and Beach head in 84,85?

And you were 6 in 82? shit I'm old! I aassumed you were around the same age as me!

For a fogey I'm sure whupping yo ass on GW:RE tho according to the leaderboard!

I was six in '82... I remember back around those times, me and my mates used to talk about what we'd call our 'software house' when we made them... Kevin always wanted to call his 'moominsoft' (cause they all ended in 'soft'

TwistedScrote · Post by **TwistedScrote** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:55 am 0

I don't think anything technically *wow* came out of the US until Doom.

US games on the C64 were always a bit 'old-fashioned' in the techniques department.

I would disagree... the above games I mentioned were a completely new style...

Raid Over Moscow was a revelation at the time and more so Beach Head I and II... featuring speech.... 'Hey ! Dont shoot me!' and a higher standard of art/animation than the UK had seen before...

And lemme throw 'Impossible Mission ' and Summer Games into the arguement as well!

The americans were technically miles in front at the time...
Spy vs Spy? stunning game... two player fun and presented in a great way.

Obviously these are all c64 titles because the spectrum flopped badly over there...

Uk software was far behind until 85.. IMHO and then really seemed to hit it's stride...

Last Ninja
Uridium
Paradroid
Iridas Alpha...

All classics and worthy of a place on any 64 owners shelf...!

thalamus · Post by **thalamus** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:18 am 0

Sir_LANs-a-lot wrote:Good stuff makes me want to fire up Blitz and write some shooty things.

Same here... might have to put my next project on hold while I write something short 'n' sweet...

merman · Post by **merman** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:19 am 0

AlbertKatraz wrote:
Sir_LANs-a-lot wrote:Superior Software are still going!

http://www.superiorinteractive.com/

Bless 'em
Interceptor Micros certainly aren't though.

So what came first?

Repton or Boulderdash?

Technically, Boulder Dash came first... but the programmer of Repton had never played it before he wrote Repton. I prefer Repton to BD anyway.

Rev. Stuart Campbell · Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:38 am 0

Yak wrote:You controlled a little man with a hammer, and walked upon a surface below which were little guys with pointy sticks. These little guys would occasionally poke their pointy sticks up through the surface and if you happened to be standing above them you'd lose a life. (This part of the game was more or less appropriated from a tabletop shoot-em-up which me and the Baughurst Piano Wizard used to play in the Hind's Head pub in Aldermaston Village). Meanwhile large rats would appear at the top of the screen and scurry downwards; you had to try and hit them with your hammer, killing them. If they got to the bottom of the screen they would chew through the floor and the pointy stick guys would get out and kill you.

Cat'n'Mouse?

Yak · Post by **Yak** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:11 pm 0

Not sure if there was a game I'd seen that inspired the top half, it's possible but I don't remember.

Hitting a rat, the screen flashed red:

The pokey guys wandered around and poked, the rats came straight down, and occasional arrows came down on diagonals:

The "Hand of God" came down to take you away when you lost a life.

simonlewis · Post by **simonlewis** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:51 pm 0

Fascinating Yak.

I was at the show in 1982 with my friend Steve and we saw the Bomb Buenos aires game. Didn't buy it though.

Have bought many Llama games since though!!!

The sound on Laser Zone on the Vic was always amazing for the time.

Bought my first Vic printer at the show. The 1515 and also got Vicmen!

HGFB · Post by **HGFB** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:04 pm 0

I read an interview Yak did once where he said he loved the Vic soundchip because of all the weird stuff he could make it do. It inspired me to sit down for the next few weeks writing "sound demos" in basic. My first code

nyarla · Post by **nyarla** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:05 pm 0

This talk of EA made me remember something...
When I was 10 or so my grandmother was trying to teach me about the stock market and such, and asked which company i'd theoretically buy stocks in.. I said Electronic Arts (because I liked the title music of Skate or Die) and she got mad and said that was stupid, noone had ever heard of them.

(edit.. in other news, the sound when your camel dies in RotMC has got to be one of my favourite EVAR game sounds. so hardcore.)

YakYak

part 8

Re: part 8

Fasicnating