maybe you sent off for them of something. And it's not unusual for these 'part work' magazines / encyclopedias to have things strapped to their covers - be it videos / dvds / books or plastic model kits.
Right second time - games on cassettes on the covers, just like those other 'part work' affairs.
You'd have to be pretty dedicated to type in a game of the sizes we are talking about.
Too right! Whilst people here might not think they were the last word in cutting-edge game design, they were professional efforts that people spent months on. Maybe not the best, but more than most people could knock up in their bedrooms in their spare time, never mind type them in!
Maybe the actual original versions of the games were much smaller in scale (?) and when the Cavandish deal fell through Imagine developed them into full scale releases.
That's kind of right, from my memory. They were *just* meant to be cover games, but then once Marshall Cavendish decided they didn't want them (and I think most people could see why), Imagine really had no choice but to release them and try to make some money back.
I think Imagine took loads of people on just to cover that Cavendish contract (it's a pity that they cut corners and got loads of school kids in, who had never produced anything commercially before).
True in terms of taking on far too many people with no experience, but they weren't school kids! I was very young by Imagine standards (me and Eugene were about joint youngest). Most had been round the block a bit, doing other jobs, but certainly not games development.
Thanks for that Doug! Vindicated (was that one of the Cavendish games?) at last! (Even if I did call Cosmic Cruiser Space Cruiser - just shows all this is from memory and not down to research! Pah!)
Sorry about the school kid stuff - but I got called 16 years old in the Commercial Breaks "documentay" (sic) and Tony got called 18. And he's less then a month older than me!
I'm not sure whether it is the advert I replied to, but it looks a likely candidate
Yeah, that advert was in January 1984 and I started in November '83, I think. I remember there were a few big waves of new starts and I was towards the end of the first wave.
No worries on the school-kids thing - I certainly was not long left school - but Imagine was full of interesting and older characters. i.e. early to mid 20s LOL
Although there were people like Fred Gray and John Gibson who must have been in their 30s! (or at least nearly)
It was Abdul I was on about (I pointed him out in a previous post in an advertisment with Dawn and Fred in there too!). I guess my guess at Asian was wrong! But the nearest I'd ever come to anyone from abroad was someone with a tan on holiday in Rhyl! Rare!
I remember you showing me the Pedro cassette inlay - usually the Imagine inlays had a photo of the programmer - but this had a photo of a hand puppet! Colin?
I think Abdul was the first Muslim I met. How do I know this?
When I went to work at Imagine, they put me in a hotel for the first 4 or 5 months. (This type of action may have contributed to the company's future ...) However, why would I want to actually go back to the hotel, 200 yards away, when being in the office was such a blast? So there was a spell of about a month when I didn't go back to the hotel. Don't ask about personal hygiene. I just slept under a desk in the office that month. Well, I say slept, but it was only for a few hours a night.
But, if you're going to do that, you shouldn't leave foodstuffs in the suitcase in your hotel. Otherwise, the first night back in your room, you'll be hit with the sudden realisation that your suitcase is chock full of mice.
Which would be quite entertaining if you were a cat, but not if you're shit-scared of rodents.
So I buzzed Abdul in his room and he let me kip on his floor, once I'd calmed down a bit. I still can't remember why I didn't go back to the office - I think I'd been ordered to spend the night in the hotel.
I remember you showing me the Pedro cassette inlay - usually the Imagine inlays had a photo of the programmer - but this had a photo of a hand puppet! Colin?
Just checked - it was BC Bill.
Pedro was by a mad guy called Frank who programmed in hex machine code. He had to be persuaded to convert it to assembler so that other people could understand it.
Pedro was by a mad guy called Frank who programmed in hex machine code. He had to be persuaded to convert it to assembler so that other people could understand it.
Now BC Bill must have been a Cavendish one!
My memory is playing tricks on me! Thanks for the smack! Not drugs! The clout! Not sex! The reminder! I knew I'd seen stuff somewhere!
Yeah, I think Cosmic Cruiser and Pedro were being developed at the same time, closely followed by BC Bill.
The thing I always remember is how the games would be quite different on the different platforms because of different functionality. IIRC, the C64 versions of those games were a bit better than the Spectrum ones.
That thing in the news with the copper slapping the young woman at g20 - do you remember the Beastie Boys concert?
Immediately came to mind ;-)
My other half was doubting the victim's innocence, at which point I pointed out the same thing had happened to me, when all I did was ask the copper why I had to move when I'd done nothing wrong.
Whallop!
"We tamed the Beastie Boys!"
Don't know whether you remember, but we went to the usual club afterwards and there was a rumour the Beastie Boys might turn up later.
I think they were probably too busy getting as far away from Liverpool as possible ...
Don't know whether you remember, but we went to the usual club afterwards and there was a rumour the Beastie Boys might turn up later.
I think they were probably too busy getting as far away from Liverpool as possible ...
I do remember going to the "youth club" (Colin still there in my head) and the place being packed out. And the DJ, who gave you loads of tapes in the past, having to apologuise for their none appearance!
For some bizarre reason I remember Eric the Bear - he must have had a mention in the press somewhere. (And yes, this was before SU handed magazine production over to a psycopathic stuffed toy).
Dawson/Wilding was a C64 programmer Odin then a manager at Software Creations (in Cheatham Hill, where I worked) then a manager at Acclaim Studios Manchester (housed in the Ocean building in Salford - where I worked). Lost touch now.
Comments
No, they were just meant to be freebie games on cover-mounted cassettes
Right second time - games on cassettes on the covers, just like those other 'part work' affairs.
Too right! Whilst people here might not think they were the last word in cutting-edge game design, they were professional efforts that people spent months on. Maybe not the best, but more than most people could knock up in their bedrooms in their spare time, never mind type them in!
As I said above, maybe crap, but a lot more effort involved than most people here will have put into a game. (Note, I said *most* people here).
Sorry if that sounds defensive and everyone's entitled to their opinions, but you're talking about my friends, here ;-)
That's kind of right, from my memory. They were *just* meant to be cover games, but then once Marshall Cavendish decided they didn't want them (and I think most people could see why), Imagine really had no choice but to release them and try to make some money back.
True in terms of taking on far too many people with no experience, but they weren't school kids! I was very young by Imagine standards (me and Eugene were about joint youngest). Most had been round the block a bit, doing other jobs, but certainly not games development.
Abdul? Nice guy ....
Cool! Thanks loads for that. I'm not sure whether it is the advert I replied to, but it looks a likely candidate
No, I don't think so ...
Sorry about the school kid stuff - but I got called 16 years old in the Commercial Breaks "documentay" (sic) and Tony got called 18. And he's less then a month older than me!
"Tony Is W*nker". Ah, memories!
Yeah, that advert was in January 1984 and I started in November '83, I think. I remember there were a few big waves of new starts and I was towards the end of the first wave.
No worries on the school-kids thing - I certainly was not long left school - but Imagine was full of interesting and older characters. i.e. early to mid 20s LOL
Although there were people like Fred Gray and John Gibson who must have been in their 30s! (or at least nearly)
Don't think so, but I mainly remember CC and Pedro. There might have been others, but that Marshall Cavendish deal didn't last too long IIRC.
F*cking hell - memories indeed. Where do you keep all this stuff?
Don't answer that
I think Abdul was the first Muslim I met. How do I know this?
When I went to work at Imagine, they put me in a hotel for the first 4 or 5 months. (This type of action may have contributed to the company's future ...) However, why would I want to actually go back to the hotel, 200 yards away, when being in the office was such a blast? So there was a spell of about a month when I didn't go back to the hotel. Don't ask about personal hygiene. I just slept under a desk in the office that month. Well, I say slept, but it was only for a few hours a night.
But, if you're going to do that, you shouldn't leave foodstuffs in the suitcase in your hotel. Otherwise, the first night back in your room, you'll be hit with the sudden realisation that your suitcase is chock full of mice.
Which would be quite entertaining if you were a cat, but not if you're shit-scared of rodents.
So I buzzed Abdul in his room and he let me kip on his floor, once I'd calmed down a bit. I still can't remember why I didn't go back to the office - I think I'd been ordered to spend the night in the hotel.
Well, he had a prayer mat.
Funny the things you remember.
Eric the Bear.
Owner - Mark (damn ....) Bradley? Otherwise known as 'Animal'.
A very, very interesting character who I hung around with quite a lot for a few years.
There were times when Mark would insist that if someone wanted to speak to him about how Pedro was going, they had to speak to Eric.
And Eric too!
Just checked - it was BC Bill.
Pedro was by a mad guy called Frank who programmed in hex machine code. He had to be persuaded to convert it to assembler so that other people could understand it.
Now BC Bill must have been a Cavendish one!
My memory is playing tricks on me! Thanks for the smack! Not drugs! The clout! Not sex! The reminder! I knew I'd seen stuff somewhere!
"We tamed the Beastie Boys!"
Yeah, I think Cosmic Cruiser and Pedro were being developed at the same time, closely followed by BC Bill.
The thing I always remember is how the games would be quite different on the different platforms because of different functionality. IIRC, the C64 versions of those games were a bit better than the Spectrum ones.
As for 'Dragon Green' ....
Immediately came to mind ;-)
My other half was doubting the victim's innocence, at which point I pointed out the same thing had happened to me, when all I did was ask the copper why I had to move when I'd done nothing wrong.
Whallop!
Don't know whether you remember, but we went to the usual club afterwards and there was a rumour the Beastie Boys might turn up later.
I think they were probably too busy getting as far away from Liverpool as possible ...
I do remember going to the "youth club" (Colin still there in my head) and the place being packed out. And the DJ, who gave you loads of tapes in the past, having to apologuise for their none appearance!
"Aw YEAH!"
Mark Dawson (Wilding)?
Sorry - scratch that - he was a c64 guy wasnt he
- IONIAN-GAMES.com -
Yep - different guy. Marc with a C
(Who was probably my best mate at Imagine. Nice guy - took good care of me despite not being much older himself.
Dawson/Wilding was a C64 programmer Odin then a manager at Software Creations (in Cheatham Hill, where I worked) then a manager at Acclaim Studios Manchester (housed in the Ocean building in Salford - where I worked). Lost touch now.
I don't think WOS can host them. Denienced :S