4 ms·

> As the sole programmer. In an era when programming was far more tricky and low level. In the same era, early 80s, kids across the UK were single-handedly wri

> As the sole programmer. In an era when programming was far more tricky and low level. In the same era, early 80s, kids across the UK were single-handedly writing games packed into 1-16k, some of which (Manic Miner being a prime example) sold in their hundreds of thousands in the UK market alone. There was some pretty amazing programming skill going on back then.

moonshinefe 11y ago
That sounds pretty interesting. Do you know if anyone has written on that history yet? It sounds like it'd make a great article in one of the tech magazines.
- fit2rule 11y ago
  Countless books have been written on this subject: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_about_video_games https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_about_video_game... :)
- vidarh 11y ago
  Lots and lots. There are and have been any number of Kickstarters for whole books covering various older game developers.. Also another source that springs to mind is the Llamasoft blog [1] - Jeff Minter behind Llamasoft fits the profile above perfectly. There's also a number of magazines devoted entirely to retro gaming, such as retroGAMER [2] that regularly have articles and interviews with the people involved. [1] http://minotaurproject.co.uk/ http://minotaurproject.co.uk/ [2] http://www.retrogamer.net/ http://www.retrogamer.net/
- ENTP 11y ago
  If you're interested in that era, I recommend watching "From Bedrooms To Billions" http://www.frombedroomstobillions.com/ http://www.frombedroomstobillions.com/ I grew up in this era, first programming on an Aquarius. It was quite the hobby in the UK.
- dejv 11y ago
  It's behind you - the making of a computer game: http://bizzley.imbahost.com/ http://bizzley.imbahost.com/ is great There is also diaries for Making of Prince of Persia and Karatek. http://www.jordanmechner.com/backstage/journals/ http://www.jordanmechner.com/backstage/journals/ Both highly recommended, I reread it three times already.
- hartpuff 11y ago
  Sorry I thought I had replied to this. I'm not aware of any article or book going through the history of that era, unfortunately, but I wasn't aware of Bedrooms to Billions, so there could well be. It's just kind of 'known' that it happened, I think. IIRC when the Raspberry Pi was first announced, it was suggested it might inspire kids to program in the same way that computers did in the 80s, since teaching at UK schools apparently centres around how to use Microsoft applications.
makomk 11y ago
In some ways it was probably easier to write a game solo than it is now, because expectations were lower and there were such tight limits on what was technically possible. These days people expect high-quality graphics, music and sound effects as well as good gameplay, and they expect much bigger games too. I'm not sure anyone's managed to develop a commercially-successful game solo, and even developing most of one solo requires years of work and a wide set of skills.
- SmellyGeekBoy 11y ago
  > I'm not sure anyone's managed to develop a commercially-successful game solo Minecraft?
  - DanBC 11y ago
    Flappy Bird?
- GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago
  Undertale was essentially solo.
- jdmichal 11y ago
  Banished is an interesting case study for modern solo development.
asgfoi 11y ago
You seem to be unaware of Ludum dare and similar challenges where (literally) thousands of games are created over the weekend that could easily compete with games made in the 80's. Skill is still here, it is just muted by the modern media. Back then a any game release was huge news, today such games are made all the time every day and don't even get noticed.
- hartpuff 11y ago
  I really don't know why you take what was an entirely positive comment, in praise of programming and programmers in the early 80s, and try to turn it into a negative, pointless, opinion-based pissing contest about which era was 'better'.
  - Nutmog 11y ago
    If the early 80's was good, then something else must be bad. Perhaps you meant it was good compared to what happened before, or compared to what it would have been if people didn't make games. But a reasonable guess is good compared to today, which is an implicitly negative comment about today's programmers. I think the reply was quite reasonable - it doesn't make sense to glorify the past when the present has massively more of what was good about the past.
    - hartpuff 11y ago
      > If the early 80's was good, then something else must be bad. If programming from one era was good, why do you think that means programming from another era "must be bad"? Why can't good programming exist in both eras? > But a reasonable guess is good compared to today If you insist on guessing there's more to my final sentence, why isn't a reasonable guess, "as well as non-amazing programming back then" or "just as there is amazing programming today"?
    - oldmanjay 11y ago
      you have a zero-sum model of things that does not reflect reality well.
- 11y ago

moonshinefe 11y ago

That sounds pretty interesting. Do you know if anyone has written on that history yet? It sounds like it'd make a great article in one of the tech magazines.

fit2rule 11y ago
Countless books have been written on this subject: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_about_video_games https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_books_about_video_game... :)
vidarh 11y ago
Lots and lots. There are and have been any number of Kickstarters for whole books covering various older game developers.. Also another source that springs to mind is the Llamasoft blog [1] - Jeff Minter behind Llamasoft fits the profile above perfectly. There's also a number of magazines devoted entirely to retro gaming, such as retroGAMER [2] that regularly have articles and interviews with the people involved. [1] http://minotaurproject.co.uk/ http://minotaurproject.co.uk/ [2] http://www.retrogamer.net/ http://www.retrogamer.net/
ENTP 11y ago
If you're interested in that era, I recommend watching "From Bedrooms To Billions" http://www.frombedroomstobillions.com/ http://www.frombedroomstobillions.com/ I grew up in this era, first programming on an Aquarius. It was quite the hobby in the UK.
dejv 11y ago
It's behind you - the making of a computer game: http://bizzley.imbahost.com/ http://bizzley.imbahost.com/ is great There is also diaries for Making of Prince of Persia and Karatek. http://www.jordanmechner.com/backstage/journals/ http://www.jordanmechner.com/backstage/journals/ Both highly recommended, I reread it three times already.
hartpuff 11y ago
Sorry I thought I had replied to this. I'm not aware of any article or book going through the history of that era, unfortunately, but I wasn't aware of Bedrooms to Billions, so there could well be. It's just kind of 'known' that it happened, I think. IIRC when the Raspberry Pi was first announced, it was suggested it might inspire kids to program in the same way that computers did in the 80s, since teaching at UK schools apparently centres around how to use Microsoft applications.

makomk 11y ago

In some ways it was probably easier to write a game solo than it is now, because expectations were lower and there were such tight limits on what was technically possible. These days people expect high-quality graphics, music and sound effects as well as good gameplay, and they expect much bigger games too. I'm not sure anyone's managed to develop a commercially-successful game solo, and even developing most of one solo requires years of work and a wide set of skills.

SmellyGeekBoy 11y ago
> I'm not sure anyone's managed to develop a commercially-successful game solo Minecraft?
- DanBC 11y ago
  Flappy Bird?
GFK_of_xmaspast 11y ago
Undertale was essentially solo.
jdmichal 11y ago
Banished is an interesting case study for modern solo development.

asgfoi 11y ago

You seem to be unaware of Ludum dare and similar challenges where (literally) thousands of games are created over the weekend that could easily compete with games made in the 80's. Skill is still here, it is just muted by the modern media. Back then a any game release was huge news, today such games are made all the time every day and don't even get noticed.

hartpuff 11y ago
I really don't know why you take what was an entirely positive comment, in praise of programming and programmers in the early 80s, and try to turn it into a negative, pointless, opinion-based pissing contest about which era was 'better'.
- Nutmog 11y ago
  If the early 80's was good, then something else must be bad. Perhaps you meant it was good compared to what happened before, or compared to what it would have been if people didn't make games. But a reasonable guess is good compared to today, which is an implicitly negative comment about today's programmers. I think the reply was quite reasonable - it doesn't make sense to glorify the past when the present has massively more of what was good about the past.
  - hartpuff 11y ago
    > If the early 80's was good, then something else must be bad. If programming from one era was good, why do you think that means programming from another era "must be bad"? Why can't good programming exist in both eras? > But a reasonable guess is good compared to today If you insist on guessing there's more to my final sentence, why isn't a reasonable guess, "as well as non-amazing programming back then" or "just as there is amazing programming today"?
  - oldmanjay 11y ago
    you have a zero-sum model of things that does not reflect reality well.
11y ago