Why was the early 90's so successful for UK game production?

D-Ranged · 3 Jun 2024 at 16:39

More time to develop games, less of a rush to get an unfinished product out, and less competition, maybe? Also, things hadn't been done as much as they are these days? The something new and exciting factor, which seems to be very few and far between these days.

Emlyn_Dewar · 4 Jun 2024 at 05:04

I feel like modern marketing, and focus groups have ruined a lot of it.

BowdonUK · 13 Jun 2024 at 22:35

I think a big factor in why the UK specially might be because of the BBC Micro computer that was in most schools and backed up by tv programmes.

BBC Micro - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The first computer experience I had was when the computer was wheeled into the classroom.

I think either my first or second attempt at programming was done on the BBC Micro too.

Did any other country have a national programme like this?

mcwildcard · Saturday at 14:13

I still have much love for the BBC Micro after having it as my first computer when I was really young.
There was something magical in being able to make your name appear on the TV screen, back in the days long before phone video and casting were so ubiquitous.
Also, the vast universe of Elite gave me an understanding of how unlimited the possibilities were of computer games.
It definitely shaped the adult I became, even if I didn't ever make it into the realms of game design for a career.
I can totally see how it would have inspired others to pour themselves deeply into programming.

mcwildcard · Saturday at 14:24

I just remembered this exists, it's an unfinished (IIRC) pdf book Jeff Minter and his partner wrote about the history of Llamasoft, which covers Jeff's journey into programming.
It's a really interesting account of the early days of bedroom developers.

http://minotaurproject.co.uk/YakImages/AHistoryofLlamasoft.pdf