The 1980s and 90s were a time of great creativity in the UK games industry. Small teams embraced the limitations of the available hardware to produce experiences which had to rely on quirks of imagination, rather than raw power. Little wonder, then, that the developers of this era were far more visible than their modern counterparts - and that their names have become legend.
But what if these gaming greats weren't computer game developers? What if they were, in fact, murderers? What crimes would they commit? Here are ten figures from the golden era of games creation, along with 10 crimes that they never committed, but look as if they might have done in some hypothetical scenario.
But what if these gaming greats weren't computer game developers? What if they were, in fact, murderers? What crimes would they commit? Here are ten figures from the golden era of games creation, along with 10 crimes that they never committed, but look as if they might have done in some hypothetical scenario.
MATTHEW SMITH
Matthew Smith is best known for creating the legendary ZX Spectrum platformers Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy. He later disappeared from the games industry, and his current whereabouts are unknown.
PRESS REVEAL FOR HYPOTHETICAL CRIME DETAILS:
Went on knife rampage in a shopping centre while shouting something about "Powerful witches". Stabbed 12 people, two of whom later died from their wounds.
JEFF MINTER
Jeff Minter is one of the UK games industry's greatest mavericks, creating surreal and psychedelic masterpieces such as Attack Of The Mutant Camels, Tempest 2000 and Space Giraffe.
PRESS REVEAL FOR HYPOTHETICAL CRIME DETAILS:
Beat a London Zoo employee to death with a bin when he was refused access to the penguin enclosure.
JON HARE
As one of the founder members of Sensible Software, Jon Hare was behind such smash hits as Cannon Fodder and Sensible Soccer.
PRESS REVEAL FOR HYPOTHETICAL CRIME DETAILS:
Shot an intruder who had broken into his farmhouse.
MEL CROUCHER
As much artist as game designer, Croucher created the unique and bemusing Pimania and Deus Ex Machine.
PRESS REVEAL FOR HYPOTHETICAL CRIME DETAILS:
Leader of a sex cult, where he went by the name The Harbinger. Poisoned almost 200 cult members in a murder-suicide pact.
JON RITMAN
Jon Ritman created Match Day for the ZX Spectrum, before moving onto the legendary isometric titles Head Over Heels and Batman.
PRESS REVEAL FOR HYPOTHETICAL CRIME DETAILS:
Pushed his father out of a moving car on the motorway following an argument over the differences between rivers and streams.
ARCHER MACLEAN
Dropzone, International Karate, and Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker are just three of the games Maclean was responsible for.
PRESS REVEAL FOR HYPOTHETICAL CRIME DETAILS:
University sex game gone wrong.
DINO DINI
Dino Dini - full name Dinosaur Dinisaur - created the famous Kick-Off series. He recently returned with Dino Dini's Kick Off Revival.
PRESS REVEAL FOR HYPOTHETICAL CRIME DETAILS:
Strangled his au pair for forgetting the glacé cherry on his breakfast grapefruit.
SANDY WHITE
Sandy White created the pioneering and atmospheric Ant Attack and Zombie Zombie.
PRESS REVEAL FOR HYPOTHETICAL CRIME DETAILS:
Crashed his Mini Metro into a pub, killing three people and a dog.
LORD BRITISH
Lord British - real name Richard Garriott - created the Ultima series of role-playing games. He recently sold some of his blood on eBay, and went into space as a private astronaut (an astronaut for money - he'll do what you want him to do).
PRESS REVEAL FOR HYPOTHETICAL CRIME DETAILS:
Shot a TV producer for not commissioning his unsolicited Star Trek: Voyager spec script.
TOBY GARD
Gard was a key member of the team behind the original Tomb Raider.
PRESS REVEAL FOR HYPOTHETICAL CRIME DETAILS:
Placed classified ad looking for people who were willing to come to his house and let him cook and eat them, then dissolved the bones of his victims in a barrel of acid.
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