Bruce Mitchell

Bruce Mitchell

Bruce Mitchell had been an unhappy Vice-Principal in a primary school in Victoria when he submitted a simple project to Jacaranda Software for possible publication.  Roseanne Gare liked it and they started corresponding.  When Gare resigned from Jacaranda, she suggested Mitchell as a possible replacement.

Cameron McKechnie

Cameron McKechnie

Cameron Mckechnie was one of the the founding members of Art Software, New Zealand. The group created several games for the Amiga computer in the late 1980s.

Carl Muller

Carl Muller

Carl Muller climbed the ladder of the industry, from working from tape machines to making some of today’s biggest selling games. He has worked commercially on such games as Mortal Kombat 2 (Saturn game), FifaSoccer 96 (SNES game), Batman Forever (SNES game), Judge Dredd (SNESgame), Pagemaster (SNES game),  VirtualSoccer (SNES game), Speedball 2 (C64 game), Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles(C64 game), Last Ninja (NES game).

Darryl Reynolds

Darryl Reynolds

Melbourne-based Darryl Reynolds is best known for his graphic text adventures in particular “The Search for King Solomon’s Mine” and “The Secret of Bastow Manor”. From his home the self-taught programmer ran a small but profitable cottage industry throughout the 1980s, writing games and programs in Basic for a variety of microcomputers.

Dave O’Conner

Dave O’Conner

Dave O’Connor has been designing wargames since 1985, with his design credits including “Trial of Strength”, “Fire-Brigade”, “Airborne Assault: Highway to the Reich” and “Airborne Assault: Conquest of the Agean”.

David L Smith

David L Smith

Roseanne Gare recruited David Smith as one of several programmers with educational backgrounds to develop software titles for Jacaranda.

Doug Palmer

Doug Palmer

Doug Palmer joined Beam Software as a programmer and analyst in 1985 after completing a Physics degree at the University of Melbourne. Palmer first worked on the implementation of The Lord of Rings He also worked on Judge Dredd and Street Hassle for the C64. He is best remembered for his work on the design and coding for Samurai Warrior: The Adventures of Usagi Yojimbo.

G Colmer

G Colmer

Nothing is known about the authors of Emu Joust.  The game was originally released by Mytek but when that company collapsed it was snapped up by Microbee.

Geoff Body

Geoff Body

This profile is yet to be completed. Contribute what you know and help to complete the Archive.

Gerald Wluka

Gerald Wluka

David Smith recruited Gerald Wluka to code Raft-Away River for the Apple. Gerald was a student at Melbourne Grammar School, in one of DLS’s maths classes (that is how David was known at MGS),. David learnt that Gerald was an Apple enthusiast and asked if he could do the work. Of course the answer was yes. The thoughts of a high schooler being paid for his hobby was too attractive – any hurdle could be overcome

Greg Holland

Greg Holland

Greg Holland studied art at Bendigo College and went on to study at the Victorian College of Arts in Melbourne. Upon graduating, Holland got a job at Beam Software in Melbourne. When he joined Beam Software, the role of game artist was a position and career that previously had not existed.

Gregg Barnett

Gregg Barnett

Gregg Barnett’s first job at Beam was to convert “The Hobbit” for to the Commodore 64 , and to create versions of  “Hungry Horace” and “Horace Goes Skiing”. He went on to produce a more elaborate version of “The Hobbit” with sound and richer graphics in 1985 for by the Commodore 64 disk drive. With plenty of ideas for games of his own he put forward an idea for a martial arts game.  “The Way of the Exploding Fist” which combined Barnett’s interests in sport simulation and interface design.

Gregor Whiley

Gregor Whiley

Gregor Whiley joined SSG in 1986. Diplomatic and skilled at managing teams Whiley went on to produce the majority of SSG’s games.

Harvey Kong Tin

Harvey Kong Tin

Harvey Kong Tin and Andrew Bradfield collaborated with each other on the development of two games – “Laser Hawk” and “HawkQuest”. Kong Tin designed the graphics of the two games.

Ian Boswell

Ian Boswell

Ian Boswell graduated from Auckland University in New Zealand, where he graduated with a Master of  Computer Science and a MA in Music. During this time he met Martin Buis and both worked on The Dark Heart of Uukrul (1989) which was released by Broderbund Software, Inc.

Ian Trout

Ian Trout

Ian Trout co-founded Strategic Studies Group in 1983 with Roger Keating. Trout a keen wargamer and military history dilettante was the proprietor of Napoleon Military Bookshop renowned for its fine selection of board games and role playing games. It was Trout’s love of board games that influenced SSG first game “Reach for The Stars“. 

Jeff Pritchard

This profile is yet to be completed. Contribute what you know and help to complete the Archive.

John De Margheriti

John De Margheriti

John De Margheriti has been a significant contributor to the Australian games development industry both as a games developer and in fostering the local industry. He co-founded Micro Forté studios in 1985. Their first game “Arnies America’s Cup Challenge” or “The Official America’s Cup Sailing Simulation” was designed for the Commodore 64 and was distributed internationally by Electronic Arts.

John Passfield

John Passfield

“Halloween Harry” was the last game that the schoolboy Passfield published in the 1980s, although he wrote many more, including a Star Trek Text Adventure. Passfield was also responsible for “Jaruu Tenk”, “Flight of the Amazon Queen” and “Brainiversity” properties.  At Krome he co-created the “TY the Tasmanian Tiger” series.

John Perry

John Perry

John Perry was a teenager when he learned to program games. His game programming was inspired by games that he played at the time. His games were published by Grandstand, and included “Harbour” and “City Lander”. He found game programming more fun than game playing.

John Reidy

John Reidy

John Reidy was one of the four founders of Micro Forté in 1985 as they launched their studio to create “Arnies America’s Cup Challenge” for the Commodore 64 and Amstrad. Reidy worked on the technical side of memory and graphics for the game.

Mark Sibly

Mark Sibly

Mark Sibly started writing games when he was at school in New Zealand in the mid-1980s.  He attended Selwyn College in Auckland and made extensive use of the school’s computers: even before he was at high school, his older brother would bring an Apple computer home from school some weekends.  He wrote and self-published “Dinky Kong” (for Vic-20) and “Star Warp” whilst at school.  Later, he was involved with Amiga computers and worked with members of Art Software on “Sorceror’s Apprentice”.

Ian Boswell

Martin Buis

Martin Buis graduated from Auckland University in New Zealand, where he graduated with Master of  Computer Science and a MA in Music. During this time he met Ian Boswell and both worked on The Dark Heart of Uukrul (1989) which was released by Broderbund Software, Inc. This was the final game they designed.

Matthew Hall

Matthew Hall

Matthew Hall started programming games at the age of seven, and his game designs from the 1980s were produced before he turned fourteen. Hall designed for the Commodore 64, but his magnum opus, “The Jewels of Sancara Island”, was created in class at Edenhope High School, on the school’s Microbee. Hall later went on to be employed at Australian developers Tantalus Interactive and Big Ant Studios. His varied career includes positions as Programmer, Designer, Artist, Associate Producer, Producer and Chief Technical Officer.

Michael Boyd

Michael Boyd

Michael Boyd was a teenager when he wrote his games for the Sega SC-3000. Between 1985 and 1987 he created games including “Burglar Bill”, “Burglar Bill II”, “Caverns of Karanor” and “Sir Roderick’s Quest”. Boyd worked alone to design his games, with no mentors or collaborators.

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