Bug-Byte Explained

Bug-Byte Software Ltd
Location:Mulberry House, Canning Place Liverpool, England
Foundation:May 1980[1]
Defunct:June 1985
Products:Mazogs, Manic Miner, Twin Kingdom Valley
Key People:Tony Baden, Tony Milner

Bug-Byte Software Ltd. was a video game company founded in 1980 in Liverpool, initially producing software for the Acorn Atom and ZX80. Bug-Byte's first hit was Don Priestley's Mazogs which was one of the most successful titles for the ZX81. In 1983, it published Manic Miner, considered to be one of the most influential platform games of all time.[2] The company went into liquidation in 1985 but their name and logo were purchased by Argus Press PLC for use as a budget software label.

Formation

Bug-Byte was founded by Tony Baden and Tony Milner, two Oxford chemistry graduates.[3] In 1981 they paid £75 for The Damsel and the Beast for the ZX81, the first game produced by Don Priestley, a former teacher who had learned programming from a night school course.[4] [5] Priestley produced two further games considered to be classic ZX81 titles, Dictator and Mazogs,[6] [7] before becoming a director of rival publisher DK'Tronics.

Early success

In 1982, Bug-Byte published the first commercially produced games for the BBC Micro and ZX Spectrum, Spacewarp and Spectral Invaders,[8] [9] both developed by David Lawson. Lawson used the profits from his next game, Spectres, to set up Imagine Software with Mark Butler, another Bug-Byte employee.[9] Spectral Invaders was the number one game for the ZX Spectrum in the first UK video game charts published by Popular Computing Weekly in December 1982.[10] [11]

In 1983, Bug-Byte published Styx, the first game from a three-game contract with Matthew Smith. His second, Manic Miner, originated in a request from Bug-Byte's Despatch Manager Alan Maton for a Donkey Kong style-game.[12] Manic Miner became the best selling video game in the country within weeks of its release,[13] but a dispute over royalties led to Smith creating his own publishing company Software Projects, and taking Manic Miner, and Maton, with him.

The company had several lesser hits over the next year including The Birds and the Bees (written by Matthew Smith's school friend Adrian Sherwin[14]), the sequel Antics and the text adventure Twin Kingdom Valley which reached number one in the BBC micro charts.[15] In early 1985 it was being reported that the company was having cash flow problems[16] which soon led to liquidation.[17]

Use as a budget label

Later in 1985 the rights to their name and logo were purchased by Argus Press PLC for use as a budget software label.[18] Along with original releases, they re-issued titles from the Argus Press Software back-catalogue and games previously published by Quicksilva and Starcade, which it had also recently acquired.[19] [20] In 1986, Tennis topped the BBC charts[21] and their re-releases of American Football and Alien both reached the all-formats top 10 budget chart.[22]

In 1987, Argus Press Software was purchased by its managing director, Stephen Hall, renamed Grandslam Entertainment[23] and the Bug-Byte range was given a rebranding.[24] The rights to Domark's games were also obtained resulting in re-releases of games including A View to a Kill and Split Personalities. The final few games were published under the name "Bug-Byte Premier" at a slightly higher price.

Software products

Published by Bug-Byte

Published by Argus Press

Published by Grandslam

on the "Bug-Byte Premier" label:

External links

References

  1. Web site: History for Bug-Byte Software Ltd. 3 May 2018. 31 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191031150220/https://www.mobygames.com/company/bug-byte-software-ltd/history. dead.
  2. Contents. Retro Gamer. 48 . Imagine Publishing . 28 February 2008. 4.
  3. Mersey Byte!. Big K. 4. IPC. July 1984. 6. 20 January 2023.
  4. King Berk. Your Sinclair. 19. Dennis Publishing. July 1987. 41. Phil South. 20 January 2023.
  5. Terry, Arfur and 'Im Upstairs. Crash. 34. Newsfield. November 1986. 108. 20 January 2023.
  6. Full Colour. Popular Computing Weekly. 35. Sunshine Publications. 1 September 1983. 46. 20 January 2023.
  7. http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/ystop100.htm "The YS Official Top 100 Part 1"
  8. Software debut for the ZX82. Popular Computing Weekly. Sunshine Publications. 1 July 1982. 5. 20 January 2023.
  9. The New Heroes. Computer and Video Games Yearbook 1984. EMAP. October 1983. 10. 20 January 2023.
  10. Special Feature: Happy Birthday! . . 1 May 1987 . 14–18 (18) .
  11. Top Sellers. Popular Computing Weekly. 33. Sunshine Publications. 2 December 1982. 31. 20 January 2023.
  12. Matthew uncaged. Sinclair User. 33. EMAP. December 1984. 88–92. 20 January 2023.
  13. Manic Miner. Personal Computer Games. VNU. December 1983. 97. 20 January 2023.
  14. Bee line to success. Sinclair User. 24. ECC. March 1984. 62–63. 20 January 2023.
  15. Charts. Acorn User. 21. Redwood. April 1984. 16.
  16. Gossip. Computer and Video Games. 43. EMAP. May 1985. 19. 20 January 2023.
  17. Births, marriages and deaths. Sinclair User. 39. EMAP. June 1985. 5. 20 January 2023.
  18. Old name – new homes. Home Computing Weekly. Argus Specialist Publications. 10 September 1985. 1. 20 January 2023.
  19. Popular Computing Weekly. 7 June 1984. Argus buys out Quicksilva. 1. 20 January 2023.
  20. Home Computing Weekly. 23 October 1984. News. 6. 20 January 2023.
  21. Charts. Popular Computing Weekly. 26. Sunshine Publications. 26 June 1986. 46. 20 January 2023.
  22. The Charts. Your Computer. 2. IPC. February 1987. 16. 20 January 2023.
  23. Whodunwat. Sinclair User. 70. EMAP. 16 December 1987. 8. 25 September 2022.
  24. Nit Bytes. Crash. 56. Newsfield. September 1988. 8. 20 January 2023.
  25. Web site: Invaders - Software - Game - Computing History.
  26. Web site: Asteroids - Software - Game - Computing History.
  27. Web site: Dictator at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware.
  28. Web site: Dragon Quest.
  29. Web site: Space Pirates - Software - Game - Computing History.
  30. Web site: Spacewarp - Software - Game - Computing History.
  31. Web site: Spectral Invaders - Software - Game - Computing History.
  32. Web site: https://www.pressreader.com/uk/crash-9YY2/20210225/281543704027534 .
  33. Web site: Commodore User Magazine Issue 07. April 1984.
  34. Web site: Cavern Fighter. World of Spectrum.
  35. Web site: Galaxy Wars - Software - Game - Computing History.
  36. Web site: Old Father Time - Software - Game - Computing History.
  37. Web site: Sea Lord - Software - Game - Computing History.
  38. Web site: The Castle.
  39. Web site: Vic Panic - Software - Game - Computing History.
  40. Web site: Hunkidory - Software - Game - Computing History.
  41. Web site: Plan B - Software - Game - Computing History.
  42. Web site: Time Trax (1986, MSX, Bug-Byte Software) Generation MSX.
  43. Web site: Uranians - Software - Game - Computing History.
  44. Web site: Megarok.
  45. Web site: Strangeloop. Spectrum Computing.
  46. Web site: Templeton - Software - Game - Computing History.
  47. Web site: Grange Hill. Spectrum Computing.
  48. Web site: Monkey Nuts.
  49. Web site: World of Spectrum - Orbix the Terrorball.
  50. Web site: Terramex - Software - Game - Computing History.

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