Resource centre for ZX Spectrum games
      using Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy game engines

 

 

Previous message		Next message

 

 

Message: 3955

Author: carlwoffenden

Date: 01/03/2004

Subject: Simpsons references (Re: A room from Party Willy..)

 

> Chester J. Lampwick reminds me very much of Matthew Smith in the

way

> that he invented something great, but was screwed by an

unscrupulous

> company and disappeared for many years.

I don't know the full story so correct me if I'm wrong: Matthew Smith
created MM
whilst working as a freelance programmer for Bug-Byte, and then took
the game with
him when Software Projects, in which he was a partner, was formed.
Usually, when
contracting for an employer, the rights belong to that company - MM
would have
been property of Bug-Byte - but somehow, due to some contractual
whatnots, this
wasn't the case and MM ended up being owned by Software Projects.
Bug-Byte appear
to have been the ones being screwed at this point. Copyright rests
with Software
Projects, according to the cassette inlay at least, and eventually
Matthew leaves the
company. His games, on the other hand, don't.

The Oliver twins, creators of Dizzy, don't own their work; Toby Gard,
creator of Lara
Croft, doesn't see a penny from the Tomb Raider games or films.
That's how it works.
Working your arse off to make the board of directors, who usually
wouldn't know a
good game if it hit them on the head, even more rich doesn't,
unfortunately, entitle
that person to own what they create. I don't think Matthew Smith was
screwed any
more than anyone else who works in games/software development.

Carl.

 

 

	Back to the Yahoo! Archive
Previous message	home page	Next message