Grand Thieves & Tomb Raiders
How British Video Games Conquered the World
Nonfiction, Computers, Entertainment & Games, Game Programming - Graphics
| Author: | Rebecca Levene, Magnus Anderson | ISBN: | 9781781311073 |
| Publisher: | Aurum Press | Publication: | November 8, 2012 |
| Imprint: | Language: | English |
| Author: | Rebecca Levene, Magnus Anderson |
| ISBN: | 9781781311073 |
| Publisher: | Aurum Press |
| Publication: | November 8, 2012 |
| Imprint: | |
| Language: | English |
Gaming: it’ s the greatest British invasion of them all. Lara Croft is an international icon and the British-born Grand Theft Auto and i****ts spin-offs have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. The UK’ s games industry is now bigger than either its cinema or its music.
Yet the medium’ s birth in Thatcher’ s Britain was almost accidental. While politicians championed computers like the BBC Micro and the ZX Spectrum as engines of learning, it was left to a grassroots culture of amateur programmers to unlock their true potential. And from bedrooms and classrooms across the country, a brilliant profusion of innovative and idiosyncratic games soon emerged – propelling their young creators to fame, riches and, eventually, a place on the world stage.
This is the story of those teenage coders – tracing their journey from the first home computers to the age of the smartphone. A mix of oddball characters, programming miracles and moral panics, Grand Thieves & Tomb Raiders reveals how the unique history of British computing led to some of the greatest games of all time.
Gaming: it’ s the greatest British invasion of them all. Lara Croft is an international icon and the British-born Grand Theft Auto and i****ts spin-offs have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. The UK’ s games industry is now bigger than either its cinema or its music.
Yet the medium’ s birth in Thatcher’ s Britain was almost accidental. While politicians championed computers like the BBC Micro and the ZX Spectrum as engines of learning, it was left to a grassroots culture of amateur programmers to unlock their true potential. And from bedrooms and classrooms across the country, a brilliant profusion of innovative and idiosyncratic games soon emerged – propelling their young creators to fame, riches and, eventually, a place on the world stage.
This is the story of those teenage coders – tracing their journey from the first home computers to the age of the smartphone. A mix of oddball characters, programming miracles and moral panics, Grand Thieves & Tomb Raiders reveals how the unique history of British computing led to some of the greatest games of all time.
