Crystal Computing
Encyclopedia
Crystal Computing, later renamed Design Design, was a British video game developer
founded in 1982 by Chris Clarke and Graham Stafford while students at the University of Manchester
. Neil Mottershead, Simon Brattel and Martin Horsley, joined the company as it expanded. The company's first software release was a compilation of games for the Sinclair ZX81, though it was with the ZX Spectrum
that Crystal found its greatest success. A deal with the machine's manufacturer Sinclair
to distribute Crystal's Zeus Assembler
gave the company sufficient funds for a major marketing campaign for their next product, Halls of the Things
, an arcade adventure game that became their most successful title.
Clarke left in 1984 to join Artic Software
, where he worked on the "business side", before collaborating with Jon Ritman
on the Match Day series
.
With Clarke's departure the company was reorganised as Design Design, a trading name that had been used by Simon Brattel since 1976 for his electronic audio designs. Design Design's core consisted of Stafford working mainly on titles for the Commodore 64
, Brattel and Mottershead working on the ZX Spectrum
and Amstrad CPC
, and David Lewellyn, the company's administrator. According to Stafford the new name was part of a wider re-branding, as they wanted a more professional image, along with a better relationship with the press and the public.
Graham Stafford went on to form developer Walking Circles, which wrote the PC version of Bloodwych
.
Design Design
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
founded in 1982 by Chris Clarke and Graham Stafford while students at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
. Neil Mottershead, Simon Brattel and Martin Horsley, joined the company as it expanded. The company's first software release was a compilation of games for the Sinclair ZX81, though it was with the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
that Crystal found its greatest success. A deal with the machine's manufacturer Sinclair
Sinclair
Sinclair may refer to:Places:* Lake Sinclair, near Milledgeville, Georgia* Sinclair, Iowa* Sinclair, Wyoming* Sinclair Mills, British Columbia* Sinclair Township, MinnesotaPeople:* Sinclair , list of people with this surname...
to distribute Crystal's Zeus Assembler
Zeus Assembler
Zeus Assembler is an assembler development tool for the ZX Spectrum written by Neil Mottershead and Simon Brattel, and published by Crystal Computing in 1983...
gave the company sufficient funds for a major marketing campaign for their next product, Halls of the Things
Halls of the Things
Halls of the Things is a ZX Spectrum video game developed by Design Design and released by Crystal Computing in 1983.In this game you have to guide your hero through seven floors of a tower, searching for seven rings, each floor is a complex maze of corridors and rooms...
, an arcade adventure game that became their most successful title.
Clarke left in 1984 to join Artic Software
Artic Software
In the early 1980s, Artic Software, also known as Artic Computing, was a software development company based in Brandesburton. The company's first games were for the Sinclair ZX81 home computer, but they expanded and were also responsible for various ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Acorn...
, where he worked on the "business side", before collaborating with Jon Ritman
Jon Ritman
Jon Ritman is a software developer, notable for his work on major 1980s video games. Working primarily on games for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC home computer range. His first experience with a computer was at the age of 13, and first computer was a Sinclair ZX81 that he bought in 1981.His first...
on the Match Day series
Match Day (series)
Match Day is an association football video game franchise created by Jon Ritman in 1984 for the 1980s 8-bit home computer market.- Games in the series :...
.
With Clarke's departure the company was reorganised as Design Design, a trading name that had been used by Simon Brattel since 1976 for his electronic audio designs. Design Design's core consisted of Stafford working mainly on titles for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Brattel and Mottershead working on the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
and Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, and David Lewellyn, the company's administrator. According to Stafford the new name was part of a wider re-branding, as they wanted a more professional image, along with a better relationship with the press and the public.
Graham Stafford went on to form developer Walking Circles, which wrote the PC version of Bloodwych
Bloodwych
Bloodwych is a dungeon role-playing video game developed for the Amiga, Atari ST and MS-DOS as well as the major 8-bit home computer platforms...
.
Softography
Crystal Computing- ZX81 Games Pack, ZX81, 1982. Includes versions of Asteroids and Space InvadersSpace Invadersis an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
, as well as a Dungeons and Dragons style adventure game and a slalom skiingSlalom skiingSlalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
game, all designed to run on an unexpanded machine with 1K RAM. - Merchant of Venus, ZX81, 1982. A space trading/investment game.
- Monitor and Disassembler, ZX81, ZX Spectrum, 1982. An assembly languageAssembly languageAn assembly language is a low-level programming language for computers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and other programmable devices. It implements a symbolic representation of the machine codes and other constants needed to program a given CPU architecture...
utility. - Cosmic GuerillaCosmic GuerillaCosmic Guerilla is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and published by Crystal Computing in 1983. It is a non-scrolling vertical shoot 'em up similar to Space Invaders, converted from a 1979 Japanese arcade game by Universal...
, ZX Spectrum, 1983 - The Dungeon Master, ZX Spectrum, 1983
- Halls of the ThingsHalls of the ThingsHalls of the Things is a ZX Spectrum video game developed by Design Design and released by Crystal Computing in 1983.In this game you have to guide your hero through seven floors of a tower, searching for seven rings, each floor is a complex maze of corridors and rooms...
, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64, 1983 - Invasion of the Body Snatchas!Invasion of the Body Snatchas!Invasion of the Body Snatchas! is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and released by Crystal Computing in 1984.-Notes:Like many Crystal games Invasion seemed at first to be a programming exercise first, and a game second...
, ZX Spectrum, 1983 - Zeus AssemblerZeus AssemblerZeus Assembler is an assembler development tool for the ZX Spectrum written by Neil Mottershead and Simon Brattel, and published by Crystal Computing in 1983...
, ZX Spectrum, 1983 - Rommel's RevengeRommel's RevengeRommel's Revenge is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and released by Crystal Computing in 1983."A brilliant interpretation of the most visually stunning arcade game ever! Superb high resolution 3D graphics with full perspective plus a host of new and exciting features make Rommel's Revenge the...
, ZX Spectrum, 1984 - Bug Blaster, ZX Spectrum, 1984. A CentipedeCentipede (video game)Centipede is a vertically-oriented shoot 'em up arcade game produced by Atari, Inc. in 1980. The game was designed by Ed Logg along with Dona Bailey, one of the few female game programmers in the industry at this time. It was also the first arcade coin-operated game to have a significant female...
clone. - Cyber Zone, ZX Spectrum, 1984
- The Island, ZX Spectrum, 1984
- The Warlock of Firetop MountainThe Warlock of Firetop Mountain (video game)The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is an arcade adventure video game released in 1984 for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer. It is loosely based on the adventure gamebook of the same name written by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, and published by Puffin Books in 1982.The game was sold both...
, ZX Spectrum, 1984 - It's the Wooluf!, ZX Spectrum, 1984.
- Tube Way Army, Dragon 32 and Tandy 32KTRS-80 Color ComputerThe Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer was a home computer launched in 1980. It was one of the earliest of the first generation of computers marketed for home use in English-speaking markets...
, 1984
Design Design
- Dark Star, ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPCAmstrad CPCThe Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, 1984 - Return of the Things, ZX Spectrum, 1984
- 2112 AD, ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, 1985
- On the Run, ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, 1985
- Forbidden Planet, ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, 1986
- Halls of the Things Remix, ZX Spectrum, 1986
- Invaders, ZX Spectrum, 1986. A Space InvadersSpace Invadersis an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
clone published as part of the Action Replay compilation of Crystal and Design Design games. - N.E.X.O.R., ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, 1986
- Nosferatu the Vampyre, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, 1986 - Rogue Trooper, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64, 1986
- Kat Trap, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64, 1987