Durell Software
Encyclopedia
Durell Software is a UK software developer based in Taunton
, Somerset in the United Kingdom. The company is a provider of back office administration and accounting software to Independent Financial Advisers, Mortgage and General Insurance Brokers. Durell was formerly a leading video games developer.
, C64
, BBC Micro
, Acorn Electron
and Amstrad CPC
. Their biggest hit was Harrier Attack
that sold over 250,000 copies.
and changed focus to developing financial services software solutions for the IFA, insurance and mortgage broking industries. Currently over 1,000 advisers and brokers use Durell's software.
In 2005 Mike Richardson, author of Durell's best selling titles for the ZX Spectrum, founded Durell Games Ltd. The first game to be developed by the company is Harrier Attack II, a sequel to their best-selling 8-bit game, which did not repeat its predecessors'success. After it, the company focused on insurance software
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Somerset in the United Kingdom. The company is a provider of back office administration and accounting software to Independent Financial Advisers, Mortgage and General Insurance Brokers. Durell was formerly a leading video games developer.
Video Games
Durell was founded in 1983 by Robert White. Up to 1987, Durell developed 19 games for various 8-bit computers such as Oric-1, ZX SpectrumZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, C64
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...
, BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
, Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
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,...
. Their biggest hit was Harrier Attack
Harrier Attack
Harrier Attack is a computer game for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Oric 1 and ZX Spectrum initially released in 1983 by Durell Software.-Summary:...
that sold over 250,000 copies.
Recent History
Toward the end of 1987 Durell Software sold the rights to publish most of their existing games to Elite SystemsElite Systems
Elite Systems is a UK video game developer and publisher established in 1984 as Richard Wilcox Software. They are best known for producing home computer conversions of popular arcade games...
and changed focus to developing financial services software solutions for the IFA, insurance and mortgage broking industries. Currently over 1,000 advisers and brokers use Durell's software.
In 2005 Mike Richardson, author of Durell's best selling titles for the ZX Spectrum, founded Durell Games Ltd. The first game to be developed by the company is Harrier Attack II, a sequel to their best-selling 8-bit game, which did not repeat its predecessors'success. After it, the company focused on insurance software
Products
Trading under the name Durell Solutions their main products are now:- Financial Adviser
- General Broker
- Mortgage Manager
- Complete Administrator
Online Services
Durell also offers an online insurance aggregation service and Weblink, a financial services platform.List of Games
The following is a list of games developed by Durell before it concentrated on financial services technology in the 90s.- Galaxy 5 (1983)
- Lunar Lander / Asteroids (1983)
- Starfighter (1983)
- Scuba Dive (1983)
- Harrier AttackHarrier AttackHarrier Attack is a computer game for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Oric 1 and ZX Spectrum initially released in 1983 by Durell Software.-Summary:...
(1983) - Jungle Trouble (1983)
- Lunar Landing (1984)
- Combat Lynx (1984)
- Mineshaft (1984)
- Critical Mass (1985)
- Saboteur (1985)
- Deep Strike (1986)
- Fat Worm Blows a SparkyFat Worm Blows a SparkyFat Worm Blows a Sparky is an action / maze video game written by Julian Todd in the five months before going to University and published by Durell Software in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum.-Gameplay:...
(1986) - ThanatosThanatos (video game)Thanatos is an arcade adventure videogame which was published by Durell Software in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC-Development:...
(1986) - Turbo Esprit (1986)
- Chain Reaction (1987)
- Saboteur 2 - Avenging Angel (1987)
- Sigma 7 (1987)
- Spitfire (1989)
- Death Pit - This game was advertised quite extensively in 1985 by Durell and was completed but not considered good enough for release. An article in issue 25 of Crash remarked: "although halfway through the project there was a moment when it looked like the game might make a commercial release, it didn't come up to scratch". Clive Townsend, however, did use some of the routines from this game in the programming of Saboteur. The available development version was recovered in 2007.