Difference between revisions of "Hewson"

Revision as of 02:03, 5 April 2014

From WIkipedia:

Hewson Consultants were one of the smaller software companies which produced computer games for home computers in the mid-1980s. They had a reputation for high quality games which continually pushed the boundaries of what the computers were capable of and can be compared favourably with other ground-breaking software houses like Ultimate Play the Game and Beyond Software. Fourteen of their games were awarded "Megagame" by Your Sinclair.

Hewson was founded by Andrew Hewson in the early 1980s. He became interested in computers while working at the British Museum when their first machine arrived. After learning to computer programming|program, Andrew wrote the programming guide book Hints and Tips for the ZX80. Following the publication, bedroom coders began to send Andrew the games they had programmed on cassette tape, giving Andrew the idea to publish the games.

Hewson Consultants was born, and initially released games via mail order advertisements in computing magazines. Andrew was also a columnist in Sinclair User magazine throughout the 1980s.

Andrew and other members of the Hewson management team went on to form 21st Century Entertainment after Hewson shut down in the early 1990s, releasing several chart topping games such as Pinball Dreams, Pinball Fantasies and Pinball Illusions. Andrew was also the founder of ELSPA (European Leisure Software Publishers Association) which continues to be the European regulating body for the video games industry.

Although Hewson Consultants closed in 1991, their games are still covered in the retro gaming press, and many of their hit titles, including Uridium, Paradroid, Nebulus and Cybernoid, have recently launched on Nintendo's Virtual Console game download service. Pinball Dreams and Pinball Fantasies have also now been released as iPhone apps.

In 2013 Hewson Consultants Ltd was re-formed to launch a Kickstarter campaign for a book by founder Andrew Hewson about his experiences in the industry.They were heavily involved with the design team Graftgold who produced many of their titles.

Amstrad CPC Releases

• Air traffic Control ( 1984)
• Technician Ted ( 1984)
• Fantasia Diamond ( 1985)
• Southern Belle ( 1985)
• The Dragontorc of Avalon ( 1985)
• Zapp ( 1985)
• City Slicker ( 1986)
• Firelord ( 1986)
• Evening STar ( 1987)
• Exolon ( 1987)
• Four Smarh Hits ( 1987)
• Impossaball ( 1987)
• Ranarama ( 1987)
• Uridium ( 1987)
• Zynaps ( 1987)
• Anarchy ( 1988)
• Battle Valley ( 1988)
• Cybernoid ( 1988)
• Cybernoid II ( 1988)
• Eliminator ( 1988)
• Herobotix ( 1988)
• Marauder ( 1988)
• Nebulus ( 1988)
• Netherworld ( 1988)
• Ocean Conqueror ( 1988)
• Christmas Collection ( 1989)
• Gargoyle Classics ( 1989)
• Heatwave ( 1989)
• Maze Mania ( 1989)
• Stormlord ( 1989)
• 4th Dimension ( 1990)
• Deliverance (Stormlord II) ( 1990)
• Supercup ( 1990)