The story of one of the UK's coolest developers
How the Bitmap Brothers changed the game.
It's another Kim Justice Monday video! And it's a right doozy this week. I'm finally taking a look at a long requested subject - the almighty Bitmap Brothers, one of the most prominent developers in the UK in the '90s, famed for games such as the Xenon series, Gods, Speedball 2 and the Chaos Engine. As ever, the video is right here:
When the Bitmap Brothers formed, games marketing in the UK was more of a faceless place, where the publishers generally ruled -- folks like Ocean and U.S. Gold got the headlines and column inches, whereas developers stayed more in the shadows. This is a little different to the state of play in the States, where developers such as the early Electronic Arts, for example, got their fair share of screen time. The Bitmaps, along with other companies like Sensible Software and later Peter Molyneux's Bullfrog, sought to change that -- the Bitmaps name was marketed as much as their games were, and they attempted to carry something of a rockstar image, being photographed in front of helicopters and all that jazz. It worked out pretty well.
However, the Bitmaps weren't all just about image -- their games were pretty damn good too. Some of them are right up there amongst the best games that this country's ever put out -- often challenging, usually excellent multiplayer experiences, and all with a big style and pizazz about them. As a result, they became one of the best developers of the 16-bit era, particularly on the Amiga, and many of their games are still worth checking out today. Hopefully this video will teach you everything you ought to know about their story and games, and hopefully you enjoy it!
