Spectrofon #23 20 июля 1997

Люди

Globe - "Five years Hewson Consultants" history of the company.

(C) 1985 Chris Bourne, England
(C) 1995 Chris Owen, Norway
(C) 1997 Translation Novikov Segreya


       Five years Hewson Consultants



   Five years - it's very, very large
period for such businesses. Five years ago
ZX-80 can be bought for less than 100
pounds. Five years ago, people were hand-collected computers 
Nascom, and magazines published listings for the UK101 Othello 
or Acorn Atom. King was a Commodore computer

PET, and Amstradov yet, did not exist.
Neither the VIC 20, no Oric, no BBC, no MSX, nor
C64, or QL, nor Spectrum has not yet been established. And 
there were no games ... 


   Computers are not designed for games,
not sold out. But the games are offered
writing itself, because it was "true
way to learn to program. "And
it was too difficult, a kind of hobby of a handful of fanatics, 
and a dozen computer companies. And one of the few companies 
that started their activities then and still thrive, is Hewson 
Consultants (Hewson Consultants), recently celebrated its fifth 
anniversary. 


   Andrew Hewson (Andrew Hewson) is well known to readers of 
his Sinclair User information column, occasionally shocking, 
and sometimes, what must be confessed, and frustrating them 
with his review articles on machine code from the very first 
issue. But that's not all - Andrew also the founder Founder and 
Managing Hewson Consultants - Company based in

1980, and is now expanding its business with new programs such 
as Dragontorc and Southern Belle.



   Andrew - a chemist and a physicist by training,
He defended his thesis at Sussex
(Sussex) University. In 1972 he took a job at the British 
Museum, where the estimated age of an artifact. 


   "In the 73-cm in the museum first computer," -
says Andrew. "It was a big step forward for the museum. Before 
computers were used, such as insurance, for calculate payments 
for gas and so on. But for the last decade or so they

made a real revolution in the various
fields of science. "The museum was one of the organizations, 
along with major universities, need a computer for research 
than in a file cabinet or accounting system. 


   Since no one in the museum did not know how to program, was 
invited by a specialist, and Andrew learned programming from 
him. "I gained valuable habits, "- says

Andrew. "Do not fuss, programming.

So you will not achieve anything worthwhile ... In
the museum was a 16-bit Hewlett Packard with
64 kilobytes pamyati.U We had a couple of tape recorders, disk 
drive and printer, operating system stiffened struggling to 
make it all somehow continued to operate. " 


   After seven years at the museum, Andrew
joined the NERC, one of the giants
at that time. He moved to Oxfordshire
(Oxfordshire), where he remains to this day.
"One day I went to Manchester with my boss and on the way back 
we stopped at the one of the bars Stratford (StratfordonAvon, a 
well-known fact that it was born Shakespeare himself - approx. 
interpreter) to eat. Over a beer, we started chatting with him 
about the ZX-80 and how well this machine. "But Andrew is not 
impressed." I said that he was probably joking, and listed all 
the cons of this machine. But he said only one thing: "But look 
at the price!" AND I had nothing to object. "



   Andrew straightens up, puts his hands behind his head, and 
long to explain that if you need a system with all devices - 
printers, disk drives, etc., you will need about 2000 pounds. 
"So I bought the ZX-80 and plenty of enough of it. In the end, 
life given to a person only once. "



   Immediately after the purchase, Andrew went into business. 
He was interested primarily money, not a hobby. "I actually 
risked his wife and two children. If I Indeed the same smart, 
how a think, then I act foolishly. But when you think you can 
do something, then is the only way to test it. "



   What else has helped Andrew develop their
business - so it's growing distaste for
the organization for which he worked. "I
learned that repetitive exercises work never goes into much more
than it already is. In all of these firms
do not care what you have already spent 10

years on some ridiculous project, which, however, has value. " 
I was hungry this up to my neck! "



   Andrew - one of those who are accustomed to think carefully 
about their actions. "What is not understandable to people - so 
this is why the government pays so little attention to social 
programs. Look at the teachers - they also fear for the future 
of their profession. And the same is happening with public 
research institutions. Usually difficult to motivate our 
actions, "- he added pointedly.



   Pofilosovstvovav, Andrew moved to the coverage of its 
activities on the ZX-80. "This was a breath of fresh air, the 
first computer, where I could make all that

whatever. Usually you are given various constraints - the 
operating system, programming language, and so on, "he has in 
mind that you can easily dispose of RAM

Sinclair and write directly to the assembler.


   The first step has been carefully thought out, Andrew. 
However, all his actions are well planned. Examining memory, he 
wrote book "Tips and Hints on ZX-80

("Hints and Tips for the ZX-80"). "Members interested in useful 
information. It was this book and I owe my work

over a column in the Sinclair User'e. It told about such things 
as cleaning of the screen, or about where and how to store 
system variables. 


   The firm was founded by Hewson Consultants
with registered capital of only 500 pounds.
The word "consultants" ("consultants") was
Dabavleno, as Andrew was also involved in
theoretical issues. His book was
success and become a "Hints and Tips for ZX-81", when he was 
released on this computer. 


   By November 1981, Andrew has worked incredibly much, torn 
between NERC and your new business. In addition, he helped his 
wife Janet (Janet). Only through while his brother, Gordon 
(Gordon) closely engaged in business as a sales manager, 
removing part of the economic problems from the shoulders of 
Andrew. 


   Utilities were very popular in those
days. The composition of the firm, Andrew was supplemented 
novice programmers - a real fan of his case. And Andrew got a 
set of programs for the ZX-81. 


   Virtually all companies have a lot of
unclaimed buyers of games from individual developers. So in the 
case including Mike Mail (Mike Male). He was an air traffic 
controller at Heathrow (Heathrow), and sent Andrew flight 
simulator, called the Pilot. He was too slow, but no matter how

Strangely enough, sold great. All programs are distributed on 
cassettes by mail. 


   Beginning of 1982 was marked by the emergence of several ROM 
and Andrew doing their sale. And ended 1982 as the year of 
Spectrum. By this time, Hewson Consultants already had its own 
office - a small town in Volingforde (Wallingford). And Andrew, 
as usual, decided write a book about the Spectrum.



   "At that time people were eager to learn how to
operate a variety of devices. Books
no longer satisfy them. But when
Someone asks: "What do I do with my
computer? "- he still runs into the book ..."


   Mike Mail is now working on Nightflite
and Heathrow Air Traffic Control, is still not
throwing the hopes of creating a normal
aviaimitatora, however paradoxical it is not
looked. Hewson has sought to attract talented programmers at 
his company. If The first game turned out good, then the new

was not less likely. Andrew believes that

good attitude to the authors is one of the most important 
aspects, if your goal is high quality software in the future. 


   "There is nothing easier than to find people
able to write a program. But incredibly difficult to find 
someone who can create a really good product. We grew and 
prospered on the basis of trust to our authors. This means that 
if Mike wants to write simulators, I will not even try to 
convince him to write the arcade. " 


   Around the same time, Kim Topley (Kim
Topley) wrote a quest adventyuru with pictures. Quest - one of 
adventyur not yet rated by dostoitstvu. The game was like on 
the RPG with spells, weapons, an incredibly difficult task. Her 
main problem was it's speed, or rather its absence. You 
vynuzhduny wait a minute, until recovers your lost energy. AND

does not restore the game in case

death. Kim worked on the quest of the Diamond
Fantasy (Fantasia Fiamond), a good game with lots of jokes and 
gags. 


   With such a variety of already issued
products, most executives probably would have relaxed and moved 
to a less agile actions. You would buy a Porsche so spent a 
long vacation on the Bahamas? But not Andrew.



   "Until 1983 we did not think that this madness can turn into 
something more result in serious training. But

then we started thinking about this: in the middle
1983 I left the NERC, and by the end of the year we
escaped from Volingforda. I remember how cool and yet it was 
deadly to take out the cassette for Christmas ... " 


   So, the company has taken a greater space in Didcot (Didcot) 
and put into operation a small factory to replicate tapes, 
which had bought before. 

"We did so because they were not sure that our stock programs 
do not runs out. I would say that it was the right decision for 
our own future. " Hewson - one of the few companies to 
disseminate programs that reach so - the others use commercial

firms to replicate cassettes.


   In August of 1983 in those places came to Steve
Turner (Steve Turner). This is the person who created the 
Avalon and Dragontorc, as well as a talented artist. This 
prompted Andrew to unusual for him to enthusiastically discuss

creation of computer movies, fascinating arcades. Usually, he 
gives a modest comments to their games, such as "over this

we sweat a lot "or" very pretty small program. "


   Steve by sheer coincidence he studied in the
same school as Andrew. One common feature of
All programmers Hewson - is their relatively high age. "For 
children, this 

All temporary infatuation, "- says Andrew.
- "But Mike, Kim and Steve laid out on the
the full extent of his thirty-plus.
They will not stop until the program is 105% complete. Their 
professionalism and visible to the naked eye. "



   Steve has developed a series of three games
Getting Started: Seiddab Attack, Space Wars and
Lunattack. Andrew now admits that, as
game, they were not very successful or just
some good, but there is much coding
more serious than it seems at first glance. "Series games Steve 
laid the foundation, to ensure its continued self-improvement. 
Avalon and Dragontorc were made on the basis of a system for 
creating wire graphics, written for

a series of space shooters. "


   The whole history of Hewson Consultants, even
without those big mistakes, admits kotorye
most companies, is a kind of microcosm of the computer industry.

Avalon and Dragontorc - Hewson contribution to the family of 
hybrid genre of arcade / adventure, demand for which continues 
unabated to this day. And every time, Andrew and Gordon insist 
on quality and atmosphere in the games. 


   "What happens in the book?" - Asks
Andrew, as always started to philosophize after lunch. "You 
know that something interesting. Because what you have in mind

rooted such stereotypes. We can not
create special effects in games, like they do in Hollywood, but 
these things are transmitted in small shades and here. And it 
is very important authors - we always help them, as well as 
they are to us. Name Hewson - Warranty reliability and 
confidence in the future. " 


             Southern Belle.


   Southern Belle, Train Simulator, has long thought Mike Mail, 
and after he finished a new version of Heathrow 

ATC, he be united with one of his friends to create a train 
monster. Yet the scope of the project were vague, it seemed 
that Southern Belle lay the foundations of a new kind of 
simulation - Rail. Andrew was pleasantly surprised such an 
idea. He claims that he even called one buyer and said that he

Spectrum bought just for this game!


   Work on the program was not easy. Hewson already contain a 
group of four programmers working on the conversions, and other 
products, such as an assembler for Zapp Amstrada. Codes are 
always written on the computer, for which created the game.



                Astroclone.


   In the future we can expect from Steve Turner's new game 
Astroclone, in which you transported in 23 century. Have an 
idea to take schedule and structure of Avalon'a and application

thread it all together with the entangled fantastic story.


                 Sphynx.


   There is another project - Sphynx (to be
realizovovan as Pyracurse), to assess which Andrew more 
restrained. He says, it will be smooth adventyura scrolling 
area, and many heroes, but also quite unusual graphic

system. This game says a new person in
Hewson - Mark Goodall (Mark Goodall).


   Meet me on a decade of your firm
Andrew, and continued to work on his column in Sinclair User in 
the same spirit! 


            Chris Bourne, Sinclair User, 1985


            Softografiya Hewson:

3D Lunattack
3D Seiddab Attack
3D Space Wars
Countries of the World
Di-Lithium Lift
Fantasia Diamond
Heathrow ATC
Night Flite
Quest Adventure
Avalon (S) - Hewson, 1984
Dragontorc (S) - Hewson, 1985
Paradroid (C64) - Hewson, 1985
Astroclone (S) - Hewson, 1986
Exolon (S, C64, AD) - Hewson, 1986
Firelord (S) - Hewson, 1986
Impossaball (S) - Hewson, 1986
Pyracurse (S) - Hewson, 1986
Ranarama (S) - Hewson, 1986
Quazatron (S) - Hewson, 1986
Southern Belle (S) - Hewson, 1986
Uridium (S, C64, AD) - Hewson, 1986
Anarchy (S) - Rack-It, 1987

City Slicker (S) - Hewson, 1987
Cybernoid (S, C64, AD, AM, ST) - Hewson, 1987
Draughts Genius (S) - Rack-It, 1987
Evening Star (S) - Hewson, 1987
Gunrunner (S) - Hewson, 1987
Uridium Plus (S, C64) - Hewson, 1987
Ocean Conqueror (S) - Rack-It, 1987
Zynaps (S, C64, AD, ST) - Hewson, 1988
Battle Valley (S, C64, AD) - Rack-It, 1988
Custodian (S, C64, AD, AM, ST) - Hewson, 1988
Cybernoid 2 (S, C64, AD, AM, ST) - Hewson, 1988
Eliminator (S, C64, AD, AM, ST) - Hewson, 1988
Marauder (S, C64) - Hewson, 1988
Nebulus (S, C64, AD, AM, ST) - Hewson, 1988
Netherworld (S, C64, AD, AM, ST) - Hewson, 1988
Stormlord (S, C64, AD, AM, ST) - Hewson, 1988
Astoreth (AM, ST) - Hewson, 1989
Stormlord 2 (S, C64, AD) - Hewson, 1989


  S = Spectrum, AD = Amstrad, AM = Amiga


   In 1991 Hewson Consultants was disbanded and its place was 
taken by the firm 21st Century Entertainment Ltd, which still 
sells software! She released: 

Stormlord 2 (AM, ST) - 1991
Pinball Dreams (AM, 1991; PC, 1993)
Pinball Fantasies (AM, 1992; PC, 1994)
Pinball Illusions (AM, 1993; PC, 1995)


"S": As the last line of this
selection, all that I could do on the Amiga and PC by the year 
1995 celebrated sometime Spectrum firm - a triple "Pinball".

"Big Blue" has done his job. Another good company become 
smaller. Or business in another?



   Time, they say, heals ...


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