Denton Designs
{{Short description|British video games developer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Denton Designs
| logo = Denton_Designs_logo.png
| caption =
| type = Private
| genre =
| fate = Takeover by Rage Software
| predecessor = Imagine Software
| successor =
| foundation = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1984|9}}
| founders = {{Unbulleted list|Steve Cain|Ian Weatherburn|Ally Noble|John Gibson|Karen Davies|Graham Everett}}Graham's surname is spelled differently in various magazine interviews, including "Everritt", "Everrett" "Everitt" and "Everett". The Shadowfire manual spells it "Everett".{{cite web|url=http://www.gamebox64.com/displaygameboxdetails.php?GameBox64ID=368&view=Instructions&start=1|title=Shadowfire instruction manual|work=Gamebox 64|page=2|language=English|access-date=27 September 2022}}
| defunct = 1995
| location_city = Liverpool
| location_country = United Kingdom
| location =
| locations =
| area_served =
| key_people = Steve Cain (Art designer),
Graham Everett (Software developer),
Karen Davies (Art designer),
Ally Noble (Art designer),
John Gibson (Gameplay programmer)
| industry = Video games
| products = Frankie Goes to Hollywood
The Great Escape
Eco
Where Time Stood Still
| production =
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| footnotes =
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}}
Denton Designs was a British video game developer based in Liverpool. The company was founded in 1984 and initially specialised in developing software for the ZX Spectrum home computer. Amongst the founders were developers who had worked on the unfinished "Mega game" Bandersnatch for Imagine Software.
History
Denton Designs was founded in September 1984 by six former Imagine staff - Steve Cain, Ian Weatherburn, Ally Noble, John Gibson, Karen Davies and Graham "Kenny" Everett.{{cite news |title = Denton Designs |date=June 1985 |publisher = Newsfield Publications |url = http://www.crashonline.org.uk/17/denton.htm |work=Crash |pages = 30 |accessdate = 2011-07-27}}{{cite news |first = Chris |last = Bourne |title = Spirit of Imagine |date = July 1985 |publisher = EMAP |url = http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=SinclairUser/Issue040/Pages/SinclairUser04000058.jpg |work = Sinclair User |pages = 58 |accessdate = 2011-07-27}}
When Denton Designs was contracted to develop Shadowfire, Ian Weatherburn became disillusioned with the fact that the company was no longer operating as it had when they had been part of Imagine, and on issuing an ultimatum was sacked by the rest of the directors. He subsequently joined Ocean.
In March 1986, the company split, with founders Cain, Davies, Everett and Gibson leaving. Of the original founders, only Ally Noble remained.{{cite news |title = News: Denton Design Splits |date = March 1986 |publisher =EMAP |url = http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=SinclairUser/Issue048/Pages/SinclairUser04800008.jpg |work = Sinclair User |pages = 8 |accessdate = 2011-07-27}}
In December 1995, Denton Designs was acquired by Rage Software.{{cite news |title = RAGE SOFTWARE ACQUIRES DENTON DESIGNS |date = 5 December 1995 |url = http://www.telecompaper.com/news/rage-software-acquires-denton-designs |work = Telecom Paper |accessdate = 2011-07-27}}
Games developed
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Platform(s) ! Publisher |
|---|
| 1984
| Ocean |
| rowspan="6" |1985
| rowspan="3" | Ocean |
| Frankie Goes to Hollywood |
| Roland's Rat Race |
| Shadowfire
| Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum | rowspan="4" | Beyond Software |
| Sorderon's Shadow: The Legend of Elindor |
| Enigma Force |
| rowspan="5" | 1986 |
| Bounces
| |
| The Great Escape
| Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum | Ocean |
| Infodroid |
| The Transformers
| rowspan="2" | Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum | rowspan="7" | Ocean |
| rowspan="5" | 1987 |
| Eco |
| Flashpoint |
| Madballs
| rowspan="2" | Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum |
| Mutants |
| rowspan="3" | 1988 |
| Foxx Fights Back |
| Troll
| Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum | Kixx |
| 1989
| Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS | Logotron |
| rowspan="2" | 1991
| Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum | rowspan="3" | Audiogenic |
| Wreckers |
| 1992 |
| rowspan="2" | 1993
| Amiga | Konami |
| Krusty's Fun House |
| rowspan="2" | 1994
| Soccer | Game Boy |
| Wembley Rugby League |
Notes
{{Reflist|group=nb}}