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the Bitmap Brothers

{{Short description|British video game developer company}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2014}}

{{more citations needed|date=December 2012}}

{{Infobox company

| name = The Bitmap Brothers

| logo = Bitmap Brothers logo.png

| type =

| foundation = 1987

| location = Wapping, United Kingdom

| industry = Video games

| key_people = Mike Montgomery
Eric Matthews
Steve Kelly
Mark Coleman
Dan Malone
Ed Bartlett
John Phillips
Jamie Barber
John Kershaw
Steve Cargill

| products = Xenon series
Speedball series
The Chaos Engine series

| homepage = [https://web.archive.org/web/20050819043823/http://www.bitmap-brothers.co.uk/front.htm bitmap-brothers.co.uk (archived)]

}}

The Bitmap Brothers is a British video game developer founded in 1987 by Mike Montgomery, Eric Matthews, and Steve Kelly.{{Cite web|title = The Bitmap Brothers - Our Games|url = http://www.bitmap-brothers.co.uk/company/index.htm|website =Bitmap-brothers.co.uk|access-date = 11 November 2015}} The company released its first title, the scrolling shooter Xenon, in 1988. Shortly thereafter, it released Speedball. Prior to publishing its own games (as Renegade Software), early Bitmap Brothers titles were distributed by Image Works and Konami.

The Bitmap Brothers released several games on the Amiga, Atari ST, Acorn Archimedes,{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/AcornUser1994Magazine |title=Acorn User 1994 Magazine}} and other DOS machines. The company came to prominence partly because it developed many different types of games, and most of these titles became highly regarded entries in their respective genres. The Bitmap Brothers' PC games have never matched the sales of their previous Amiga titles, however, even despite garnering positive critical reviews in the press.

Frequently characterized as rockstars, Montgomery, Matthews, and Kelly once posed in dark sunglasses next to Robert Maxwell's helicopter. Maxwell owned Mirrorsoft, the publisher of a number of their games, and was Ghislaine Maxwell's father.

After 2002, the company released ports of several of their games for both the Game Boy Advance and Pocket PC. Since then, it has been licensing its older games to several other companies interested in modern platform ports.

History

The Bitmap Brothers was based in Wapping, East London and was privately owned. The company's managing director was Mike Montgomery, who founded the company together with Eric Matthews and Steve Kelly. Montgomery later went on to take sole control of the business.

Mark John Coleman is a computer graphics developer who frequently worked with The Bitmap Brothers and, along with Dan Malone, was responsible for the visual style that became a trademark of The Bitmap Brothers' games. Other key staff included Technical Director John Phillips, Art Director John Kershaw, Business Development Director Ed Bartlett and Creative Director Jamie Barber.

The Bitmap Brothers became known for the high difficulty of their games. Montgomery later remarked that "all of the Bitmap Brothers games... they're probably a bit too difficult. The reason for that was we designed games that we wanted to play - for us it was actually quite hard to think that somebody would want to play something that's easy."{{cite news | last = Locke | first= Phil | date = December 2013 | title = Creating Chaos | work = Retro Gamer | issue = 122 | pages = 71–73 | publisher = Imagine Publishing}} The development team was voted Best 16-bit Programmers of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards in 1989.{{cite web|url=http://live.worldofspectrum.org/infoseek/magazines/computer--video-games/92|title=World of Spectrum - Computer & Video Games-92 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911071802/https://live.worldofspectrum.org/infoseek/magazines/computer--video-games/92#62 |archive-date=11 September 2018 |url-status=dead |website=Live.worldofspectrum.org|access-date=27 December 2018}} Speedball was also voted best 16-bit Game of the Year overall.

In a 2024 interview with video game documentarian Danny O'Dwyer, Charles Cecil of fellow British video game developers Revolution Software recalled an interaction between The Bitmap Brothers and American video game publisher Acclaim Entertainment. After the death of Robert Maxwell and various financial troubles, Mirrorsoft was acquired by Acclaim in 1992. Multiple companies previously owned by Mirrorsoft, such as The Bitmap Brothers and Revolution Software, consequently sought to terminate their contracts but were met with resistance from Acclaim. Acclaim sent letters to these companies expressing dissatisfaction with the companies' intentions to terminate their respective partnerships. According to Cecil, the letters ended with two checkboxes: one for "YES" to acknowledge and accept continued partnership with Acclaim, and one for "NO". The Bitmap Brothers allegedly wrote in a third option for "FUCK OFF," marked it, and returned the letter to Acclaim.{{cite podcast |host=Danny O'Dwyer |date=16 October 2024 |title=Dear Dwyery |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HndbbycVpBA |work="Dear Dwyery: Surviving 35 Years in Adventure Games (feat. Charles Cecil)" |time=57 minutes in |access-date=7 March 2024}}

Two former core members of the company — Mike Montgomery and John Phillips — went on to found Tower Studios (along with Sensible Software founder Jon Hare), and stated their involvement with The Bitmap Brothers ended in 2004.{{cite web |url=http://www.tower-studios.co.uk/about.htm |title=Archived copy |website=www.tower-studios.co.uk |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109011648/http://www.tower-studios.co.uk/about.htm |archive-date=9 November 2007 |url-status=dead}}

Business Development Director, Ed Bartlett went on to pioneer the in-game advertising industry, initially with Hive Partners and then with IGA Worldwide.{{cite web|url=http://www.igaworldwide.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040322102830/http://igaworldwide.com/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=22 March 2004 |title=engage new worlds | The world's premier in-game advertising company |publisher=IGA Worldwide |date= |access-date=13 October 2010}}

After years of silence, a news post on The Bitmap Brothers' official website announced Speedball 2 Tournament. Speedball 2 Tournament was released in November 2007 by Frogster Interactive but failed to achieve the success of previous titles in the franchise.

In October 2010, it was announced that Speedball 2 would be released for the iPhone and iPad, with Vivid Games managing the port.{{Cite web |url=http://www.iphonefreak.com/2010/10/speedball-2-evolution-coming-to-iphone.html |title=Speedball 2 Evolution Coming to iPhone | iPhonefreak |access-date=5 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101110023500/http://www.iphonefreak.com/2010/10/speedball-2-evolution-coming-to-iphone.html |archive-date=10 November 2010 |url-status=dead }}

A mobile version of Z was developed by Peter Harrap and TickTock Games. It was published by KavCom in 2011 initially for iOS, utilizing a touch-screen control scheme.{{cite web|url=http://www.kavcom.co.uk/2011/04/03/kavcom-links-licensing-deal-for-the-bitmap-brothers-classic-z/|title=Kavcom links licensing deal for The Bitmap Brothers classic 'Z'|publisher=KavCom|author=Tony|date=3 April 2011|access-date=4 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507102110/http://www.kavcom.co.uk/2011/04/03/kavcom-links-licensing-deal-for-the-bitmap-brothers-classic-z/|archive-date=7 May 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://toucharcade.com/2011/03/03/gdc-2011-retro-alert-host-of-bitmap-brothers-games-coming-to-ios/|title=GDC 2011: Bitmap Brothers' Z, Gods, Xenon II, Chaos Engine, Magic Pockets Coming to iOS |publisher=TouchArcade.com |first=Blake|last=Patterson |date=3 March 2011|access-date=4 July 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.kavcom.co.uk/zthegame/|publisher=KavCom|title=Z - You'll love the smell of rocket fuel in the morning!|access-date=4 July 2012}} The port was then released on BlackBerry Playbook,{{cite web|url=http://forums.crackberry.com/playbook-apps-games-f243/let-rip-boys-z-game-blasts-blackberry-playbook-714554/|publisher=crackberry.com |author=Craig Albeck|title="Let it rip boys", Z: The Game blasts on to the BlackBerry PlayBook|date=4 May 2012}} Android,{{cite web|url=http://www.androidauthority.com/z-origins-rts-android-game-kavcom-104545/|title=Kavcom revamps popular '90s RTS Z, releases it on Android as Z Origins |publisher=androidauthority.com|author=Adrian Diaconescu|date=31 July 2012}} and Kindle in 2012. The mobile version remake by TickTock Games was also released for Mac in 2012,{{cite web|url=http://www.nineoverten.com/2012/03/29/bitmap-brothers-z-the-game-now-available-on-mac-app-store/|title=Bitmap Brothers' Z: The Game Now Available on Mac App Store|publisher=nineoverten.com|author=Jason Lee|date=29 March 2012}} and then published by Kiss Ltd and KavCom for Windows PC on Steam{{cite web|url=http://hexus.net/gaming/news/pc/71813-bitmap-brothers-classic-rts-z-the-game-hit-steam-today/|title=Bitmap Brothers' classic RTS Z The Game hit Steam today|publisher=hexus.net|author=Mark Tyson|date=4 July 2014}} and GOG.com{{cite web|url=http://www.gog.com/news/release_z|publisher=gog.com|title=Release: Z|date=4 July 2014}} on 4 July 2014. The Steam release was followed by a release of Z: Steel Soldiers the next month.

On 2 July 2012, Speedball 2: Evolution was announced and released for Android via the Google Play Store, and in 2013 The Chaos Engine was remade for PC, Linux, and Mac.

Rebellion Developments acquired the Bitmap Brothers back catalogue in November 2019.{{cite web | url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-11-25-rebellion-acquires-the-bitmap-brothers-classic-games-portfolio | title = Rebellion acquires The Bitmap Brothers' classic games portfolio | first = Matt | last =Wales | date = 25 November 2019 | access-date = 25 November 2019 | work = Eurogamer }}

Titles

In chronological order:

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20050819043823/http://www.bitmap-brothers.co.uk/front.htm}} via Internet Archive

{{The Bitmap Brothers}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bitmap Brothers, The}}

Category:1987 establishments in England

Category:British companies established in 1987

Category:Companies based in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Category:Golden Joystick Award winners

Category:Video game companies established in 1987

Category:Video game companies of the United Kingdom

Category:Video game development companies