Bay Terrace, Pevensey Bay, BN24
August 2021 |
Martech's business address really demonstrates how these are the early days of the bedroom coder; 9 Dillingburgh Road, Eastbourne, which turns out to be an unremarkable semi-detached house. That aside, the small advert for Conflict and Galaxy Conflict stands out because it's a degree more sophisticated. There's an actual company name rather than a suggestion you just write to Frank George, sorry, Professor F.H. George, enquiring after his mother and his "well-known football pools forecasting program." There's also some copy on the Martech advert although the "tiring a little of the games on offer" blurb strikes an unfortunately similar tone to the advert for Hunthurst Ltd's mucky filth. Unlike any of the other adverts on the page there's an actual company logo which rather sweetly would last all the way up to 1988 and Martech's final games before the company shut down in 1989 following a cash flow crisis.
Martech keeps ticking over after the release of Conflict and Galaxy Conflict. COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES issue 25 (November 1983 page 102) carries an advert for three games; Harrier Attack for the Oric-1 and Spectrum (not to be confused with Harrier Attack by Durell Software, presumably -UPDATE 8/8/22 No it is the Durell version. See here for a little more information); Blastermind for the 48K Spectrum; and Quest of Merravid on the Commodore 64 and VIC-20. 1984 brings Gisburne's Castle for the BBC Micro, and then suddenly the company bursts forth with a major change of direction. What are described as 'personality' games in an interview in CRASH issue 28 (May 1986 page 48). Companies like Ocean and Elite would bid for the biggest names from the arcades, or film and television. Martech took a more low key and uniquely British approach. They snapped up licences to release games based on Brian Jacks, Eddie Kid, and Samantha Fox. Names which would generate recognition and sales in mid-1980s Britain but mean next to nothing overseas or now, outside of the unique cultural bubble which allowed newspaper topless model Sam Fox to become a TV star and pop singer. Which brings us back to the Zoids.
Imagine a clockwork dinosaur, armed with laser weapons, that kids have to assemble. It's educational, probably. Split the Zoids into two groups, red and blue. Now make them fight. Zoids were a big deal in Britain in 1985, and they were about to get bigger with the March 1986 launch of the Marvel UK comic Spider-Man and Zoids. It was a smart move by Martech to acquire the licence and they did a better job with it than Ocean and Denton Designs did with the Zoids big rival Transformers.
I walked the short distance back to Bay Terrace after correcting my mistake, driving round the busy car park, despairing about finding a parking place, driving round a bit more, then parking and paying. Bay Terrace is a narrow road, which is why I made such a meal of my earlier three-point turn. To get the Barry & Co office nicely in shot I had to pick my way between the concrete blocks the owners of the Beach Tavern have dumped across the entrance of their car park. Photographing a Solicitors' office felt weirdly illicit. I was suddenly glad it was a Bank Holiday and no one would come and demand an explanation, or call the Police and get me arrested under some obscure offence. "You are charged with wanton and grievous conspiracy to create a graven image in breach of the Lithograph and Kalidoscope Act, 1753"
No comments:
Post a Comment