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Post by Mark Jones Junior on Feb 13, 2005 13:38:28 GMT -5
My starter for 10, this is open to all, finger on buzzers.
What period would you say that Ocean were producing the best games?
For me, it was the time just BEFORE I started, 1984-1986, when they releasing titles like 'Cobra', 'Mikie', 'Hypersports', 'Pogo' and 'DT's Decathlon' for the Spectrum.
I'd be interested in hearing what you lot think.
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LeeT
Junior Member
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Post by LeeT on Feb 13, 2005 13:51:56 GMT -5
I can't really comment on the 1990's as I had lost interest in gaming by then (till I got a Playstation around 1998!).
I think Ocean really started producing some great titles around the end of 1985 (about the time that they bought the Imagine name) and it probably peaked around 'Head Over Heels'.
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Post by Paulie on Feb 13, 2005 13:57:22 GMT -5
I'd say from around '86 - '92 (oddly enough most of the major in house talent [including Gazza B] f***ed off after that!)
The "Robocop" years were something else, IIRC that Christmas we had something like 9 of the top ten chart slots!
For me the great speccy stuff started when Joffa joined (and then Mike Lamb, Jobbie, Andy Deakin), the 64 stuff was Dave Collier and Johhny Meegan, and the Amstrad was John Brandwood and Jamie.
It was a great time to be there - when you think back there was some incredible talent down in the dungeon.
- Paulie.
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Post by judasEZT on Feb 13, 2005 14:30:02 GMT -5
All the years you were releasing games along with Imagine label was very good.
I felt like you were bombing the market constantly with great arcades. At those times Ocean/Imagine were bigger than any other.
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Post by redballoon on Feb 14, 2005 7:29:47 GMT -5
For me, Ocean really started to get into gear round about 1986, but for Ocean's "Golden Years", it was 1989 - Chase HQ, The Untouchables, Run The Gauntlet, Robocop, The New Zealand Story, Batman - The Movie etc. However, I then started to think that there were too many licenses and not enough original games....
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Post by Philip Kendall on Feb 14, 2005 8:33:54 GMT -5
For an impersonal Spectrum-based view, take the World of Spectrum database and find the average visitor voted score for all Ocean games released in each year. This gives 1988 as the best year. |
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Post by Paulie on Feb 14, 2005 12:32:46 GMT -5
Hey - Phil Kendal - Kudos - its the man that wrote the guts of many a decent spectrum emulator!
Welcome!
- Paulie.
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Post by Mark Jones Junior on Feb 14, 2005 12:43:58 GMT -5
This gives 1988 as the best year. That's cool then. I was there!  |
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Post by Simon Butler on Feb 15, 2005 4:51:36 GMT -5
Not really...
you were tolerated.
Daivid and Jon got money from the government for hiring one registered lunatic...you were it.
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Post by Mark Jones Junior on Feb 15, 2005 8:45:08 GMT -5
Not really... you were tolerated. Daivid and Jon got money from the government for hiring one registered lunatic...you were it. I REALLY miss you Simon!  |
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Dawn
Junior Member
Posts: 38
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Post by Dawn on Apr 7, 2005 13:15:32 GMT -5
LOL
Yes Simon, your humour is very much missed.
I liked the Target Renegade+Robocop times.
Dawn
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Post by Simon Butler on Apr 8, 2005 6:45:44 GMT -5
Ocean, once it came out of it's infancy and before it reached it's teens was a fantastic place to work.
There was, in between petulant spats and juvenile tantrums (mostly from my own good self) a fine sense of camaraderie and genuine joy in what we were doing.
The older ones among us while also growing with the industry could actually see the younger members of staff becoming more confident and more accomplished.
It was just a great place to be...and as I've said elsewhere on this site...places like that just don't exist anymore.
More's the pity.
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Post by Bill Harbison on Apr 8, 2005 7:11:28 GMT -5
Simon's right! I feel really lucky to have worked in such an environment, not just because it was Ocean, but because of the atmosphere and the collection of talent that was there. It was definatley a one-off experience that we all shared.
Personally with it being my first time away from the comforts of home after having lived in a tiny village on the arse-end of nowhere and knowing fuck all about fuck all, the whole thing was a bit daunting.
I was intimidated by certain people - admission time - mainly JH, JM, ML and RH - mainly because they were so good at what they did and were so scathing towards people who they thought couldn't cut it. Looking back I suppose I wish I had a bit more confidence and just tried to get on more with people that I thought were a bit more of a challenge and would keep me on my toes.
Anyway, enough waffle! I wonder if we'll ever see a US Gold site!
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Post by The Starglider on Apr 8, 2005 7:27:52 GMT -5
I doubt it! They'll be too scared of all the Ultimate fans who will rip them to pieces for destroying the name with crap games!
Mind you, a fair amount of the US Gold branded names were pretty crap as well!
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