Editing Don Priestley
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Until 1979, Don Priestley was a teacher. In 1981 both he and his son enrolled in a [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]] course at night school. Although his son dropped out, he carried on. One of his early programs was an adaptation of [[Conway's Game of Life]] which was converted to a newly purchased Sinclair ZX81. |
Until 1979, Don Priestley was a teacher. In 1981 both he and his son enrolled in a [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]] course at night school. Although his son dropped out, he carried on. One of his early programs was an adaptation of [[Conway's Game of Life]] which was converted to a newly purchased Sinclair ZX81. |
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His first commercial game was ''The Damsel and the Beast'', inspired by a program called ''Mugwump'' and published by [[Bug-Byte]].<ref name='yskingberk'>{{cite magazine |title=King Berk|magazine=Your Sinclair|issue=19|publisher=Dennis Publishing|date=July 1987|page=41|author=Phil South|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=240&page=41|access-date=13 July 2021}}</ref> Further ZX81 games written freelance were ''Dictator'' (a successful strategy game later ported to the Spectrum)<ref name='yskingberk' /> and ''[[Mazogs]]'' (which was later rewritten for the Spectrum as ''[[Maziacs]]'') |
His first commercial game was ''The Damsel and the Beast'', inspired by a program called ''Mugwump'' and published by [[Bug-Byte]].<ref name='yskingberk'>{{cite magazine |title=King Berk|magazine=Your Sinclair|issue=19|publisher=Dennis Publishing|date=July 1987|page=41|author=Phil South|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=240&page=41|access-date=13 July 2021}}</ref> Further ZX81 games written freelance were ''Dictator'' (a successful strategy game later ported to the Spectrum)<ref name='yskingberk' /> and ''[[Mazogs]]'' (which was later rewritten for the Spectrum as ''[[Maziacs]]'')<ref name='pcwmaziacs'>{{cite magazine |title=Full Colour|magazine=Popular Computing Weekly|issue=35|publisher=Sunshine Publications|date=1 September 1983|page=46|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=2770&page=46|access-date=23 July 2021}}</ref>. |
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Priestley joined [[DK'Tronics]] as a director in March 1983.<ref name='crashdpinterview'>{{cite magazine |title=Terry, Arfur and 'Im Upstairs|magazine=Crash|issue=34|publisher=Newsfield|date=November 1986|page=108|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=1001&page=107|access-date=23 July 2021}}</ref> There he developed ''[[3D Tanx]]'', which was critically well-received and his most successful game. It sold around 5000 copies per month for 15 months.<ref name = GamesTM>{{citation|author=Darran Jones|title=Retrospective: Don Priestley|journal=[[gamesTM]]|issue=28|pages=154–155|date=February 2005}}</ref> This was followed by ''Spawn of Evil''<ref name='pcwspawnreview'>{{cite magazine |title=Evil Tactics|magazine=Popular Computing Weekly|issue=20|publisher=Sunshine Publications|date=19 May 1983|page=50|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=2755&page=50|access-date=23 July 2021}}</ref> which reached the top of the charts in May 1983.<ref name='pcwspawncharts'>{{cite magazine |title=Top 10|magazine=Popular Computing Weekly|issue=20|publisher=Sunshine Publications|date=19 May 1983|page=51|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=2755&page=51|access-date=23 July 2021}}</ref> |
Priestley joined [[DK'Tronics]] as a director in March 1983.<ref name='crashdpinterview'>{{cite magazine |title=Terry, Arfur and 'Im Upstairs|magazine=Crash|issue=34|publisher=Newsfield|date=November 1986|page=108|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=1001&page=107|access-date=23 July 2021}}</ref> There he developed ''[[3D Tanx]]'', which was critically well-received and his most successful game. It sold around 5000 copies per month for 15 months.<ref name = GamesTM>{{citation|author=Darran Jones|title=Retrospective: Don Priestley|journal=[[gamesTM]]|issue=28|pages=154–155|date=February 2005}}</ref> This was followed by ''Spawn of Evil''<ref name='pcwspawnreview'>{{cite magazine |title=Evil Tactics|magazine=Popular Computing Weekly|issue=20|publisher=Sunshine Publications|date=19 May 1983|page=50|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=2755&page=50|access-date=23 July 2021}}</ref> which reached the top of the charts in May 1983.<ref name='pcwspawncharts'>{{cite magazine |title=Top 10|magazine=Popular Computing Weekly|issue=20|publisher=Sunshine Publications|date=19 May 1983|page=51|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=2755&page=51|access-date=23 July 2021}}</ref> |