Inteview with Richard Holmes

found inTypeAuthorYear
downloadEurochart 20Diskmagazine
interviews
Static Bytes
Coma - D-Sign - Deejay Jones - ...
a7/93
added 6/94
interview with

black legend

software

--------------------------------------

STB: Hello  Richard,  let's start with
     the  usual  stuff:  Tell us about
     yourself, i.e.  educational back-
     ground, Amiga-background etc.

BLS: I  studied  economics  at school,
     and apart from that, business has
     been  a  real hobby of mine for a
     long  time.   My second hobby was
     the   Amiga   computer,  where  I
     organized  a  scene  crew (Zeus),
     composed  music and played games.
     So,  I  put all these ingredients
     in  a  big  pot,  gave  it a good
     shake  and there was Black Legend
     Software  :-) No seriously, I had
     been  thinking  a long time about
     the  scene, the software business
     (where I had quite some contacts)
     etc.,  and decided that the dream
     software firm wasn't around yet.

STB: BLS  are  working together with a
     lot  of  people  from  the Amiga-
     scene, why is that?

BLS: This is the point I was trying to
     make above, and it is also one of
     the   basic  ideas  behind  Black
     Legend  Software.   We  only work
     with  freelancers, most of course
     being  hobby  users  and  most of
     them  being  from  the  scene.  I
     think  all  but  one on the Black
     Legend  team is/was in the scene,
     be   that  Amiga,  Atari  (Atari-
     scene?  Yeah, right!  -ed) or PC.
     We  have  a  few  basic  rules in
     Black  Legend  Software  and they
     often  coincide  with  the  "old"
     scene  values:  Fairness, friend-
     lyness,  fun  and  no boredom, no
     stress  (no  pressure  of release
     dates),  trying  to make the best
     of  it,  being  proud  of what we
     produce  and  that new, wonderful
     game  ideas  rule!   This  is not
     your   average  software  firm...
     This is a kind of team spirit.

STB: In many people's opinion, the new
     AGA-Amigas  will breathe new life
     into   the   Amiga  as  a  games-
     machine,    thus    forcing   the
     consoles  to  a retreat.  What is
     your  opinion on this, i.e.  what
     are  your expectations concerning
     the new AGA-Amigas?

BLS: I  hope the new A1200s and A4000s
     sell  well, as it truly opens new
     possibilities   to  entertainment
     software.   We  are  working on a
     few AGA games already, and I hope
     we  can have the first one out at
     the   CES   show   in  September.
     Whether it's going to do anything
     to the consoles, I don't know.  I
     think the machine that takes over
     from  the  consoles has yet to be
     designed  -  a  SNES and an A1200
     that,  once  you  have bought the
     necessary    multisync   monitor,
     costs  7  times  the  price can't
     really  be compared and certainly
     don't compete for the same market
     share.  And how should the Amiga,
     which  for instance no one in the
     US  knows  about,  compete with a
     SNES that almost everyone has?  I
     can  understand people hoping and
     supporting    "their"    computer
     though,  but  I've  not been that
     way  since my C64 years.  Anyway,
     we are trying to get our hands on
     all  markets,  and  thus are also
     going  for  the lucrative console
     market.



STB: How  many  people are working for
     you right now, and how many games
     are they working on?

BLS: Well,   due  to  our  "easy  way"
     concept it's hard to say.  No one
     has  to  sign  up  officially  or
     something,  or  has  to guarantee
     that he (or she!) has to complete
     a  game.   But,  at the moment we
     have  40  game  projects that are
     being   made  and  where  BLS  is
     definate  as  the  publisher, has
     first choice or is definately "in
     the  race".  All in all there are
     about   140   people  working  on
     games,   but  these  numbers  are
     growing  rapidly  -  we  have had
     something  like  one  or  two new
     teams  a  week  for  the last few
     months.   I  take  it the word is
     getting  around  that  we are not
     here  to  cheat and milk talented
     people,  but are here to stay and
     to  show  the world what our guys
     are up to!  Even if we would only
     release  half of the games we are
     working  on  this  year,  we will
     probably  have more releases than
     all other software firms.  And we
     arent  talking bad quality stuff,
     we  are  talking  new  ideas!  Of
     course not all people working for
     us are making games.  We have a 5
     head  strong  sales and marketing
     office in the UK, we have offices
     in Switzerland, Sweden and Norway
     and  are planning to open offices
     in most important (computer-wise)
     countries  by autumn, and quite a
     few freelance game designers.

STB: When are your first games planned
     to be released?

BLS: First  game  should be out before
     the   summer  hole  (in  June  or
     July).   Then  we are going to be
     releasing  our first big games at
     the CES show in London.  And from
     then  on  there will be something
     like 4 a month or maybe more.

STB: Are  you also producing "serious"
     Amiga-software,  and if yes, what
     kind?

BLS: "Serious" software - well, put it
     that   way.   We  are  of  course
     interested in also releasing this
     kind  of software, and we can and
     will.  It depends on what it is -
     we  are  not going to tell anyone
     what  to  make,  it's  their  own
     decision.   But  with a good game
     you  can  just  earn  a  lot more
     money,   especially   as  it  can
     relatively  easily  be  converted
     (also   to   consoles).   If  the
     so-called  serious software is on
     PC,   then   that   changes   the
     situation  somewhat.   Maybe this
     answer  won't  please  some Amiga
     idealists  out there.  I remember
     I used to be one too, but we have
     to  look  at  it  like  this:  If
     someone  programmes  a  "serious"
     programme  for  2  years  and  it
     doesn't  sell  well  and he isn't
     happy with his royalties from us,
     then we have not only lost a good
     coder  for 2 years work, he won't
     return  after.   It just makes so
     much  more  sense to release a PC
     version  first and then the Amiga
     one  (if any...).  I'm sure there
     may be a few Amiga fans out there
     who  don't  want to understand it
     that  way,  but  you  do  have to
     think  somewhat  in  numbers when
     you  are running a software firm.
     But, if anyone reading this wants
     to  make  serious  software  then
     just  contact us.  It's up to you
     -  we  don't  tell anyone what to
     do,  we  just tell them how to do
     it better.

STB: Do you have some advice for those
     hundreds   of   Amiga-freaks  out
     there  who  are  planning to do a
     game?

BLS: Yes  of  course.  My advice is to
     get   in   touch   with  us!   No
     seriously,  I suggest everyone at
     least  puts  BLS on their list of
     possible  publishers  for  a game
     they  are  making.  Because there
     are  loads of companies out there
     who  will  cheat  you.   And  our
     "fair  and  friendly"  atmosphere
     helps  you  concentrate  on  your
     work  and  not  on having to make
     sure  you  aren't  being cheated.
     Look  at  it  this  way:   If  we
     cheated    just    one   of   our
     programmers,  then  2  days would
     pass  and BLS could pack up - the
     way  news  go  through the scene,
     there  is  absolutely  no  way we
     would  survive  cheating someone.
     What  better  guarantee  can  you
     get?

STB: Any last words?

BLS: I  can't  think  of  anything  to
     say...   I'd like to say hello to
     my  mum  and  dad, my goldfish...
     Just  joking :-) Of course I have
     something to say...

     I would like to urge everyone who
     is  interested  in  working  with
     Black  Legend Software in any way
     to  get in touch with us.  We can
     use    coders,    musicians   and
     graphics  artists on all systems.
     We  can  also  make use of people
     with   god  ideas  for  games  or
     marketing   stunts.   And  anyone
     interested   in   administration,
     possible  support box sysops etc.
     can get in touch with us.

     And  if you have not written some
     utter rubbish, you are guaranteed
     an answer...  :-)

           Black Legend Software
         Attn: Mr. Richard Holmes
               P.O.Box 2114
                8612 Uster
                Switzerland

         Telephone: +41-1-941 7895
         Telefax:   +41-1-942 0277

     We  will  be  pleased to send you
     further  infos and the address of
     a  Black  Legend office near you.
     I'm  looking  forward  to hearing
     from  you  in the near future and
     am    looking    forward   to   a
     long-lasting    and    prosperous
     business  relationship  with you.
     And  my  very  best  greetings to
     everyone  reading  this interview
     already  working with us.  And my
     best  thanks  to Christian Estrup
     for  not  asking  any  silly, but
     some  very  interesting questions
     (you're welcome!  -ed).