Where are you from and what's your story?

[Ian Price]

LOL

[Leginus]

Well if we're talking about ninjas   

[BdR]

Okay, here's my two cents.. I'm from The Netherlands, and I've always been into arcade games (donkey kong, operation wolf coin-ops etc.) and my first computer was a PC-XT around 1984. I played a lot of Paratrooper and Digger and tried to program my own games in GW-BASIC. Unfortunately I didn't get very far. Looking back now, as a kid I just didn't know all the features and how to use them.

Later in the mid-90s I tried some Turbo Pascal programming, and actually made a few "intro" programs for a BBS. This was a small .EXE that would be included in all downloadable files, like a "BBS signature". I've put some of my old programming efforts online here (also the ancient gwbasic stuff).

In the mean time I was following college for business-informatics, after which I started professionally as a software and database developer, since 1999. First couple of years in public utilities (gas/electrical), then movie distribution adminitration (cinemas, distribution rights, dvd rental etc.) and recent years in medical research.

Only at one of my first programming jobs, I tried Turbo Pascal again and with a little help from colleagues, in my spare time I programmed my first *real* game; Cash Invaders. After that I created 2 games using BlitzBasic, and was now looking for ways to sell games online. Along came iTunes/iPhone, but I failed miserably at xcode/objc. Fortunately then there was GLBasic.

Besides the programming stuff; as a kid I used to play in an ice-hockey team, so I'm still pretty good at skating (evidence here ). And currently I play piano at amateur level (no youtube videos, you'll have to take my word for it). I've tried some of the Super Mario tunes of course, and currently I'm trying my best at "Heliotrope Bouquet". Some other consoles I've had over the years; Gameboy, SNES+copybox (played these a lot!), PS1, xbox (played on these considerably less).

[mentalthink]

I´m from Barcelona Spain, and I started in computer world... well, I thinked sometimes I brith whit the "idea-computer" in my second 1 of live XD... well whit 2 years old I listen the word "Ordenador", WFK, it´s "ordenador", well I only look in ZX some characters moving and a BEEP, this it´s fabulous...

In the School whit 5 years old, I meet my friend for about 8 years... we always saty in his home playing whit Spectrum... and when I have 7 years old, my fathers buy a CPC 464, (green Screen), at this time I only play, play and play... after a time I thinked... well perhaps I can do games... Was Not... I only know about Basic, some simple things... and the Masters of the Gold Era of Spaninsh Soft... they programmed in ASM, I never hear about this... after another time, my fathers bought an Amiga 500... here it´s working like first day...

After comme the Electronic college and a little programming in C and ASM for microchips... but works like electronic don´t have too much interesting if you don´t work in I+D, for soldering PCB, I don´t stay 5 years calculating circuits...

Well after some shi. works, I decide to turn to computer, this time making 3D, to today , working like freelance and some enterprises, now 3D in Spain it´s really Ko, when have the building Boom, inforarchitect have work under the rocks... now.. this has changed a lot...

Well no work, no money and a lot of ideas in my head... I think well perhaps I can do games now... now It´s Yes thanks to GLbasic... some years ago, I wake up at 6 for learning Dark Basic, and well, I think, uhh this it´s fun... but make a PC game in 3D, it´s impossible only for a person, after I know about Gp2X, bought one and googling found GLbasic... at the beggining I don´t undertand nothing... and I thinked... well perhaps in another time... just in this time I have an Ipod Touch, and read something about Unity... ohhh 3D, and this seems very easy... well, what it´s a class?¿, I return to GLbasic to Today, and I think it´s the best buy I can do in all my life to yet, absolutely fun, and well... I don´t know too much about programming, but I remenber when I read something in C++, or java or ActionScript, and I thinked well this guy it´s very smart... thanks to GLbasic I found programming fun easy, and hyper productive.... and well this Community it´s fantastic always the people help... in other world like 3D, the people seems all people have more skills than another, and so on... are 2 paralells worls, but very very differents...

it´s all ... for now   

[Hark0]

Hi!

Im from Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain... I born in 1970s end (october).

My professional job are designer (for paper/digital solutions)... I using every day Photoshop, Illustrator, Coreldraw,... and techniques for digital printing with Xerox devices..

I have many passions in my life: computers, electronics, books, comics, cinema, gadgets, mountain bike descent hill.... and my daugher Judith (and his mom too of course ).


Some years ago my father offers to me a new Game&Watch console... if I surpase my studies with success... unfortunelly, my results are too bad... my only objetive in those years are dissasemble all kind of electronic devices.... and I no gain my desired prize at the end of basic school

My first computer are a Casio Fx86... I write a text game laberinth in this machine 

My real first computer: ZX Spectrum. I write some games like a clone of Boxing G&W game and a Commando arcade coin machine clone. I have these tapes stored today in home... Im a very entusiast of this hardware Z80 and ROM... I buy to UK site an Z88 in 2009.

I jump from ZX to Amstrad CPC 6128 with green monitor... I discover CPM and another languajes thanks to this computer... I write a clone of Lotus 123, a word processor, and a Excel app too. I buy Amstrad 3000 printer for use with this serious applications.

I change my CPC for an Amstrad 2086 (8086, 640 ram and 20mb HD) but it's include an excelled SVGA videocard for these times... This computer was run some years, adding Adlib soundcard and other extras...

My next hardware are a extra powered clone computer... and a Macintosh Classic "hello" (live in home too side left a Vectrex)...

I use all types of languages/SDK for develope my own games/apps... Basic, VB, C, C++, Pascal, C#, .Net, PocketC, GLBasic...

I write some games too for my pocket devices such Palm, Zodiac, GP32, Ipaq, HP, TabletPC... and now for iPhone, iPad and maybe for the Android of my wife... (See info of my games in my blog, section Addendum_abandonware). Note: The Abacus app for palm are translated and used in Thailand for a guy in his enterprise store for calculate...

I collaborate too since Infovia net services to today Internet in many websites taking part a redactor, analyst soft/hard, designer, moderator... pcdemano.com and todoumpc.com are last... (articles are avaliable online on his respective sites; in todoumpc.com we publish a digital PDF publication about Tabletpc)...



At last,


Im starting my last hobby... litiopixel project. My idea is develope games using GLB... I publish my advances about the development and I help people asking about GLB with mail, etc...

Best regards!


Ah!  Visca el Barça!!! 

[BigAnd]

Hi!

I am from the UK, a Yorkshire Man through and through but now living down in the south of England.

I have been a professional artist in the games industry for about 20 years now. I started out doing games for the Amiga and now work for a large MMO company as an Environment Artist.

I have always loved making my own games, starting out when I was bought a ZX81 but my parents could not afford to buy me any games. So I just stuck my head in the manual and went from there. I never released anything until I did the remake of ZX Spectrum game Manic Miner which seemed to go down pretty well.

I have owned most of the popular computers from the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC 6128 and Commodore 64 as well as the Atari ST and a few Amigas. I still collect a lot of the older computer hardware and software with my favourite being the ZX Spectrum. I have a lot of very fond memories of this machine. I now mainly use my PC but also have a Mac Mini to do my Apple projects.

I now enjoy using GLBasic to write little games for the Apple and Android devices. I have messed around with a few of the other cross platform Basics but always end up coming back to GLBasic when I actually want to get something done.

I am proficient in C as well as basic. To be honest the are all pretty much alike. I also know a little Z80 and 6502 assembly language but not enough to write a good game.

[Ian Price]

Loved your tale Gernot

[TI-994A]

In QBasic I did some tiny games. I got me a QB 4.5 from the university which compiled to real .exe files.

From Qbasic to QuickBasic, I loved them, with their bright blue "IDEs". It was goodbye GW-BASIC, and no more protected listings. After that, it was PDS 7.1, and then lebewohl to DOS.

[Hark0]

In QBasic I did some tiny games. I got me a QB 4.5 from the university which compiled to real .exe files.

From Qbasic to QuickBasic, I loved them, with their bright blue "IDEs". It was goodbye GW-BASIC, and no more protected listings. After that, it was PDS 7.1, and then lebewohl to DOS.

Today I still 4 diskettes (3 1/2 size) of QB45 stored in home... I buy a copy version some years ago... in a little computer shop (like a club filled of people without money and new computer lovers)... the unnoficial store of software at prehistoria... Yes, I talk about the times before Gamestop, Game, and other MEGASTORES...

[TI-994A]

Today I still 4 diskettes (3 1/2 size) of QB45 stored in home...

Still have QB4.5, PDS7.1 and VB6.0 in complete boxed sets. And I should still have a copy of GW-Basic on a 5.25" floppy somewhere, along with MoonBugs and Frogger!

[Hark0]

Today I still 4 diskettes (3 1/2 size) of QB45 stored in home...

Still have QB4.5, PDS7.1 and VB6.0 in complete boxed sets. And I should still have a copy of GW-Basic on a 5.25" floppy somewhere, along with MoonBugs and Frogger!

[MrTAToad]

I regret no keeping some backups of my really old games - I did an Amiga version of my Walker game (Archimedes review included!), which I sent to one public domain library (who's name I've forgotten).  Unfortunately I never knew whether they actually got it or not, and I don't think I kept the disks with the code on.

A few years ago with someone on Usenet, we did try to locate it, but to no avail.

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[erico]

"more irritating then addicting" 

With that description I would SURE download or try to get to it (I´m serious).

[r0ber7]

I regret no keeping some backups of my really old games - I did an Amiga version of my Walker game (Archimedes review included!), which I sent to one public domain library (who's name I've forgotten).  Unfortunately I never knew whether they actually got it or not, and I don't think I kept the disks with the code on.

A few years ago with someone on Usenet, we did try to locate it, but to no avail.

Tried eab.abime.net forum? Think there's a special section for rare lost games.

[Neurox]

Hi,
I'm from Vicenza (Italy).
I born in Pavia in 1966, my first computer was a ZX Spectrum 48K in 1981 given by my uncle from England.
I started working with some "User Group" in Italy, and study various computer languages: Basic (various dialects), and Pascal.
From 1987 I developed as freelancer on Acorn, Amiga, Apple and PC.
I developed several software especially in Tanneries (skin meters, industrial scales) and accounting.
In mid 1990 I'm passionate about the console and started to develop portable applications that were not games.
Over the years I kept all the computers I've bought (except PC), in my office are all still there.