Costa Panayi
Encyclopedia
Costa Panayi was a computer game programmer during the 1980s. He founded Vortex Software
with Paul Canter, publishing games for the ZX Spectrum
, Commodore 64
and Amstrad CPC
.
He is of Greek
descent, and studied engineering
at the University of Salford
. After graduation, he started to work as mechanical engineer for British Aerospace
, when he got into programming games business from his hobby interests.
In 1982, he studied Sinclair BASIC
and subsequently formed his company Vortex Software
along with Luke Andrews and Mark Haigh-Hutchinson
. They wrote a variety of games, including Gunlaw, the Android series, and Tornado Low Level
for the ZX Spectrum
.
His games achieved critical success; Tornado Low Level
and Highway Encounter
appearing in the Your Sinclair official top 100, for example, and in them he developed original 3D interfaces.
In 1995, he was working as a design consultant for Fisher Price.
Vortex Software
Vortex Software was a video game developer founded by Costa Panayi and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game Cosmos which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81...
with Paul Canter, publishing games for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
.
He is of Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
descent, and studied engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
at the University of Salford
University of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
. After graduation, he started to work as mechanical engineer for British Aerospace
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc was a UK aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was in the Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire...
, when he got into programming games business from his hobby interests.
In 1982, he studied Sinclair BASIC
Sinclair BASIC
Sinclair BASIC is a dialect of the BASIC programming language used in the 8-bit home computers from Sinclair Research and Timex Sinclair...
and subsequently formed his company Vortex Software
Vortex Software
Vortex Software was a video game developer founded by Costa Panayi and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game Cosmos which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81...
along with Luke Andrews and Mark Haigh-Hutchinson
Mark Haigh-Hutchinson
Mark Haigh-Hutchinson was an English video game developer. He is most notable for working on Paperboy, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Star Wars and the Metroid Prime games.-Biography:...
. They wrote a variety of games, including Gunlaw, the Android series, and Tornado Low Level
Tornado Low Level
Tornado Low Level is a game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC computers, and released by Vortex Software in 1984. It was written by Costa Panayi who also coded Android, Android 2, Highway Encounter, Cyclone and Revolution.-Summary:The player controls a Tornado fighter jet and must...
for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
.
His games achieved critical success; Tornado Low Level
Tornado Low Level
Tornado Low Level is a game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC computers, and released by Vortex Software in 1984. It was written by Costa Panayi who also coded Android, Android 2, Highway Encounter, Cyclone and Revolution.-Summary:The player controls a Tornado fighter jet and must...
and Highway Encounter
Highway Encounter
Highway Encounter is a computer game released on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K, Amstrad CPC, MSX, and Commodore 64 by Vortex Software in 1985...
appearing in the Your Sinclair official top 100, for example, and in them he developed original 3D interfaces.
In 1995, he was working as a design consultant for Fisher Price.
List of games
- ZX81 Othello (1981)
- Word Mastermind (1981)
- Pontoon (1981)
- Crash (1981)
- Cosmos (1982), Abbex Electronics
- Astral Convoy (1982), Vortex SoftwareVortex SoftwareVortex Software was a video game developer founded by Costa Panayi and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game Cosmos which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81...
- Gunlaw (1983), Vortex SoftwareVortex SoftwareVortex Software was a video game developer founded by Costa Panayi and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game Cosmos which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81...
- Android 1: The Reactor Run (1983), Vortex SoftwareVortex SoftwareVortex Software was a video game developer founded by Costa Panayi and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game Cosmos which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81...
- Android 2Android 2Android 2 is a shoot 'em up maze video game written by Costa Panayi and published by Vortex Software in 1983 for the ZX Spectrum and in 1985 for the Amstrad CPC.It is the sequel to Android 1: The Reactor Run, released earlier in 1983.-Gameplay:...
(1983), Vortex SoftwareVortex SoftwareVortex Software was a video game developer founded by Costa Panayi and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game Cosmos which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81... - Tornado Low LevelTornado Low LevelTornado Low Level is a game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC computers, and released by Vortex Software in 1984. It was written by Costa Panayi who also coded Android, Android 2, Highway Encounter, Cyclone and Revolution.-Summary:The player controls a Tornado fighter jet and must...
(1984), Vortex SoftwareVortex SoftwareVortex Software was a video game developer founded by Costa Panayi and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game Cosmos which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81... - CycloneCyclone (computer game)Cyclone is a game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K computer, released by Vortex Software in 1985. It was written by Costa Panayi who also coded Tornado Low Level, Android, Android 2, Highway Encounter and Revolution.-Summary:...
(1985), Vortex SoftwareVortex SoftwareVortex Software was a video game developer founded by Costa Panayi and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game Cosmos which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81... - Highway EncounterHighway EncounterHighway Encounter is a computer game released on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K, Amstrad CPC, MSX, and Commodore 64 by Vortex Software in 1985...
(1985), Vortex SoftwareVortex SoftwareVortex Software was a video game developer founded by Costa Panayi and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game Cosmos which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81... - Revolution (1986), U.S. GoldU.S. GoldU.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:...
- DeflektorDeflektorDeflektor is a puzzle game developed by Vortex Software and published by Gremlin Graphics in 1987. In this game, the player has to rotate mirrors to deflect a beam in order to destroy all the mines of each level. There are also other devices the player has to be careful not to touch with the beam...
(1987), Gremlin Graphics - Hostile All Terrain Encounter (1989), Gremlin Graphics
External links
- History of Vortex Software by Mark Haigh-Hutchinson