David Darling (entrepreneur)
Encyclopedia
David Darling CBE is a British video game developer
and entrepreneur
, best known for co-founding Codemasters
, with his brother Richard, and for being involved in a long succession of top ten games over more than 30 years. He is now founder and CEO of smartphone app developer and publisher Kwalee.
with his brother, Richard, in the bedroom of their home in Vancouver, Canada when David was just 11 vears old. This continued when the brothers moved to Crewkerne, Somerset to live with their grandparents. They then duplicated these games themselves and sold them via small advertisements in magazines such as Popular Computing Weekly
. Soon they were earning more money than their father, who returned to England to manage the burgeoning business.
In 1982, when David was 16, they formed the company Galactic Software and supplied a succession of games to be published by Mastertronic
, including The Last V8
(published under their MAD brand), one of several titles written by David.
Codemasters
was formed in 1986 by David with his brother Richard and his father Jim in order to publish their games themselves. Initially it was housed in an industrial unit in Banbury, Oxfordshire, then moved to offices converted from the stables, barns and other outbuildings at Lower Farm House, outside Southam, Warwickshire.
Initially Codemasters
concentrated on what were known as “budget” games at the £1.99 then £2.99 pricepoint for 8 bit home computers such as the Sinclair Spectrum and Commodore 64
. With titles such as BMX Simulator
, Rock Star Ate my Hamster and Pro Skateboard Simulator. Codemasters
developed a reputation for innovation with features such as simultaneous four player gaming. They also had major success with the Dizzy series of games developed by the Oliver twins
, who later went on to found Blitz Games Studios
. Within the first year of trading Codemasters
was the best selling game publisher in Britain with in excess of 27% of the total market according to the Gallup charts.
In 1990 David co-developed the Game Genie
, a game modification device for the Nintendo NES and other game consoles, this went on to become the 5th best selling toy in the United States of America in Christmas 1991.
Codemasters
evolved as a game developer to produce full price games across all current platforms, sold globally. Notable successes included the Colin McRae Rally
series and Operation Flashpoint
.
In 2000 David won the UK National Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
David sold out his interests in Codemasters
in 2007.
In the Queen's birthday honours in 2008 David was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for “services to the computer games industry”.
In 2011 David founded Kwalee in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire to develop and publish smartphone applications.
Developer
Developer may refer to:*Software developer, one who programs computers or designs the system to match the requirements of a systems analyst*Game developer, a person or business involved in game development, the process of designing and creating games...
and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, best known for co-founding Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
, with his brother Richard, and for being involved in a long succession of top ten games over more than 30 years. He is now founder and CEO of smartphone app developer and publisher Kwalee.
Early life
David's father James (Jim) was a contact lens pioneer, married to an Australian, Marilyn (née Tregurtha), they had 7 children. In his early life David lived on three continents, in the UK, in Australia and in Canada, before finally settling in Crewkerne, Somerset.Career
David starting writing video games on a Commodore PetCommodore PET
The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...
with his brother, Richard, in the bedroom of their home in Vancouver, Canada when David was just 11 vears old. This continued when the brothers moved to Crewkerne, Somerset to live with their grandparents. They then duplicated these games themselves and sold them via small advertisements in magazines such as Popular Computing Weekly
Popular Computing Weekly
Popular Computing Weekly was a computer magazine in the UK published from the early 1980s until the early 1990s. It was sometimes referred to as PCW ....
. Soon they were earning more money than their father, who returned to England to manage the burgeoning business.
In 1982, when David was 16, they formed the company Galactic Software and supplied a succession of games to be published by Mastertronic
Mastertronic
Mastertronic was originally a publisher and distributor of low-cost computer game software founded in 1983. Their first games were distributed in mid-1984. At its peak the label was the dominant software publisher in the UK, a position achieved by selling cassette-based software at the £1.99...
, including The Last V8
The Last V8
The Last V8 is a video game published by Mastertronics on their M.A.D. label. It was released in 1985 for the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit and Amstrad CPC. The title echoes a plot point from the Mad Max series of movies The design was done by Richard Darling and the programming by David Darling. The...
(published under their MAD brand), one of several titles written by David.
Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
was formed in 1986 by David with his brother Richard and his father Jim in order to publish their games themselves. Initially it was housed in an industrial unit in Banbury, Oxfordshire, then moved to offices converted from the stables, barns and other outbuildings at Lower Farm House, outside Southam, Warwickshire.
Initially Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
concentrated on what were known as “budget” games at the £1.99 then £2.99 pricepoint for 8 bit home computers such as the Sinclair Spectrum and 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...
. With titles such as BMX Simulator
BMX Simulator
BMX Simulator is a sports arcade video game released by Codemasters in for several home computer systems. It is notable in that it is the first extreme sports video game...
, Rock Star Ate my Hamster and Pro Skateboard Simulator. Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
developed a reputation for innovation with features such as simultaneous four player gaming. They also had major success with the Dizzy series of games developed by the Oliver twins
Oliver Twins
The Oliver Twins are two British brothers, Philip and Andrew Oliver, who started to professionally develop computer games while they were still at school. Their first game, Super Robin Hood for the Amstrad CPC, was published in 1985 by Codemasters...
, who later went on to found Blitz Games Studios
Blitz Games Studios
Blitz Games Studios is a video game developer located in Leamington Spa, United Kingdom. It was founded by the Oliver Twins, Andrew and Philip Oliver, in 1981. They completed their first game in 1984 and started developing titles for video game publisher Codemasters.The Codemasters publishing...
. Within the first year of trading Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
was the best selling game publisher in Britain with in excess of 27% of the total market according to the Gallup charts.
In 1990 David co-developed the Game Genie
Game Genie
The Game Genie is a series of cheat systems designed by Codemasters and sold by Camerica and Galoob for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Mega Drive/Genesis, and Sega Game Gear that modifies game data, allowing the player to cheat, manipulate various...
, a game modification device for the Nintendo NES and other game consoles, this went on to become the 5th best selling toy in the United States of America in Christmas 1991.
Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
evolved as a game developer to produce full price games across all current platforms, sold globally. Notable successes included the Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally
Colin McRae Rally and more recently; Dirt, is a racing video game series developed and published by Codemasters.Started in 1998, the franchise has been a critical and commercial success and is generally acknowledged as a pioneer of realistic rally sports racing games...
series and Operation Flashpoint
Operation Flashpoint
Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, sometimes shortened to Operation Flashpoint, and abbreviated OFP, is a tactical shooter and battlefield simulator video game developed by Bohemia Interactive Studio and published by Codemasters. The game uses the same engine, Real Virtuality, as the military...
.
In 2000 David won the UK National Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
David sold out his interests in Codemasters
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986...
in 2007.
In the Queen's birthday honours in 2008 David was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for “services to the computer games industry”.
In 2011 David founded Kwalee in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire to develop and publish smartphone applications.