Odin Computer Graphics
Encyclopedia
Odin Computer Graphics were a Liverpool
-based computer games developer who came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a variety of titles for the ZX Spectrum
, Commodore 64
and Amstrad CPC
home computers.
are also credited.
Prior to the release of their debut title, Nodes of Yesod
, in 1985, Odin had previously released a number of games under the name Thor
. Although they developed a couple of in-house titles as Thor, they mainly acquired the publishing rights to homegrown titles from anonymous bedroom programmers. These early titles were mostly regarded as critical disappointments but not commercial failures. When Thor decided to switch to in-house development, Paul McKenna (Managing Director & Owner) thought it appropriate to form a new company, hence Odin Computer Graphics was born.
Nodes of Yesod became an instant critical and commercial success, prompting Telecomsoft
(the software division of British Telecom) to offer them a six-figure contract to develop ten games within a 12 month period. While Odin's later games (including Robin of the Wood
and Heartland) were very well received, some later titles failed to live up to expected BT standards. During this period, the warehouse area attached to the Odin studio was used by Telecomsoft as a distribution warehouse and to store thousands of copies of games on their Firebird, Rainbird and Beyond labels.
Just prior to the Telecom deal Odin had secured a major contract with Capcom
. They were to develop Robin Hood for coin operated arcade machines and Capcom's Gun.Smoke
for the home computer format. Unfortunately the contracts arrived a day late. Paul McKenna still has the original contracts from Capcom in his possession.
Odin made a very deliberate attempt to ensure they were mistaken for Ultimate Play The Game
, one of the most critically acclaimed game developers of the 1980s. As well as establishing a very similar name (Odin Computer Graphics vs. Ashby Computer Graphics), many of their games were heavily inspired by Ultimate's output (Odin's Nodes of Yesod certainly owes a considerable debt to Ultimate's Underwurlde
). The advertisements for Odin's games, which won many acclaimed awards such as Golden Joystick Awards
for best advertising in 1985 and 1986, were reminiscent of 1980s popular print retailer Athena and also bore some resemblance to the highly stylised, airbrushed artwork that graced the adverts for Ultimate's games.
In 1987, Odin finally closed their doors, mainly due to an inability to expand the size of their teams while maintaining the quality that had put the company on the map in the first place. Although they delivered more than all the necessary titles to fulfill their contract, Telecomsoft deemed several of them to be not worthy of release. By this time many of Odin's core programmers and artists had already jumped ship. Several ex-Odin staff initially joined Denton Designs
, another Liverpool-based games developer, before going their separate ways.
In 2005, Paul McKenna reformed Odin Computer Graphics Ltd, to develop and produce new titles and convert Nodes of Yesod, Arc of Yesod, Heartland and Robin of the Wood on the Mobile Phone formats.
In 2010, Odin Computer Graphics, Ltd., in conjunction with Uztek Games, Inc., released Nodes Of Yesod for the iPhone
. A web browser version built with Adobe Flash
was also released in the same year.
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
-based computer games developer who came to prominence in the mid-1980s with a variety of titles 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,...
home computers.
History
Odin consisted of managing director Paul McKenna; programmers Steve Wetherill, Robbie Tinman, Marc Dawson (now Wilding), Keith Robinson, George Barnes, Tommy Laningan, Derrick Rowson, and Stefan Walker; artists Paul Salmon, Stuart Fotheringham, and Colin Grunes; and musician Keith Tinman. Bernie Duggs and musician Fred GrayFred Gray
Fred Gray is a civil rights attorney and activist who practices law in Alabama . He served as the President of the National Bar Association in 1985 and the first African-American President of the Alabama State Bar....
are also credited.
Prior to the release of their debut title, Nodes of Yesod
Nodes of Yesod
Nodes of Yesod is a video game developed and published by Odin Computer Graphics in 1985. The game is very similar to Underwurlde, which was released a year earlier....
, in 1985, Odin had previously released a number of games under the name Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
. Although they developed a couple of in-house titles as Thor, they mainly acquired the publishing rights to homegrown titles from anonymous bedroom programmers. These early titles were mostly regarded as critical disappointments but not commercial failures. When Thor decided to switch to in-house development, Paul McKenna (Managing Director & Owner) thought it appropriate to form a new company, hence Odin Computer Graphics was born.
Nodes of Yesod became an instant critical and commercial success, prompting Telecomsoft
Telecomsoft
Telecomsoft was the computer software division of British telecommunications company British Telecom . It was the owner of the well-known Firebird and Rainbird labels, under which it sold video games at a variety of price-points....
(the software division of British Telecom) to offer them a six-figure contract to develop ten games within a 12 month period. While Odin's later games (including Robin of the Wood
Robin of the Wood
Robin of the Wood is a maze game published in 1985 for several 8-bit computer formats by Odin Computer Graphics in the UK and Serma Software in Spain. It was based on the English legend Robin Hood....
and Heartland) were very well received, some later titles failed to live up to expected BT standards. During this period, the warehouse area attached to the Odin studio was used by Telecomsoft as a distribution warehouse and to store thousands of copies of games on their Firebird, Rainbird and Beyond labels.
Just prior to the Telecom deal Odin had secured a major contract with Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
. They were to develop Robin Hood for coin operated arcade machines and Capcom's Gun.Smoke
Gun.Smoke
Gun.Smoke is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game created by Capcom in 1985 . The game, which has a Western theme, centers around a character named Billy Bob, a bounty hunter who is after vicious criminals of the Wild West.Despite its name and theme, it has no connection to the western TV...
for the home computer format. Unfortunately the contracts arrived a day late. Paul McKenna still has the original contracts from Capcom in his possession.
Odin made a very deliberate attempt to ensure they were mistaken for Ultimate Play The Game
Ultimate Play the Game
Ultimate Play The Game was a critically acclaimed video game developer of the early home computer era. "Ultimate Play The Game" was the trading name of Ashby Computers & Graphics Ltd. , a software company founded in 1982 by two ex-arcade game developers Tim and Chris Stamper...
, one of the most critically acclaimed game developers of the 1980s. As well as establishing a very similar name (Odin Computer Graphics vs. Ashby Computer Graphics), many of their games were heavily inspired by Ultimate's output (Odin's Nodes of Yesod certainly owes a considerable debt to Ultimate's Underwurlde
Underwurlde
Underwurlde is a video game for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1984. The game is the second in the Sabreman series, following on from his adventures in Sabre Wulf. The format of the game is a 2D side view flip-screen platform game...
). The advertisements for Odin's games, which won many acclaimed awards such as Golden Joystick Awards
Golden Joystick Awards
The Golden Joystick Awards, also known as the People's Gaming Awards are the world's oldest gaming award ceremony, awarding the best computer and video games of the year, as voted for by the general public...
for best advertising in 1985 and 1986, were reminiscent of 1980s popular print retailer Athena and also bore some resemblance to the highly stylised, airbrushed artwork that graced the adverts for Ultimate's games.
In 1987, Odin finally closed their doors, mainly due to an inability to expand the size of their teams while maintaining the quality that had put the company on the map in the first place. Although they delivered more than all the necessary titles to fulfill their contract, Telecomsoft deemed several of them to be not worthy of release. By this time many of Odin's core programmers and artists had already jumped ship. Several ex-Odin staff initially joined Denton Designs
Denton Designs
Denton Designs was a British video games developer based in Liverpool. The company was founded in 1984 and initially specialised in developing software for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer...
, another Liverpool-based games developer, before going their separate ways.
In 2005, Paul McKenna reformed Odin Computer Graphics Ltd, to develop and produce new titles and convert Nodes of Yesod, Arc of Yesod, Heartland and Robin of the Wood on the Mobile Phone formats.
In 2010, Odin Computer Graphics, Ltd., in conjunction with Uztek Games, Inc., released Nodes Of Yesod for the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
. A web browser version built with Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
was also released in the same year.
Games developed
- Nodes of YesodNodes of YesodNodes of Yesod is a video game developed and published by Odin Computer Graphics in 1985. The game is very similar to Underwurlde, which was released a year earlier....
(1985; ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC) - Robin of the WoodRobin of the WoodRobin of the Wood is a maze game published in 1985 for several 8-bit computer formats by Odin Computer Graphics in the UK and Serma Software in Spain. It was based on the English legend Robin Hood....
(1985; ZX Spectrum, C64) - Arc of Yesod (1985; ZX Spectrum, C64)
- I.C.U.P.S. (1986; ZX Spectrum, C64)
- Mission A.D. (1986; C64)
- HeartlandHeartland (video game)Heartland is a video game by Odin Computer Graphics released in for several home computer systems.-Plot:The Heartland has fallen under the rule of the ruthless tyrant Midan and his minions. To overthrow him, the final six pages of a magical book must be found and assembled...
(1986; ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad CPC) - Hypa-BallHypa-BallHypaball is a computer game released in 1986 for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum computer by Odin Computer Graphics.-External links:* at GameFAQs...
(1986; ZX Spectrum, C64) - Out On the TilesOut on the Tiles"Out on the Tiles" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, from the 1970 album Led Zeppelin III. The title of the song is derived from the British phrase for going out for a night on the town. Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham would talk about going "out on the tiles," meaning to go to bars,...
(1987; C64) - SidewizeSidewizeSidewize is a shoot 'em up released by Firebird in for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum home computers. It was followed by a sequel, Crosswize.-Plot:The four worlds of Omicron, Nu, Delta and Iota are under siege by the Dariard Mutants...
(1987; ZX Spectrum, C64) - The PlotThe Plot (video game)The Plot is a video game by Odin Computer Graphics released in for the Amstrad CPC and Sinclair Spectrum. It is the last game by Odin to be released.-Overview:...
(1988; ZX Spectrum) [Originally titled 'The Gunpowder Plot'] - Scary Monsters (1988; Commodore 64)
- CrosswizeCrosswizeCrosswize is a shoot 'em up released by Firebird in for the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was the sequel to Sidewize.-Overview:The game is very similar to its predecessor, with a lone warrior battling waves of alien enemies. A notable difference is the ability to fire in both directions, as in...
(1988; ZX Spectrum) - U.F.O. (unreleased)
- Gladiator (unreleased)
- Tank Game (unreleased)
- P.L.O.D. (unreleased)
- Lusitania (unreleased)