The DNA of GRAFTGOLD

ORIGINALITY

Despite forging a good reputation for conversions in its latter years, this remained a means to an end in providing funds for Graftgold’s original games, of which Andrew and Steve were there at the forefront. From Paradroid to Simulcra, unique ideas were always treasured and encouraged at the company.

ADAPTABILITY

Even from its very early days, Graftgold realised that in order to succeed it needed multiple platforms, of which, in 1983, the likely rival to the Spectrum was unclear. Hence its catalogue of Dragon 32 games, followed by a wait before its eventual backing of the Commodore 64. Graftgold’s games were designed to each platform’s strengths.

EXPERIENCE

With a background in computers and business programming, both Steve and Andrew arrived in the world of videogames creation with many of the required skills and techniques already learned. This enabled them to bounce ideas off each other as they were both already familiar with the terms and concepts involved in games creation.

GRAND DESIGNS

Original Graftgold games rarely lacked ideas and each concept was fully examined before inclusion. Often it would mimic its own design successes (hence Quazatron and Ranarama, both based upon Paradroid to different degrees), but there was always an angle, and new elements added to the base concept, plus that all-important attention to detail.

IMMERSIVE WORLDS

Steve and Andrew saw that there was no way they could combat the technically superior arcade games, except when it came to depth of story and quality of game design that drew the player in. Prime examples are the

Avalon series on the Spectrum and Paradroid on the Commodore 64.

MULTITASKING

Despite the pressures of running a company employing almost 30 people at its peak, Steve Turner never shied away from pitching in, usually taking on the role of ‘firefighter’ when a project went wrong or overran.