Sensible Software
Overview
Founded in Chelmsford, Essex, UK in 1986 by Jon Hare and Chris Yates, two former school friends, Sensible Software was one of the most successful European development teams throughout the 8 Bit and 16-Bit eras, creating no less than seven #1 games in the UK in their 13 year history and scooping many industry awards in the process. Well regarded as eccentric mavericks, the team produced some strange and original games over the years. They later moved their offices to the Cambridgeshire town of March before settling in Saffron Walden, Essex in 1993.Sensible Software enjoyed their greatest run of success between 1991 and 1995, with hits such as the Sensible Soccer games including Sensible World of Soccer, the Cannon Fodder games and Mega lo Mania. They were well known for their humorous small characters, quirky pop video intros and clean, precise and imaginative gameplay.
However although they became masters of the 2D graphics machines, their transition into the 3D era was less successful and after spending considerable time and effort on their ground breaking game Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll (which they initially signed to Warner Interactive Entertainment), they found the very risqué game too near the knuckle for Warner's purchaser's GT Software and were subsequently unable to sell it on to any publishers in the pre-GTA days of 1998.
In 1999 Jon and Chris sold Sensible Software to Codemasters, one of the top games publishers in the UK, for an undisclosed sum. Subsequent to Codemasters purchase of Sensible Software in 1999 Jon Hare has designed many games for Codemasters including various versions of Sensibler Soccer and Cannon Fodder.
Games
| Sensible Soccer '98: European Club Edition | (1997) |
| Sensible Soccer '98 | (1997) |
| Sensible World of Soccer '96/'97 | (1996) |
| Sensible Train-Spotting | (1995) |
| Sensible World of Soccer: European Championship Edition | (1995) |
| Sensible World of Soccer '95/'96 | (1995) |
| Sensible Golf | (1994) |
| Sensible World of Soccer | (1994) |
| International Sensible Soccer | (1994) |
| World Championship Soccer II | (1994) |
| Championship Soccer '94 | (1994) |
| Cannon Fodder 2 | (1994) |
| Cannon Fodder | (1993) |
| Championship Soccer '94 | (1993) |
| Mega Lo Mania & First Samurai | (1992) |
| Amiga Power Coverdisk 21 | (1992) |
| Wizkid: The Story of Wizball II | (1992) |
| Sensible Soccer: European Champions | (1992) |
| Sensible Soccer: European Champions - 92/93 Edition | (1992) |
| Mega lo Mania | (1991) |
| International 3D Tennis | (1990) |
| 4th Dimension | (1990) |
| Insects in Space | (1989) |
| Keith Van Eron's Pro Soccer | (1988) |
| Oh No! | (1988) |
| Shoot 'em up Construction Kit | (1988) |
| Wizball | (1987) |
| Twister: Mother of Charlotte | (1986) |
| Parallax | (1986) |
| Galax-i-Birds | (1986) |
Trivia
Sensible Software won the "Best Programmers '87" award from the German gaming magazine Power Play.Related Web Sites
- A Sensible Interview (From UK gaming magazine Zzap!64, March 1987.)
- Old coders never die... they only fade away (Feature in Commodore Format (Issue 22, Jul 92, p54) that lists companies and programmers that made the Commodore 64 great. )
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