Malcolm Evans

Malcolm Evans has a background in hardware - a B.Sc. in electronics from Portsmouth Polytechnic, and after graduating he was employed by Marconi for 11 years on spacecraft design. But by the mid 1970s Malcolm’s career was gradually heading towards computers. After Marconi he worked for Smith’s Aviation at Basingstoke, co-ordinating research for computer-based engine control. He also wrote test programs for the hardware he designed. Then in 1979 he moved to Bristol as a microprocessor scientist with Sperry Gyroscope. Through this appointment he became familiar with the technology used in the earliest home computers.

Because of this interest in April 1981 Malcolm’s wife bought him a birthday present that was to change his life — a ZX 81, which completely hooked his imagination. By November of that year he had written his first computer game. Malcolm designed his first game in 3D, really just to see what his ZX 81 could do. Someone suggested that it was good enough to sell, and so by February 1982 3D Monster Maze was launched. Soon after this Sperry Gyroscope closed down in Bristol and rather than move to Bracknell Malcolm took voluntary redundancy and concentrated on computer games. He founded New Generation Software in the city of Bath (UK).

From the outset New Generation and Malcolm Evans have become synonymous with 3D graphics, of which his second game, Escape, is a famed example. From now on things just kept on improving for Malcolm and New Generation Software. In June he obtained his first Spectrum, by November he had written Escape for the machine. This was followed by 3D Tunnel in February and Knot in 3D in April 1983. At about this time Malcolm was joined by his brother Rod. Rod became the managing director of New Generation Software, thus allowing his brother to concentrate on what he is best at and enjoys — writing games. In September 1983 Corridors of Genon was released and in February of 1984 year the Trashman game was launched.