Editing Matthew Smith (games programmer)

{{Short description|British video game programmer}}
{{Infobox person
|name        = Matthew Smith
|image       = Matthew Smith.jpg
|caption     = At the Screenplay festival in Nottingham, UK (2005)
|birth_place = [[Penge]], London, England
|death_date  =
|death_place =
|occupation  = [[Video game designer]]
|spouse      =
}}

'''Matthew Smith''' (born 1966) is a British [[video game programmer]]. He created the games ''[[Manic Miner]]'' and ''[[Jet Set Willy]]'' for the [[ZX Spectrum]], released in 1983 and 1984 respectively. Smith left the games industry in 1988 and later moved to the Netherlands. He has since returned to the UK and has worked on some games as well as appearing at conventions and in documentaries.

==Early life==
Smith was born in [[Penge]]. His family moved to [[Wallasey]] when he was seven years old.<ref name='su_dec84'>{{cite magazine |title=Matthew uncaged|magazine=Sinclair User|issue=33|publisher=EMAP|date=December 1984|page=88-92|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=33&page=89|access-date=17 February 2023}}</ref>

==Programming career==
===1980s===
He started out [[Computer programming|programming]] when he received a  [[TRS-80]]<ref name='pcw_ms'>{{cite magazine|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=2800&page=12|volume=3|issue=14|page=12|magazine=[[Popular Computing Weekly]]|date=April 1984|author=Graham Taylor|access-date=17 February 2023|title=And pigs will fly... Graham Taylor talks to Matthew Smith and Alan Maton of Software Projects}}</ref> for Christmas in 1979.<ref name="su_dec84"/> His first commercial game was a ''[[Galaxian]]'' clone for the TRS-80 called ''Delta Tau One''.<ref name="urbis"/> He then went on to produce ''Monster Muncher'' on the [[VIC-20]]. Smith has said that he wrote Monster Muncher in 3 hours.<ref name="pixelatron">{{Cite web|url=http://pixelatron.com/blog/matthew-manic-miner-smith-complete-transcript-of-2005-interview/|title=Matthew "Manic Miner" Smith: complete transcript of 2005 interview|date=10 August 2010|accessdate=6 October 2022}}</ref>

He obtained a ZX Spectrum on loan from [[Bug-Byte|Bug-Byte Software Ltd.]] in return for a freelance contract for three games.<ref name="su_dec84"/>  The first of these was ''[[Styx (Spectrum video game)|Styx]]'' in 1983 for which Matthew received £3,000.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://issuu.com/michelfranca/docs/retro_gamer____117|title=Retro gamer №117|work=Issuu|access-date=2018-08-31|language=en}}</ref>

He wrote ''[[Manic Miner]]'' in eight weeks<ref>{{cite news |last1=Drury |first1=Paul |title=The Making of Styx |work=Retro Gamer |issue=117 |publisher=Imagine Publishing |date=June 2013 |page=43}}</ref> using a Model III Tandy.<ref name="su_dec84"/> It was the first ZX Spectrum title with in-game music.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-07-26-manic-miner-360-revisiting-a-classic|title=Manic Miner 360: Revisiting a Classic|website=[[Eurogamer]]|date=26 July 2012}}</ref>  The sequel, ''[[Jet Set Willy]]'', took considerably longer to write.<ref name='pcw_ms' /> ''Manic Miner'' and ''Jet Set Willy'' were both commercial successes.  Smith has stated that ''Manic Miner'' was the most enjoyable game to make for him whereas ''Jet Set Willy'' was 'seven shades of hell'.<ref name="pixelatron"/>

After the creation of ''Jet Set Willy'' he started work on ''The Mega Tree'' (commonly known as Willy Meets The Taxman),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/philbee/stoo.html|title=Interview with Stuart James Fotheringham|access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref> for publication by his company [[Software Projects]]. Unlike his previous two hits ''The Mega Tree'' was not developed for the ZX Spectrum but the [[Commodore 64]]. The project failed to gain traction and was cancelled three months into development.<ref>{{cite news |title=Desert Island Disks - Stuart Fotheringham |work=Retro Gamer |issue=34 |publisher=Imagine Publishing |date=February 2007 |page=78}}</ref> The development disks containing some of the graphics from the unreleased game were eventually auctioned for charity in 2004.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Burton |first1=Richard |title=The Mega-Tree Mystery |work=Retro Gamer |issue=5 |publisher=Live Publishing |date=June 2004 |pages=42}}</ref>

In 1987 adverts began appearing in games magazines for a new game ''[[Attack of the Mutant Zombie Flesh Eating Chickens From Mars]]'' said to have been programmed by Smith, and due for release by Software Projects.  It is reported that Smith was unhappy with the finished product and it was never released.<ref name="zxdb"/>

===Departure===
Smith closed Software Projects in 1988 without completing any more programs. He lived in a [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[commune (intentional community)|commune]] from around 1995 but was deported from the Netherlands in October 1997 and returned to Britain, saying that he had failed to keep his residency papers in order.<ref name="pixelatron"/> In the late 1990s, he said he was "surprised and flattered"<ref name="petemella"/> at the amount of attention and speculation he had attracted on the Internet.

===Return to games===
In 1999 Smith returned to the UK [[video game industry]] by taking a job at [[Dewsbury]]-based [[video game developer|computer game developer]] [[Runecraft (company)|Runecraft]].

In 2000, he appeared on a British television documentary programme called ''[[Thumb Candy]]'' about the history of video games<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BUNTFPJTd2sC&q=Matthew+smith+thumb+candy&pg=PA67 |title = Charlie Brooker's Screen Burn|isbn = 9780571250141|last1 = Brooker|first1 = Charlie|date = 19 February 2009| publisher=Faber & Faber }}</ref> in which, in a brief interview, he discussed ''Manic Miner'' and his 1980's career. He has also attended and given talks at [[retrogaming]] conventions during this decade.

In 2013, Smith was working on producing a new game with [[Elite Systems]], who have republished his original games on mobile platforms.<ref>{{citation | title=Matthew Smith and Elite join forces for new game | date=29 March 2013 | accessdate=15 April 2016 | url=http://matthewsmith.elite-systems.co.uk/?p=108}}</ref>

== References ==

{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="urbis">{{cite interview |last=Smith |first=Matthew |subject-link=Matthew Smith (games programmer) |interviewer= |title=Videogame Nation |location=Manchester |date=19 July 2009 |work=Urbis |accessdate=15 April 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LRIKKidD0w}}</ref>
<ref name="zxdb">{{cite web|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=0009511|title=Attack of the Mutant Zombie Flesh Eating Chickens from Mars |publisher=SpectrumComputing.co.uk|accessdate=30 March 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="petemella">{{cite web|url=http://www.petemella.co.uk/smithint.htm |title=Matthew Smith, interview by Pete Mella |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427223738/http://www.petemella.co.uk/smithint.htm |archivedate=27 April 2006 }}</ref>
}}

== External links ==

* [http://www.carlylesmith.karoo.net/spectrum/matsmith/ Where is Matthew Smith?]
* [http://jswremakes.emuunlim.com/Authors/Smith/mystery.htm The Matthew Smith Mystery (Interview from 1984)]
* [http://www.petemella.co.uk/smith.htm Matthew Smith article and first online interview since returning from The Netherlands]
* {{moby developer |id=18395 |name=Matthew Smith's profile}}
* [http://www.80snostalgia.com/matthew-smith-interview/ Matthew Smith 2009 interview after Videogame Nation exhibition at Manchester Urbis on 19 July]
* [https://www.kevssite.com/matthew-smith-interview/ Short Matthew Smith interview August 1999]

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2014}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Matthew}}
[[Category:1966 births]]
[[Category:British computer programmers]]
[[Category:British video game designers]]
[[Category:Video game programmers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Surrey]]