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Computing Britain

Computing Britain: Episode 8: UK Gaming

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UK Gaming

Episode 8

Episode 8: UK Gaming

BBC Radio 4 - Computing Britain, UK Gaming

Teens write computer games in their bedrooms, and a billion-dollar business is created.

Teens write computer games in their bedrooms and a billion-dollar business is created. Hannah charts the rise of the UK games industry.

Computers in British schools and homes nurtured a generation of programmers who cut their teeth in the 1980s playing and writing video games.

Mathematician Hannah Fry talks to the Oliver Twins, who as teenagers won a games-writing competition on ITV's Saturday Show. Spurred on by their success, the twins went on to write a bestselling games series featuring a loveable egg called Dizzy.

She hears about an early publishing house in Liverpool where fast cars and marketing ploys went spectacularly wrong and finds out how some games originally created in the UK, like Tomb Raider and Grand Theft Auto, hit the big time.

Nowadays, 'AAA' video games have budgets akin to feature films, costing up to £200m to produce. So could today's bedroom coders still have a Number 1 hit?

Featuring an interview with Magnus Anderson, author of 'Grand Thieves & Tomb Raiders: How British Video Games Conquered the World'.

Presented by Hannah Fry

Produced by Michelle Martin.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Hannah Fry reveals the UK's lead role in developing computer technologies we rely on today

Hannah Fry looks back at 75 years of computing history to reveal the UK's lead role in developing the technologies we rely on today

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Episode 8: UK Gaming

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