Michael Simms (software developer)

Michael Simms
Born May 8, 1973
Leicester, England
Residence Nottingham, England
Occupation LGP Business Adviser, Linux Game Publishing
Employer Wcities (2000–2001)
CEO Tux Games (2000–2012)
CEO and Head of Development Linux Game Publishing (2001–2012)

Michael Simms is the creator of the Tux Games website and the founder of Linux Game Publishing.

Biography

Simms began using Linux when he was at university in 1992 and has been writing and contributing to open source software since 1993, having a strong belief that operating systems and file formats need to be open source in order to make computing competitive.[1] Between 2000 and 2001 he also worked at Wcities in London as a Lead product architect.[2] Simms was a beta tester for Loki Software's Linux ports of Civilization: Call to Power and Descent 3,[3] and it was in response to being unable to order versions of Loki's titles from any British reseller that spurred him to create Tux Games, one of the first online Linux game stores.[4] The website went live ten seconds after midnight on January 1, 2000, selling its first title on January 3.[5] In response to Loki's demise and the effect it would have on Tux Games, Simms invested £350,000 into a company porting Windows game titles to Linux. Linux Game Publishing was founded on October 15, 2001 to port and publish new games for Linux. Simms remained the CEO, as well as the Head of Development for over a decade.[4] He likes to play Majesty and other strategy games. [6]

On January 31, 2012, Simms announced that he was stepping down as CEO and handing over control to Clive Crous.[7]

Games credited

Date of Release Title Company Credited for
September 18, 2009 Shadowgrounds Survivor Linux Game Publishing PHB and Programming
September 16, 2009 Shadowgrounds Linux Game Publishing PHB and Programming
September 15, 2009 Majesty: Gold Edition r2 Linux Game Publishing PHB and Additional Programming
April 9, 2009 Sacred: Gold Edition Linux Game Publishing PHB and Programming
January 29, 2009 Jets'n'Guns Linux Game Publishing PHB and Additional Programming
December 5, 2008 X3: Reunion Linux Game Publishing PHB and Programming
June 7, 2007 Ballistics Linux Game Publishing PHB and Programming
March 13, 2007 Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom Linux Game Publishing PHB and Additional Programming
August 4, 2006 Cold War Linux Game Publishing PHB
June 15, 2006 Gorky 17 Linux Game Publishing PHB
May 30, 2006 X2: The Threat Linux Game Publishing PHB and Developer
June 24, 2005 Soul Ride Linux Game Publishing PHB
February 4, 2005 Postal²: Share The Pain Linux Game Publishing PHB
April 15, 2003 Majesty: Gold Edition Linux Game Publishing PHB
December 13, 2002 MindRover: The Europa Project Linux Game Publishing PHB
August 16, 2000 Descent³ Loki Software Beta Tester
May 7, 1999 Civilization: Call to Power Loki Software Beta Tester

Open source projects

Date of Release Title Company Credited for
August 20, 2006 Grapple Linux Game Publishing Programming

See also

References

  1. ↑ A closed source company’s CEO’s view on open source Linux Game Publishing Blog, June 29, 2009 (Article by Michael Simms)
  2. ↑ Michael Simms’s Experience Linkedin
  3. ↑ MobyGames, Descent 3 - Linux beta testers
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bringing Windows games to Linux TechRadar, August 10, 2009 (Interview by Graham Morrison)
  5. ↑ LGP History pt 2: The Early Days Linux Game Publishing Blog, June 23, 2009 (Article by Michael Simms)
  6. ↑ Linux Game Publishing: Interview with Michael Simms Linux Gazette, March 6, 2005
  7. ↑ Linux Game Publishing...the return? GamingOnLinux, January 31, 2012 (Article by Liam Dawe)

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Michael Simms