The Story of Imagine Software: The Rock 'n' Roll Games Company - Kim Justice

It's another big Spectrum software documentary! This time, it's a company that burnt very bright for a very short period - Imagine. After just one year where they looked like the biggest company of them all and released games like Arcadia and Ah Diddums, they tore themselves apart with bad management and...well, not being good with money. And most of it was caught on camera...we alluded to their story back in the Ocean video, but they certainly deserve a full one all of their own. Enjoy!
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[@Larry]

Psygnosis also operated under the name Psyclapse for a few months before rebranding to Psygnosis!

[@Holammer]

Good thing they changed it as it sounds like a horrible medical condition. Psygnosis on the other hand sounds like something you'd find in an ancient Greek ante-nicene codex.

[@hingeslevers]

I don't think it was a rebrand, rather a separate brand for a couple of more arcady titles. I could be wrong.

[@whatamalike]

Yeah...sounds like prolapse!

[@chip5541]

and Roger Dean was involved with them as well.

[@antster1983]

Wasn't Psyclapse a sub-label of Psygnosis?

[@jamesnewman4351]

I remember playing Arcadia on my vic in 1982 and i must say it was far more amazing what a vic could do with 3.583 byte than what a Spectrum 16 could do!!

[@gunhed76]

As a yank , UK gaming companies CEOs lived like Miami drug dealers in my eyes lol

[@AudieHolland]

At least Miami drug dealers would have made sure their overhead was in check and that most of their staff weren't idling around doing nothing. I'm also sure they would have one or two accountants at least.

[@gunhed76]

@@AudieHolland very true

[@stanzalenski6607]

Atari even more so

[@slopesgameroom]

Videos like this are the reason I watch KZbin! fantastic Video mate

[@JesterEric]

The deal with Marshall Cavendish was I think to make full price quality games to be given away with a magazine. The tight timescales for these games was one of the reasons they had so many staff

[@chrishopkins209]

Christopher Rutherford they were going to write the type in games for the Input part work. I have a set of these on my shelf right now

[@mlucifersam]

Just so you know, that picture you keep showing of 'Bruce Everiss' is actually Steve Blower working on an advert for Ocean

[@BobMarley-yq3wi]

Mark R. Jones I can confirm this is correct, it’s my father’s picture - not Bruce.

[@MrKlawUK]

Watched this and the bbc doc and realised although I remember the Imagine name fondly, I only really remember their Ocean games - so not their actual output

[@DarthPerkins]

I'm not usually interested in computer gaming, more consoles, which is ironic as I just remember black and white TV so would have been old enough to be at the inception of PC gaming, but these documentaries are fascinating. Well done, Kim. This is the kind of stuff BBC3 should have been showing.

[@Ynffy]

Thank you for making these documentaries about the UK developers who made all those games I played as a child and teen!

[@Jayfive276]

Kimski I can give no higher praise than to say that these are the kinds of things Charlie Brooker probably wished he could do if Gameswipe had got off the ground...

[@electronash]

And now it has kind of gone full circle, with Mr Brooker's great work on the Bandersnatch "movie". ;) I agree though - Kim should get far more recognition, not just in gaming land, but in journalism land.

[@handsomebrick]

Oh my God, the story of Ion Storm played out in almost identical fashion 15 years earlier in England. If only a single Brit developer had been on their team, they could have avoided it.

[@handsomebrick]

And it seems there actually was a Brit at Ion Storm, James Poole, who predictably saw the blood in the water early on and fought it tooth and nail, and when this proved impossible he quickly jumped ship.

[@KaijuBoy31]

Been binging your documentaries yesterday and now I finally have another to watch! I feel like I'm a bloody thief because these are all free and better than 75% of the content on the site.

[@EMarkMoore]

I don't think I realised Alchemist came out quite so early, as my brother and I got it as part of the Beau Jolie compilation pack some time later. Good stuff so far, Kim; I'll keep watching!

[@eLJaybud]

The sensible thing to do is make sure the contract has clauses meaning they would be penalised for pulling out of the contract making you money as well as keeping the development money.

[@EvanCWaters]

One thing that interests me about this story is how odd it is that the company quickly went all-in on Bandersnatch and Psyclapse. Their other output (well, I mean, their actual output) doesn't come off as hugely ambitious or pushing the limits of what the micros could do, so how did they get hung up on this idea of megagames that would require new hardware and all the company's resources? It'd be interesting to know more about how the ideas for those games came about, why they decided they needed to do something this big, etc.

[@jamdonut]

Kim, how well put together and narrated. Thank you.

[@markwhitfield6781]

So many memories from early speccy games with expert commentary - thanks a million Kimble.

[@ScouseTimes]

I remember the Psygnosis in wavertree Liverpool..then Sony Took over..in the 90's

[@Bangkokian1967]

Another excellent, well researched documentary. I really enjoy watching your behind the scenes documentaries

[@KageMaxwell]

Awesome videos like this is the reason I keep coming back for more. Keep up the good work!

[@jackjude]

I remember the logo and the company's adverts from the magazines. Mainly coin-op conversions (Mikey?) and similarly designed to Ocean's; this probably denotes they had already gone-under, before I had got into the speccy mags. Their own games looked like weak homebrew, what _were_ they thinking with Bandersnatch and the bizarre hardware add on? They didn't get past the _first level_ of "Fake it, till you make it".

[@chrishalsall188]

Nice work as always, love your documentary videos!

[@purebaldness]

I've been subscribed to your channel for only a week and I've watched almost all of your videos. Your content is incredible. Each video I've seen of yours is littered with so many positive comments. I and it would seem many others really appreciate what you do. It's a shame that your work has somewhat of a niche audience because I feel as though you deserve a lot more recognition. Thanks :-)

[@purebaldness]

***** the gaming tv, GTA, Tomb Raider, SNES vs Mega Drive, Peter Molyneux and microcomputer videos have been amazing and very informative. I've learned so much. I've also enjoyed some of the game review videos too

[@teknizian]

Your documentaries are legendary. Big fan here, keep it up!

[@3bigbaws]

Just found this channel recently. Loving your vids. Watched a load over the weekend.

[@GutznMetal]

Will you be doing any follow-up video(s) about Psygnosis' roots to their eventual demise in 2012 Kim? Can't get enough of these.

[@edbadyt]

I think you should do a video on Codemasters ot the Oliver Twins. Or both as the latter started out with the former.

[@silvergiq5]

Awesome documentary as always... Love the soundtrack u chose too. 😊

[@imaenglishman5471]

I remember as a kid making a Spectrum fanzine over the summer holidays & beyond. I tracked down Denton Designs programmers by looking through older Crash magazines for 'Imagine' phone numbers & doing interviews over the phone, 12 year old & making these links & getting scoops :-). Making money selling the fanzines at school and blagging games & posters (to use as prizes in the fanzine) from firms like Ocean, US Gold, Hewson, pretty much all of them to be honest, it seemed like second nature. WTF happened to that entreprenourlyness :-(

[@buddah1978egypt]

awesome video as ever.. have introduced your stuff to a few people who love your stuff too. I cant wait for the Psygnosis one!! Been dying for it..

[@Aux337]

Nice vid Kim, I really enjoy your documentaries.

[@radarlockeify]

Great work Kim! This took me back to my youth! That woolworths Xmas ad was like a precursor to operation yew tree! Anyway, a reminder of the early speccy days and my 3rd gen gaming from binatone tennis games to 2600 then to the speccy. Imagine was a company I liked but give a load of cash to anyone and they'll piss it all away. More docs please!

[@robintst]

Great video and very informative. I've watched all of your videos on the British computer scene from this era and it's so interesting to see that the UK was experiencing a gaming boom while we in the US were having a market crash. Keep up the good work, Kim, I look forward to your eventual Psygnosis video. :)

[@terrythe2dmaniac71]

regretibly although I was old as sin back then I only knew them in late 1987 when they were just a simple pathetic front to the big Juggernaut Ocean Software, still it was usual a fun and thoroughly entertaining video my dear Kim, keep up the good work O queen of retrogaming documentries.

[@doctorcrankyflaps1724]

Thanks for the upload Kim.

[@williammcguire130]

Psygnosis always makes me think of AGONY their incredibly good looking Amiga shooter. Did they also do Apidya?

[@angelriverasantana7755]

Apidya was actually made by Rainbow Arts

[@TheMrCrown]

YEESSS! You're still on fire!!!!! Thx for creating all the masterpieces of videogaming history!

[@sperrin]

I'm just enjoying the 80s footage of the Bullring from when it had character, before it was torn down and replaced with a bland, same as every other, standard shopping mall.

[@DarrenAudioguy]

What a trip. Thanks for making this!

[@RichardTroupe]

Another excellent video Kim. Well done!

[@NickEnchev]

I want to download all of your videos and keep them on bluerays for safe keeping! You really should consider creating a documentary series blue ray pack or something though. This stuff is too good for KZbin.

[@99nerka]

I loved Jumping Jack, one of few games i still remember from my ZX Spectrum days.

[@mucy2807]

Love the videos - reminds me of my speccy back in ‘82 ish. Wondering what the symbol in your name (in the starting credits) pertains to though?

[@Rilyn666]

I absolutely adore these videos, very informative. Its also nice to learn about game creators from my home city that i didn't know existed :)

[@CaralisTrevorum]

Loving the Luke Atmey theme at 4:36.

[@JohnnyOrgan]

Another fantastic vid, Kim. x

[@VGMFan20XX]

I can thumbs up before I even start the video XD. Well done as always!

[@ewennicolson4342]

Marshall Cavendish had nothing to do with the Megagames. That deal was for cover games for a part work series on computing. The games submitted were shit and MC asked for their dough back.

[@paulphillips546]

Ewen Nicolson yep, not the most accurate of your work Kim, also there where so many more games from Imagine and they where a multi-format publisher never just concentrating on the Spectrum. I fondly remember playing their games on my vic 20.

[@arnaujess]

I like JOFFA playing PUD PUD. Arcadia it´s the first game and one of the most important shoot-em-up for Speccy. Imagine always be a great of 8 bits. Lovely. Well done! Indeed. Namaste.

[@Phoenix2312]

Well Done +Kim Justice Another fantastic Video! :) I am really enjoying these... You will run out of Software Houses soon!

[@stephenthornber1961]

I've put dozens of hours into Jumping Jack, never known it crash once. also, best Imagine game imo is Stonkers.

[@davedogge2280]

Arcadia was my first video game ever on the VIC 20. £40 for a game in 1983 destined for 84/85 ROFL ! BlunderSnatch more like. It would be nice Kim if you could do a piece on (Manchester based ?) Denton Designs and their connection to Beyond Software who also did The Lords of Midnight franchise by Mike Singleton (RIP), one of the most important game designers that ever lived.

[@hexusG4Z]

Love your vids Kim

[@tuffasgong]

Great video once again Kim. Just a visual nitpick of your opening card: The imagine symbol is so mute in color compared to the text and your name so large at first I thought it was The story of Kim Justice... Great video once again.

[@MrDflego]

The guy who said piracy killed the business I reckon is right. I had a c64 and an Amiga with thousands of games and they were all pirated. I never paid full price for any and it was a huge scene at the time.

[@handsomebrick]

But would you have actually paid for them if you couldn't pirate them? Are you a lost customer?

[@thema1998]

I didn't know much about Imagine Software until now. This was interesting! 🤓

[@ianmansfield68]

Great video - and I remember "Commercial Breaks" very well! Funnily enough, I only remember Arcadia (and Schizoids) with any great nostalgia - the other stuff, so so. I remember reading a review of a later Imagine game (can't remember which) which said that the company reminded the reviewer of certain bands that turned out dross (after their initial hits) and expected the fans to buy it. Not a great business model, as it turned out.

[@garfunkle187]

Really good video. As one of those lonely cpc464 owners I wasn't familiar with these guys or their games but you did a great job of making it accessible and interesting regardless. Having grown up in Sheffield I'm hoping (and/or suggesting) you do one of these for Gremlin Graphics. Retro Asylum have a great episode on them. Thanks for the video. Cheers

[@tahustvedt]

Your videos are really good!

[@sperrin]

If you haven't done one yet, how about a look at The Bitmap Brothers? Loved their games and their unique art style, they also had some amazing intros with top notch music.

[@meetoo594]

Speedball, chaos engine, xenon 1/2, gods, cadaver and a few more. speedball 2 is the only one i would play now, the others haven't aged that well.

[@whatamalike]

Speedball 2 and The chaos engine are their 2 masterpieces. Everything else they've done is either just not that good or hasn't aged well (Xenon 2 especially)

[@meetoo594]

Never liked the chaos engine, it got tedious pretty quickly. yeah, xenon 2 is not that great, but again it was only average to begin with, the soundtrack was the best bit tbh. I always liked mastertronics sidewinder as a shmup on the amiga, great gfx and ace sampled sound.

[@ByrneMJames]

Great stuff Kim. How do you find out so much? I really dug the tune from the transformers movie. Wreckgartastic

[@RapideWombaticus]

To be honest I think the games made by these guys were lack lustre ... although they obviously made money. However, your review is very well done. Good stuff Kim

[@boulderdashc6425]

Excellent well done kim.

[@DuckAlertBeats]

Aww completely forgot about Alchemist! Arcadia too. Brilliant games for the time. But! Jumping Jack..rubbish? It's genius! A new hole appears every time you jump. It was one of my fav spectrum games tbh..Just picked up the android version for one pound! They haven't got the proper squelch sound unfortunately but it's pretty faithful. I loved it anyway lol

[@antster1983]

#RIP Dave Lawson & Ian Hetherington

[@99nerka]

Man... i loved jumping jack when i was a kid.

[@kobold1538]

Lol the fox from Antichrist was a nice touch, favorite scene ever.

[@snazzyguy2000]

Marshal Cavendish already did a magazine and tape series: Storyteller. Doing a video game magazine for them sounds silly.

[@wisteela]

Excellent video.

[@youaintseenmeok]

Nice work kim

[@thefurthestmanfromhome1148]

Imagine supposedly knew the Atari 8 bit hardware couldn't replicate Green Beret well due to the PMG/sprite limitations, so gave the conversion to an external team, but they themselves really screwed up Atari 8 bit Arkanoid, due to broken ball movement and poor colour choices for backgrounds.

[@zandorius]

thanks for this, very interesting. Owned both Alchemist and ZipZap (?) back in the day. Fun times.

[@simonbutler1187]

The photograph of the chap sat at the artboard is Steve Blower, not Bruce Everiss.

[@kayDawgTV]

What is the music used at 10:20 and onward?

[@procactus9109]

What do the weird arrows on the letter C in Justice mean?

[@darran311]

brilliant work as always cant sit through videos this long from many people so you're a rare breed my friend

[@Gunmetal_Wolf]

Hey Kim, you going to do anything on Psygnosis as a company? I grew up with them way way WAYYY back in the day (think I'm one of the few Americans that owned an Amiga)

[@tuffasgong]

She stated at the end that would be the next project.

[@Gunmetal_Wolf]

Ah, thought it was a different company. apologies then

[@chloedevereaux1801]

why at 22:20 are you playing the theme tune to steptoe and sons??????

[@jrherita]

Kim - is Westwood Studios on the pontential list for this style of review? Would love to hear the full story.. (I was so sad when EA killed them in ~ 2002).

[@pansnemesis]

I went to High-school across the street from westwood in las vegas in the mid 90s. They would come over and let us test games and whatnot. We got to go over there a few times... Great memories... And yes I hated what ea did to them lol.

[@BobMarley-yq3wi]

The photo used for Bruce everis at 2:32 is incorrect. That’s Steve Blower - art director.

[@Illuminati2347]

Good use of the Million Dollar Man theme. :)

[@gmonkman]

wonderful

[@gingernutpreacher]

any more info on the dongle?

[@harrydigital9073]

Great story.. I mised Yie aR Kung Fu. Was my all time Imagine arcade and C64 game...

[@SameNameDifferentGame]

Nice use of Ted DiBiase's theme music.

[@bentobarreirinhas5702]

wish I had played alchemist. Stonkers was great as was jumping jack, and it never crashed on my zx.

[@goldenmantis]

I want a blue imagine racing team jacket!

[@mUbase]

Ooh! Is that a brief shot of Rick Wakeman at 16:29 ?? I do like Rick. :)

[@WeirdWonderful]

How do you keep making these half hour long in depth videos as frequently as you do I will never know. Probably there's dark magic involved.

[@joedent3323]

Just one box of Black Magic, I think.

[@whatamalike]

Comrade justice strikes again!

[@ErectedGasCan]

Is that the famous BBC sweater i spot worn on Everiss?! 😂

[@kee1haul]

I chuckle a little bit when I think of the people who haven't seen that Simpsons episode and don't get the Krusty jokes.

[@tuffasgong]

Great episode: Homie (or Homer) the clown

[@19822andy]

I love you Kim.

[@ccateni28]

the same year the video game crash of America happened, the computers in the UK had a lot of salesm

[@ian_b]

Top searches: imagine kim justice imagine john lennon

[@001lessie]

Hey man. Great content here. And excellent bass chops I have checked out as well. As a request maybe you could do an episode about don bluth and the cult classics like dragons lair and the space ace series. Anyway. When interested I am doing remasters of mod files. Today I finished the pinball illusions 2 title track. Grtz vic

[@morebacon1780]

I vish i had a Fevvavi sports car.

[@NR-rv8rz]

Sheeet, it just hit me why they were called 'Imagine'. Liverpool, John Lennon's Imagine. doh.

[@antster1983]

24:51 Dare To Be Stupid!

[@gmonkman]

right, ocean it is