Matthew Smith talks at the CGEXPO 2004 1 of 8

[jesseowens]

he can't stand still for a whole second!

[Studas2006]

he spent his money on drugs. Wootwoot. Respect is due but drugs can only open your mind so far

[parkeyx]

yes the lad looks nervous

on another vid he looks like he is stoned or on acid lol...

i am wondering if that was his downfall.

but fair play to him . very clever lad and i would buzz off a chat with him...

he is a LEGEND! no dout about it

[malad1]

Got me into mining. Been unemployed since 1987.

[rudeydudey05]

Manic Miner was my fav Spectrum game, a game i still play from time to time.

[manicminer100]

Matthew Smith is responsible for my 27 year gaming addiction, I loved Manic Miner and have always wanted to meet Matt, maybe one day!

[capricious71]

The early 80s were a great time. It seemed like anyone could write a game and make a fortune. Of course, that wasn't true but what was made possible in just 48K is just incredible.

[leslielove]

hope to go to cge 2009

[sneakyalien]

Mathew seems very nervous giving this talk,seems a top guy though and genuinely nice.

He will always be remembered for creating some amazing games.

I hope he gets back in to coding because its a shame to let a great intelect go unused.

I personally think he has been through the mill-Hope he is ok.

[BinaryReader]

this guy is my personal hero and source of inspiration to code.

be ace to have a coffee and chat about software with him one day.

[bealerDSB]

alas - a sad story by the end.i'm sure Matthew wouldn't like some comments floating around.just goes to show you how the market of yesterday, and expecially today, can eat up a good idea and spit you out..

[khisanth75]

I never knew what he looked like until a few years ago, I was a bit gobsmacked to see what he was like. Made me feel very sad, total opposite of how i thought he would be.

Whilst Manic Miner/JSW are in my top ten best games ever i dont think he is a genius at all. A few games , of which only 2 were good doesnt make him a genius

[texluh]

I never thought Yak would look like he does - I always pictured him 35, short hair, big square glasses - but it didn't make me sad when I found out how he looked!

I think a couple of games - or even one - Can make you a genius or indicate that you're a genius. But in this case I think you are right. Certainly, Matthew has admitted that Manic Miner was liften from Miner 2049er. He took away the 'Donkey Kong' ladders, added crumbling platforms, and was very good and very creative with graphics.

[Edam3000]

Give Matthew Smith a woman.

That should help him out :D

(great guy, btw) :)

[malad1]

Thanks dude, me and my bro always played man miner. I was sht but he was good.

[holeintheleg]

... he may seem to have hit on hard times - I doubt it! - but precious few people have such an affect on so many others!! ... I don't know anyone who doesn't remember manic miner. most people aren't remembered for anything much, so this guy's done ok... great game! Interesting bloke too. kind a guy u'd want to have a pint with... him and francis bacon- that'd be interesting, and err... who else? how about matthew smith the painter!! incidentally, he was francis bacon's favourite painter...

[vapourmile]

I'm actually finding this quite distressing to watch. The memory I have of Matt Smith is the warm fuzzy guy in the woolly jumper as pictured on the Matthew Smith mystery web-page. I feel sorry that the designer of the most inspirational and pivotal games of his era should fall into poverty and hard times. A genius that went astray.

[GlassDarkly]

Hm well I think at the last report it couldnt be said that Matthew had fallen into "poverty" as such,(he's been working and giving the odd talk) however I do agree with you that its a shame that such great young talent wasnt a bigger(and more rewarded)name in the industry.

[ondagubben]

indeed, was he also behind jetpac?

[GlassDarkly]

No that was the Stamper boys, the brothers behind Ultimate Play the Game. Matthew's softography for the Spectrum covers only Manic Miner, Jet Set Willy 1, Styx by Bug Byte and he also did some of the graphics for Birds N the Bees I understand.

[seasonalspeccy]

Yeah, they ended up just a little bit richer! Mind you, they did actually own the company they worked for and were always more business-savvy. Interestingly though, they didn't actually release that many games either, but had a hit with practically every one.

[TR1Z10]

Then the Stamper brothers founded Rareware and during last year they left the industry, just few months before the release date of Jetpac Refuelled for XBLA. Chris and Tim are my favourite developers, they are really amazing!

[chriswyatt]

Ah, that explains why Jetpac made an appearance in Donkey Kong 64.

[GR0UCH0MARXIST]

@vapourmile

Yes, He is so nervous that it's uncomfortable to watch,

But you know what happens to Geniuses, Either they destroy themselves, or the world destroys them.

1. Being a genius, they can usually conceive of solutions or work-arounds to problems that stump everyone else, thus they get used to not needing to obey the rules. Then find a problem with no solution and no work-around and fall over, hard.

2.The nail that sticks up-gets hammered down !

Mr SMITH

I SALUTE YOU !

[mrgamer1]

thx for upload this.

[SlugThumper]

What a great guy. Wrote the best two Spectrum games. Fantastic programming and fantastic imagination.Hope I can buy him a pint one day.

[PaulHourican]

thank you SO much for this!

[GlassDarkly]

Hmm Yeah he's nervous. Clearly not a natural public speaker. I think though he finds his feet more and more as it goes on, and by the end in at the Q+A session was doing fine. An Interesting guy none the less. :)

[SPINNYFUCK]

He's well stressed out. Too much jungle juice!

[yaKC]

Absolutely classic video, had forgot about this :)

Thanks !