Vault Entry
[📷 suggested: photo of Hewson tape and disk packaging]
Overview
Founded by Andrew Hewson in 1980, Hewson Consultants nurtured solo developers and small teams at a time when many publishers churned out quick conversions. The company embraced original concepts and documented their makers in magazines, creating a feedback loop between readers and rising stars.
Fast facts
- Signature releases: Paradroid, Uridium, Cybernoid, Stormlord.
- Talent roster: Andrew Braybrook, Steve Turner, Raffaele Cecco, and more.
- Distribution: Combination of retail, mail order, and aggressive international licensing deals.
Lesson connections
- BASIC Blocks 2 and 3 cite Hewson titles when covering scrolling, collision, and state machines.
- Transition course examples use Hewson’s assembly-heavy games to explain why BASIC alone couldn’t match arcade speed.
- Assembly Act III references their production process as a case study in solo dev pipelines.
Legacy
After the 8-bit boom cooled, Hewson’s staff launched 16-bit successors like 21st Century Entertainment. Their belief in auteur developers remains a template for modern indie publishers.