Martin Alper
Budget games pioneer
The founder of Mastertronic who proved games could sell at £1.99, revolutionising the UK software market and making gaming affordable for millions.
Overview
Martin Alper is the founder of Mastertronic, the company that proved games could be profitably sold at £1.99—a fraction of the standard price. His insight that low prices and high volume could work transformed the UK games market, making gaming affordable for millions and creating the budget games sector that would define 1980s British gaming.
Fast Facts
- Born: ~1950
- Founded: Mastertronic (1984)
- Innovation: £1.99 price point
- Distribution: Newsagents, petrol stations
- Merged: With Virgin (1988)
- Legacy: Budget games sector
The £1.99 Insight
Alper understood:
| Traditional | Mastertronic |
|---|---|
| £9.95 games | £1.99 games |
| Specialist shops | Newsagents |
| Considered purchase | Impulse buy |
| Low volume | High volume |
Why It Worked
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Pocket money price | Kids could afford |
| Impulse-friendly | See it, buy it |
| New retail | Newsagents = everywhere |
| Volume economics | Profit on units |
Mastertronic Strategy
Alper’s approach:
- Price point - Same as a magazine
- Distribution - Where people already went
- Quality - Variable but enough gems
- Volume - Move millions of units
Market Transformation
Mastertronic’s impact:
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Games = expensive | Games = affordable |
| Specialist retail | Mass market |
| Piracy appeal high | ”Why bother copying?” |
| Small market | Huge market |
Virgin Merger
In 1988:
- Mastertronic merged with Virgin Games
- Created Virgin Mastertronic
- Continued budget operation
- Eventually absorbed fully
Industry Influence
Alper’s model inspired:
- Other budget labels (Firebird, Codemasters)
- Re-release strategies
- Mass-market thinking
- Price as marketing tool
Legacy
Martin Alper democratised gaming. His insight that price determined market size—not the other way around—created an entire sector and made gaming accessible to millions who couldn’t afford full-price releases. The budget market he created sustained UK gaming through the 1980s.