Michael Simms (software developer)

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

Michael Simms
Born8 May 1973
Leicester, England
OccupationLGP Business Adviser, Linux Game Publishing
EmployerWcities (2000–2001)
CEO Tux Games (2000–2012)
CEO and Head of Development Linux Game Publishing (2001–2012)

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 1 January 2000, selling its first title on 3 January.[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 15 October 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 31 January 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
18 September 2009 Shadowgrounds Survivor Linux Game Publishing PHB and Programming
16 September 2009 Shadowgrounds Linux Game Publishing PHB and Programming
15 September 2009 Majesty: Gold Edition r2 Linux Game Publishing PHB and Additional Programming
9 April 2009 Sacred: Gold Edition Linux Game Publishing PHB and Programming
29 January 2009 Jets'n'Guns Linux Game Publishing PHB and Additional Programming
5 December 2008 X3: Reunion Linux Game Publishing PHB and Programming
7 June 2007 Ballistics Linux Game Publishing PHB and Programming
13 March 2007 Knights and Merchants: The Shattered Kingdom Linux Game Publishing PHB and Additional Programming
4 August 2006 Cold War Linux Game Publishing PHB
15 June 2006 Gorky 17 Linux Game Publishing PHB
30 May 2006 X2: The Threat Linux Game Publishing PHB and Developer
24 June 2005 Soul Ride Linux Game Publishing PHB
4 February 2005 Postal²: Share The Pain Linux Game Publishing PHB
10 January 2005 Software Tycoon Linux Game Publishing PHB
15 April 2003 Majesty: Gold Edition Linux Game Publishing PHB
13 December 2002 MindRover: The Europa Project Linux Game Publishing PHB
16 August 2000 Descent³ Loki Software Beta Tester
7 May 1999 Civilization: Call to Power Loki Software Beta Tester

Open source projects
Date of Release Title Company Credited for
20 August 2006 Grapple (network layer) Linux Game Publishing Programming
gollark: ++exec --test-flag```test-langtest-code```
gollark: ++exec --test-flag```test-langtest-code```
gollark: ++exec --test-flag```test-langtest-code```
gollark: ++exec --test-flag```test-langtest-code```
gollark: ++exec --test-flag```test-langtest-code```

See also

References
  1. A closed source company’s CEO’s view on open source Archived 2012-04-22 at the Wayback Machine Linux Game Publishing Blog, June 29, 2009 (Article by Michael Simms)
  2. Michael Simms’s Experience Archived 2012-07-15 at Archive.today LinkedIn
  3. MobyGames, Descent 3 - Linux beta testers
  4. Bringing Windows games to Linux TechRadar, 10 August 2009 (Interview by Graham Morrison)
  5. LGP History pt 2: The Early Days Archived 2011-08-12 at the Wayback Machine 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)
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