Ocean Program had a prolific history in dwelling console ports of arcade video games and licensed games dependent on franchises like RoboCop.
A legend of the gaming market has passed absent. David Ward, who aided identified Ocean Software package, has died at 75 years of age. Ocean Computer software was a prolific force in gaming in the 1990s, developing a significant library of printed and formulated arcade ports, licensed game titles, and even further titles.

Ward’s passing was declared by his son, who posted of his loss of life on May perhaps 9, 2022 by way of Twitter. There was no element on what triggered David Ward’s demise, but Ben Ward’s publishing of his father’s 12 months of beginning put David at 75 yrs previous.

“Sad to report that my father David Ward has died,” Ben wrote. “Born in 1947, he was a computer video games pioneer and father of six. We had a complex romantic relationship and we beloved each other. Will skip you, Pop.”


David Ward created Ocean Computer software with co-founder Jon Woods. It commenced as Spectrum Games and distributed clones of well known arcade game titles for the ZX81, ZX Spectrum, and VIC-20 dwelling laptop devices. Even so, David and Woods sooner or later rebranded to the iconic name and constructed an empire of household console ports of well-liked arcade video games like Arkanoid and Berzerk, as well as a huge library of licensed online games both formulated and published. Ocean’s efforts in gaming made some of the first and most effective games in franchises these as Batman, RoboCop, and Jurassic Park.

Ocean Program would eventually merge with Infogrames and be rebranded initial to Infogrames United Kingdom and then to Atari United Kingdom Minimal. The present rights and property of all the things Ocean Program was is now less than the control of Bandai Namco United kingdom.

Even so, Ocean Program was 1 of the most prolific publisher/developers of the 1990s and 1980s, earning awards during its existence in through the market. We have plenty of Batman and other DC game titles to glance forward to in the rapid foreseeable future, but Ocean was an early pioneer of the licensed gaming scene and Ward was one of the pathfinders that direct it there. Shacknews needs the most effective to Ward’s family members and mates during this time.
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