Retro Gamer speaks to Team 17, the developers behind everyone's favourite homicidal invertebrates

Andy Davidson may have created Worms, but what of the development house that believed in Davidson’s project enough to develop it into one of the biggest franchises in UK gaming history? That company was Team17, a UK Wakefield-based studio more famous for the likes of Alien Breed and Superfrog before it became synonymous with Worms.

As has now become the stuff of gaming legend, Team17 first encountered Worms in September 1994 at the European Computer Trade Show. A 21-year-old Davidson was demoing what was then known as Total Wormage. Also at the show was Team17 director Martyn Brown. “I think that Andy did a great job of selling the game really; he spoke with a refreshing energy and passion about the game. It was fairly rudimentary visually and technically, but it was clear in a few minutes that there was something about it, something that would really appeal. I liked it a ton, although I obviously never considered at that point that it would ever develop into a world-renowned franchise; it was 1994 and the idea of videogame franchises was still quite rare.” Davidson and Team17 soon joined forces, working together to finish Worms. “When Andy came in house”, continues Brown, “the game was perhaps something like 60 per cent complete and obviously it’s a game that begs suggestions and neat touches. Many of these were discussed during its development here and I’d like to think that the people playing the game were hugely contributory in terms of features and design, and that Andy took a lot of that on board. If I’m honest, I don’t feel that they’re always hugely acknowledged, but there you go.”

Team17 originally intended to release Worms at a budget price, although that idea didn’t last very long once the world began to realise just how special the game was. “The original plan was to release the game on our highly successful lower-price-point range of Amiga titles”, confirms Brown. “However, the more we played it, the more interest it got, the more time and money went into honing it and so on. Once Ocean Software got involved, a huge marketing budget was applied (as well as console conversions) and the price simply couldn’t stay as a budget game when £1 million was spent in marketing.” That £1 million was money well spent, as Worms went on to achieve enormous critical and commercial success. Game magazines and players alike raved about brilliant multiplayer mechanics as well as the zany humour, as the title went on to sell an incredible number of copies and garnered many industry awards.

Worms changed the fate of both Davidson and Team17 forever. A smart contractual agreement between the pair ensured that Davidson could walk away from the franchise at any time, safe in the knowledge that he could live off the sales royalties of the original game as well as any future sequels, while Team17 retained the rights to the property and could produce as many follow-ups as it wished – an agreement that has arguably kept the developer afloat during a time when so many others have fallen by the wayside.

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