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TIL Peter Molyneux failed his first game so badly he started a baked bean export company, which got confused with a software firm and kickstarted his development career(en.wikipedia.org)

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dbilitated@aussie.zone
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After his first game venture failed, Peter Molyneux started a baked bean export business. Commodore International mistakenly offered him ten free Amiga systems because they confused the baked bean company’s name “Taurus” with a software company “Torus”, and he used the hardware to create a database system for the Amiga, which was successful.

Which is just such a weird story.

Full text of the paragraph:

Due to the game’s failure, Molyneux retreated from game design, and started Taurus Impex Limited—a company that exported baked beans to the Middle East—with his business partner Les Edgar.[5][6] Commodore International mistook it for Torus, a more established company that produced networking software, and offered to provide Molyneux with ten[5] free Amiga systems to help in porting “his” networking software.[2][7] Molyneux later said “it suddenly dawned on me that this guy didn’t know who we were. I suddenly had this crisis of conscience. I thought, ‘If this guy finds out, there go my free computers down the drain.’ So I just shook his hand and ran out of that office.”[2] Taurus designed a database system for the Amiga called Acquisition – The Ultimate Database for The Amiga[5] and, after clearing up the misunderstanding with Commodore, released the program to moderate success.

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fbmac@lemmy.fbmac.net
2 points

Bullfrog was my all time favorite game company, they made:

  • Syndicate
  • Magic Carpet
  • Theme Park
  • Theme Hospital
  • Dungeon Keeper

After EA bought Bullfrog he moved to Lionhead and did the games people are criticizing on this thread. They are probably younger, and didn’t see his games when he was at his peak

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Queen HawlSera@lemm.ee
7 points

Shit like this is why I believe in fate.

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Margot Robbie@lemm.ee
29 points

Why is it that everything that happens on Lemmy revolves around Star Trek and beans?

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dbilitated@aussie.zoneOP
4 points
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i had no idea about the beans, it’s been a confusing education and i won’t do it again 😬

edit: perhaps it’s bean a confusing education, i don’t even know anymore

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Comment105@lemm.ee
6 points
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The moment I read this comment, Julian on Trailer Park Boys started talking about beans on my second screen. (Yes, really, S8E2@15:30)

It must be a sign

Someone should make a movie about this, Matrix/Inception vibes.

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CmdrShepard@lemmy.one
1 point

I just minutes ago finished up the new season of Disenchantment before coming across this post. The main character’s name is Bean.

I also had a taco salad for lunch today and one of the main ingredients was… beans.

This is spooky.

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Margot Robbie@lemm.ee
3 points

Someone should make a movie about this

Are you trying to astroturf me into making this movie? Gasp. 😊

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Comment105@lemm.ee
2 points

Yes, and not subtly either

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Indolence@lemm.ee
79 points

I like how his reaction to a “crisis of conscience” is to continue to lie to the person, fraudulently take home all this super valuable technology, and then somehow use this bit of immoral bullshit to actually make something decent. It’s like a microcosm of his whole character/career.

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Agent641@lemmy.world
40 points

I like how his reaction to failure at game dev was to pivot to beans.

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walderan@sh.itjust.works
1 point
Deleted by creator
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MyNameIsIgglePiggle@sh.itjust.works
2 points

He is like a reformed jack and the Beanstalk, except this time he was immoral

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XTornado@lemmy.ml
2 points

Waiting for the movie.

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roguetrick@kbin.social
16 points
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make something decent

But importantly, not what was asked for/promised.

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And009@reddthat.com
12 points

Faked it till he kinda made it

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Agent641@lemmy.world
7 points

Fake it til you bake it (beans, that is)

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reflex@kbin.social
11 points
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After his first game venture failed, Peter Molyneux started a baked bean export business. Commodore International mistakenly offered him ten free Amiga systems . . . .

Molyneux’s fate like, Get over here!

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