Michael Simms (software developer)


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

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. Between 2000 and 2001 he also worked at Wcities in London as a Lead product architect. Simms was a beta tester for Loki Software's Linux ports of and Descent 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. The website went live ten seconds after midnight on 1 January 2000, selling its first title on 3 January. 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. He likes to play Majesty and other strategy games.
On 31 January 2012 Simms announced that he was stepping down as CEO and handing over control to Clive Crous.

Games credited

Date of ReleaseTitleCompanyCredited for
18 September 2009Shadowgrounds SurvivorLinux Game PublishingPHB and Programming
16 September 2009ShadowgroundsLinux Game PublishingPHB and Programming
15 September 2009'Linux Game PublishingPHB and Additional Programming
9 April 2009Sacred: Gold EditionLinux Game PublishingPHB and Programming
29 January 2009Jets'n'GunsLinux Game PublishingPHB and Additional Programming
5 December 2008'Linux Game PublishingPHB and Programming
7 June 2007BallisticsLinux Game PublishingPHB and Programming
13 March 2007'Linux Game PublishingPHB and Additional Programming
4 August 2006Cold WarLinux Game PublishingPHB
15 June 2006Gorky 17Linux Game PublishingPHB
30 May 2006'Linux Game PublishingPHB and Developer
24 June 2005Soul RideLinux Game PublishingPHB
4 February 2005Postal²: Share The PainLinux Game PublishingPHB
10 January 2005Software TycoonLinux Game PublishingPHB
15 April 2003'Linux Game PublishingPHB
13 December 2002MindRover: The Europa ProjectLinux Game PublishingPHB
16 August 2000Descent³Loki SoftwareBeta Tester
7 May 1999'Loki SoftwareBeta Tester

Open source projects

Date of ReleaseTitleCompanyCredited for
20 August 2006Grapple Linux Game PublishingProgramming