Interceptor Micros

Software companies of the United Kingdom

Interceptor Micros, also known as Interceptor Software and later as Interceptor Group, was a British developer/publisher of video games for various 8 bit and 16 bit computer systems popular in Western Europe during the eighties and early nineties. In addition to publishing games and utilities under the Interceptor label the company ran a tape and later disc duplication business, a print shop and associated graphic design studio, manufactured dual size cassette tape cases under the Compact Case Company brand and published budget software under the Players and Players Premier labels, and a few full price titles under the premium Pandora label. The company was owned and operated by father and son team Julian and Richard Jones, out of various locations in and around the small town of Tadley, near Basingstoke in Hampshire, England. At the height of its success the company employed around thirty people, but fell victim to the 90's video game decline, and went out of business in the early nineties.

Richard and Julian's first foray into the computer games business is documented on the official Llamasoft web site with The Joneses and Jeff Minter forming a partnership in 1982. Although the Llamasoft account of the parties' short relationship and the events surrounding the dissolution of the partnership reflect Jeff Minter and his family's opinions, the key facts and dates do not seem to be in dispute. The Jones' and Minters' short lived partnership ended in September 1982. History has shown that neither parties' interest in the business suffered from the split, with Jeff retaining the Llamasoft name and the Joneses forming Interceptor. The company released several clones of arcade games but decided to focus on developing more original titles, as stricter copyright laws meant the clones could not be sold in the USA.

In 1987 Interceptor launched Pandora, a new premium priced label. Pandora released several games for 8 and 16 bit computers. Its first and most successful title was Into the Eagle's Nest, a Gauntlet style burst scroller set in a Nazi occupied castle. Other titles included Galdregon's Domain (1988), Xenomorph (1990), Outlands (1989) and Debut (1990). It is believed Debut (a complex planet simulator coupled with a side scroller action element) was one of the last titles to be published under the Pandora label, in December 1990.

In 1991 and 1992, during the waning days of the company several Atari ST and Amiga titles were released under the Fun Factory Brand. Titles included Twin Turbos (1991), Rebellion (1992), Slackskin and Flint (1992).

Richard Jones was the public face of the company, and Kevin Parker. Steve Briggs, Chris Johnson (who later worked for SEGA in San Francisco and as a Lead Producer at Zynga),