Games industry veteran Martyn Brown has died aged 57.
He spent over 35 years working in video games and is best known for his time at Team17, which he co-founded in 1990. During his time at the publisher and developer, Brown helped direct, produce and create over 50 video games. including the iconic Worms and Alien Breed series.
In the years since Team17, Brown formed the consulting group Insight For Hire and has supported studios such as Double Eleven, Exient and New Star Games. He also helped set up Activision’s mobile studio, The Blast Furnace, in Leeds in 2012.
As well as working directly with the studios, he was an influential figure in the formation of northern England networking group game Republic in 2003.
He is survived by his sons Jack, Harry, stepdaughter Darcy and his wife Heather.
“Martyn passed away peacefully in his sleep at 8:17 a.m. on December 28, 2024, surrounded by his family, after a prolonged battle with a series of strokes,” Jack Brown wrote. “Know that you went out on your own terms listening to your favorite music and surrounded by your loved ones.”
Friends and industry colleagues have posted numerous tributes over the past two days.
“Martyn was a very friendly and fun person,” game Republic CEO Jamie Sefton wrote and shared with GameIndustry.biz.
“He was the first to welcome me to game Republic, which he co-founded in 2003, and was very generous with his help, advice and contacts. We shared a love of arcade machines and also Leeds United football club and watched many games together. We presented Martyn with our GR Games Legend award just a few weeks ago and he was very pleased to receive it. Martyn was a Yorkshire and industry legend not only for Team17 but also for his incredible support and help for many more developers and people. in the games. .RIP my friend.”
Cooperative Innovations chief executive Simon Barratt said he had become close friends with Martyn Brown over the past 19 years and was the person the industry will miss the most.
“We had some amazing times on trips to Galway (an annual pilgrimage for his birthday), Perudo games, houseboats in Sausalito, taking over people’s phones and trips to Hull vs Leeds matches. Martyn brought humor, warmth and down-to-earth (sometimes brutal) advice and camaraderie wherever he went. Martyn’s impact through Team17, Insight For Hire, Blast Furnace and New Star Games, as well as his contribution to game Republic, he is legendary but he is the person who really made life a little more fun.”
video game lawyer Tommy Persson shared a tribute on Facebook after frequently meeting Brown at various video game events. “How funny, so generous, always the light of a party, always naughty,” he wrote. “video game conferences around the world will be much less entertaining and fun without you.”
Former video game PR leader and leadership coach Caroline Stokes agreed: “Martyn cared. And as we all know, it was a lot of fun,” she wrote.
“The last time we spoke, before the pandemic in San Francisco (at a bar), he shared some concerns about the industry and out of nowhere, as a man who ‘could see through things,’ he said some very nice things about what I did for and with people in the industry and that my path was good and that I would continue forward.
“She’s the only person I’ve ever met in my life, besides my grandmother, who could talk soul to soul. Northern soul. I felt blessed to have had that conversation.”
Business development veteran Chris Buckley said that after he immigrated to Canada, Brown frequently messaged him when he flew over where he was moving to.
“I met Martyn in 2000 and then saw him at every show somewhere in the world for the next 20 years. What sad news, thank you for always being you, being a friend and, well, the industry has lost a legend.” .
There are numerous stories of Brown’s unsolicited support and encouragement. Robert Troughton, game lead at Pitbull Studios, Coconut Lizard, Epic Games and more, remembers meeting him in a London pub during the early days of Pitbull Studios’ formation.
“Martyn offered me great advice and really helped me a lot in those early days,” he explained.
“He was always, always happy to help with advice, introductions and very easy to talk to, no matter who you were. A real person and much loved by everyone, whether apprentice or seasoned veteran. I remember at Develop in Brighton, I was so excited to take a photo with Notch, who had actually just made it big with Minecraft… and I say “but… you’re Martyn Brown. I should ask for your photo! Huge, huge loss to the UK gaming industry. ”
Industry veteran Kirsty Payne continued: “He had a great sense of fun, he was extremely mischievous, totally fun-loving but also kind, considerate and always looked out for his friends and kept in touch with everyone.
“When he visited me… he brought me the best pork pies and scotch eggs and the only cross words we had over the years were over #HandbagGate when he hid a plate full of fish goujons in my bag at the party. launch of the London Games Festival. …I opened my bag at a meeting the next day and found a horrible stench and my bag was ruined now I find it funny, but I didn’t find it very funny at the time.
“Needless to say, the lovely Martyn sent me a beautiful new leather bag as an apology… I’m going to look for that bag he bought me about 20 years ago, and I’ll appreciate it even more now. Goodbye, lovely, lovely man “.
