The 8-Bit Guy
David Murray (known online as The 8-Bit Guy) is an American web-based video producer for YouTube and game developer for retro home computers. He is known for discussing old electronics and how they function, how they compare to modern-day counterparts, and what they are capable of.
The 8-Bit Guy | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | David Murray | ||||||
| Residence | Dallas, TX | ||||||
| Website | the8bitguy.com | ||||||
| YouTube information | |||||||
| Channel | |||||||
| Years active | 11 years | ||||||
| Subscribers | 789,334 (Oct. 19, 2018) | ||||||
| Total views | 104,176,856 (Oct. 19, 2018) | ||||||
| Associated acts | Lazy Game Reviews, Nostalgia Nerd, Techmoan, Modern Vintage Gamer, Benjamin Heckendorn | ||||||
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| (Formerly known as The iBook Guy) | |||||||
History
In 2007, David Murray found a bulk lot of iBook G3 laptops online and decided to purchase them. He learned how to repair the computers, and he upgraded the hard drive and the memory of the computers since he already had the laptops disassembled. After his reparations, David sold the laptops on the classified advertisements website Craigslist, and on internet auction website eBay. He made a profit from the sale of the lot, so he began buying more lots to refurbish and sell. As the original iBook G3 systems became harder to find, he eventually moved to the newer iBook G3 Snow and IBook G4 systems, and then eventually to the MacBooks. He gave himself the alias "iBookGuy" for his business.
His side business proved successful. Rather than buying any computer type available, he decided to only buy certain iBook models. This allowed him to obtain many parts for the models he bought and be able to use them often in other systems of the same type. By only working with one or two types of computer at a time, he also became adept at servicing them quickly.
He looked for ways to reduce fees from eBay and other sources which lowered the profit of his business. He realized that selling them directly from his website would decrease sale prices and increase profits. However, he needed a way to draw attention to the site. So he created a YouTube channel with how-to videos relating to the computers he sold. Unfortunately, while the channel did well on YouTube, it attracted few customers to the site.
Around 2011, sales were stagnating and the profit margin was decreasing. The price of MacBooks were falling so fast that he could no longer flip them at a profit, so he closed the business.
After closing the computer buisiness, David had much more time available. He noticed that his YouTube channel was gaining popularity, so he decided to monetize it and began creating more videos. After about a year, he had enough money to invest in better equipment and convert one of his unused rooms into a studio for the channel.
Over time, the channel’s content moved from iBooks and MacBooks to more mainstream concepts. This expansion lead to his channel gaining many new subscribers. In 2015[1], as the channel seldom featured videos regarding iBooks anymore, David decided to change the name of his channel to “The 8-Bit Guy” to reflect its change in material.[2]
8-Bit Keys
8-Bit Keys is a secondary channel where David reviews vintage keyboards, synthesizers, and retro music hardware, usually toy or amateur. It was established on Jul 25, 2015.[3][4]
Software Development
David has developed various games for Commodore machines previously, but his first major project, which released in 2017, was Planet X2 for the Commodore 64.[5] It is a real-time strategy game, often considered the first for the platform.[6] It was a success given its small niche market, selling 500 copies. This far exceeded his expectations for the game. The game’s success led to the development of a MS-DOS port; however, it later transitioned into the game's sequel: Planet X3, which had a successful Kickstarter campaign on June 4th raising $113,640 from a pledge of $30,000. [7] David plans to support XT-class machines (with the exception of the VGA version which requires a Intel 80286 clocked at 16 Mhz) and the Tandy 1000 line of computers (including sound and graphics hardware).
| Year | Title | Genre | Platforms | Description | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Planet X1 | Real-time strategy game | Commodore VIC-20 | Unreleased, but playable with a 32k RAM expansion | [8] |
| 2015 | PETdraw | Graphics editor | Commodore 64, Plus/4, 16, PET 4032 & 8032 | Drawing program that allows for the creation of PETSCII artwork | [9] |
| 2016 | SIDkeys | Music creation | Commodore 64 | Music player that allows direct control over the SID chip. | [9] |
| 2017 | Planet X2 | Real-time strategy game | Commodore 64 | The sequel to Planet X1, this is David’s first major release. | [6] |
| 2019 | Planet X3 | Real-time strategy game | MS-DOS | Upcoming sequel to Planet X2. | [7] |
Controversy
On May 31, 2017, David uploaded a video titled "Relabelling and Restoring Game Cartridges"[10] where he explored various methods of relabeling tattered ROM cartridges. In the video, he explained his stance on relabelling. The video reignited a controversy among collectors whether or not one should restore vintage cartridges.[11][12]
References
- ↑ Murray, David. "How Oldschool Sound/Music Worked". Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ↑ Murray, David. "8Bit Guy: About - The 8-Bit Guy". Retrieved December 19, 2017.
- ↑ Murray, David. "8-Bit Keys - YouTube". Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ↑ Murray, David. "8Bit Guy: About - The 8-Bit Guy". Retrieved October 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Planet X2 Finished! - The 8-Bit Guy". The 8-Bit Guy. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Planet X2 has been released. Possibly the Commodore 64's first and only RTS game". ResetEra. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Planet X3 for MS-DOS". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
- ↑ The 8-Bit Guy (2009-11-07), Planet X1 documentary, retrieved 2018-09-14
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "David's Software - The 8-Bit Guy". The 8-Bit Guy. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
- ↑ The 8-Bit Guy (2017-05-31), Relabelling and Restoring Cartridge Games, retrieved 2018-09-13
- ↑ Jackson, Gita. "YouTube Video Sparks Debate About Relabeling Vintage Cartridges". Kotaku. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
- ↑ Pat the NES Punk (2017-06-14), Repro Labels on Retro Game Carts - What's the Issue? #CUPodcast, retrieved 2018-09-14
External links
8-Bit Keys channel Category:Articles created via the Article Wizard
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