Famine was headline news around the world in the 1980s. But as the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ethiopia became apparent, Rod Cousens of British publisher Quicksilva resolved to do something about it. “The pictures were harrowing,” Cousens recalls. “To sit idly by was not an option. Watching Bob Geldof mobilise the music industry into action led me to believe the video game industry could be similarly galvanised.”
Thus began his work in launching the charity compilation Soft Aid for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64, released in 1985. “There was widespread willingness to help,” says Cousens, “so it became a logistical process involving rights holders, software publishers, developers, platform holders, retailers, distributors, magazines, manufacturers, printers, accounting firms, etc. And in rapid time we were able to get everyone on board.”…
