Jeff 'Yak' Minter (born in Reading, 22 April 1962) is an independent British video game designer and programmer. He is the founder of software house Llamasoft and has created dozens of games during his career. Minter's games are often arcade style shoot 'em ups. They often contain titular or in-game references demonstrating his fondness of ruminants (llamas, sheep, camels, etc.). Many of his programs also feature something of a psychedelic element, as in some of the earliest "light synthesizer" programs including his Trip-a-Tron.
Minter's works include Neon (2004), a music visualisation program built into the Xbox 360 console, and the video games Gridrunner, Tempest 2000, Space Giraffe (Xbox Live Arcade, 2007 and PC, 2008), and GoatUp (iOS 2011).
Minter had expressed an interest in programming computers from a young age. He wrote the game Deflex for the Commodore PET in 1979. However it would not be until a long illness during secondary school that Minter's talents would develop in any meaningful way. Following a 3-month stint in which Minter was restricted to lying on his back and was confined to his bed between November 1981 and January 1982, boredom led him to take up computer programming in earnest to pass the time.
LLamasoft, Inc. is a software company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company develops and markets software and services to model supply chain networks for potential service and cost benefits. Founded in 1998 by Donald Hicks and Toby Brzoznowski. In 2015 LLamasoft acquired IBM’s LogicTools supply chain applications business unit. The company employs 270 people and has satellite offices in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and North and South America.
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