Tank Commander

• Title — Tank Commander • Developer — Big Red Software • Publisher — Domark • Platforms — MS-DOS • Released — April 1995 • Genre — Vehicle simulation • Modes — Single-player, multiplayer

Tank Commander was developed by UK studio Big Red Software for publisher Domark. In 1993, the two companies had formed a partnership after Big Red cut ties with Codemasters and shifted focus from console games to PC games. Tank Commander was Big Red's most expensive project to date, costing £80,000. The developer's Paul Ranson stated that the team never intended the game to be a hyper realistic simulation like those of MicroProse, wanting instead to essentially "write a version of Battlezone for the 90s" with a focus on action while still containing strategic undertones. Ranson elaborated that they wished to add excitement to the typically "boring" nature of real-life tank warfare by including an array of exotic weaponry not normally associated with the vehicle. 3D assets including soldiers were also made larger relative to the tank to give them more detail. For the basis of its tank graphics, Big Red received technical assistance from British engineering firm Vickers, the manufacturer of the Challenger 1 tank. However, artists were prohibited from looking inside the Challenger, so the game's designs were mostly fabricated. Big Red was simultaneously working with very early 3D computer graphics cards from Yamaha and a variety of virtual reality headsets. The first consumer iterations of these headsets were tested using Tank Commander. The game was released in April 1995. Big Red was purchased by Domark shortly thereafter. Domark itself was purchased by the larger Eidos Interactive which commissioned a sequel to Tank Commander, but it was ultimately cancelled.