Revolution Software is a studio that has a reputation for developing quality point-and-click adventures like Broken Sword, Beneath A Steel Sky, and Lure Of The Temptress. It's been around ever since the early '90s and has had the same logo (or at least a variation of it) for pretty much its entire existence.
This logo depicts a group of knights positioned against the backdrop of a setting sun and was the product of a collaboration with a graphic design firm local to the studio in Hull. We've always wondered what inspired this fairly elaborate logo, and recently thanks to two of the company's co-founders Tony Warriner and Charles Cecil, we finally got an answer to our question.
Speaking to Time Extension, the two co-founders revealed that the logo was actually inspired by John Boorman's 1981 film Excalibur. This is a medieval epic starring Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, and Helen Mirren, and retells the legend of King Arthur, from pulling the sword Excalibur out of the stone to become king of England to his fateful battle against the villainous Mordred with his few remaining knights.
Tony Warriner tells Time Extension:
"The logo itself was drawn by a local graphic design firm here in Hull - we forget who. More interesting is the origin of the idea. Basically, Charles and I were obsessed with the 80's movie, Excalibur. If you watch it (don't, it's not aged well) you will see a scene where a bunch of knights stand in front of a red setting sun, hoisting a flag. Voila - Rev's logo."
Cecil, meanwhile, added:
"I had just arrived at University in 1981, and the film Excalibur was being shown at the student union. I was absolutely blown away - but I was excited by the opening scene, in particular, which had knights riding over a hill in semi-darkness - they come to a halt, and we see the steam from the noses of their panting horses. There is huge tension - and then all hell breaks loose. Actually the film hasn't really stood the test of time - but I still think that that first scene is magnificent! A decade later, after deciding on the name Revolution for our new company (independently of the film), that cinematic moment returned and was used as direction for the person who created our logo."
If you want to see the scene for yourself that inspired the iconic logo, you can watch it below. Also, on the off chance you happened to have worked in a graphic design firm in Hull back in the early '90s, please do get in touch! (Hey, you can't blame us for trying!).