Complex sentence: Mindscape purchased a license to release a game based on the film "The Last Starfighter"; but rather than program a new game, Mindscape decided to take an easier route by recycling a program from an older, relatively obscure game.
Split into simpler sentences: Mindscape purchased a license to release a game based on the film "The Last Starfighter". Rather than program a new game, however, Mindscape decided to take an easier route by recycling a program from an older, relatively obscure game.