Theescapist 087.Pdf

perhaps we just weren’t yet ready for never had a taste for the lure of For all the escapism involved I want to their ideas. Because they have made the disemboweled teenagers. But in gaming sometimes face what a rifle bullet first of something that’s so outdated, I want gore. I want the mess because it through the skull really does look like, so now, that their groundbreaking reminds me of what’s really going on. I can be sick and glad and move on to What does one say about Rainmakers? contribution is often overlooked. the next episode. These are the people that have so I like to be occasionally reminded profoundly affected their realm of work But that makes them no less important hacking at a mostly unarmored, and - Beretta with their ideas, innovations and and special. And it is for this reason The frequently nearly-naked, human body products that they are nearly Escapist brings to you this week’s issue, would result in horrific wounds. We, In response to “Be Men, Not synonymous with it. Personal “Rainmakers.” These are the stories of myself and the game’s own developers, Destroyers” from The Escapist computing? Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. five great names in the interactive need to be reminded on occasion that Forum: I managed to play through the Immunology/microbiology? Louis entertainment realm, stories you should underlying the pursuit of perfected first half of SCMRPG and found it rather Pasteur. Civil Rights? Rosa Parks and know. Our writers share with you stories violence is death. It’s not a spiritual ... enjoyable, er, informative. I believe Martin Luther King, Jr.. Physics? Albert and histories of Ralph Baer, Joe Ybarra, evolution or philosophical abstract, it’s that the game does a great job at Einstein. Really, all of them speak for Gunpei Yokoi, Steve Pavlina and Peter perfecting the conversion of some providing human motivations to the themselves. Molyneux. Enjoy! cheeky leathervixen into a steaming pile killers’ actions, and I think that by playing of sundered anatomy. them, we even get a better image. Some And yet, there are many unsung heroes Cheers, of the gameplay mechanics were for those fields that are small or young I love Soul Calibur, but whipping a 25lbs extremely annoying though such as or so highbrow that the masses are not razor-edged slab of steel into someone avoiding hall monitors to go plant the aware of them, or simply do not doesn’t make them bounce. Same with bombs in the cafeteria. I also feel that the understand. And within each industry, shooters. violence continued on for too long, and I there are several more Rainmakers had trouble finding a trigger to end it. whose achievements are known only to I haven’t killed anyone in real life, and those … well, in The Know. despite the occasional vitrolic diatribe When I got to the second part of the driven by some new political shennigan I game, I just turned the game off Why? have no real drive to do so. But every so immediately as from the first few In response to “Be Men, Not often I need to be back in touch with what minutes of playing in it, I felt it lost all Destroyers” from The Escapist Because they are still busily working, the violence really creates, to be forced to value worth playing. Forum: I find I have a need I have a heads down over their work, in the face that I’m tearing at the canvas of hard time defending. I like gore in my trenches. Because they have been taken humanity’s own image with my brutally - Slybok games. I’m not a slaughter flick fan, from the world all too soon. Because quick reticule and snap head-shots. In response to “Creative Hari-Kari” from developers. However, in these Unlike books, games allow (require) you from The Escapist Forum: So, on the cases, the legal agreement that you to define the means of interaction, which issue of protecting your game, I know a lot must agree to when submitting your opens up lots of new venues for of publishers don’t accept unsolicited game game states clearly that 1) they could be invention. Books, legally, are fairly proposals, because if elements from the working on a similar game, and 2) there simple. You have copyright protection, given proposal work their way into other is no real protection for the game and that’s about it. Of course, it’d also games from that publisher, it would be a developer. Submitting a design is just pretty difficult to disguise one book as lawsuit waiting to happen. Is there a similar telling someone your idea, and there is another... By the time you’ve done that, fear of misconstrued infringement with no kind of agreement or protection you might as well have written the book (relatively) solicited proposals? And, if so, (aside from copyright protection) for from scratch. In games, I would say it’s do you think that this is enough protection doing that. easier to plagarize game mechanics. for a freelance developer? Tracking down the geneology of ideas or It’s not a lot of protection for a freelance interactions is a pretty daunting task. Your article demonstrates that there are developer. The problem is, I can The controversies over the modern publishers who are reluctant to deal with understand why publishers are so shy of Graphical User Interface which involved developers who take extra steps to NDAs and such. In many cases it’s just Xerox PARC/Apple/Microsoft/etc. would protect their games, but are there best to avoid legal issues altogether than be one example of the kind of conflict an publishers out there (no need to name to get into a fight which involves exposed idea can create. names) who’ll screw over developers lawyers. One bad lawsuit at the wrong who don’t take steps to protect their time could probably sink a publisher. - Blake work? You say it’s more like book publishing than invention; did you I think there are a lot of similarities uncover any trends about what between book writing and game design. segments of the industry are more like By nature both are big, long-term, which model? creative endevors. Though the medium is very different, the role of a publisher - Bongo Bill is pretty similar (albeit with a few extra hurdles). I also think manuscripts are Author’s Reply: I do think there is that like unfinished game designs. There are same amount of fear of semi-solicited some interesting manuscripts out there, game proposals. A few publishers do but finding them amidst the drivel is a actively seek game design documents daunting task. White are best associated with his style Peter Molyneux: Since the acquisition, and creative passions. I’ve been able to focus far more on game design. I’ve always had two roles at It’s unanimous within critical circles that Lionhead - one as the head of the Molyneux has been an influential innovator company and the other as head of when it comes to game design. It’s also design. While we were independent, been lobbed that, at his worst, quite a there was a huge amount of work number of his games have turned out to needed to run a company of 200 people. be failed, though interesting, experiments. Now [that] we’re a part of Microsoft, there is a huge team of people in In April 2006, Microsoft purchased Redmond helping me to do that. This has Lionhead Studios. Molyneux founded enabled me to focus much more on Fable Lionhead in 1997, after leaving another 2 and our other super secret game. game development firm he founded, Bullfrog Productions. Despite its being TE: Early in your career, starting with absorbed by the Microsoft collective, he Populous, the concept of the “god game” still remains with the company. became synonymous with you. This label has been also ascribed to your most Over the 2006 holiday season, the “god recent titles - like Black & White - and To say Peter Molyneux is a moral game of god games” took a moment to reflect with your overall game design sensibility. developer is to be interpreted literally. with The Escapist on the approaching Though there have always been games The idea of incorporating morality - the 25-year mark of his career. Blessed be made by others that featured “god-like” choices one makes between “good” and the gamer with the power to be divine, game play, why is it that your games get “bad” behavior and the results of such so giveth Molyneux. that label the most? Or, do you think it’s personal actions - into gameplay has not valid? fascinated him throughout his career. The Escapist: Since Microsoft’s While his work spans various genres acquisition of Lionhead, what have your PM: My games Populous, Powermonger, (either as designer, programmer or day-to-day duties been? Are you still Theme Park, Black & White and The producer), he is most known for his “god actively involved in game design? Movies are obviously strongly god games,” of which Populous and Black & games. Other games such as Syndicate, Magic Carpet and Fable are not. So I’ve done more god games than any other over the Left Behind PC game, which PM: I think it’s easier to create a story genre. But it is kind of my dream to makes any controversy that Populous had and character around fixed morals in the bring elements of god games to games - over its “savior” character - back in its case of story-based games. like Fable, and I’d like to think, although day very minor in comparison. it is not strictly a god game, you can still Will’s games are some of the most brilliant [play] elements of a god game in it. PM: I think religion is an intrinsic part of ever created. II think it would be easy for the world and part of our evolution. him to create a moral game, but he has TE: Personally, what about games where What is fascinating is that every culture chosen not to do this for perhaps very the player can determine the morality has its own interpretation of religion, and good gameplay reasons. Will’s games are and guide the lives of other beings that religion has featured throughout interesting, because most of his games appeals to you? Basically, why do you history. As cave drawings show, even as are based on current issues and about like “playing God”? early as then primitive man had his own characters you create. He does, however, perception of religion. The problem with allow you to do some unspeakably vicious PM: Morality is a fascinating issue. The religion is that it is one of the easiest things to your characters! greatest of all fantasies, in my book, is ways to offend the vast majority of being able to play [a] god in world that people, and so any videogame, whether TE: How do you feel about the criticism recognizes you as that. A world where it be Populous or Left Behind, has to that a number of your games “over- morality changes around you and which realize that any reference or treatment promised” compared to the final product starts to craft itself around what an of religion is risky, to say the least. (e.g., Fable), which critics felt lacked a individual player is like, rather than bit in gameplay? expect players to be a certain type of TE: Your fellow contemporary Will Wright character. I guess my long-term ambition has made a name for himself with games PM: Fable proved to be a really hard is that morals in a game are constantly that, in their essence, are “god games” game to finish, because we had never shaped by the person playing it, which as well - especially The Sims and Spore. done an RPG before and had never ever kind of means that the player is more But his body of work appears to lack the done a console game before, and we like a god. morality-as-gameplay element seen in were under a great deal of pressure at your best-known titles. What are your the end. TE: What’s your feeling about religion and thoughts about this? videogames, and the likely controversy TE: Is this the result of you having to surrounding it? There’s been recent fuss balance between needing to promote a sponsored by game early in its development vs. what PM: Part of the reason for our PC past is generation is the most fascinating of all. the finished title turns out to be? where we started game development. For me, personally, the fact that a huge Populous began on the Amiga and number of consoles are now connected PM: I do get into an awful lot of trouble for moved to the PC, and this was our home to each other, connecting players to doing this. It’s just that I get so passionate for a very long time. friends and the world, is a huge deal for and excited when I’m explaining a game to me. I think that we are seeing the seeds anyone, be they a journalist or someone I TE: Did you feel the game consoles of what will be a huge change in gaming just met down the pub. The root of this is released over the past two decades over the next 10 years. probably that I genuinely want to create lacked the capabilities to present the the best game ever, but such a statement kind of games you wanted to make? TE: What can you reveal about your top- PM: I still have to pinch myself that people requires an explanation about how this will secret project - if not a title or game still want to hear what I have to say. be possible. PM: It wasn’t that we didn’t like concept, at least the theme or idea consoles, but it seemed a very long behind it? Maybe the reason for that is that I am I have tried to “restrain” myself in recent stretch from PC to console development. still as enthusiastic about computer interviews, but found it really hard to Then came the Xbox, and I could see PM: The only thing I can reveal is that games as ever, and that enthusiasm is, I answer a simple question like “Why are that this console shared many I’m developing something new. There hope, what comes across when people you doing Fable 2?” without launching characteristics with a PC, and so it was a are two teams at Lionhead, one of which talk to me. If I ever lost that, the best into a detailed explanation. When I meet very familiar development environment. is working on Fable 2 and the other thing to do would be to lock me in the with the team, usually I say, “Let’s make So, we were persuaded to make the working on this new project. attic and throw away the key! Fable 2 the greatest game ever.” At least move from PC development to console I’m consistent! development. Now, with almost 2.5 TE: You’ve made videogames million units [of Fable] sold, I think we professionally for 25 years and today are The closest Howard Wen has been to Fable 2 in my opinion - here we go again made the right choice. regarded as an influential figure and being with the game gods was the time - will live up to expectations. pioneer in the still-young history of he interviewed John Romero in his TE: What do you think about the next- videogames. Looking back over the years, penthouse office, high atop downtown TE: The vast majority of your games generation of consoles? Any of them what are your thoughts on this notoriety - Dallas. It was like being inside Mount were developed originally for the PC interest you as a game developer? for example, how do you feel about the Olympus overlooking the Sim City-like platform. Can you explain why this has way the media has depicted you? land below. been the case? PM: For any game developer, any innovation is fascinating, and this Metroid franchises. Not so. Instead, most full-grown from a box of Nintendo official Nintendo histories gloss over playing cards. Facts on his early life are Yokoi’s contributions, and many books sparse. Yokoi was born in September and websites - if they’re even translated 1941, during the thick of WWII, to a into English - echo the same rudimentary, wealthy pharmaceutical factory owner. unsubstantiated stories. Even Yokoi’s own Instead of following in the family obituaries wander off topic. The man was business, he attended Doshisha so vague and ghostly, he may not have University, graduating with a degree in even existed at all. electronics. In 1965, the Nintendo Playing Card Company hired the young The only hard proof we have that Gunpei grad to maintain the assembly-line Yokoi graced this mortal soil is a few machines regulating its cash crop, faded black and white photographs. hanafuda cards. Affable but quiet, Yokoi Eerily, in each one, he looks exactly the worked the conveyor belts for years, same: gray hair, cleanly brushed back; a building a reputation among his peers as crisp, dark suit; and a faint but cheerful an electronics whiz who built toys and smile toying at his lips. gadgets in his spare time.

So how did Yokoi become such an Shortly after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, enigma? The man only died in 1997, and the playing card market collapsed, and yet his name has already evaporated Nintendo struggled financially throughout from history. Like the shadows scorched the rest of the decade. Desperate to Ten years after his death, Gunpei Yokoi into rock by an atomic blast, we know he keep his family business afloat, President has been reduced to legend: condensed, existed, but his motivations and personal Hiroshi Yamauchi branched the company marginalized and re-packaged as a life remain a mystery. The true Gunpei into everything from taxi services to Nintendo creation myth instead of a man. Yokoi has vanished, leaving only his “love hotels,” but nothing worked. You’d think there’d be entire inventions behind. Nintendo’s only commercial successes encyclopedias profiling this Japanese Doc were a few children’s toys, which in part Brown, the prolific inventor who The Ultra Hand inspired the anxious Yamauchi to engineered the D-Pad, Game and Watch, Most chronologies of Yokoi’s life begin in establish a new Games division in 1970. R.O.B., Game Boy, Virtual Boy, a dozen or 1970, which implies that he’d skipped so children’s toys and the Super Mario childhood entirely and instead sprung Land, Fire Emblem, Kid Icarus and baseball-thrower; the Ten Billion Barrel, a cycled through Alarm, Time and Game market, and by 1983, the company was Rubix Cube-like puzzle; and the Love functions, and some models even used a ready to release its first gaming console, the Tester, an electronic gadget that dual-screen set-up, like the Nintendo DS. Famicom (NES). But that was the same measured a couple’s compatibility. One of But most importantly, the Game and year the infant videogame industry, wracked his most successful toys, a joint venture Watch handheld included a cross-shaped with price wars and a glut of crappy titles, with Masayuki Uemura, was the Beam directional button named the D-Pad, crashed spectacularly. Faced with indifferent Gun, a plastic light-gun that was the eliminating the need for a joystick (which customers and bargain bins brimming with predecessor to the NES Zapper. Before Yokoi insisted was too clumsy for a videogames, retailers refused to stock more long, Yokoi’s string of successes netted handheld device). An engineering consoles. Nintendo realized it needed a him his own creative team, the Research revelation, the D-Pad has been used on clever marketing ploy to trick store owners and Development 1 Group (R&D1). every controller for every console for into supplying the Famicom. every company since its inception. Yamauchi called Yokoi into his office one Game and Watch Again, Yokoi saved the day, this time by day, asking the engineer to develop Yokoi’s next big hit came to him as he Although fancier, more powerful devising the Robotic Operating Buddy, or something - anything - for the rode home one evening on the bullet handheld technology existed at the time, R.O.B. (the Famicom Robot in Japan). Christmas rush. Gunpei produced an train. The exhausted engineer noticed Yokoi maintained that the Game and Released in 1985, the R.O.B. was a one- extending arm toy he’d constructed in the gentleman next to him fiddling with Watch systems should use affordable foot tall toy automaton that didn’t do his spare time, a wood lattice that could an LCD calculator. Yokoi watched, components that offered a decent much of anything, except consume AA reach and grab when its handles were fascinated, as the bored man punched battery life. Consumers, he believed, batteries at an alarming rate. But the pushed together. Yamauchi was buttons in idle boredom. Suddenly, Yokoi would prefer cheaper products with fun R.O.B. was bundled in the NES Deluxe delighted, and Yokoi’s toy, dubbed the wondered if weary commuters, looking gameplay over the hottest, cutting-edge Set, which also included a console, a Ultra Hand, was hustled to the market to pass the time, might be interested in gadgets. This design philosophy, which that year. a portable gaming device. Thus was the Yokoi would later dub “Lateral Thinking Nintendo Game and Watch born. of Withered Technology,” guided most of Surprisingly, the Ultra Hand blossomed his inventions; to this day, Nintendo still into an overnight sensation, selling more The first Game and Watch system,Ball , gravitates toward well-understood than 1.2 million units. Yokoi was quickly launched in 1980, and over the next 11 technologies to design their novel, promoted from maintenance duty to years, 59 more titles would be released, reinvented gameplay. research and development, where he from Donkey Kong to Oil Panic to Balloon proved to be a mechanical Midas, creating Fight. Each handheld sported an LCD The R.O.B. many of Nintendo’s best-sellers, screen printed with a specific scene, such Since the late ‘70s, Nintendo had been including: the Ultra Machine, an indoor as a house or a forest. Buttons on the side experimenting with the home videogame Zapper gun, two controllers and two years. The system, which combined the various iterations and some of its most games (Duck Hunt and Gyromite). This portability of the Game and Watch with famous games: Dr. Mario, Metroid II and clever packaging convinced retailers that the interchangeable cartridge technology Super Mario Land. The Game Boy’s the NES was not a videogame console of the NES, was an instant success. success catapulted Yokoi into megastar but a robotic toy, and stores hesitant to When the Game Boy launched in Japan, status at Nintendo. Even more so than stock other videogame products ordered its initial shipment of 300,000 units sold before, he was considered an unbeatable the Deluxe Set instead. The trick out in two weeks. Later, when it golden boy and one of the company’s worked: In its first year, the NES sold migrated stateside, U.S. shoppers most valuable assets. more than 1 million units, and having snatched up more than 40,000 units on served its purpose, Yokoi’s R.O.B. was the first day alone. If only he’d stopped there. quickly dropped from the line-up the next year. As with the Game and Watch, the Game The Virtual Boy Boy eschewed the sexier, cutting-edge In 1993, fresh off his Game Boy triumph, Yokoi designed many other products for technologies available at the time - Yokoi began work on the Virtual Boy, the NES, especially with 25-year-old particularly a full-color screen - in favor which would be Nintendo’s only entry Shigeru Miyamoto, who joined Nintendo of longer battery life and cheaper price into 32-bit gaming. Two years later, the in 1977. Yokoi took to the young man, points. This decision made many company released the final product. acting as his mentor. Together the pair Nintendo higher-ups nervous: Atari had Essentially a set of goggles mounted on produced two of the most memorable just released their own handheld, the a tripod, the Virtual Boy projected franchises in history - Donkey Kong and Lynx, which featured full color and a monochrome images in a headset, using the original Mario Brothers - before backlit screen. But once again, Yokoi’s parallax to create 3-D graphics. Miyamoto moved to his own R&D group intuition proved correct. Consumers in 1984. Afterward, Yokoi kept producing ignored the pricy, power-hogging Lynx, But for the first time, Yokoi’s principle of games, including Kid Icarus, the original which required six AA batteries for only “Withered Technology” failed him, as Fire Emblem and, of course, Metroid. four hours of play time, and purchased consumers recoiled from the awkward, the Game Boy instead. Sega’s Game uncomfortable device. The Virtual Boy The Game Boy Gear - also a technologically superior used red LEDs, chosen for their Despite his successes with the Famicom, product - would suffer the same fate in affordability and low battery drain, but however, Yokoi preferred portable the 1990s. the black-and-red display gave players gaming, and in 1989, R&D1 released the headaches and eyestrain. In addition, first Game Boy, a revolutionary handheld Yokoi stuck by the Game Boy for years, the Virtual Boy was extremely delicate; if that had been in development for three producing many of the handheld’s the console were bumped or knocked over, the mirror arrays inside could easily discouraged Yokoi from leaving the legacy of “Lateral Thinking of Withered Every gamer, every child, every person break. This, combined with its small company, either. Still, the engineer Technology” lives on at Nintendo, who has ever loved a Nintendo product game library and $180 price tag, kept remained close to Nintendo, publicly obvious in the design schemes of the DS owes their smiles to Gunpei Yokoi, the customers away from the Virtual Boy, waxing fond of his former employers. and Wii systems. quiet engineer with the faint, cheerful and Nintendo discontinued the console smile, the crisp, dark suit and nothing after only one year. Shortly after his resignation, Yokoi But the real Gunpei Yokoi remains a man much else to distinguish him, who launched a development firm called Koto within his machines, unknowable apart remains a god without a name, a burnt Rumors swirled that because Nintendo Laboratories. Koto was a fresh start for from his inventions. In this age of impression upon the rock, a ghost, a execs wanted another console out before Yokoi, where he could be free to focus celebrity game developers, the idea that myth, a memory, a legend. the N64, the Virtual Boy had been rushed once more on the handheld systems he a titanic genius would be content to be to market against Yokoi’s wishes. Indeed, so loved. First, the company released a eclipsed by his products seems Lara Crigger is a freelance science, tech in retrospect, the system’s design flaws line of LCD keychain games in the style incomprehensible. But for the thousands and gaming journalist whose previous all run counter to Yokoi’s philosophy: The of Tamagotchi. Then, signing with of nameless developers in the industry work for The Escapist includes “Playing Virtual Boy had short battery life, it was Bandai, Koto began work on a toiling away on games and consoles, Through The Pain” and “How To Be A difficult to use and it was too expensive. competitor to the Game Boy, later Gunpei is nothing short of an inspiration. Guitar Hero.” Her email is lcrigger@ Yet, even with twice the development dubbed the WonderSwan. For Yokoi, He is proof that the best legacy is not a gmail.com. time, the console might still have failed, things were finally looking up again. name place in the history books, but since consumers have been stubbornly rather the gift of joy, be it to one person resistant to adopting VR technology. Gunpei’s Legacy or 100 million people around the world. On October 4, 1997, Yokoi and an associate Koto Laboratories were driving on the Hokuriku Expressway Yokoi was personally crushed by the when they rear-ended the truck in front of Virtual Boy’s flop. The former Nintendo them. The two men stepped out of the car superstar became an outcast, and many to inspect the damage, and a passing car wondered if the old man still had his sideswiped them. Yokoi was grievously creative fire. In August 1996, just days injured and pronounced dead two hours after the Japanese release of the Game later. He was 56. Boy Pocket, Yokoi resigned. Since his passing, Yokoi has received Officially, his departure had no some industry recognition, particularly connection to the Virtual Boy. However, the 2003 GDC’s posthumous Lifetime insiders claimed Nintendo hadn’t exactly Achievement Award. In addition, Yokoi’s Videogames entered the world not with a important work. … [We had] engineers bang, but as a series of stutter steps and techs worrying about military that culminated in the humbly-named programs [and] putting stuff on the moon. Brown Box. From such humble Not games. The only reason I did it was beginnings, a dynasty strides forth, a because I’m a TV engineer by degree.” multi-billion dollar a year industry birthed almost entirely by a persistent The business logic was easy to see, he television engineer named Ralph H. Baer. said. “If I can license somebody to build His idea was a simple one: Make a box a box that attaches to 1 percent of that attaches to television sets and [TVs], in any sense, we’ve got a provides some kind of additional business. It turned out to be a lot more entertainment, the kind that people will than 1 percent.” They made progress pay for, and if even 1 percent of TV through the years, and “for the better owners purchase one, a business is born. part of two and a half years, we went It was a simple idea, but the execution through a series of models, which finally took quite a bit of work. wound up with the Brown Box.” A problem remained with the prototype, The idea first came to him in the which was: “Now that we’ve got it, what summer of 1966, but from there, it was the hell do we do with it?” a start and stop affair. The late ‘60s weren’t a good time for playful things, Convincing TV set manufacturers that especially among weapon-makers. His the Brown Box would make them a mint work started at Sanders Associates (a took some work, he says. A number of defense contractor), in “late ’66,” Baer deals fell through with big television says, but progress moved in fits and manufacturers, like RCA and Zenith. starts. This was largely because Sanders “Everybody was impressed, but only RCA had bigger projects on hand, Baer’s was tried to give us a contract,” Baer said, “a couple guys in a room, and they were adding, “But they tried to snooker us, called away half the time to go do more and we finally decided to walk away from that.” Fortune smiled upon them after ’74 came, the Odyssey was already And Baer went right on inventing things, that question. Look at the bottom line, “somebody [Bob Enders] on the RCA obsolete,” Baer says. “We’d sold 350,000 like the first light gun for home games, who sells the largest number of games? team left and became a VP of marketing of those, which wasn’t too shabby,” Simon, and a number of other electronic And clarifying that, they all do many for Magnavox.” Enders worked to arrange especially considering it was the first of toys and games. Indeed, on the day we things right, and lots of things that are a meeting at Magnavox, and the its kind. spoke, he said he’d “just signed a not so great, but what do you expect? company executives were impressed contract with a major manufacturer.” People have been publishing books for enough to start production. The humbly- Unlike the cutting-edge consoles of While he couldn’t tell me exactly what he named Brown Box would create an today, Baer describes his first effort as was designing, it is supposed to be industry, in 1972, as the Magnavox “primitive. We repurposed stuff with something to communicate with both the Odyssey, the first widely-available, discrete transistors when integrated PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. He’s not commercially-backed game console. circuits were already available, but we doing videogames, but he stays busy, couldn’t use them. … It was too describing himself as “a natural-born “The Odyssey came out in May of ’72,” expensive. So, in a sense, we already inventor, apart from 50 U.S. patents and Baer says. “By December, 100,000 of built the stuff one generation behind 100 foreign ones. I’ve invented hundreds them had been sold. That probably [the] current technology. Now, four more of things over 30 or 40 years.” means that 2-300,000 people had years passed before we could get a [access to] one,” though they shared his license fee. Now we’re two generations Looking back, Baer sees an industry still earlier dilemma. “They had to figure out behind.” That gap has narrowed over grappling with the very first challenge he what the hell videogames were in the time, he says. It’s “extremely small faced all those years ago: making games first place, simultaneously.” The arcade nowadays, compared to what it was 20 fun. “All we have now is a bunch of business soon followed. “The Pong years ago,” though that’s largely because interactive movies,” he says. “And any arcade game showed up in fall of ’72. It “so much money is thrown into every challenging part is not necessarily fun to was a knockoff of the Odyssey game, product.” play, which is why so many people go because Nolan Bushnell, he’d played an back and play regular games, especially Odyssey game at a dealership, a With the Odyssey at the forefront in the now that they’re available on media like Magnavox dealership, in May of that home and Pong leading the charge in the cell phones and handheld stuff. When year, and he started the arcade business arcade, the electronic gaming industry people play, they don’t play complicated going.” Magnavox would go on to win a was off and running. Magnavox reaped modern games, they play real stuff.” patent infringement lawsuit against most of the profits, though in an earlier Bushnell, but the electronic gaming interview Baer said, “I was well taken I asked if he had a favorite company that genie was out of the bottle. “By the time care of. I have no complaints.” did things right. “I can’t really answer hundreds of years. Some are great, of graphical realism means designers some are lousy, some in-between. And have lost focus on gameplay, and the that decision making is in the eyes of the anonymity of the internet means people beholder anyhow. There’s a lot of great don’t get quite the social experience they stuff out there, and I don’t even know used to have. “[That] was the concept in about it. What I know about present the very beginning. You don’t play Ping games is what I watch over the Pong with yourself, you play it as another shoulders of my grandkids.” person. In these massive games, you don’t even see the other person; they are However, he will offer some advice to the an idea. They don’t want to be known, developers of today. “Make games that because they’re not playing themselves. people like to play.” He elaborates, “If They’re playing the avatar they created, you want to stop right there and think the guy or gal they want to be. That’s about it, we still play boardgames we not really socializing.” played in 1880. We play other boardgames that were invented 5,000 With that said, though, he urges the years ago. They’re totally different and a industry to “keep going. Who am I to tell hell of a lot simpler than all this an industry where to go and what to do? electronic stuff.” I expressed my opinion earlier that there should be a little more stress on having He cites the pursuit of graphics over fun. The quest for being king of the hill gameplay, saying, “In the beginning, yes, in some bloody game doesn’t sound to things were so primitive that there was a me like socializing or something very definite need for things to improve the fun. That seems like work to me.” graphics. But now, the graphics … have taken on a life of [their] own. It’s one generation from having total reality out Shannon Drake is a Contributing Editor there.” Additionally, “the idea of playing for The Escapist and changed his name games over the web, it’s just taken hold when he became a citizen. It used to be and it’s pretty prevalent right now. It’s a Merkwürdigeliebe. hell of a good idea.” However, the pursuit Joe Ybarra is currently the Vice President As we talked about Stargate, his plans of Product Development at Cheyenne for the franchise and Cheyenne’s Mountain Entertainment, the company operating philosophy, a picture emerged attempting to bring the Stargate of Joe Ybarra; a portrait of a true franchise to an MMOG near you. His veteran developer, a man who’s resume boasts an astonishing array of weathered the storms of a juvenile credits and stints with companies such industry and has emerged, if not always as Apple, Activision, Broderbund, Sierra victorious, determined to wave the twin On-Line, Microsoft Game Studios and flags of common sense and attention to Ubisoft. He’s also one of the co-founders detail in the face of an industry which of industry giant Electronic Arts. has grown far too comfortable with throwing the dice and occasionally I first met Joe at last year’s Austin Game getting lucky. Conference, where he and various other Cheyenne employees (most veterans of Joe was kind enough to sit down recently other studios) were busy drumming up with The Escapist for a follow-up interview. attention for their fledgling game, Stargate Worlds, set in the Stargate *** universe somewhere along the timeline of the television series. The Escapist: Tell me a little bit about how you started in the industry. Stargate Worlds is eagerly anticipated by both fans of the television show and Joe Ybarra: How did I start in the devotees of sci-fi MMOGs (of which there industry? I had to wait for the industry to are very few), but after speaking with be created before I could start in it. I’ve Joe and his team for an hour or so in been a gamer all of my life, and it really Austin, it became clear that the real wasn’t until I went to work for Apple story behind Stargate Worlds was its Computer in my late 20s before - you developer, Cheyenne Mountain, and know, this is right at the peak of the Atari beyond that, Joe Ybarra. 2600 revolution, if you could call it that - and it was pretty interesting, because I knew I wanted to be in electronic games, close experiences. … There were no we don’t have to work like crazed it’s just there was no business. producers there; we had no methodology animals for extended periods of time. for doing things, we had no money At any rate, what [working for Apple] either, and so it was very much a “if we So I feel kind of bad about it, in the does is it leads me to the opportunity of don’t get this done we may not survive” sense that there was no reason for them getting a chance to work in the same kind of an existence for several years to do that. And of course, EA being the company that Trip Hawkins is working in. while I was there. monstrous engine that it is right now, you would think that by now they I actually never met Trip until he left TE: I think you’re one of the few people would’ve figured out a way to not have Apple, and then I went to work for him I could talk to in the universe that would to do that, but I don’t know what to say. at EA, but essentially our reputations think of EA as a start-up. How do you But you know what? I’ve worked in other intersected with each other, even though feel now about the fact that they’re still companies where crunch was part of the we ourselves never intersected. And so sort of running on start-up times, still culture. I mean, the employees liked … he called me up and said, “Hey, I’m having those 100 hour weeks and still doing it, which I thought was crazy, but interested in starting a computer game doing constant crunch time? what do you do with that? company, and are you interested in being involved in that?” And I said yes, JY: Well, I don’t see why they do that. I TE: What do you think, do you think absolutely. So that’s how I became one think now it’s more of a cultural thing that’s an industry impetus, or do you of the founders of EA, and the rest is than anything else. I mean, they’ve been think it’s a symptom of the kinds of history from there. doing it for so long - since the beginning people that gravitate to the industry? - that they don’t know how to do, EA for me is very much of a start-up probably anything else. It’s kind of JY: I think it’s more of the latter, type of experience, because the first frustrating from my point of view, because gamers - as a generalized couple of years that I worked in EA we because I would like to think, especially statement - people in the gaming space didn’t have more than 40 people working now that I have the degree of control tend to be nocturnal kind of people that in the entire company, so we all knew that I do in the environment I work in, are very focused and high-energy kind of each other very well; we worked very that I’m really anti-crunch, and I’m guys, so they’re kind of used to the idea: closely together. The [idea of a 100-hour adamant about making sure that we do “When I get started on something I’m work week] easily started in that time our job in finding the projects and going to stay with it for 12, 14, 16 hours period, so I saw more of my co-workers allocating enough resources and biting or whatever it takes, and if that happens than any other human being, wife and off as much as we can chew ... that I to be overnight, so be it because I’m children included. So they were very feel it’s my responsibility to make sure nocturnal anyway, I don’t care.” It’s just sort of the personality profile. You see a JY: You know, the key to all of this good JY: Yeah. In fact, [the] one thing you’ve lot more of those kinds of people than stuff is making deals that stick. So the got to be in the game industry is really you see the early morning, 8-5, you idea is, if you have people working tolerant of different personalities. We get know, “I better go home and play with together and they say Hey, I’m going to our unusually large spread of strange my kids” kind of people. Although, we get this done by XYZ time, this is what a and interesting personalities in our have a lot of those kinds of people here, deal that sticks is all about. So he’s going business. I have no problem with because you see a lot more of them now to make a commitment to the other eccentric people or people that are not in the industry than ever. And I certainly, employees to the effect that the piece of necessarily polished in their personal personally respect that kind of attitude. the puzzle that [he’s] working on, [he’s] relationship skills or whatever, but if they going to deliver to you in this time period, get the job done and you see the passion I like the guys that can come in do their and he actually gets it done. So, if you in their work, [who cares?] … One of the nine or eight hours or 10 hours get the can do that, then it doesn’t really matter things I talk about with everybody is that work done and go home and leave the how the folks are working in terms of nobody works in the game business job at work. That’s really almost their work style, because everybody is unless they want it; everybody that’s impossible to do in our industry, because making commitments. And as long as the here has a passion for being involved in even if you leave your job at work, you commitments are being upheld, then it games. So I want to see that passion still go home and play games. So it’s can be relatively transparent to exhibited in the output of their work, pretty tough to not be working everybody how they got there. because I think customers see it. When constantly, but nonetheless, as our the people that build the game really industry matures we’re getting more So, if I’ve got one guy that does nothing love their product, really care about it people that don’t do that. That’s a good for two days and stays in the office for deeply, then you see it in the end result. thing from my point of view. 48 hours, and he gets it all done, but he makes it deliverable on the day that TE: Let’s go back to EA a little bit and TE: How do you gel those two different everybody said that he needed it, then tell me, if you can, one of your most types of personalities, the more mature he’s just as good as the guy that comes memorable experiences working with developer who may have been in the in and works eight hours a day and gets that company. industry for a while or for whatever it all done and has a normal life. It reason doesn’t crave crash time and the makes no difference to me. Whatever JY: Wow, there’s a lot of them. I guess young energetic folks like you were just floats your boat. probably one of the most interesting describing? How do you make those two [lessons] I’ve learned is ... you can’t work together? TE: So you think it’s the tolerance of the hide a hit. If you’re working on a product different personalities then? that’s going to be a top-selling product, you know it pretty early on, and one of TE: Can you ever say the opposite is team, Look, there’s really only three when you’re working on something and the ways I learned that was working on true? Is it possible to detect a flop in the ways to [finish] a project: you can ship you know that it’s awful. Seven Cities of Gold. same way? it, you can kill it or you can give it away. TE: What’s interesting in talking to you After we got about four months into the JY: Oh God yeah. Flops are easy to spot, Well, EA is not going to let us kill this about this, Joe, is that talking to a project, it was pretty widely known in EA because if I boot it and I don’t even like game, and there isn’t anyone crazy number of other developers or producers, that I was getting a build every other it, then I know we’re in big trouble. enough in this company to take it away you hear things like, “capture this genie” Friday from the developer, Dan Button, Yeah, I’ve worked on a few of those. I from us, so I guess the only way for us or “put this lightning in this bottle,” but over in Little Rock, Arkansas, and so one remember one that - I’m not going to to get rid of it is to ship it. So we did. talking to you, taking the context of your day I remember doing a build, and I mention any names - but I remember That was not the wisest of decisions, but words away, it’s like you’re describing looked up and outside my cubicle there this product was so bad that nobody on it did get it out of our faces. … So making any other kind of product. Do you was literally a line of 12 people. And I my team wanted to have anything to do somehow we overcame it that time, but think that’s really the key, approaching it looked up and asked, “Why are you people with it, including me. And so I told the I can tell you there’s nothing worse than from that point of view? here?” And they said, “Well, you’ve got a new build for Seven Cities of Gold, and we JY: Absolutely, where the secret sauce is all want one.” So that’s when I started to going to come in is by parsing the talent learn, wait a second, if I’m still building of the team and giving them the freedom this thing and I’ve got people lined up to really do cool and clever stuff. outside my door, then I know I must be Because I can’t dictate at the beginning onto something special here. all the characteristics that are going to make my product an amazing product, That phenomenon got repeated several what’s going to end up happening is times actually, when I worked on Bard’s during the course of construction, Tale and Starflight and on Madden opportunities will arise while I’m building Football and on all the projects that I the product that will transform it from worked on. I could tell whether or not being a product into being an amazing my product was going to really go, just thing. I mean, that’s where the secret by the number of people that were sauce kicks in, right? And the thing waiting around to get builds. It was that’s really hard to do is trying to figure pretty entertaining and exciting, too, and out what the secret sauce is going to be very nerve racking by the way. from the very beginning. Where the secret sauce is going to come time that you would say is the number sell a gazillion units and be a watershed of Joe’s office to get a look at the code. in is the passion of the folks that are one problem facing the industry? product, blah, blah, blah, and all this That uncertainty, that gamble, is what working on the game. They will find a does is throw more gasoline on the fire, makes this industry so unique, and way to get it in there. And I’ve seen JY: Yeah, I can certainly say that the so it’s just going to keep going. rainmakers like Joe Ybarra such a some products with some nice last number one problem right now is how powerful force. minute finishing touches, maybe not so expensive these damn products have *** much last minute, but nice touches get gotten. You know, because they’ve Check The Escapist Daily throughout the put in or somebody raises their hand and gotten so expensive, it’s discouraged And talking to Joe Ybarra, it’s clear he’s week for more on Joe Ybarra and says, Hey, I’ve got this idea about this people from taking risks. And because trying to do just that; make his next Stargate Worlds. feature, and you kind of look at it and we’re not taking risks, we’re not getting game the next game, and with Stargate say, Wow, why didn’t we think of that? the opportunity to innovate as much as Worlds, he’s in position to make that Russ Pitts is an Associate Editor for The And [you] stick it in there, and by we might otherwise. dream a reality. The amount of raw Escapist. He has written and produced George, you have something pretty talent being thrown at the game, and the for television, theatre and film, has been astonishing. I don’t see any barriers to it stopping, rampant consumer demand (the writing on the web since it was invented actually. I mean, look at movies, movies Stargate franchise continues to grow, and claims to have played every console You know, one of the things that I got ridiculously expensive because with a third TV series in the works) ever made. believe in is if you don’t have any rules, you’re always going to have the top- would seem to point to a sure-fire hit, you don’t know when you’re breaking three list. ... The potential in revenue but we won’t know for sure if Cheyenne them, so we have lots of rules for how and the audience is so big, that as long has a hit on their hands until either it our project works. So if you have to as people feel that by spending more launches or people start lining up outside break one of these rules, raise your hand money [they’ll] have a better shot at and let’s talk about it, and if it makes getting that bigger audience, then people sense that we should break this rule, will keep doing it. And a lot of the then let’s go break it. But at least we decisions that get made in our industry knew consciously what we were doing are not done with rational thinking, so when we did it. So rather than let this we’re just going to see these numbers stuff fumble its way to the finish line, I getting bigger and bigger. like attacking the finish line. The thing that’s fun about this is every TE: You’ve been in the industry, it’s fair now and then, one of those really big- to say, since the beginning. Is there budget projects is actually going to do anything you can see at this point in what everybody expected it to, which is I’m moving to Southeast Asia because of site by chance – and it changed my life. Steve Pavlina. For the first time, I saw we could make games, even from this remote corner of I’m not the only designer who has taken the world. Steve’s motivational articles bold steps after reading Pavlina’s articles were always helpful. ... Not to take as about independent game development. The Truth (and I don’t think that’s Jake Birkett of Gray Alien Games says, “I Steve’s intention), but to make you think read his stuff in November 2004 and or consider new perspectives on became very inspired. One year later, I everyday situations.” released my first commercial game, Xmas Bonus, and now two years later “You can’t overestimate the impact of I’ve made four commercial games and a Steve’s willingness to share his game framework. Of course, lots of successes and failures with the indie dev people are dubious of this kind of stuff, community,” says Nick Tipping of but it totally works for me, and that’s MoonPod in Sheffield, U.K. “Without what’s important.” Steve showing us the light, there’d be no MoonPod here today, and I bet we’d be “Steve inspired quite a lot of game missing many other developers.” developers, and I’m certainly one of them,” says Cliff Harris, who started Chris Evans started Outside the Box Positech Games in 1997. “He wrote some Software in early 2004 with minimal fantastic articles on game development experience. “For those thinking about and marketing. I would regularly e-mail going indie full-time, it’s probably better [one] to all the developers where I to have some game development worked, back in my retail dev days. Of experience first. However, I’m still very course, nobody paid any attention, which happy with my decision. Many of my is why they all still sit in a cubicle on former co-workers are just now getting minimum wage.” into game development, whereas I’ve released several games, learned 3-D Gabriel Gambetta co-founded casual modeling, gained industry contacts and game developer Mystery Studio in made some money in the process. This Uruguay. “Back in 2001, I found Steve’s is why I wanted to make games in the first place. I’ll be forever grateful to That’s why, by the time you read this, I’ll Steve Pavlina for lighting that spark.” have relocated to Malaysia to start my own company. Because, like many before Then there are the ambitious me, I got inspired by Steve Pavlina. newcomers. After reading Pavlina’s articles on the independent game *** business, Gianfranco Berardi woke up. “I didn’t have to work for some large Pavlina was born in 1971. Raised a company to work in the videogame devout Catholic, he became an atheist in industry! I could form my own company! high school. As a bored and amoral Last March, I officially formed my own student at the University of California at LLC [limited liability corporation], and I Berkeley, he turned to theft. After am currently working on finishing my several run-ins with the law, Pavlina was first commercial game when I am not arrested in 1991 for felony grand theft. working my day job. Steve Pavlina’s writing Later, through a lucky legal oversight, he let me know I was gravely underestimating was convicted of petty theft and sentenced what I could do with my life.” only to brief community service.

Historically, Pavlina’s articles have ranked But while sitting in the county jail, with Garage Games among the most Pavlina experienced an awakening. He alluring siren calls to the rocky straits of cleaned up his life and developed a indie design. Some might denounce such remarkable ability to focus and manage persuasion as irresponsible, even his time productively. Attending dangerous. Many developers who tried California State University at Northridge, the indie life gave up within months, he earned dual computer science and sometimes with angry, bitter public mathematics degrees in three goodbyes on Pavlina’s online forum. The semesters, graduating with a 3.9 GPA. path of self-reliance, though available to anyone, has never been for everyone. After graduating, Pavlina started his own game company, Dexterity Software. He The thing is, none of us know if it’s for spent six months programming a us until we try. shareware puzzle game, Dweep, about a cute little purple guy who rescues his l Measure the results of everything articles for several years; the site still children from mazes of deadly obstacles. you try. archives old Dexterity forum threads, Made for basically no cost, Dweep won though they are only accessible through several awards. Over the next few years, His tone was pragmatic yet upbeat, his external search engines. Pavlina constantly revised and expanded approach methodical and success- the game, turning it into a major casual oriented – precisely the right way to Pavlina still ran his game business in hit. The final version,Dweep Gold, has reach would-be designers and desultory fashion until October 2006, 152 levels. programmers. Jaded by frustrating no- when he finally shuttered the Dexterity win deals with rapacious publishers, site. (Dweep is still available at In September 2002, Pavlina started a many professionals hearkened with glad shareware download sites.) Having forum on his site as a gathering place for heart to a prospect of game development completely left the field at last, he has independent game developers where every single element of success not looked back. worldwide. He began posting articles was potentially under their control. about making successful shareware. In *** “Shareware Amateurs Versus Shareware Dexterity’s success made Pavlina Professionals” and a dozen companion financially independent. His articles and StevePavlina.com is subtitled “Personal articles, Pavlina discussed posts, both on the Dexterity forum and Development for Smart People.” His professionalism as a goal, a state of on Gamedev.net, began to reflect larger approach matches Tony Robbins, Jay mind and a set of best practices: developmental topics. He started talking Abraham and a long line of ultra-

not just about games, but about avoiding motivated business coaches reaching l “10 Reasons You Should Never Get l Plan for the long term. procrastination, developing focus and back to Dale Carnegie and Napoleon Hill. a Job” enlarging scope – about using game l Do basic market research. development and entrepreneurship as a Pavlina’s advice is mostly sensible and l “10 Stupid Mistakes Made by the path to personal growth. unobjectionable. His message of conscious Newly Self-Employed” l Stick with one product and refine it living echoes every self-help guru since

incrementally. In summer 2004, Pavlina retired from Gautama Buddha. He has written many l “How to Discover Your Life Purpose in game design and started a blog about articles about success and purpose: About 20 Minutes” l Give unique value. personal development. When he closed

the Dexterity Games forums, indie l “The Courage to Live Consciously” l And (almost forgot!) “The Meaning l Constantly reassess and experiment designers Steve Verrault, Mike Boeh and of Life” with your marketing. Dan MacDonald started the IndieGamer l “30 Days to Success” forum. IndieGamer hosted the Dexterity But the main traffic drivers to Pavlina’s vegan, he has written of his attempts at the same.” Though he never describes cornball phrase with a reflexive snort of blogs are his more mundane self-help an all-raw diet, a regimen so austere them as such, his beliefs represent a contempt. articles, such as “How to Become an that, hearing of its rigors, even the most form of Hermetic magick, the practice of Early Riser” and “How to Give Up condescending vegetarian may feel, self-transformation, empowerment and Which is odd, because I’m doing that. Coffee.” (Hey, a purpose-driven life has briefly, less smug. Pavlina also drew imposition of the will to reshape external to start somewhere.) A committed much attention for his experiment with reality. If you don’t believe it, check his Pavlina is the only game developer (that polyphasic sleep, a regimen of reduced podcast “The True Nature of Reality” and I know of) who migrated to self-help. sleep-time based on frequent naps. He the article “Cause-Effect Versus But leaving aside the game angle, his sustained his polyphasic schedule (four Intention-Manifestation.” The blog’s most story, and his message, follow the hours awake, then a 15-minute nap) for overtly magickal exercise to date is the conventional American myth of early over five months. In “The Return to Million-Dollar Experiment, “an attempt to mistakes, redemption, hard work, Monophasic,” he says he could have use the power of intention to manifest persistence and ultimate success. Every maintained it indefinitely, but it was too $1 million for each person who chooses personal-growth guru tells that exact inconvenient to coordinate with the to participate.” story. Yet each guru appeals to a monophasic world. different base, a particular audience Pavlina is well on his way to his own receptive to his or her unique approach. Notwithstanding these superhuman million. Though he charges nothing for feats, it’s clear Pavlina is no saint. His his writing or podcasts, the ad-supported Pavlina connects with game designers least likable articles divide people into blog is quite profitable. In October 2006, not only through his analytical method, “bears” and “eagles.” Bears are ordinary he claimed the site earned $1,000 daily. but through his understanding of their people who sleepwalk through life; Characteristically, the author has turned issues. Some of them feel trapped and eagles, no surprise, are those who think his experience into an article, “How to powerless in dead-end jobs. Others, for like Pavlina. “Bear Bombing” advocates Make Money From Your Blog.” various reasons, disdain marketing or jostling ursine peers out of their the overhead involved in running a hibernation by, well, being a jerk. *** company. Some of them have wasted six years in a dull and sterile suburb, stuck Today, Pavlina practices what he calls “a The last section of Pavlina’s essay “The in a torpid life of web surfing and dog- religion of personal growth”: “My religion Courage to Live Consciously” is titled walking, feeling old and stiff and mean. is based on working actively on my “Embrace the Daring Adventure.” Even One of them, anyway. personal growth and helping others to do now, as a fan of his writings, I read this This rarefied demographic, and smuggle drugs or chew gum, I wouldn’t increasingly the broader internet go. But if I’m choosing a censorious audience, responds to Pavlina’s money-mad paternalistic police state, I restatement of timeless lessons. See, for could do worse. instance, his conclusion to “The Courage to Live Consciously”: One friend, acting with good will, thought it prudent to caution me about “Don’t die without embracing the daring what could go wrong. I could lose all my adventure your life is meant to be. You money (he pointed out helpfully), or get may go broke. You may experience sick, or have language difficulties, or failure and rejection repeatedly. You have software trouble, or fall desperately may endure multiple dysfunctional behind schedule, or discover my project relationships. But these are all won’t work. That I still snort at “Embrace milestones along the path of a life lived the Daring Adventure” shows my courageously. They are your private commitment is weak. The whole thing victories, carving a deeper space within could blow up in my face. you to be filled with an abundance of joy, happiness and fulfillment.” All of that may be true. But you know what? I’m moving to Southeast Asia, and The people I tell about Malaysia wish me he’s not going anywhere. well, but I see the questions in their eyes. It does sound weird. Yet Malaysia Are you? has skilled coders who work cheap, and I can base the business in nearby Allen Varney designed the PARANOIA Singapore, where the business climate is paper-and-dice roleplaying game (2004 good. The government of Singapore edition) and has contributed to computer offers loans and perks for new game games from Sony Online, Origin, companies. (I’d live in Singapore myself, Interplay and Looking Glass. but it’s too expensive.) If I planned to EDITORIAL PRODUCTION BUSINESS Executive Editor Producer Publisher Julianne Greer Jonathan Hayter Alexander Macris

Associate Editors Lead Artist Account Executive Joseph Blancato Jessica Fielhauer Rebecca Sanders Russ Pitts Layout Artist Chairman of Themis Group Contributing Editor Jason Haile Thomas S. Kurz Shannon Drake JR Sutich Lead Web Developer Whitney Butts Research Manager Nova Barlow Web Developer Erik Jacobson Contributors Tim Turner Lara Crigger Allen Varney Howard Wen

Issue 87, © 2007. The Escapist is published weekly by Themis Group, Inc. Produced in the United States of America. To contact the editors please email [email protected]. For a free subscription to The Escapist in PDF format please view www.escapistmagazine.com