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ORAL HISTORY OF NHL ’94: REMEMBERING THE GREATEST VIDEO GAME EVER NHL ’94 NHL ’94 AN ORAL HISTORY AN ORAL HISTORY

were going to convert the Madden model to the NHL to play a hockey game. We’d get

NHL, and if it was successful, we’d take it further.as much Unlike as we withcould Madden in the first Football version, I re of- ally wanted to get the league license and player license for our hockey game. Back then, Time Warner handled the licensing for the NHL and the NHL Players’ Asso- ciation. You couldn’t go to the NHL or the NHLPA directly. Time Warner only gave us the NHL license.

Despite the lack of a license from the NHLPA, EA develops its debut hockey game, simply titled NHL Hockey. Jim Simmons, who programmed John Madden Football for SNES and Genesis, also programs EA’s first hockey game. As producer, Brook imparts his vision of T’S THE DEAD OF NIGHT what a hockey video game should be like: fast during the spring of 1993 and hard-hitting, with players willing to drop in the rural town of Brook- the gloves. lin, Maine. No cars popu- late the few streets that BROOK: I grew up in Philadelphia in the wind through the town, 1970s, so, as you can imagine, I was a fan of and almost no one in their the Broad Street Bullies. That actually had right mind is still awake. Adjacent to the town’s sec- a brand of hockey I was trying to build into ond-oldest house is a two- thequite game, an influence it was more on the like game. the IfFlyers there than was story white barn, whose rustic exterior be- the Soviet Olympic team.

I Although NHL Hockey does not have play- computerlies its contents. programmer Above the Mark hay-strewn Lesser is floors busy er names, the players in the video game are atin workthe loft coding is a state-of-the-artNHL ’94 for the Segaoffice, Genesis. where clearly based on their real-life counterparts. Lesser, a transplant from New York City, For example, in NHL Hockey, No. 99 on the knows little about hockey and has no formal is great at scoring goals training as a computer programmer. Yet he’s but not at fighting. about to develop the greatest feature in the most beloved hockey video game of all-time. BROOK: We brought the game to the On that night in 1993, after many hours of changing variables, debugging code, and testing, testing, testing, Lesser has a break- 1991 final. It was set up in the- through. “Suddenly, I pulled a one-timer, pen.media We room. didn’t Some have of thethe reportersplayers’ license,figured and it was perfect,” he said. “I got a shiver. It butout prettyit’s obvious quickly who how No. to make99 on fights the Kings hap was a really joyful moment.” was supposed to be. So, they were getting That might have been the turning point in the creation of NHL ’94, but so much hap- this was all about 10 feet away from the pened before and after in creating hockey’s tableWayne that Gretzky NHL president into fights. John Unfortunately, Ziegler was best classic video game. Oddly enough, it all sitting at with the NHL’s top brass. By the started with football. time I arrived home from Pittsburgh after Game 2, the NHL contacted me and wanted , a company specializing in computer games, attempts to break into the too late, because the game was already ap- booming market for home video consoles like usproved, to remove and we fighting had like in the $10 game. million But worthit was and Super Nintendo (SNES). The of cartridges ready to go. San Mateo, Calif., software company releases John Madden Football for both systems. Fea- NHL Hockey is released for Sega Genesis in turing two-dimensional scrolling and arcade- August 1991 and becomes an immediate suc- ’94 FOREVER style play, Madden is immensely successful, so cess. Right away, EA decides to make a sequel EA decides to try making a hockey game. for the 1992-93 season. However, it will be THE MAKING OF NHL ’94: AN ORAL HISTORY without the NHL’s blessing. MICHAEL BROOK, [PRODUCER, NHL BY SAL BARRY HOCKEY, NHLPA HOCKEY ’93 AND NHL BROOK: The NHL said that we’d have to ’94; DESIGNER: NHL ’95]: The idea was we

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BULLY to license the use of us a while even to do that, let alone for us KUPERMAN: It was all handwritten on MENTALITY the players’ names these forms that EA would send me, be- The game’s rough, cause personal computers were just at their fight-filled style was was kept realistic. to BROOK:figure out When what waswe were wrong making or abnormal. NHLPA beginning. I’m a perfectionist, and I wanted inspired by producer as long as fighting Hockey ’93, we had to bring it to the NHL- this to be perfect, too. It was hard without Brooks’ love of Philly’s No NHL license? PA licensing committee for approval. We computers for sorting. I had to visually 1970s Cup teams. No problem. EA weren’t allowed in the room, so I’m sitting cross-reference these pages to make sure gets to work on its in the foyer, waiting for the meeting to end. the ratings were more or less fair. It would follow-up to NHL Saskin comes out and he’s shaking his head. be a lot easier with Excel now, but back then Hockey and calls the Apparently, the players on the commit- it was hard. game NHLPA Hock- tee noticed that they had individual player ey ’93, taking the ratings in the game. Ken Baumgartner was EA decides to brand all its sports games as team logos out but on the committee. He came over to me and ‘EASN’ – Electronic Arts Sports Network. Ron leaving the fight- said, “I’m Ken Baumgartner, the guy you Barr, the host of the national talk-radio show ing in. Meanwhile, gave a zero rating for intelligence.” It never Sports Byline USA, is already involved with CONSOLE Borgen reaches out really dawned on me that I’d actually meet some of EA’s other sports titles and is brought to EA to interview the players. I tried to do my best on these on to be the face of NHLPA Hockey ’93, giving TO CAMERA Brook for an inter- ratings. There was some statistical basis. pre-game scouting reports. Documentary takes unconventional approach Intelligence, it was really Offensive Aware- mission feature. to depicting NHL ’94’s cultural impact This encounter has ness. Baumgartner had one point and 225 BROOK: We had these diverse sports a long-lasting, positive effect on EA’s early minutes in 55 games. So, it isn’t like games out there, which weren’t really con- MIKEY MCBRYAN IS NO stranger to the camera. He hockey video games. he was going to make much of an impact in nected in any way. But the EA Sports Net- starred for six seasons on Ice Pilots NWT, a reality scoring. That led to some changes. We had work, the idea of branding all our games TV show about a small airline that delivers supplies BORGEN: I produced an intermission fea- to take the ratings more seriously. together, made sense as our sports games around Canada’s Northwest Territories. Once that game or they would cut their license. So, I ture for a Kings game about hockey video were starting to take off. We wanted an an- show wrapped up in 2014, McBryan decided to step - games during the 1991-92 season and ar- Borgen gets Brook in touch with Igor Ku- nouncer to tie in with EASN, and Ron Barr TEST behind the camera and make a documentary about ing and keep the NHL logos. Or I could keep ranged to visit EA Sports. I interviewed Mi- perman, a former sportswriter from Moscow had a radio show, so he seemed like he’d be DRIVER NHL ’94 called Pixelated Heroes. “I had no filming experience,” he said. “I called in a bunch of favors and had a choice to make. I could get rid of fight chael and shot footage of them working on who now works in hockey operations for the appropriate. Then-active NHLers funded it myself with no real sponsor. It was a labor wasn’t as big of a deal as you might think, the next game. I did another feature, where Winnipeg Jets, to rate the players. such as McIntyre gave of love, with some of the camera guys from Ice Pilots becausefighting andwe hadtake John the NHLMadden logos Football out, which, and Larry Robinson, Rob Blake, Dave Taylor and RON BARR [RADIO HOST / IN-GAME crucial feedback to helping me out, working for beer and chicken wings.” it did not have an NFL license, but people John McIntyre played the upcoming game, IGOR KUPERMAN [WINNIPEG JETS’ ANCHOR: NHLPA HOCKEY ’93 & NHL ’94]: help the game achieve McBryan spent more than three years making his against each other and the computer. They DIRECTOR OF HOCKEY INFORMATION / People would call my show and say, “By the a degree of realism. hour-long film, which debuts Oct. 28 on the online team colors. I felt pretty strongly that video got into it and had fun. PLAYER RATINGS: NHLPA HOCKEY ’93 & way, I saw your game.” I don’t know why platform XOTV.me. He spoke with several former and gamerswere just would fine withbe a thelot citymore names interested and the in NHL ’94]: I had to rate players in 12 cate- they thought I made the games, but I’d ask Simmons gets current employees of Electronic Arts and interviewed JOHN MCINTYRE [L.A. KINGS CENTER gories, such as accuracy, shot power, check- what they liked about it. It was a consumer moved to another several musicians who have fond memories of the nicknames and logos. / SPECIAL THANKS: NHLPA HOCKEY ’93]: endorsement that EA could not have got- project at EA, so game, like Tom Thacker of punk band Gob and Dave Schneider of indie group The Zambonis. having fighting in the game than the team They brought the game into the dressing Brook tasks Mark Lesser with programming ing, passing ability and fighting, on a scale Unable to afford NHL footage, McBryan enlisted BOB BORGEN [L.A. KINGS TELEVISION room, had some of us play it and wanted consumer involvement and how much they NHLPA Hockey ’94 for Genesis. Lesser is the the aid of local animators to fill in some scenes when PRODUCER / SPECIAL THANKS: NHLPA our input on it, whether we noticed some of zero to six. I also had to figure out who likedten any the games. other way. That really amplified programmer of Mattel’s Auto Race, the first- needed, such as a machinima version of Game 7 of the HOCKEY ’93 AND NHL ’94]: I played every things that weren’t very accurate. This penalty-killingwas on the first unit. power play, second power ever hand-held video game, and of John 1994 Stanley Cup final or a stop-motion animated his- hockey video game from Atari all the way play, first penalty-killing unit and second BROOK: We were going to do some tele- Madden Football ’93. Also, he knows nothing tory of the Broad Street Bullies. Perhaps most interest- up. When NHL Hockey for Genesis came out, wasn’t in an arcade. I seem to remember BROOK: It’s a lot safer to tell a player that vision advertising on ESPN, and they really about hockey. ingly to non-gamers, McBryan also spoke with several it was groundbreaking in so many ways. I givingwas the feedback first video on icinggame or that delayed I played offside. that a hockey-operations guy rated you this way took offense to us using EASN, which was retired NHL players, like Theo Fleury (who says his first was really knocked out by the way the ar- I know we did chirp a couple of things that rather than a video-game guy who has nev- kind of a knock-off of ESPN. They kicked up MARK LESSER [PROGRAMMER: NHL ’94 purchase as an NHL player was a Nintendo and every weren’t true to life. The hardest part for us er seen you play. a stink, so we just shortened it to EA Sports. & NHL ’95 FOR GENESIS, PLUS NUMER- game the store had), Jordin Tootoo and Cliff Ronning. There are some funny moments when McBryan con- was brilliant. OUS OTHER HOCKEY TITLES FOR EA]: tificial intelligence worked. I just thought it vinces Steve Larmer and Glenn Anderson to pick up KUPERMAN: I ESPN files a trademark infringement over My introduction to hockey came through Sega Genesis controllers and give NHL ’94 a try. BROOK: I decided to give it one more was just figuring out how to play it. It took got in a little trou- EA using EASN branding on its games. The doing that game. I had never watched Pixelated Heroes plays out more like a reality TV shot with the NHLPA and appeal to them di- ble with Tie Domi. dispute is settled out of court. Earlier versions hockey on television. I had gone to a col- show than a straight-up documentary, but that’s what rectly, because I knew the situation between He always grilled of NHLPA Hockey ’93 bear the ‘EASN’ logo on lege game here and there, but I didn’t know makes it fun. “It goes back to that moment when the NHL and the NHLPA was very acrimoni- me why his NHL ’94 the box, instructions and game label, while anything about the sport. I was intrigued you are a child, playing the game for the first time,” ous. I explained what happened with Time ratings were lower later versions use the ‘EA Sports’ logo. The by it, because it lent itself to being a video McBryan said. “It’s about that emotion.” Warner to Ted Saskin, their head licensing than Bob Probert’s. game is released for SNES and Genesis and game really nicely. In football, you have this guy, and director Bob Goodenow. It was is a hit, so EA starts planning its next sequel: problem with “skating.” It’s a technical term news to them that Time Warner had re- BROOK: I took NHLPA Hockey ’94. The initial plan is to keep when you try to make the player run on the jected our request Igor’s ratings as a fighting in and not involve the NHL. screen, but it is very hard to synch the mo- for the NHLPA li- guideline and con- tions of their legs with the scrolling of the cense, but it wasn’t SHINING A verted them from BROOK: NHLPA Hockey ’93 was super- screen on older game systems, so it appears news to them that SPOTLIGHT a 0-to-6 rating to a successful and met all of our expectations. like they are skating. In hockey, obviously, Time Warner was Borgen’s intermission rating out of 100, So, now we were going to do NHLPA Hock- we don’t have that problem because they do actually doing this feature during a Kings using additional ey ’94, and the players were really excited skate. That, and the speed of it, and the fact sort of thing. The TV broadcast in the information and about it. The only people not excited about that it’s a smaller playing area than football MIKEY MCBRYAN, GLENN ANDERSON PA said they’d be early ’90s did wonders stats, and included the product was the NHL. They basically felt made me think that this would be a really & STEVE LARMER

more than happy for EA’s popularity. a random factor. KINGS BORGEN: BROOK; LA MICHAEL BROOK: PIXELATED HEROES: MIKEY MCINTYRE: MCBRYAN; ANGELES LOS KINGS that they were one-upped by the NHLPA. cool game to do.

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to Brass Bonanza. deal with the NHL, because we had a lot of TRUE Maybe it existed, I think the kids love two guys squaring off, leverage in the sense that we were going to NORTH I didn’t know, so I havinghitting anda scrap. the fightingI was impressed more realistic. with what And start producing the cartridges next month, Wong, a Canadian and just learned it and EA showed me. I remember Pong and Atari so we could build them into the game as diehard hockey fan, other songs by ear. and Commodore 64, and it was amazing part of a longer-term deal. And of course, brought extra passion how far video games had come by 1993. they wanted to get in on that product. We to programming the BROOK: We - SNES and PC versions. were recording the BROOK: Bob Borgen was really instru- cause we didn’t have time to negotiate any- organ music that mental in helping us make the early games thingagreed more to rip than fighting that. We out felt of like the we game needed be full-motion video the Washington more realistic by getting us those inroads to give them that win. We actually had a re- and Barr’s voice. Capitals play on the with people who could really help. That’s This game uses a power play, and Di- really invaluable, to sit with someone like got ripped out of the game, and the NHL different photo, of eter mentions that Barry Melrose and show him the game and logosally cool and version team names of fighting, were but put that in instead. feature a Bruins-Whalers the Caps’ organist get feedback. And of course, the name of the game was game, with Steve has arthritis and changed to NHL ’94. Konroyd front and can’t hit a particu- EA tasks its Canadian branch to develop center. lar note right, and NHLPA Hockey ’94 for the Super Nintendo LESSER: NHLPA Hockey asks if he should and for personal computers. One programmer ’94) was improved. It was much better than the record, the Bruins won the game 5-1, and STEVE KONROYD [HARTFORD WHAL- BROOK: It was meant to be a really fun GOING IN play it how she takes Lesser’s code and ports it to the SNES, The fighting (in Moog stopped Sandstrom on his attempt. ERS DEFENSEMAN, PICTURED ON BOX representation of hockey. There were so BLIND plays it or the way while other programmers work on the PC ver- time tuning it. We had different graphics. COVER OF NHL ’94 FOR DOS & CD-ROM]: many times where we chose fun over what Lesser, programmer of it is supposed to sion of the game. Thethe fightinganimations in thewere earlier better. games. There I spentwere STEVE BABINEAU [BOSTON BRUINS I didn’t know I was on the cover right away. would truly be realistic. So, there are no ref- NHL ’94, knew nothing be played. Immedi- some new moves, pulling jerseys over an PHOTOGRAPHER / PACKAGE PHOTOS: It was a couple of years later when I found erees skating around, and you could turn about hockey but felt it ately, I say, “Oh, no, AMORY WONG [PROGRAMMER: NHL opponent’s head, or a guy is about to almost NHLPA HOCKEY ’93 & NHL ’94]: EA needed out, when someone asked me to sign the box off offside. We wanted some semblance of translated beautifully you have to play it ’94 FOR SNES]: I played hockey since I was fall down and then he snaps back up. Play- a generic action photo with three or four cover. Didn’t get any royalties, but I’m smack- good goalkeeping and, obviously, if you can to video-game form. the way she plays ers responded to punches in a more realistic players. Then there are no rights or reve- dab in the middle. I just got lucky. I was in push around the goalkeeper, that’s going to it.” I didn’t know if any hockey you could play. I was passionate way. There was blood, too. But this was all the right place at the right time. It gave me a destroy the game, so we made our goalies people were going to catch that, but if they abouta kid. Icegetting hockey, to roadprogram hockey, a hockey floor hockey, video pulled. It was a total waste of time. players. When you use an isolated photo of little bit of street cred with my kids. invincible. Any time there was a decision did, it was going to be really cool. anues player that on need a box to becover, paid you to those had to (pictured) pay that between what would really be fun and what project, so I was getting all the hardware BROOK: Eventually, we were able to ne- player money, because it was considered an BABINEAU: That box-cover photo is in- you would put in a simulation, we went with RUEHLE: I remember the little nuances, game. This was my first Super Nintendo NHL ’96). endorsement. correctly credited to me. It was taken by my what was fun. We almost always went to the how organists would play. Like Vince Las- We said that we would keep it to a realis- root of how we could stay semi-realistic but cheid, the organist in Pittsburgh, would gotiate having fighting back (for ANDY MOOG [BOSTON BRUINS GOALIE still make it an amazing video game. play, Let’s Go Team in a 1-4-1 pattern, in- - / PICTURED ON THE BOX OF NHL ’94 FOR sonNHL Brian. ’94 It receives was the overwhelmingly first photo he ever positive sold. stead of the 1-5-1 pattern that the Caps’ tic level, and the guys who don’t fight won’t SNES, GENESIS AND SEGA CD]: I had a reviews from video-game magazines at the LESSER: We couldn’t do a lot of sophis- organist would do. fight at all, so you’ll never see Wayne Gretz little lead knowledge that I would be on the time. It also makes Jeremy Roenick hockey’s ticated things, so we didn’t have to worry ky NHLfight ’94 in our comes game. out in September 1993 for box cover of NHL ’94. I was on the NHL Play- biggest video-game star, putting him in the about that. You don’t want the realism of Canadian Michael J. Sokyrka, a piano teach- Sega Genesis, October 1993 for Super Ninten- ers’ Association licensing committee, and I same league as Pac-Man and Super Mario as watching a game. You want to make it feel er turned video-game music guy, composes do and January 1994 for Sega CD. That version was told that I was going to be on the game far as video-game characters go. Roenick’s in- good, not look good. Camera angle, scroll- the title and menu theme music. has narration by Ron Barr and improved music package that year. I equated it to being on game ratings are high where it counts, but a ing, puck control and speed. Those are the and sound, as well as video. The now-iconic a box of hockey cards, which always came flaw in the Sega Genesis version of the game things you want, and you want to distort MICHAEL J. VITAL photograph on the cover of NHL ’94 shows with a little bit of bragging rights around – known as the “weight bug” – makes lighter those. You don’t want them real. SOKYRKA [MUSIC: ORGANIST a Kings-Bruins matchup at the Boston Gar- the league. players hit harder, turning Roenick into an ab- NHL ’94]: I grew Ruehle, experienced den from March 15, 1992. Tomas Sandstrom solute wrecking ball in the Genesis version. For the organ music in the game, Borgen up watching Hock- on NHL arena organs, of the Kings swoops in on Bruins goalie Andy NHL ’94 also comes out in the fall of 1993 puts Brook in touch with an old acquaintance: ey Night in Canada. was an ideal choice to Moog, with Clark Donatelli in pursuit and Ray for IBM PCs but is called NHL Hockey. Like JEREMY ROENICK [CHICAGO BLACK-

organist Dieter Ruehle, who had worked for That music had create the iconic EA WONG AMORY OF COURTESY WONG: Bourque attempting a diving pokecheck. For the Sega CD version, the PC version includes HAWKS CENTER]: If I had a nickel for ev- the Kings in the past, then moved on to ply his some inspiration video-game music. trade with the San Jose Sharks, and has since for the instru- returned to the Kings. If you ever find yourself mentation and orchestral approach to the EVAN ELDREDGE, A NEW Eldredge started a message board and online league. humming Here Come the Hawks after playing themes on NHL ’94. Part of my instrumen- development manuals that were poorly York native and the founder Instead of vying against a buddy on a home console, NHL ’94, you have Ruehle to thank. tation was an electric guitar, cowbell and translatedspecs for the from first Japanese. time. I had Sometimes, to read these we NHL94.COM AT 15 of the NHL94.com website, gamers could now play NHL ’94 with anyone in the drums. I tried to use some horns, but the had to contact Nintendo to hear what the Long-running website keeps love for classic game going strong didn’t care that other hockey world, so long as they had internet access, a controller BROOK: Dieter said that he knew all the sample sounded pretty horrible. translations meant. video games had better and a SNES or Sega Genesis emulator (software to play music that every team played, and I thought graphics and sound or an abundance of new features. “My old video games) on their computer. that would be so cool to build into the game. To help make NHLPA Hockey ’94 more re- NHLPA Hockey ’94 comes very close to friends and I were playing NHL ’94 in the early 2000s,” he Today, NHL94.com has about 7,000 message-board alistic, Borgen has Brook bring a demo of the being released without an NHL license and said. “The newer games didn’t interest us because they members, and up to 100 players compete in fall and DIETER RUEHLE [LOS ANGELES KINGS game to his house and invites Kings coach with fighting still in the game, but then Brook didn’t have the gameplay or fun factor that NHL ’94 did.” spring leagues. There are “classic” leagues for SNES and Eldredge and his cousin spent hours making modified Genesis that use the 1993-94 teams and rosters, leagues ORGANIST / ORGANIST: NHL ’94 & Barry Melrose and assistant coach Cap Raeder reaches a crossroads. CD-ROM-based game versions of NHL ’94 (known as “mods”) with updated that use current players and teams, and leagues that al- NHL ’95]: When I was a kid, I’d watch a lot to give some insight. systems are growing in popularity, and EA teams and players, or scouring the internet, trying to low gamers to draft their own teams. “We had this small of baseball and hockey games on TV and wants to include full-motion video in its hock- find others who shared their passion. Eldredge launched group that had this love for the game, who play online pay special attention to the music I’d hear. BARRY MELROSE [L.A. KINGS HEAD ey game for Sega CD. NHL94.com in 2003 to attract enthusiasts and create a against each other, and now they’re finally meeting each That would help me learn how to play those COACH / SPECIAL THANKS: NHL ’94]: place for modders to share tips. Over time, it grew into other and playing in these live tournaments,” Eldredge I was always about the physical play, the BROOK: The NHL owned the rights to its the ultimate fan site for all things related to NHL ’94. said. “That’s the best part of what came out of this.”

I could just go out and buy the sheet music hitting and such. I suggested making the game footage. We basically cut a last-minute LESSER: MIKEY RUEHLE: MCBRYAN; COURTESY OF DIETER RUEHLE arena-specific songs. As a kid, I didn’t think

| 54 | THE HOCKEY NEWS NOVEMBER 5, 2018 NOVEMBER 5, 2018 THE HOCKEY NEWS | 55 | NHL ’94 NHL ’94 AN ORAL HISTORY CLASSIC AN ORAL HISTORY KING game. They decided that a faster game was SURPRISE ing between teams, There can be only one champion of NHL ’94 POSTER BOY the ability to cre- going to be better. And it wasn’t, for a lot of Konroyd had no idea ate players and the reasons. The physics weren’t able to keep “OUR TOURNAMENT IS DIFFERENT than most other he’d wind up on a much-anticipated up with the speed of the puck. The thing video-game tournaments,” said Darrell Sampson, video-game cover but full-season mode. looked choppy. There was something spe- organizer of the NHL ’94 competition called King of earned street cred with NHL ’95 seems ’94. “We’re guys in our 30s and 40s, so you can say his kids because of it. poised to become puck in NHL ’94, and that was taken away in that most of the testosterone is not there anymore the next great hock- NHLcifically ’95 .delicious We tried about to change the slowness the size of the like when we were teenagers.” ey video game. But arena, and it didn’t work out. King of ’94 debuted in 2015 with 128 contestants at Toronto’s Real Sports Bar & Grill. The tournament went it doesn’t. on hiatus in 2016, then returned in 2017, with 63 play- NHL BROOK: The series took a real shift. ers at a Las Vegas hotel. This year, it will be held on LESSER: The The people who came in after me had a dif- Oct. 28 at the Canadian Brewhouse in Vancouver, B.C. reason I went into ferent vision for the game. Development of – not far from EA Canada’s headquarters. There are engineering to be- the game eventually went to EA Canada. It two divisions: one for Genesis players and the other gin with was to es- made sense for a hockey video game to be for Super Nintendo players. The number of players for cape the real world. developed in Canada. So, I took over the Sega each console was pretty much even the first two years. I like machines. I’m side of our business and continued to devel- Sampson anticipates about 100 contestants this year. not really a people op games for royalties, like the NFL series. The entry fee is $49.94, and all money after expenses person. And I really goes into the prize pool. “We don’t make any money off of this,” Sampson said. “We just try to keep as Before working on NHL ’96, I hated politics. With that, a whole lot went LESSER: much money as we can for the winners. The first-place on at EA that I was not aware of and didn’t went to EA to talk to the producers. I was winners might come out ahead. The others probably want to be aware of. I’m trying to absorb talking about the design spec for the new don’t because of flight and hotel. I tell people, if you’re myself into this game, and I hear all this game. Scott Probin, one of the producers, interested in money, you’re making the wrong deci- stuff. Michael left EA altogether. It was kind sion. Come because it’s a fun weekend.” of on a business level, and it confused me, with customer-service people from EA, This year, the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis ery time someone asked me about NHL ’94, and really diverted my attention on NHL ’95. thewalks people me downwho have to anto interface auditorium, with filled the EA continued to release its hockey games A FACE BEFORE winners face off in a best-of-three series to crown an I would never have to do a damn thing again I don’t blame Michael, but on those games, I public, and they’re talking to me about the for the Genesis and Nintendo, with the Gene- THE FACEOFF ultimate champ. No money on the here. And like NHL ’94 itself, no fighting, either. “For the last two in my life. really needed to just focus on the game and seriousness of one of the bugs in NHL ’95. sis and SNES versions of NHL ’98 being its last Real-life broadcaster years we’ve done this, I was expecting to run into at nothing else. 2-D hockey games. NHL ’97 and NHL ’98 were Barr became the NHL least one problem,” Sampson said. “But I’ve never had LESSER: Yeah…oh, boy. The weight bug. I never did. also made with a 3-D engine for new systems series’ pre-game host any issues of anyone being out of control, or throwing don’t know if it was an inherited bug. I don’t BROOK: If you worked for EA, you just I thought they were going to fire me. They like the PlayStation and . But it and earned minor a controller, or getting out of hand, which I’ve wit- mean to blame anybody. It could very well got your salary and maybe a bonus if you BROOK: There was a bug in NHL ’95, was NHL ’94 that endured, with a generation celebrity status. nessed at other gaming tournaments. Everyone wants have been my code. It was easy enough to did a good job. But if you worked as a con- and it was pretty bad. If you played out an of fans continuing to play the game through to win, but it’s actually pretty chill.” do, just inverting two numbers. tractor for EA, you got royalties, which were entire season, and hit 128 points in the college. Today, there are online leagues that I said, “Yeah, I’m the dude in the hockey running into millions of dollars. It wasn’t standings, you would be wrapped back to 0 play NHL ’94, annual tournaments and even a game,” and he turns to his brother and Adding to Roenick’s video-game legacy that I wasn’t well compensated. I was. I points. That kind of sucked. Imagine having documentary coming out in October. says, “I told you so!” I always wanted to was a scene in the 1996 film Swingers, where wanted a more direct relationship with the a dominant team, and, oops, you were just be known in my career as the dude in the the characters are playing NHLPA Hockey ’93 NHL a bit too good, and now you’re not making LESSER: How many games can you list, hockey game (laughs). on a Sega Genesis. Vince Vaughn’s character ’94 and was the developer of NHL ’95. Every the playoffs. That’s a pretty bad bug for a maybe 10, maybe 20, that have that kind of Trent utters the now-famous line, “It’s not producerprofits of thegets product. to set the So, creativeI left EA afterdirection. game that advertises that its newest feature longevity, 25-year longevity? NHL ’94 was ROENICK: It’s one of my favorite things even so much me as it’s Roenick. He’s good,” is full-season play. - in the world, to be synonymous with a vid- then dishes out a check to “make Wayne the producer, to be on the royalty side of tured hockey game. eo game, and an icon in a video game. It’s a Gretzky’s head bleed.” theI relinquished equation. Themy influencecreative direction and control really as LESSER: I took responsibility. I thought groundbreaking. It was the first full-fea really cool stature to have. I just wish that I changed with NHL ’95. they were going to kill me in that auditori- MOOG: played the game in real life as well as I did ROENICK: I remember seeing Vince a um. “Programmer stoned to death!” I could that electronic gaming was just a phase or the gaming world. couple years later, in a bar in L.A., and that’s LESSER: There’s an underlying truth in almost feel it. I felt really bad. This stuff a little trend We that(players) was allgoing probably on and thought didn’t when we became friends. I thanked him for what happened with NHL ’95, but it had to happens. Once again, it’s a single program- think it would amount to much, to be hon- LESSER: One of the things I noticed in putting me in the movie. He told me that he do with disruption. It left the game in a dan- mer, one guy, doing everything. Program- est (laughs). We were all very naive about my life is a lot of things that I thought would grew up in Chicago and put me in the movie gling state. The worst part of the game, in what this could turn into. happen over and over again were one- out of respect for how much he loved watch- my mind, was the speed. A lot of people gave pressure. time things. I always thought that working ing me play. their input, but the game came out before ming, tuning, fixing bugs. There’s a lot of WONG: The power of the gaming ma- on NHL ’94 was a lot of fun, and that there we got it just right. They wanted a faster Meanwhile, Wong is not involved in NHL ’95 chines at the time were very limited, so the would be lots of other games like that. But BROOK: One of Gretzky’s major talents for the SNES. graphics for NHL ’94 were not as nice as really, it didn’t pan out that way. There was was his extraordinary level of awareness. later games. But that gave us more time to something special about doing NHL ’94 that If you took control of him, then it was your WONG: After NHL ’94, EA moved me concentrate on making the game play well. didn’t repeat itself. One doesn’t really know awareness, not his. A guy like that was a star over to the NBA Live series. EA’s NBA game what’s important when it happens. when you played against him, but you were wasn’t very good anymore, so they wanted BARR: much better off being somebody who had VIDEO a new engine. So basically, I took the good BORGEN: To quote Ken Dryden, “The more physical skills combined with speed, LAME parts of NHL ’94 and put that into NBA Live. attendant Mycame wife up andand Isaid were that on two a flight kids ‘golden age of sports,’ the golden age of any- After NHL ’94’s huge I worked on that game series for six years. I recognizedfrom Atlanta me to Sanand Francisco,asked if it andwas the all flightright thing, is the age of everyone’s childhood.” aura of who was a star in our video games. success, NHL ’95 wasn’t a basketball fan, but I became one, so if they could meet me. I said of course. So, When the right thing hits you at the right like Roenick. It definitely created its own flopped. Despite some I thought it was a lot of fun. It was good tim- they come over, they were brothers about time of your life, it will stay with you always. Naturally, EA goes to work on its next cool new features, it 11 and 13, and one brother asks me, “Are NHL ’94 hit a lot of people at the right age at

hockey game, NHL ’95, which features trad- was full of bugs. the game at the same time. KONROYD: CAROLINA HURRICANES BARR: COURTESY OF RON BARR; KING OF ‘94: KING OF ‘94 TOURNAMENT you the dude in the hockey game?” And the right time. ing to have the (Vancouver) Grizzlies and do

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