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Halcyon Days (book)
''Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers'' is a digital book edited by James Hague and published in 1997. The book was originally formatted using HTML and sold via mail-order, shipped on a floppy disk by Dadgum Games for USD$20. In 2002, ''Halcyon Days'' was made freely available on the web. The book continued to be sold by '' Dr. Dobb's Journal'', on a CD-ROM also containing Susan Lammers's ''Programmers at Work'', until Dr. Dobb's shut down at the end of 2014. The introduction to ''Halcyon Days'' is written by John Romero who told Wired News the interviews were "like hearing messages from old gods." ''Halcyon Days'' has since become a common reference for writings on game history, including '' Racing the Beam'' (MIT Press, 2009), and ''Retrogame Archeology'' (Springer, 2016). Interviewees * Ed Averett: Magnavox Odyssey² games * Danielle Bunten Berry: ''M.U.L.E.'', '' The Seven Cities of Gold'' * Stephen C. Biggs * Adam Billyard * Bil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Software Development
Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development involves writing and maintaining the source code, but in a broader sense, it includes all processes from the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, typically in a planned and structured process. Software development also includes research, new development, prototyping, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products. Methodologies One system development methodology is not necessarily suitable for use by all projects. Each of the available methodologies are best suited to specific kinds of projects, based on various technical, organizational, project, and team considerations. Software development activities Identification of need The sou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Budge
Bill Budge (born August 11, 1954) is a retired American video game programmer and designer. He is best known for the Apple II games '' Raster Blaster'' (1981) and ''Pinball Construction Set'' (1983). Early games Budge says he became interested in computers while obtaining a PhD at UC Berkeley. He purchased an Apple II and began writing games. He enjoyed it so much that he dropped out of school and became a game programmer. Budge's first game was a ''Pong'' clone, called ''Penny Arcade'', which he wrote using his own custom graphics routines. He traded the completed game to Apple Computer for a Centronics printer.An interview with Budge from ''Halcyon Days'' California Pacific published a collec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Bilestoad
''The Bilestoad'' is a video game by Marc Goodman (credited as "Mangrove Earthshoe") for the Apple II and published in 1982 by Datamost. In ''The Bilestoad'', players control "meatlings" that hack and battle with axes and shields from a top-view perspective. The name is derived from the German words ''Beil'' (axe) and ''Tod'' (death). The odd spelling reflects Goodman's idea of a future language similar to '' A Clockwork Orange'''s Nadsat in which English has been modified by the borrowing of foreign words. Although the game may seem medieval, the backstory in the manual explains that the axe fighting is actually a future virtual reality game designed to reduce real violence. According to the author, influences for ''The Bilestoad'' include the movie ''Excalibur'' and '' Monty Python and the Holy Grail''. Gameplay The game can be played online in an Apple II emulatohere ''The Bilestoad'' allows a human player to fight against either a computer-controlled opponent or anothe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marc Goodman
Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system of the State of Maryland, serving Maryland, Washington, D.C., and eastern West Virginia * MARC (archive), a computer-related mailing list archive * M/A/R/C Research, a marketing research and consulting firm * Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition, a non-profit, volunteer organization * Matador Automatic Radar Control, a guidance system for the Martin MGM-1 Matador cruise missile * Mid-America Regional Council, the Council of Governments and the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the bistate Kansas City region * Midwest Association for Race Cars, a former American stock car racing organization * Revolutionary Agrarian Movement of the Bolivian Peasantry (''Movimiento Agrario Revolucionario del Campesinado Boliviano''), a defunct right- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gary Gilbertson
''Alternate Reality'' (''AR'') is an unfinished role-playing video game series. It was created by Philip Price (programmer), Philip Price, who formed a video game developer, development company called Paradise Programming. Video game publisher, Published by Datasoft, ''Alternate Reality: The City, AR: The City'' was released in 1985 and ''Alternate Reality: The Dungeon, AR: The Dungeon'' was released in 1987. Price was unable to complete the second game in the series, and ''The Dungeon'' was finished by Ken Jordan (programmer), Ken Jordan and Dan Pinal. Gary Gilbertson created the music for both games. Concept Aliens have captured the player from Earth, and suddenly the player finds themself in front of a gate with a slot-machine-like row of rotating numbers of statistics. Stepping through the gate freezes the numbers and turns the player into a new person, putting them into an "alternate reality", hence the name. In 1988 Datasoft denied that the series would end after ''The Dung ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anne Westfall
Anne Westfall is an American game programmer and software developer, known for 1983's '' Archon: The Light and the Dark'', originally written for the Atari 8-bit family. She is married to fellow game developer Jon Freeman. Both are founders of Free Fall Associates. Career Westfall began computer programming at the age of 30. Before moving into the video game industry, Westfall worked as a programmer for a civil engineering firm Morton Technology, where she developed the first microcomputer-based program designed to help lay out subdivisions. In 1981, Westfall and her husband, Jon, left Epyx, the video game developer and publisher her husband co-founded just three years earlier. Westfall cited a desire to learn assembly language and to work on the Atari 800 as one reason for their departure from Epyx. Together with game designer Paul Reiche III, they started Free Fall Associates to make computer games free of the politics existing at the now larger Epyx. Together with Jon a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jon Freeman (game Designer)
Jon Freeman is a game designer and co-founder of software developer Automated Simulations, which was later renamed to Epyx and became a major company during the 8-bit era of home computing. He is married to game programmer Anne Westfall, and they work together as Free Fall Associates. Free Fall is best known for '' Archon: The Light and the Dark'', one of the earliest titles from Electronic Arts. Career Automated Simulations and Epyx Freeman worked as a game designer for video game developer and publisher, Epyx, which he co-founded with Jim Connelley in 1978 as Automated Simulations. Their first game, '' Starfleet Orion'', was a two-player only game developed mainly so Connelley could write off the cost of his Commodore PET computer. Freeman provided design while Connelley handled the programming in BASIC. Freeman was amazed when they actually had a finished product and they had to create a company to publish it. So, both he and Connelley fell into the computer game industry by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rescue On Fractalus!
''Rescue On Fractalus!'' is a 1985 first-person shooter computer game created by Lucasfilm Games. It was originally released for the Atari 8-bit family and the Atari 5200 games console. It was also ported to other popular platforms of the day, such as the Apple II, ZX Spectrum (by Dalali Software Ltd), Amstrad CPC, Tandy Color Computer 3 and Commodore 64. The game was one of the first two products from the fledgling Lucasfilm Computer Division Games Group led by Peter Langston. David Fox was the project leader and designer. Music was mainly composed by Charlie Kellner. Gameplay Flying The game uses fractal technology to create the craggy mountains of an alien planet, where the visilibility was drastically reduced by the dense atmosphere. The player controls a fictional "Valkyrie" space fighter (converted for search and rescue duty) from a first-person view, attempting to land and pick up downed Ethercorps pilots. Some of these mountains hold anti-aircraft guns, which have to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Fox (LucasArts Game Designer)
David Fox (born 30 December 1950, in Los Angeles) is an American multimedia producer who designed and programmed numerous early LucasArts games. He and his wife, Annie Fox, now work on educational software, web design, emotional intelligence content, online communities, emerging technologies, and writing books for children and teens. Early work Fox is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. At age eleven, he made his first 8 mm cartoon using stacks of discarded ''Flintstones'' cels he found in the trash bins behind Hanna-Barbera. He studied engineering at UCLA and Humanistic Psychology at Sonoma State University, where he received his bachelor's degree. Fox and his wife Annie co-founded Marin Computer Center in 1977 - the world's first public-access microcomputer center. He co-authored the books Computer Animation Primer', ''Armchair BASIC'', and ''Pascal Primer''. LucasArts His books led to him being hired as a founding member of the Games Division at Lucasfilm (later renam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steve DeFrisco
''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (other), several people * Steve Adams (other), several people * Steve Alaimo (born 1939), American singer, record & TV producer, label owner * Steve Albini (born 1961), American musician, record producer, audio engineer, and music journalist * Steve Allen (1921–2000), American television personality, musician, composer, comedian and writer * Steve Armitage (born 1944), British-born Canadian sports reporter * Steve Armstrong (born 1965), American professional wrestler * Steve Antin (born 1958), American actor * Steve Augarde (born 1950),arab author, artist, and eater * Steve Augeri (born 1959), American singer * Steve August (born 1954), American football player * Stone Cold Steve Austin (born 1964), American professional wrestler * Steve Aylett (born 1967), English author of satiri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Legionnaire (video Game)
''Legionnaire'' is a computer wargame for the Atari 8-bit series created by Chris Crawford in 1982, and released through Avalon Hill. Recreating Julius Caesar's campaigns in a semi-historical setting, the player takes command of the Roman legions in real-time battles against the barbarians. Gameplay Similar to Crawford's earlier groundbreaking ''Eastern Front (1941)'' in terms of display and general gameplay, ''Legionnaire'' added a real-time computer opponent, and is one of the earliest examples of a real-time tactics (RTT) game. In the game, the player takes the side of the Romans, playing the role of Julius Caesar and giving orders to their forces in real time. The computer plays as generic barbarian tribes, in blue, with the player's legions in pink. There are three types of units: infantry is represented by a sword, cavalry by a horse head, and Caesar's own Imperial Guard by an eagle. Orders are given to the units by moving a cursor over them with the joystick and then holdi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eastern Front (video Game)
''Eastern Front (1941)'' is a computer wargame for the Atari 8-bit family created by Chris Crawford and published through the Atari Program Exchange (APX) in 1981. A scenario editor and assembly language source code for the game were also sold by APX. Recreating the Eastern Front during World War II, ''Eastern Front'' covers the historical area of operations during 1941–1942. The player commands German units at the corps level as they invade the Soviet Union in 1941 and fight the computer-controlled Russians. The game simulates terrain, weather, supplies, unit morale, and fatigue. A killer app for Atari computers, ''Eastern Front'' was among APX's best selling games, selling over 60,000 copies. It was widely lauded in the press and was ''Creative Computing''s Game of the Year in 1981. In 1982, it was licensed by Atari for distribution on game cartridge, then rereleased in 1988 in XEGS styled packaging. Gameplay ''Eastern Front'' is a corps-level simulation of the first 4 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
