Press Time
What goes on behind the scenes in game development
is as interesting as the games themselves. Byz,,,to
Behind the develop
ment of every
game is a story. The
stress of the indus
try— sandwiched
between devoted fans
and money-focused
publishers forced to
guess what the next
popular trend will
be—is not for the
faint of heart.
It’s no wonder
these developers and the companies seem
larger than life. Take John Romero of Ion
Storm, who loves media attention even
though his recent games hav^ failed to
deliver. Or the fancy car loving John
Carmack of Quake fame (id Software). Or
Developers realize they need the press to
reach their audience, which is both hyper
critical of new releases and staunchly
loyal and devoted to their favorite games.
the heartbreak felt at Looking Class
Studios, where award-winning products like
Thief 1 & 2 failed to save them from
financial ruin. Or the frustration experi
enced at brilliant strat
egy-maker Mindscape,
after Mattel bought
them and then was
forced to sell off all its
gaming due to ineffec
tual management.
Most developers
have a love affair with
the media. They realize
they need the press to
reach their audience,
which is both hyper
critical of new releases and staunchly loyal
and devoted to its favorite games. Few
developers are press shy; Blizzard
Entertainment, makers of Diablo II, is the
only one to come to mind.
The rapid expansion of the gaming
industry has generated a wealth of
stories about intrigues, mismanage
ment, betrayals, tragedies and heroics.
If you’ve ever wanted to know how
your favorite game was really made,
explore sites like Gamespot’s Behind the
Games series by Geoffrey Keighley,
Gamespy’s (gamespy.com) and RPGVault’s
Developers' Diaries (rpgvault.ign.com),
_
rpgheaven.de/artikel/interview.
hp?id=3&seite=l
Interview with Chris Avellone of Black
Isle, the man behind the characters in
Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment.
3dgameforce.com/interviews/bf1942
Interview with Niklas Persson of
Sweden-based Digital Illusions, makers
of the upcoming Battlefield 1942, a
first-person WWII game.
gamespot.com/features/bt
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Behind the Games: Index of older
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Dominic Armato, voice-actor for
Guybrush Threepwood in the Monkey
Island series, talks about how voice-act
ing is done.
-
Rumors and gossip
and numerous interviews found listed daily
at Blue’s News (bluesnews.com) and Daily
Radar (dailyradar.com). These sites are
must-reads for gaming enthusiasts. •
AP Photo/Long Photography, Greg Harbaugh
Alternative
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Bv Michelle Silver
When someone asks, “What's your
major?” did you ever wish you could
say, “Hamburgers,” or “Contortionism” or
maybe even “Truck Maintenance”? Here's
some collegiate destinations for the real
“nontraditional student."
San Francisco School of Circus Arts
www.sfcircus.org
Dream about wearing a sequined bodysuit?
Juggling bowling balls? Consider SFSCA, the
only full-time circus school in America. Master
Trainer Lu Yi used to be the
star of the Nanjing
Acrobatic Troupe, and is
considered the leading
authority on Chinese acro
batics. Courses here
include contortion, trapeze,
trampoline, aerial hoop and
“Professional Clowning.” SFSCA recently
bought the New Pickle Circus, so graduates
can go directly into the workforce.
College of the Redwoods
www.redwoods.cc.ca.us
This is the place if you fantasize about driv
ing a rig or using lumberjack equipment.
Courses are offered in Diesel Engine
Performance and Truck Maintenance and
Compliance. There are also classes in archi
tectural millwork and cabinetmaking, and
other construction-technology courses.
Cow College
www.ca.uky.edu
If you’ve ever wondered (who hasn't?) how
to diagnose a cow for pregnancy, or cas
trate a bull, the Cow College at Kentucky
University could be for you. Says Les
Anderson, beef-cattle specialist, “The thing
that sets Cow College apart is the hands-on
aspect.” The program teaches students how
to improve profits in beef construction and
offers classes in herd health, cattle psychol
ogy(!) and corral design.
McDonald’s Hamburger University
mcdonalds.com/corporate/careers/
hambuniv/index.html
There is far more to working at Micky D’s
than being able to ask, “What size fries
would you like with that?” This worldwide
management-training center in Oak Brook,
III., instructs personnel on various aspects
of restaurant operation, from paper costs to
crew scheduling and oil filtering. There are
10 international training centers as well, so
you could go to England or japan to learn
the burger-flipping biz. •
Photo courtesy San Francisco School of Circus Arts