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Interview with the creator of the game River Raid, Carol Shaw
In the late eighties, I saw a game in which you can use the joystick to control the plane was flying over the river and shoot sailing on the river boats. Children spend hours standing in line to play it. Beg for money from their parents, and if money was not - ready for days were ready to see how others play.
As I later learned, this game is called River Raid, and Carol Shaw created her in 1982 while she was working in «Activision». At that time she was 27 years old. This interview she gave edition «Vintage Computing and Gaming» in October 2011. I>
How did you start working at Activision? B>
I worked at Tandem for about 16 months, and then I got a call from Activision and asked, "How about to work with us?". As soon as I started to work in Tandem, I had the potential to go to work at Activision, since Activision and Atari (where she had previously worked - translator's note) i> was an agreement not to poach each other's people.
Do you remember who called you? B>
I think it was El Miller . It seems that he was under the impression from my game «Checkers».
Do they know what your «Checkers» can beat them «Checkers»?
B>
Well, I do not know. My program has played against the pile of various other programs, for example, against VideoBrain and the like.
In general, he called me, we talked, and then I was offered the option. I hinted that the stock options may be very valuable. Well, I thought it might be interesting and fun - again to do with video games.
In what year did you join Activision? B>
I started to work there in the beginning of 1982, so that, it turns out, called me in '81. I must say that in the same period, I was trying to pass an interview in the company Imagic , which was located in Saratoga, California. But I was told: "You never make any action-game." In general, they have not offered me anything.
Imagic was only interested in action games? B>
Well, yes, I think because board games are not sold as well as action games. It was an interesting company, but I do not think they had a big sale. Although Atari we also never said how things are going. Feedback we did not get.
And what were the prerequisites to ensure that you have started work on River Raid? B>
I thought something like: "Ok, EKS-game. Good. ". In fact, the creation of River Raid inspired me Scramble.
It was a space shooter. And I went to Al Miller and said, "I think to make a game about space." He said: "Something has become too much of games about space. Just try to think of something else. ».
I wanted to make a game-shooter with constantly moving, scrolling screen. Draw a sketch on paper and I thought that if you use horizontal scrolling, then there are many graphics will not fit, so it's best to use vertical scrolling - so fit more pixels.
Well, even if the player is moving in the middle, then the left side of the screen you can do the same as the right, or make it a mirror image of the right half. I figured it all on paper and said to herself: "Oh, if you make it as a mirror image, it will look like a river with islands in the middle.". So I came to the topic of the river.
First shore smooth, and then start the new levels, where the river splits and already here, or you can move left or right - around the island.
Initially, the player controls the boat. But on this boat was not a trace on the water. So my boat looked not too good. So I thought, "How about a simple or maybe a jet?". It already looked better, and I did jet.
So it was your idea - replace the boat on a jet plane? B>
I think I made a simple airplane, and it seems that someone said that the jet would have been better.
Have you ever could imagine to explain why the plane crashed into the side of the river, as he flies through the air? B>
Yes, it was actually not quite logical - if you do not bump into the mountains or something like that. In the version on the Atari 800 shore looked like mountains. But in general, the airplane just looked better. Better do what looks good, not something that looks more logical and close to reality (laughs).
You know, actually, I have this never bothered. I just thought that the plane could crash ...
... Crashing into the river. And by the way, why is the aircraft that flew horizontally across the screen and could hit your plane - crashed into the shore? I do not know (laughs).
I have heard that you have come up with some way to create unique cards for River Raid. What did you do? B>
There were only 4 kilobytes of memory, so that the space to store a lot of graphics was not. I had just variants of transitions from one width of the river to the other width. A total of 32 variants, and I used a random number generator to select what should be the next width.
Someone I originally threw this idea - use pseudorandom number generator, but for the location of various objects in the game, and not to create a landscape.
pseudo-random number generator - this is when you ask him a certain amount of numbers and it will generate the same number every time, is not it? B>
Well, yes. Basically, if you start with one level, then each time you'll be playing this game, it will look the same.
And the game River Raid will be the same every time, huh? B>
Yes, but you have to play for a long time before the game to repeat what has already been used.
How do you change the level of difficulty as the game evolved? B>
I did so that the river gradually narrows and then became smaller fuel tanks. The program tracks on which you level, and depending on it instead of fuel tanks, there are other objects that you might encounter. In the 800 version, I added a tank that could shoot you, balloons and stuff.
So you had all the same way to influence the results of the random number generator to narrow down the river when you need? B>
Well, there were different algorithms to make the river narrowed to a certain extent. I mean, I did not change the random numbers, but there were just outside the limits of issue numbers that we needed. Exact details I do not remember.
What kind of computer you use to write games? B>
For development we used a computer company Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) . They worked, of course, slow - not as fast as now.
Has anyone else worked on the design Raid River? B>
This game was made by one person, and others - made suggestions. For example, at first I did that every level of the game was its color. I did everything in bright colors, and I said, "Just do all the green, it is more realistic.».
As was the case ... I announced that River Raid is ready, but then chief designer, shareholders and others said that, perhaps, the need to further develop the game. But it was necessary to fit into these 4 kilobytes of memory, so that any changes do was quite hard.
I asked him to Al Miller fresh eyes looked at my project, and he suggested how to save a few bytes to make a few changes. I can not remember what, maybe it was changing the background color, or I have done it before.
After River Raid was launched, as it took? You've read all the reviews on your game? B>
It was, of course, my most popular game. He launched just after Christmas in 1982. And then I was at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in early January.
I remember there once I call the elevator in the hotel. The elevator door opened and there was a lot of people from the sales department Activision. They all started cheering me (laughs).
Because your game became a hit for Activision? B>
Yes. They get a nice bonus, salary, and yet we got company cars. I was given the Audi 5000 Turbo.
Are you ready to say how much money you have made on this game, or at least to the level of your salary at the time? B>
Well, no ... (laughs).
It would be interesting to know. This can be a not very large number, if not to take into account inflation. B>
Even by today's standards it would be good money. And for 1982 - very good. I can say that premiums were comparable to the annual salary. In general, it doubled my income, at least for a couple of years.
( According here Activision revenue in 1983 amounted to $ 159 million - translator's note i >).
What was it like to work at Activision compared to Atari? Can you describe the atmosphere there? B>
We had separate rooms, we did not have someone to share them. It was also a common space where you can talk to. I think, Activision wanted to make design something like a star, so they put the designer's name on their games.
And there was something that attracted you particularly? B>
Yes. That recognition, which I received.
Were there other women game designers at Activision? B>
I was the first. Later they hired Carla Meninsky .
Source: habrahabr.ru/post/223287/
As I later learned, this game is called River Raid, and Carol Shaw created her in 1982 while she was working in «Activision». At that time she was 27 years old. This interview she gave edition «Vintage Computing and Gaming» in October 2011. I>
How did you start working at Activision? B>
I worked at Tandem for about 16 months, and then I got a call from Activision and asked, "How about to work with us?". As soon as I started to work in Tandem, I had the potential to go to work at Activision, since Activision and Atari (where she had previously worked - translator's note) i> was an agreement not to poach each other's people.
Do you remember who called you? B>
I think it was El Miller . It seems that he was under the impression from my game «Checkers».
Do they know what your «Checkers» can beat them «Checkers»?
B>
Well, I do not know. My program has played against the pile of various other programs, for example, against VideoBrain and the like.
In general, he called me, we talked, and then I was offered the option. I hinted that the stock options may be very valuable. Well, I thought it might be interesting and fun - again to do with video games.
In what year did you join Activision? B>
I started to work there in the beginning of 1982, so that, it turns out, called me in '81. I must say that in the same period, I was trying to pass an interview in the company Imagic , which was located in Saratoga, California. But I was told: "You never make any action-game." In general, they have not offered me anything.
Imagic was only interested in action games? B>
Well, yes, I think because board games are not sold as well as action games. It was an interesting company, but I do not think they had a big sale. Although Atari we also never said how things are going. Feedback we did not get.
And what were the prerequisites to ensure that you have started work on River Raid? B>
I thought something like: "Ok, EKS-game. Good. ". In fact, the creation of River Raid inspired me Scramble.
It was a space shooter. And I went to Al Miller and said, "I think to make a game about space." He said: "Something has become too much of games about space. Just try to think of something else. ».
I wanted to make a game-shooter with constantly moving, scrolling screen. Draw a sketch on paper and I thought that if you use horizontal scrolling, then there are many graphics will not fit, so it's best to use vertical scrolling - so fit more pixels.
Well, even if the player is moving in the middle, then the left side of the screen you can do the same as the right, or make it a mirror image of the right half. I figured it all on paper and said to herself: "Oh, if you make it as a mirror image, it will look like a river with islands in the middle.". So I came to the topic of the river.
First shore smooth, and then start the new levels, where the river splits and already here, or you can move left or right - around the island.
Initially, the player controls the boat. But on this boat was not a trace on the water. So my boat looked not too good. So I thought, "How about a simple or maybe a jet?". It already looked better, and I did jet.
So it was your idea - replace the boat on a jet plane? B>
I think I made a simple airplane, and it seems that someone said that the jet would have been better.
Have you ever could imagine to explain why the plane crashed into the side of the river, as he flies through the air? B>
Yes, it was actually not quite logical - if you do not bump into the mountains or something like that. In the version on the Atari 800 shore looked like mountains. But in general, the airplane just looked better. Better do what looks good, not something that looks more logical and close to reality (laughs).
You know, actually, I have this never bothered. I just thought that the plane could crash ...
... Crashing into the river. And by the way, why is the aircraft that flew horizontally across the screen and could hit your plane - crashed into the shore? I do not know (laughs).
I have heard that you have come up with some way to create unique cards for River Raid. What did you do? B>
There were only 4 kilobytes of memory, so that the space to store a lot of graphics was not. I had just variants of transitions from one width of the river to the other width. A total of 32 variants, and I used a random number generator to select what should be the next width.
Someone I originally threw this idea - use pseudorandom number generator, but for the location of various objects in the game, and not to create a landscape.
pseudo-random number generator - this is when you ask him a certain amount of numbers and it will generate the same number every time, is not it? B>
Well, yes. Basically, if you start with one level, then each time you'll be playing this game, it will look the same.
And the game River Raid will be the same every time, huh? B>
Yes, but you have to play for a long time before the game to repeat what has already been used.
How do you change the level of difficulty as the game evolved? B>
I did so that the river gradually narrows and then became smaller fuel tanks. The program tracks on which you level, and depending on it instead of fuel tanks, there are other objects that you might encounter. In the 800 version, I added a tank that could shoot you, balloons and stuff.
So you had all the same way to influence the results of the random number generator to narrow down the river when you need? B>
Well, there were different algorithms to make the river narrowed to a certain extent. I mean, I did not change the random numbers, but there were just outside the limits of issue numbers that we needed. Exact details I do not remember.
What kind of computer you use to write games? B>
For development we used a computer company Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) . They worked, of course, slow - not as fast as now.
Has anyone else worked on the design Raid River? B>
This game was made by one person, and others - made suggestions. For example, at first I did that every level of the game was its color. I did everything in bright colors, and I said, "Just do all the green, it is more realistic.».
As was the case ... I announced that River Raid is ready, but then chief designer, shareholders and others said that, perhaps, the need to further develop the game. But it was necessary to fit into these 4 kilobytes of memory, so that any changes do was quite hard.
I asked him to Al Miller fresh eyes looked at my project, and he suggested how to save a few bytes to make a few changes. I can not remember what, maybe it was changing the background color, or I have done it before.
After River Raid was launched, as it took? You've read all the reviews on your game? B>
It was, of course, my most popular game. He launched just after Christmas in 1982. And then I was at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in early January.
I remember there once I call the elevator in the hotel. The elevator door opened and there was a lot of people from the sales department Activision. They all started cheering me (laughs).
Because your game became a hit for Activision? B>
Yes. They get a nice bonus, salary, and yet we got company cars. I was given the Audi 5000 Turbo.
Are you ready to say how much money you have made on this game, or at least to the level of your salary at the time? B>
Well, no ... (laughs).
It would be interesting to know. This can be a not very large number, if not to take into account inflation. B>
Even by today's standards it would be good money. And for 1982 - very good. I can say that premiums were comparable to the annual salary. In general, it doubled my income, at least for a couple of years.
( According here Activision revenue in 1983 amounted to $ 159 million - translator's note i >).
What was it like to work at Activision compared to Atari? Can you describe the atmosphere there? B>
We had separate rooms, we did not have someone to share them. It was also a common space where you can talk to. I think, Activision wanted to make design something like a star, so they put the designer's name on their games.
And there was something that attracted you particularly? B>
Yes. That recognition, which I received.
Were there other women game designers at Activision? B>
I was the first. Later they hired Carla Meninsky .
Source: habrahabr.ru/post/223287/
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