@jmechner I haven't looked closely yet, but I spotted all of those new things and I expect they'll go a long way towards elevating the story. I'm especially looking forward to reading the legacy section, which looks great at first glance. I always like to have a legacy bit at the end of product histories — and I make a point of including them where possible/appropriate in my own books/articles — because they show the life things take on after they're done.
@Liquidream I had the best time building that website; it was so much fun tinkering with layouts and colours and other CSS things that could be appropriated to emulate an old-school DOS vibe.
Available today in the US and Canada in paperback and Kindle format — my latest book, *Shareware Heroes: The renegades who redefined gaming at the dawn of the Internet*, delves into the 90s indie games scene and the rise of the shareware business model that presaged free-to-play.
I managed to pack in lots of dev stories, biz insights, and meta-narrative into this one. It covers the origins and early work of id Software, Epic (Mega)Games, Apogee/3D Realms, Ambrosia Software, Jeff Minter, and more, along with surprise hits such as Elasto Mania, Snood, Scorched Earth, etc, market failures like Star Quest 1, and quirky games like Grandad and the Quest for the Holey Vest, plus shareware distributors like TUCOWS and Public Brand Software, the UK licenceware and PD scene, the market shifts that happened as the big indie publishers emerged and then left the shareware scene, and more.
If you're wondering if it's worth buying, there's a thoughtful and fun article/review-ish thing over on Eurogamer: https://www.eurogamer.net/the-legacy-of-shareware-is-everywhere
And you can learn more and buy via sharewareheroes.com
I managed to pack in lots of dev stories, biz insights, and meta-narrative into this one. It covers the origins and early work of id Software, Epic (Mega)Games, Apogee/3D Realms, Ambrosia Software, Jeff Minter, and more, along with surprise hits such as Elasto Mania, Snood, Scorched Earth, etc, market failures like Star Quest 1, and quirky games like Grandad and the Quest for the Holey Vest, plus shareware distributors like TUCOWS and Public Brand Software, the UK licenceware and PD scene, the market shifts that happened as the big indie publishers emerged and then left the shareware scene, and more.
If you're wondering if it's worth buying, there's a thoughtful and fun article/review-ish thing over on Eurogamer: https://www.eurogamer.net/the-legacy-of-shareware-is-everywhere
And you can learn more and buy via sharewareheroes.com
Wonderful to finally get a hardback copy of The Making of Prince of Persia by @jmechner. PoP was one of my earliest and most formative gaming experiences, playing in black and white on a Mac Plus, and the Kindle version of this book remains one of my favourite game dev stories a decade after I read it.
I have found it horrifying to watch the rapid rise of wood burning heaters here in Melbourne in recent years, but it is encouraging to see someone in the UK realise the harmful, mega-polluting folly of installing them during a home renovation. Here's hoping for a quick reversal trend to switch to clean energy heating comes soon.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/27/wood-burning-stove-environment-home-toxins
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/27/wood-burning-stove-environment-home-toxins
There's a new offshoot of Mac abandonware / software archival site Macintosh Garden: Mac Mod Paradise. It's for mods and other player-created content from classic Mac games.
Website: http://mac.mod-paradise.com
Background on its creation: https://macintoshgarden.org/forum/mac-garden-universe-expands-mac-mod-paradise-here
Website: http://mac.mod-paradise.com
Background on its creation: https://macintoshgarden.org/forum/mac-garden-universe-expands-mac-mod-paradise-here
The original SimCity has a cool icon. It seems totally natural and logical when you look at it — a minimalistic silhouette of a city — but it couldn't have been easy translating all of that into 32x32 pixels while taking care to ensure there's something representative of all the game's key elements: residential, commercial, and industrial zones, plus the ever-present helicopter. #macicons
@robotspacer I wish I'd been able to get it into the first edition as well, but I was told at the time that we didn't have the budget for my icon gallery and timeline ideas.
I've just published the audio recording of the "Shareware Downunder" PAX Aus panel I was on in October with @johnpassfield, Terry Burdak from Paper House Games, and Arieh Offman from ACMI.
https://lifeandtimes.games/episodes/files/pax-panel-shareware-downunder
https://lifeandtimes.games/episodes/files/pax-panel-shareware-downunder
I still find myself drawn into the Colony icon every time I look at it. @croqueteer had a tough job with it — how do you translate the magic of the game's real-time wireframe 3D graphics into a static 32x32 pixel grid? — but I think it strikes a perfect balance between the clean/clear lines that every good icon needs (for legibility) and enticing imagery to attract your interest in playing the game. And like every good game icon, it's instantly recognisable to anyone who's played the game (and seen the cool ray-casting 3D as well as the creepy giant eyeball alien). #macicons
@HeimComputer You got it before Christmas! Excellent. Happy reading for whenever you do decide to open it and dive in.
@HeimComputer You got it before Christmas! Excellent. Happy reading for whenever you do decide to open it and dive in.
If you're into #gamestudies #history #mediastudies You might like this interview two of my students and I have out -- it's with Jessyca Durchin, who produced Barbie Fashion Designer @histodons
https://www.romchip.org/index.php/romchip-journal/article/view/159
@MichaelKlamerus I've heard from several people that it's their favourite episode of the show. I think it's one of the best things I've ever made; it's certainly the best showcase of what I wanted my podcast to be.
Hi, I'm Benj. I've been collecting computers and video games to preserve tech history since 1993
I started vintagecomputing.com in 2005 and began freelancing shorty thereafter for sites like PCWorld, Fast Company, The Atlantic
I introduced a lot of early video game and microcomputer history to the web
I also make music and created a bunch of joysticks. I run a BBS and a MUSH
Right now, I'm Ars Technica's AI and ML reporter, but history's still in my blood #introduction
As we near the close of 2022, I'm remembering the best thing I made in 2020, a #podcast/audio #documentary about GDC founder and Balance of Power creator Chris Crawford's incredible departure from the games industry with his moving Dragon Speech.
I got Chris and a few people who knew him at the time (Don Daglow, Johnny Wilson, Gordon Walton) to reflect on the moment, and what it means to them, as we hear excerpts from his impassioned monologue about his dream.
https://lifeandtimes.games/episodes/files/30
I got Chris and a few people who knew him at the time (Don Daglow, Johnny Wilson, Gordon Walton) to reflect on the moment, and what it means to them, as we hear excerpts from his impassioned monologue about his dream.
https://lifeandtimes.games/episodes/files/30
Hello, I realised I never did an official #introduction - I’m John Passfield, game developer. I made some classic 90’s games like Halloween Harry/Alien Carnage and Flight of the Amazon Queen. I also co-created Ty the Tasmanian Tiger. I’ve been making games since I was in high school (in the eighties!!). I toot about games, movies and comics (I also draw the occasional cartoon). I’m currently making games in Unity and SwiftUI for PC, mobile and Apple Watch.
@lunarloony It's interesting how Bob is quaintly charming, and really kind of sweet, if you look at it now. I don't know if it was the marketing or the elitism of the PC tribe that made it fail, but it's a shame either way. And yes, I'm ever-frustrated by the game of "where'd they hide it now?" that I have to play when searching for settings I need to change on my Mac or PC, or once-simple tasks I'm trying to help a friend/relative accomplish on their iPhone or laptop.
@HeimComputer Ah, lovely! Either way, I hope you enjoy it. Lots of love and care went into making that book, and I'm so pleased with how the Expanded Edition turned out after all the new content additions and the quality-of-life design tweaks.