Chris Crawford (game designer)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Crawford is a computer game
designer and writer noted for creating a number of important games in the 1980s, founding The Journal of Computer Game Design, and organizing the Computer Game Developers' Conference
.
from UC Davis
in 1972 and an M.S. in physics from University of Missouri
in 1975, Crawford taught at a community college
and the University of California
, then turned his game design
hobby into a profession at Atari
in 1979, eventually heading the Games Research Group.
, but this work was abandoned and would not appear until some time later. He then turned his attention to the new "Home Computer System", now referred to as the Atari 8-bit family
. His first releases on this platform were Energy Czar
and Scram
, games written in Atari BASIC
.
Finding development on the systems difficult due to a lack of clear information, he started experimenting with the system's hardware assisted smooth scrolling and used it to produce a scrolling map display. This work was used to create Eastern Front (1941), which is widely considered one of the first wargame
s on a microcomputer to compete with traditional paper-n-pencil games in terms of depth. He followed this with Legionnaire, based on the same display engine but adding real-time instead of turn-based game play. Using the knowledge gathered while writing these games, he helped write De Re Atari
, a lengthy book covering most of the advanced features of the system, from the hardware assisted smooth scrolling to digitized sounds. Another book followed, The Art of Computer Game Design
.
Laid off in the Atari collapse during the video game crash of 1983-1984, he went freelance and produced Balance of Power in 1985, which was a best-seller, reaching 250,000 units sold. Additional strategy games followed.
The Game Developers Conference
, which now draws over 10,000 attendees each year, began in 1987 as a salon
held in Crawford's living room with his game design friends and associates. While the GDC has become a prominent event in the gaming industry, Crawford was eventually ousted from the GDC board.
The speech is known for its dramatic ending in which Crawford confronts the dragon:
With these words, he charged down the lecture hall and out the door, symbolizing his exit from the gaming industry. Although he returned to the next year's CGDC, he has not made a conventional computer game since (although he has designed and published Balance of Power 2K online, he considers it a "storyworld" rather than a "computer game").
for running interactive electronic storyworlds (see interactive storytelling
). , a beta version of the Storytronics authoring tool, Swat, has been released. The system was officially launched March 23, 2009, with Crawford's storyworld sequel
to Balance of Power.
People games, as termed by Crawford, are games where the goals are of a social nature and focus on interactions with well-defined characters
. They are described in Chris Crawford on Game Design
as follows:
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
designer and writer noted for creating a number of important games in the 1980s, founding The Journal of Computer Game Design, and organizing the Computer Game Developers' Conference
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
.
Biography
After receiving a B.S. in physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
from UC Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
in 1972 and an M.S. in physics from University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
in 1975, Crawford taught at a community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
and the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
, then turned his game design
Game design
Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
hobby into a profession at Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
in 1979, eventually heading the Games Research Group.
1980s
At Atari he started game work with Wizard for the VCSAtari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
, but this work was abandoned and would not appear until some time later. He then turned his attention to the new "Home Computer System", now referred to as the Atari 8-bit family
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
. His first releases on this platform were Energy Czar
Energy Czar
Energy Czar is a nickname, using the political term "czar", for the person in the Government of the United States given authority over energy policy within the executive branch...
and Scram
Scram (computer game)
Scram is the name of two video games, both based around a scram, or emergency shutdown of a nuclear reactor.-Atari 800:Scram is a game designed by Chris Crawford for the Atari 800 and released by the Atari Program Exchange. Written in Atari BASIC, Scram utilized differential equations to simulate...
, games written in Atari BASIC
Atari BASIC
Atari BASIC is a BASIC interpreter for the Atari 8-bit family of 6502-based home computers. The interpreter originally shipped on an 8 KB cartridge; on later XL/XE model computers it was built in, with an option to disable it, and started when the machines were booted with no other cartridges...
.
Finding development on the systems difficult due to a lack of clear information, he started experimenting with the system's hardware assisted smooth scrolling and used it to produce a scrolling map display. This work was used to create Eastern Front (1941), which is widely considered one of the first wargame
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
s on a microcomputer to compete with traditional paper-n-pencil games in terms of depth. He followed this with Legionnaire, based on the same display engine but adding real-time instead of turn-based game play. Using the knowledge gathered while writing these games, he helped write De Re Atari
De Re Atari
De Re Atari written by Chris Crawford in 1982 contains a detailed description of the advanced features of the Atari 8-bit family of home computers...
, a lengthy book covering most of the advanced features of the system, from the hardware assisted smooth scrolling to digitized sounds. Another book followed, The Art of Computer Game Design
The Art of Computer Game Design
The Art of Computer Game Design by Chris Crawford is the first book devoted to the theory of computer and video games. It was originally published in Berkeley, California by McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media in 1984. The original edition is now out-of-print but from 1997 became available as a free...
.
Laid off in the Atari collapse during the video game crash of 1983-1984, he went freelance and produced Balance of Power in 1985, which was a best-seller, reaching 250,000 units sold. Additional strategy games followed.
The Game Developers Conference
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
, which now draws over 10,000 attendees each year, began in 1987 as a salon
Salon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
held in Crawford's living room with his game design friends and associates. While the GDC has become a prominent event in the gaming industry, Crawford was eventually ousted from the GDC board.
The Dragon Speech
At the 1992 CGDC, Chris Crawford gave "The Dragon Speech", which he considers "the finest speech of [his] life". Throughout the speech, he used a dragon as a metaphor for video games as a medium of artistic expression. He declared that he and the video game industry were working "at cross purposes", with the industry focusing heavily on "depth", when Crawford wanted more "breadth": to explore new horizons rather than merely furthering what has already been explored. He arrived at the conclusion that he must leave the gaming industry in order to pursue this dream. He declared that he knew that this idea was insane, but he compared this "insanity" to that of Don Quixote:Insanity is an inability to come to terms with reality. Don Quixote was definitely insane, because he couldn't come to terms. But there was a reason: the reality in which Don Quixote lived was a sordid and ugly reality … Don Quixote didn't want that. He wanted to live in a world where there was truth, and human dignity, and, yes, love.… Instead of giving up on it, he imposed his reality onto the real world. Where other people saw a filthy country hostel, he saw a castle! Where other people saw a flock of sheep, he saw a mighty army! Where other people saw a windmill, he saw a dragon. Yes, Don Quixote was a crazy old fool. But, you know, he was more honest about his dream than most people, and for that, I honor him.
The speech is known for its dramatic ending in which Crawford confronts the dragon:
I have committed myself, I have dedicated myself, to the pursuit of the dragon. And having made that commitment … all of a sudden, I can see him! There he is, right in front of me, clear as day.… You're so much bigger than I ever imagined, and I'm, I'm not so sure I like this. I mean, yes, you're glorious and beautiful, but you're ugly, too. Your breath reeks of death!… Am I so pitiful that you can sneer in my face like that? Yes, yes, you frighten me! You hurt me! I've felt your claws ripping through my soul! But I'm going to die someday, and before I can do that, I've got to face you, eyeball to eyeball. I've got to look you right in the eye, and see what's inside, but I'm not good enough to do that yet. I'm not experienced enough, so I'm going to have to start learning. Today. Here. Now. Come, dragon, I will fight you. Sancho Panza, my sword! (He picks up a sword from the desk behind him, which he unsheaths from its scabbard.) For truth! For beauty! For art! Charge!
With these words, he charged down the lecture hall and out the door, symbolizing his exit from the gaming industry. Although he returned to the next year's CGDC, he has not made a conventional computer game since (although he has designed and published Balance of Power 2K online, he considers it a "storyworld" rather than a "computer game").
People games
Since that time, Crawford has been working on Storytron (originally known as Erasmatron), an engineSoftware engine
In computer science, a software engine refers to the core of a computer program. Software engines drive the functionality of the program, and are distinct from peripheral aspects of the program, such as look and feel.- Elucidation :...
for running interactive electronic storyworlds (see interactive storytelling
Interactive storytelling
Interactive Storytelling [IS] is a form of digital entertainment in which users create or influence a dramatic storyline through actions, either by issuing commands to the story's protagonist, or acting as a general director of events in the narrative...
). , a beta version of the Storytronics authoring tool, Swat, has been released. The system was officially launched March 23, 2009, with Crawford's storyworld sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Balance of Power.
People games, as termed by Crawford, are games where the goals are of a social nature and focus on interactions with well-defined characters
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
. They are described in Chris Crawford on Game Design
Chris Crawford on Game Design
Chris Crawford on Game Design is a book about computer and video game design by Chris Crawford. Although referred to as the second edition of The Art of Computer Game Design, it is in fact a completely new book. It was published by Peachpit under the New Riders imprint in 2003...
as follows:
Games
- TankticsTanktics: Computer Game of Armored Combat on the Eastern FrontTanktics: Computer Game of Armored Combat on the Eastern Front was Chris Crawford's first computer game, created for his own custom setup in 1977 and published for the Commodore PET in 1978. Being programmed in BASIC, it was easy to port from one system to the other...
(1978) - Legionnaire
- Wizard (released 25 years later, with the Atari Flashback 2)
- Energy Czar
- ScramScram (computer game)Scram is the name of two video games, both based around a scram, or emergency shutdown of a nuclear reactor.-Atari 800:Scram is a game designed by Chris Crawford for the Atari 800 and released by the Atari Program Exchange. Written in Atari BASIC, Scram utilized differential equations to simulate...
- Eastern Front (1941) (1981)
- GossipGossip (video game)Gossip was an experimental video game created for the Atari 400 by Chris Crawford. Crawford wished for games that would simulate aspects of human social interaction, thus creating games with “social challenges” that would broaden the universe of computer and video game genres...
- Excalibur (1983)
- Balance of Power (1985)
- Patton Versus RommelPatton Versus RommelPatton vs. Rommel is a computer war game designed and programmed by Chris Crawford, and published by Electronic Arts in 1987 for the Macintosh and PC systems...
(1987) - Trust & Betrayal: The Legacy of SibootTrust & Betrayal: The Legacy of SibootTrust & Betrayal: The Legacy of Siboot, often abbreviated simply to Siboot, was a game designed and programmed by Chris Crawford and published by Mindscape in 1987.- Gameplay :...
(1987) - Balance of Power: The 1990 Edition (1989)
- The Global Dilemma: Guns & Butter (1990)
- Balance of the Planet (1990)
- Patton Strikes Back (1991)
- Balance of Power: 21st Century (2009)
External links
- Erasmatazz - Chris Crawford's personal website
- Chris Crawford profile at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- A Conversation with Chris Crawford in The EscapistThe Escapist (magazine)The Escapist is an online magazine covering video games, gamers, the gaming industry, and gaming culture. Published by the Themis Group, it was edited by Julianne Greer up to June 30, 2009, then by Russ Pitts through September 2011, and is currently edited by Steve Butts. The Escapist was first...
webmagazine - Video Games are Dead: A Chat With Storytronics Guru Chris Crawford at GamasutraGamasutraGamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
- "Into the Night", with Jason Rohrer and Chris Crawford at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....