Page 37 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #2

house. All my time was spent work- he'd like to bring signers as well as
ing. My managers, all they did was some of the spirit of Atari founder, Nolan
try and make sure I ate and slept classic game pro- Bushnell.
occasionally and stuff." gramming into the "One thing I've
E.T. was finished and released current video game always known about
on time. It was heavily hyped for scene. He wants to Atari is that it was
the Christmas market and sold mil- foster better commu- just a great story,"
lions of copies. But a lot of gamers nication between pro- Warshaw says. "It
were disappointed. grammers and was an amazing
"E.T. was a great effort, but graphic designers, to thing, an amazing
game players, they don't care strike a balance be- moment in American
about the effort that went into a tween presentation business history and
cart," Warshaw says. "They care and playability. my personal history.
about the game. I would've liked to "I'm just getting Nobody's come close
have had more time to work on it." my feet wet again, to touching what it
Warshaw still thinks E.T. could getting back into it," was really like at
have been a good game with just a he says. "After many E.T. Box Parody by Atari. It was unbeliev-
few minor tweaks. His desire, at years of being out of Mark Freid able."
the time, was to create a game with games, I realized that games are the Each episode of the series tack-
flesh-and- thing I enjoy doing the les a different aspect of Atari. In
blood charac- most. And I've done a true George Lucas fashion, War-
ters that play- lot of things." shaw produced the final episode,
ers could em- That's an understate- "The Agony & The Ecstasy," first.
pathize with. ment. After leaving Atari "The fourth one is very informa-
On that point, in 1984, Warshaw tion intensive," he says. "This was
he thinks he worked a variety of jobs. my tribute and thanks to the classic
succeeded. He dabbled in real es- gamers, the people who made the
"It was tate, industrial robotics, whole experience possible, the
okay," he writing, teaching, and people who played the games. And
says. "The photography. so I put out something for the peo-
only thing I But these days, his ple who are still solid hardcore
was really The much maligned “E.T.” for big passion is video. classic devotees, so they could find
disappointed the Atari 2600 Warshaw is fascinated out technical details of the 2600,
about was the way you fell into the by documentary film making and what it was actually like, what it
wells a bit too much. If I could have now considers video his "primary was like programming it."
tuned that down, it would have love." Warshaw understands the de-
been better. But fundamentally the "Videography is very complex," votion many gamers feel towards
point of the game I think is okay, he says. "It's audio and video and all Atari and the classic videogame
the assembling the phone, avoiding about creating images in mind. I al- systems of the '80s. He still likes
the people, the whole concept." ways looked at the games, too.
Hmmm. Sounds like a good ex- games as a broad- "I do still play, actually,"
cuse for a new game. E.T. 2000 for cast medium." he says. "I was playing
the PlayStation, maybe? Currently, War- Space Invaders the other
"Actually," Warshaw says, "I shaw's biggest day, and a little Yars’, I
have a good idea for a Yars’ se- video project is a must confess. I still think
quel. It's an idea I've had swimming behind-the-scenes it's a fun game."
around in my mind for 20 years or look at his days at And he draws a lot of
so. I think it would be a really fun Atari. He has fin- satisfaction from knowing
game you could do on the VCS or ished three install- that his game creations are
the PlayStation. It would be a fun, ments of his "Once still entertaining people.
engaging play. One thing people Upon Atari" video "To have had the oppor-
don't do anymore, I think, is put in series, with a tunity to provide that ex-
really engaging game play. People fourth installment perience, that escape, is so
are so concerned about due this year. You incredibly satisfying," he
presentation and graphics." can visit Warshaw's web site (home. says. "That's something that will
netcom.com/~hsw/) for information last me all my life, that there were
Games, Lies and Videotape on how to order the tapes. hundreds of thousands of hours of
Game fans will be pleased to Warshaw says "Once Upon Atari" entertainment I was directly re-
know that Warshaw is back in the is a no-holds-barred exploration of sponsible for. That's a great feel-
video game business. He's cur- the world of Atari's programmers dur- ing."
rently working with 3DO. He says ing the heyday of the 2600. He inter-
viewed many of his fellow game de-
CGM

Classic Gamer Magazine Winter 2000 37