Page 41 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #2

From Atari to Sony to VMLabs, Donald A. Thomas Jr. has witnessed and worked through
the best and worst times of the video gaming industry. MicroTimes Magazine recognized
Mr. Thomas as one of the industry's top 100 leaders in 1991.

Mr. Thomas took the time to talk candidly with Classic Gamer Magazine's Patrick Wong
about his in-depth website and the video gaming industry; from the fall of Atari to romanc-
ing the video game market and her consumers and of course, Classic Gaming.

An Interview with Don Thomas By Patrick Wong

Classic Gamer Magazine: The birth generally better suited for today's titles time.
of videogames began with a couple of than someone who was raised playing
kids standing around in a soda place the 2600? CGM: What kind of games do you en-
playing Pong. What would you say vision your kids, and possibly grand-
was the defining moment in history that DT: I suppose that's like asking me if kids, will be playing in the future?
transformed videogames from being a the kids today prefer to watch Toy
casual, almost obscure, pastime to one Story and Titanic or some old Clark DT: My 16 year old, when he plays
that has made a cultural impact on so- Gable film. <g> I think a lot of kids ap- video games, likes sports games.
ciety in much the same way as movies preciate the roots of video games and When he has kids, I can only imagine
have? enjoy seeing how far the industry has that they'll like sports games too. I sup-
come, technology wise. I think it's hard pose, by then, we'll finally figure out
Don Thomas: I find that question very to imagine playing Breakout after a few that the games look so real we won't
hard to answer because I believe that hours of Quake. <g> One cannot ex- have to pay the high salaries to real
moment was when kids could play plain to the gaming generation of today sports pros to play any more. <g>
Pong while standing around drinking a what a thrill it was to play Air/Sea Bat-
soda. Some may say that mo- CGM: Was your son brought up
ment was when color was intro- with today's video games, the
duced to video games, or when old classics, or both?
vector graphics illuminated the
industry with new possibilities, or DT: My son is a great sports-
when video gaming was brought man. He didn't grow up too inter-
home. Personally, I don't think ested in video games and I
video games have reached the haven't pushed him. Instead of
same pinnacle as movies have. playing video sports, he likes to
The movie industry has matured be in the real thing. He's a great
enough to realize that they are a goalie in soccer, a great first-
much more powerful force work- baseman in softball, and a pretty
ing together. There are many darn good pavement surfer on a
organizations that unify the distri- Don’s Website: icwhen.com skateboard. When he does play
bution process, the performers, video games, he likes the im-
and the studios. On the other mersive sports titles.
hand, the video game industry
continues to be full of companies all tle, Outlaw, or Tank. It's like the differ- CGM: What sports titles do you and
doing their own thing without much uni- ence between radio and color TV. The your son enjoy playing?
fied bond. There are no spectacular original game classics were played
awards shows. No one cares what the more in the mind than on the screen. DT: Kyle loves the better baseball,
best programmers are doing or who is Just like a good radio play, enough was soccer, racing, basketball, and football
marrying who. New releases are never provided to the senses so that the par- titles. I can't even begin to compete
launched with the dazzle of spotlights ticipant could imagine spectacular well with him, so I sometimes watch
and the elegance of the silver screen. things. him play against the computer.

CGM: Speaking of movies, there's a CGM: Radio to color TV. . .that's a big CGM: It seems like a sports game
scene from the Michael J. Fox movie gap to illustrate the difference in to- can't survive without the Major League
"Back to the Future Part II" where the day's gaming. Knowing that the indus- Baseball teams, the NFL logos, or even
character Marty McFly goes into the try has changed in so short a time from the WWF wrestlers. Does an athlete's
future and visits a futuristic ice-cream & an old AM radio to today's stereo Sony endorsement really make or break a
soda place and finds a Nintendo ar- tv, does the future of video gaming title? What's wrong with playing a
cade shoot-em up game. Moments scare you? sports game without all the tie-in to pro-
later, some kids walk in, watch McFly fessional teams?
shoot some cowboys, and are far from DT: Not at all. But I do think some
impressed that he was so skilled at this companies are going to suddenly real- DT: I think the easiest way to answer
classic shoot-em up. Do you think kids ize that gaming has left behind the that is to consider the alternative.
today, looking back at these old classic younger minds and the minds of all Sports games are measured by how
games, are far from impressed at what ages who once played video games to real they look. How real does a base-
we were playing with back then? relax and have fun, not to be driven ball game look without logos on the
Would you agree that today's kids are with virtually real tension the entire players’ jerseys? How about a race car
Classic Gamer Magazine Winter 2000 41