Get to know the people who make great videogames
[Sup Holmes is a weekly talk show for people that make great videogames. It airs live every Sunday at 4pm EST onYouTube, and can be found in Podcast form onLibsynandiTunes.]
Last Sunday’s Sup Holmes is required listening/viewing for anyone interested in the history of videogames and/or interesting people. David Fox spent an hour and a half with us and we still barely scratched the surface of his amazing career. From starting a non-profit agency in the 1970s that aimed to make computers accessible to everyone, to becoming the third ever employee ofLucasFilm Games (later to become LucasArts), to creating the first flight sim to useprocedurally generated fractal landscapes, to working with Douglas Adams onthe officialLabyrinthgame, to writing with Orson Scott Card for an AR adventure experience that was way ahead of its time, the stories just kept getting more and more unbelievable as we went on.
As it turns out, David Fox is also the man who gaveTim Schaferhis first job in the industry. The farther you go back, the more clear it is that every point and click adventure game you’ve ever played was probably influenced in some way by decisions made by Mr. Fox. His games have also done well at maintaining a continued presence in people’s lives.Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbendersis just as beloved asManiac MansionandMonkey Islandto many point and click fans, having inspiredmultiple fan sequelsandeven an impressive live action film.
David’s current projects includeRube Works, the first official game based on the cartoons and contraptions of legendary cartoonist Rube Goldberg, andThimbleweed Park, the next game from fellow LucasArts veteransRon Gilbertand Gary Winnick. IfThimbleweed Parkdoes well, we may even get a spiritual successor toZaksomeday. If I could cross my fingers any harder, I’d probably break them.
Thanks again to David for being on the show, andtune in today at 4pm ESTwhen we welcome David Oshry (Rise of the Triad,Super Galaxy Squadron) to the program. He’s a very different kind of David, but I think you’re going to love him.
