One of yesterday’s sessions at the 2012 Game Developers Conference brought together four respected game creators to reveal the games that influenced them most and helped them form their most popular titles. Hearing how these older games influenced titles likeGears of War, Wolfenstein, Pirates!andSim Citywas interesting and surprising.
Cliff Bleszinski choseThe Legend of Zeldaas his most influential game. He told the audience that he was “a bit of a shit” at age 13, but he loved videogames enough to have his name misspelled in Nintendo Power magazine for earning the high score of 9,999,950 inSuper Mario Bros. Bleszinski said that seeing Zelda’s gold cartridge was his “holy shit moment,” and that it served as his first lesson in premium branding. He claimed thatThe Legend of Zelda‘s magic and sense of discovery really inspired him, and he recommended to attending game developers that they also look back to their childhoods for inspiration.
John Romero shared his love ofPac-Man, calling it his most influential game. He says that he was taken with the game at a young age as it was so different from any games that came before it. It showed him that game design could be anything imagined, pointing to its use of personalities and cutscenes, a first for games. Romero credits the game for starting the maze chase genre, and says that it might have even influenced the more modern stealth genre. He says thatPac-Man‘s influence can be seen inWolfenstein 3DandDoom.
Will Wright named Apple II gamePinball Construction Setas the game that influenced him most. This game lets you construct your own pinball machine using one of gaming’s first graphical user interfaces to drop in bumpers, flippers and scoring elements. Wright said that he was taken with the creative tools and possibilities for user generated content, and that this directly inspiredSim City.
Seven Cities of Goldwas Sid Meyer’s pick. This 1984 Commodore 64 release had pioneered open worlds, multiplayer aspects, and streaming worlds with smooth scrolling maps. Meyer said that this game set a course for the industry, and that it contains lessons on creativity and user choice that are useful even today.
