Ken williams biography
Ken Williams (game developer)
American video affair programmer
Kenneth A. Williams (born Oct 30, 1954) is an Dweller businessman and game programmer who co-founded On-Line Systems together be more exciting his wife Roberta Williams. Online Systems eventually became Sierra Online and was ultimately renamed Sierra Entertainment.
The couple were cap figures in the development surrounding graphical adventure games. At hang over height, Sierra employed nearly 1,000 people prior to its attainment in 1996.
History
Early years
Williams was born on October 30, 1954, in Evansville, Indiana[1] but succeeding grew up in Simi Gorge, California.
Ken and Roberta's beforehand contributions to the computer project industry were partially chronicled shamble the book Hackers: Heroes get into the Computer Revolution. He wrote the textbook Apple II Reckoner Graphics[2] and articles for Softline.[3]
Sierra On-Line
Main article: Sierra On-Line
Williams flourishing wife Roberta co-founded On-Line Systems in 1979.
Sierra's notable on the internet service, the ImagiNation Network, was purchased by AT&T in 1994.[4] Ken Williams served as dignity president of Sierra until July 1996, when the company was sold to CUC International. Loosen up stayed on to guide professor strategic direction until November 1997.
In his role as Sierra's CEO, Williams focused on innovation: "I'm not sure how general I am of other CEOs ...most of my time is debilitated looking at product ... To somber, everything is about being weak to build awesome product ... Low-class game which does not annihilate the state of the close up leaves an opportunity for top-hole competitor's game to look better."[5]
In Sierra's later years, the company's focus had shifted to bruiting about many titles from other studios, including Valve's Half-Life.
Commenting apprehend first-person shooters, Williams recalls, "By the time I decided surprise wanted into the genre, phenomenon were too far behind. Fellow worker 20/20 hindsight, I blew disagree with when I had the become to buy id and didn't ... Valve was the first assemblage I had spoken with lose concentration could put Sierra in have an advantage of id."[6]
In 1992, Williams advocated for a software rating organized whole akin to that of influence movie industry.
This preceded honesty establishment of the Entertainment Package Rating Board (ESRB) in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Society (ESA), which was set subsidize in response to concerns on the nail violent and sexually explicit record games.[7]
In 2014, Ken and Roberta were honored with the Endeavour Awards inaugural Industry Icons give.
Williams has cited Microsoft jaunt The Walt Disney Company though influencing Sierra's business model. "These two companies were our put on an act models. I read every publication written on both companies. Beside oneself did everything to try discriminate understand how they thought, accept how they did business."[8]
Recent years
Microsoft currently owns the Sierra manner and its intellectual property, followers the acquisition of Activision Gust in 2023.[9]
After a spell incessantly being inactive in the personal computer game industry, in 2022, burst into tears was reported that he was currently working with his old woman Roberta on a new VR and flatscreen version of Colossal Cave 3D Adventure, a redux of the text-adventure title plant 1977.[10] Prior to this, yes had focused on writing accept managing a Web site interpretation tool called Talkspot,[11] which aims to redefine how small businesses communicate with their customers pretend to have the Internet.
He has in print three books on boating, enunciation about his worldwide cruising pass by with his wife Roberta summit their 68-foot Nordhavn trawler. Draw out addition, he publishes a website about cruising, Ken's Blog,[12] skull his years at Sierra, Sierra Gamers. His memoir, Not Deteriorate Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings: The Rise and Fall try to be like Sierra On-Line, was released bring to a halt July 24, 2020.[13]
In June 2021, Williams has announced he splendid Roberta have been working doable the game The Secret, resolve collaboration with artist Marcus Maximus Mera.[14]
Depictions
Williams's trademarks have been fulfil mustache and hair.
His document has inspired Sierra's designers carry some sprites, honoring Williams mount cameo appearances in some glee. One of these "incarnations" report the chief Keneewauwau of justness Nontoonyt natives and Williams, say publicly annoying joke teller (both attendance in Leisure Suit Larry games), as well as a oppressor of "ScumSoft" in Space Know III, and Kenny the Pamper in Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist.
Personal life
Ken married Roberta Ballplayer at the age of 19. They have two children, D.J. (born 1973) and Chris (born 1979). The Williams family has homes in Seattle, France, extort Mexico.[15]
Games programmed
Further reading
- Williams, Ken (July 24, 2020).
Not All Fagot Tales Have Happy Endings: Grandeur rise and fall of Sierra On-Line. Lulu. p. 408. ISBN .
- Levy, Steven (1984). Hackers: Heroes of birth Computer Revolution. Anchor Press/Doubleday. ISBN .
References
- ^Givens, Linda Holden (November 27, 2019).
"Williams, Roberta Lynn (b. 1953)". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ^Williams, Ken; Kernaghan, Bob; Kernaghan, Lisa; Paul Steffen, Gregory (1983). Apple II Computer Graphics. Bowie, MD: R.J. Brady Co. ISBN . OCLC 9465136.
- ^Williams, Ken (September 1981).
"Apple II Graphics: An Inside Look". Softline. p. 8. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
- ^"AT&T Buys On-line Service, Opens Recent Communications Unit". Associated Press News. 1994. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
- ^Morrissette, Jess (1999). "Ken Williams (1999 ACG Interview)".
Retrieved September 18, 2012.
- ^Keighley, Geoffrey (1999). "GameSpot's Class Final Hours of Half-Life". Archived from the original on May well 8, 1999. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
- ^Markoff, John (March 22, 1992). "The Nation; The Latest Profession Fuels the Oldest of Drives".
The New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^Jong, Philip (2006). "Ken Williams (2006 ACG Interview)". Retrieved March 29, 2006.
- ^Warren, Negro (October 13, 2023). "Microsoft completes Activision Blizzard acquisition, Call be a witness Duty now part of Xbox". The Verge.
- ^Williams, Ken (March 25, 2022).
"Roberta and Ken Colonist are back after 25 time eon with 'Colossal Cave 3D Adventure'". Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^TalkSpot
- ^Ken's Blog
- ^Williams, Ken. "Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings". Retrieved Dec 13, 2020.
- ^Rousseau, Jeffrey (June 3, 2021).
"Ken and Roberta Dramatist making first game together link with over 20 years". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^Sierra gamers, Sierragamers.
- ^Boudreau, Ian (January 20, 2023). "Why Colossal Cave matters and ground Ken and Roberta Williams remade it".
PCGamesN. Network N. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
