First Semi-Irregular Computer Game Trivia Quiz
Harvey Bernstein
net, and I was surprised to find the large percentage of old farts (I'm
42) that go back to the old days of computer gaming. With that in mind,
I've devised the following 17 questions to see how much we remember of
the first wave of computer games. Why 17? I couldn't think of 18. Anyway,
no prizes, no scores - just a walk down memory lane :). You can post
answers here or email them to me (t...@crl.com). I'll post the answers in
a week, along with the names of those who got all 17 correct. With no
further ado, here we go:
FIRST SEMI-IRREGULAR COMPUTER GAMING
TRIVIA QUIZ
1. Name the designer of "Captain Cosmo". What is he doing now?
2. This software house, well-known for complex flight sims and strategy
games, started out with action titles like "Floyd of the Jungle". Name it.
3. What is the significance of "The Wizard and the Princess"? Who wrote it?
4. Who are Crowther & Woods?
5. Who are Leibling and Blanc?
6. Science fiction and computer gaming seem to go hand-in-hand. Which
of the following SF authors has NOT had a computer game made out of his work?
a. Isaac Asimov
b. Douglas Adams
c. Michael Crighton
d. Harlan Ellison
e. Thomas Disch
7. Leisure Suit Larry I is a graphic adaptation of what text adventure?
8. What was the first computer pinball game to use a realistic physics
model. Name:
a. The game
b. The designer
c. The publisher
9. This iconoclastic designer has been a thorn in the side of the
computer gaming industry since it's earliest days. Some of his titles are
"Scram!", "Gossip" and "Eastern Front - 1941". Name him.
10. Most gamers know "Broderbund" means brotherhood. Name the 2 brothers
and their half sister that founded the company.
11. Electronic Arts entered the industry in a big way in 1983 with a
unique ad campaign and 4 simultaneous releases.
a. What was so different about the ad?
b. Name EA's first four releases
c. What platform where they designed for?
12. Speaking of platforms, for what platform was Kings Quest originally
designed?
13. Computer Gaming World was the FIRST magazine on the stands dedicated
exclusively to computer gaming. Name the second.
14. "Chuckles" has appeared in every Ultima (except the Underworlds)
since U4. What is the real name of the game designer he is named for?
15. This game is the grand-daddy of such first-person space shooters as
Wing Commander and X-Wing. Written for the 16k Atari 400 (!), it was even
the subject of a straegy guide in Byte magazine. Name it.
16. Name the first game developed by LucasArts (then called Lucas
Games). In 25 words or less, why was it deemed a commercial failure?
17. Jawbreaker was SO similar to another game that the courts ruled the
publisher guilty of copywrite infringement. The game was taken off the
market and completely re-written as a different game. Name:
a. The publisher
B. The game it is a copy of.
Jeremy Biddle
: A while back there was some discussion about the age of gamers on the
: 42) that go back to the old days of computer gaming. With that in mind,
: I've devised the following 17 questions to see how much we remember of
: the first wave of computer games. Why 17? I couldn't think of 18. Anyway,
: no prizes, no scores - just a walk down memory lane :). You can post
: answers here or email them to me (t...@crl.com). I'll post the answers in
: a week, along with the names of those who got all 17 correct. With no
: further ado, here we go:
Funny, all us young-uns (I'm 20) responding to the old-fart gaming trivia.
I thought I knew a lot, but Wheesh! was I wrong... I'll answer what I can,
and throw in a few guesses, to boot!
: FIRST SEMI-IRREGULAR COMPUTER GAMING
: TRIVIA QUIZ
: 2. This software house, well-known for complex flight sims and strategy
: games, started out with action titles like "Floyd of the Jungle". Name it.
It's gotta be Microprose... flight sims and strategy? Plus they've been
around for a long time...
: 6. Science fiction and computer gaming seem to go hand-in-hand. Which
: of the following SF authors has NOT had a computer game made out of his work?
: a. Isaac Asimov
: b. Douglas Adams
: c. Michael Crighton
: d. Harlan Ellison
: e. Thomas Disch
Well, I'm sure Asimov has had a game made of his work... the trouble is I
can't place anything. Oh well. Douglas Adams had Hitchhikers Guide to the
Galaxy and Bureaucracy. Crichton had some Jurrasic Park stuff done... any
older stuff? Ellison - I don't know if anything old has been released, but
I believe there's a computer version of his work "I have no mouth and I
must scream" (is that the correct title?) in production. As for Disch? I
guess he's the one... Don't know him though.
: 7. Leisure Suit Larry I is a graphic adaptation of what text adventure?
Well, I don't know, but I'll say it's probably *not* Leather Goddesses of
Phobos, because the only similarities between them was the sex. Totally
different stories.
: 8. What was the first computer pinball game to use a realistic physics
: model. Name:
: a. The game
: b. The designer
: c. The publisher
Well, I somehow doubt it's Pinball Construction set, but if it is, then
it's by Bill Budge, and published by EA.
: 9. This iconoclastic designer has been a thorn in the side of the
: computer gaming industry since it's earliest days. Some of his titles are
: "Scram!", "Gossip" and "Eastern Front - 1941". Name him.
Hmm... Scram! and Gossip don't ring any bells, but didn't Chris Crawford
write Eastern Front? It was considered one of his best works, I believe.
And the description of him fits somewhat... but I wouldn't call him a thorn
- he's been one of the most ardent advocates of *gameplay* rather than
flashy graphics and sound. I guess this would make him a thorn in the side
of the industry, however ;)
: 11. Electronic Arts entered the industry in a big way in 1983 with a
: unique ad campaign and 4 simultaneous releases.
: a. What was so different about the ad?
: b. Name EA's first four releases
: c. What platform where they designed for?
a.) Umm... it was personal?
b.) Hard Hat Mack
Murder on the Zindernurf (or something - a big zeppelin)
Umm... not Archon... not Seven Cities... earlier... crap, I can't remember
their names, but I remember ... something... :)
c.) It's gotta be either the Commie or the Apple // ... I'll go with the
Apple.
: 12. Speaking of platforms, for what platform was Kings Quest originally
: designed?
Uhh... Apple //?
: 14. "Chuckles" has appeared in every Ultima (except the Underworlds)
: since U4. What is the real name of the game designer he is named for?
Ugh... gotta go home and look this one up - I *used* to know it ;)
Wow! That was really fun... I'm really looking forward to the answers. I
wish I had my back issues of CGW here, gotta look up some stuff ;)
How about making the Semi-irregular trivia quiz semi regular? I know you'd
have at least one avid reader right here (who'd probably be left scratching
his lobes most of the time - but a challenge is fun)! Thanks a lot!
-Jeremy
Jeff Somers
|>
|> FIRST SEMI-IRREGULAR COMPUTER GAMING
|> TRIVIA QUIZ
|>
Sigh, sure, go ahead, make me feel like an old fart.......(I'm 27!).
|>
|> 1. Name the designer of "Captain Cosmo". What is he doing now?
|>
|> 2. This software house, well-known for complex flight sims and strategy
|> games, started out with action titles like "Floyd of the Jungle". Name it.
|>
|> 3. What is the significance of "The Wizard and the Princess"? Who wrote it?
Roberta Williams
|>
|> 4. Who are Crowther & Woods?
Wrote the original adventure game, Colossal Cave.
|>
|> 5. Who are Leibling and Blanc?
Founded Infocom.
|>
|> 6. Science fiction and computer gaming seem to go hand-in-hand. Which
|> of the following SF authors has NOT had a computer game made out of his work?
|> a. Isaac Asimov
|> b. Douglas Adams
|> c. Michael Crighton
|> d. Harlan Ellison
|> e. Thomas Disch
Either d. or e.
|>
|> 7. Leisure Suit Larry I is a graphic adaptation of what text adventure?
|>
|> 8. What was the first computer pinball game to use a realistic physics
|> model. Name:
|> a. The game
|> b. The designer
|> c. The publisher
|>
Hmmmmm, either Pinball Construction Set (Bill Budge, EA) or
David's Midnight Magic. Of course, some would argue that
only in the past few years have the models been realistic!
|> 9. This iconoclastic designer has been a thorn in the side of the
|> computer gaming industry since it's earliest days. Some of his titles are
|> "Scram!", "Gossip" and "Eastern Front - 1941". Name him.
Cris Crawford.
|>
|> 10. Most gamers know "Broderbund" means brotherhood. Name the 2 brothers
|> and their half sister that founded the company.
|>
|> 11. Electronic Arts entered the industry in a big way in 1983 with a
|> unique ad campaign and 4 simultaneous releases.
|> a. What was so different about the ad?
|> b. Name EA's first four releases
|> c. What platform where they designed for?
The ad emphasized that the programmers were artists. Back in '83
the programmers usually didn't get much (if any) credit. (Although
I bet Activision was the first game company to credit their
programmers, for Atari 2600 games.) First four releases...uh,
Hard Hat Mack, Archon, Murder on the Zindenhurf (or something),
Web Wars. (I know that this isn't right). Platform: Apple II.
|>
|> 12. Speaking of platforms, for what platform was Kings Quest originally
|> designed?
The Peanut...the IBM PC Jr.
|>
|> 13. Computer Gaming World was the FIRST magazine on the stands dedicated
|> exclusively to computer gaming. Name the second.
Popular Computing? No, that wasn't just a gaming mag.
Computer Game Review?
|>
|> 14. "Chuckles" has appeared in every Ultima (except the Underworlds)
|> since U4. What is the real name of the game designer he is named for?
|>
|> 15. This game is the grand-daddy of such first-person space shooters as
|> Wing Commander and X-Wing. Written for the 16k Atari 400 (!), it was even
|> the subject of a straegy guide in Byte magazine. Name it.
|>
Star Raiders.
|> 16. Name the first game developed by LucasArts (then called Lucas
|> Games). In 25 words or less, why was it deemed a commercial failure?
Either Rescue on Fractalus or Ballblazer. It took them a long
time to get these to market, 'cause their publisher went under.
(I forget the details.)
|>
|> 17. Jawbreaker was SO similar to another game that the courts ruled the
|> publisher guilty of copywrite infringement. The game was taken off the
|> market and completely re-written as a different game. Name:
|> a. The publisher
|> B. The game it is a copy of.
|>
|>
Sirius? Pac-Man.
Thanks for bringing back some fond memories.
Gauthaman Ravindran
Jeff Somers <jso...@marcam.com> wrote:
>In article <33r2ml$j...@crl6.crl.com>, t...@crl.com (Harvey Bernstein) writes:
>|>
>|> FIRST SEMI-IRREGULAR COMPUTER GAMING
>|> TRIVIA QUIZ
>|>
>
>|>
Sierra On-Line, and was originally a programming exercise by some fellow who
showed it to Ken Williams. The advertisement for the program had a photo of
three topless women in a hot tub (one of these was Roberta Williams) and
a waiter. More information in Steven Levy's book "Hackers".
>|>
>|> 17. Jawbreaker was SO similar to another game that the courts ruled the
>|> publisher guilty of copywrite infringement. The game was taken off the
>|> market and completely re-written as a different game. Name:
>|> a. The publisher
>|> B. The game it is a copy of.
>|>
>|>
>
> Sirius? Pac-Man.
>
The company was Sierra On-Line (and the game was, as you say,
Pac-Man). Atari took Sierra On-Line to court over this one, and lost.
More information in Steven Levy's book "Hackers".