TheRetroArcade
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Posts: 1,967
Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
This would be like us saying 'Remember the good old days of, uh, 2016?'
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Recently uncovered cassette tape recordings of the 1989 Computer Game Developers Conference reveal how much has changed in the games industry in the last 40 years, as well as how much has stayed the same. Decades ago, Origin Systems' Robert Garriott was already worried about the PC gaming market being oversaturated, even when a mere fraction of today's game volume was releasing every year. And nostalgia's pull was seemingly just as powerful in 1989 as it is in 2026, as one of the panels at the conference, titled The Golden Days of Computer Games, was asking attendees to "Return with us to the thrilling days of yesteryear (about 10 years ago)."
Steve Cartwright, an early Activision employee whose design credits include games like Seaquest and Aliens: The Computer Game, talked about getting his start in the industry in the early 1980s thanks to Activision co-founder David Crane. While the first half of the anecdote feels completely foreign today, I have a feeling the last line will hit home for most current game developers:
"I called up a friend of mine from school named Dave Crane. I said, Dave, want to go out for lunch or something? Go out, see a movie, hang out together. He said, 'how would you like to be a game designer?' Dave had just started a little company called Activision. I said, Dave, I don't know anything about designing games. You should get somebody with some experience. He said, 'there is nobody with experience.'
"I said, Dave, I don't know anything about programming. He said, 'it's a 6502, you only need to know four instructions.' I said, I don't know, Dave, I just got a job at an engineering firm. I'm working on the design of a power supply, got a couple technicians working for me. I got a big raise. I don't think you can match my salary. He said, 'what's your salary?' I told him. He said, 'no problem, we'll double it.' And, uh, those days are gone. I don't know if the rest of the world has caught up to us or we're vastly underpaid, but it's not like that anymore."
Ultima designer Richard Garriott, also on the panel, talked about the early days of selling his games in ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
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Every Friday
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Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
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Recently uncovered cassette tape recordings of the 1989 Computer Game Developers Conference reveal how much has changed in the games industry in the last 40 years, as well as how much has stayed the same. Decades ago, Origin Systems' Robert Garriott was already worried about the PC gaming market being oversaturated, even when a mere fraction of today's game volume was releasing every year. And nostalgia's pull was seemingly just as powerful in 1989 as it is in 2026, as one of the panels at the conference, titled The Golden Days of Computer Games, was asking attendees to "Return with us to the thrilling days of yesteryear (about 10 years ago)."
Steve Cartwright, an early Activision employee whose design credits include games like Seaquest and Aliens: The Computer Game, talked about getting his start in the industry in the early 1980s thanks to Activision co-founder David Crane. While the first half of the anecdote feels completely foreign today, I have a feeling the last line will hit home for most current game developers:
"I called up a friend of mine from school named Dave Crane. I said, Dave, want to go out for lunch or something? Go out, see a movie, hang out together. He said, 'how would you like to be a game designer?' Dave had just started a little company called Activision. I said, Dave, I don't know anything about designing games. You should get somebody with some experience. He said, 'there is nobody with experience.'
"I said, Dave, I don't know anything about programming. He said, 'it's a 6502, you only need to know four instructions.' I said, I don't know, Dave, I just got a job at an engineering firm. I'm working on the design of a power supply, got a couple technicians working for me. I got a big raise. I don't think you can match my salary. He said, 'what's your salary?' I told him. He said, 'no problem, we'll double it.' And, uh, those days are gone. I don't know if the rest of the world has caught up to us or we're vastly underpaid, but it's not like that anymore."
Ultima designer Richard Garriott, also on the panel, talked about the early days of selling his games in ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?