Ken Williams (game developer)
Ken Williams | |
---|---|
game programmer | |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Website | kensblog |
Kenneth A. Williams (born October 30, 1954) is an American businessman and
History
Early years
Williams was born on October 30, 1954, in
Sierra On-Line
Williams and wife Roberta co-founded On-Line Systems in 1979. Sierra's notable online service, the
In his role as Sierra's CEO, Williams focused on innovation: "I'm not sure how typical I am of other CEOs ...most of my time is spent looking at product ... To me, everything is about being able to build awesome product ... Any game which does not push the state of the art leaves an opportunity for a competitor's game to look better."[5]
In Sierra's later years, the company's focus had shifted to publishing many titles from other studios, including Valve's Half-Life. Commenting on first-person shooters, Williams recalls, "By the time I decided we wanted into the genre, we were too far behind. With 20/20 hindsight, I blew it when I had the chance to buy id and didn't ... Valve was the first group I had spoken with that could put Sierra in front of id."[6]
In 1992, Williams advocated for a software rating system akin to that of the movie industry. This preceded the establishment of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which was set up in response to concerns over violent and sexually explicit video games.[7]
In 2014, Ken and Roberta were honored with the Game Awards inaugural Industry Icons award.
Williams has cited Microsoft and The Walt Disney Company as influencing Sierra's business model. "These two companies were our role models. I read every book written on both companies. I did everything to try to understand how they thought, and how they did business."[8] Microsoft currently owns the Sierra brand and its intellectual property, following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023.[9]
Recent years
After a spell of being inactive in the computer game industry, in 2022, it was reported that he was currently working with his wife Roberta on a new VR and flatscreen version of Colossal Cave 3D Adventure, a redux of the text-adventure title from 1977.[10] Prior to this, he had focused on writing and managing a Web site construction tool called Talkspot,[11] which aims to redefine how small businesses communicate with their customers on the Internet. He has published three books on boating, talking about his worldwide cruising along with his wife Roberta on their 68-foot Nordhavn trawler. In addition, he publishes a blog about cruising, Ken's Blog,[12] and his years at Sierra, Sierra Gamers. His memoir, Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings: The Rise and Fall of Sierra On-Line, was released on July 24, 2020.[13]
In June 2021, Williams has announced he and Roberta have been working on the game The Secret, in collaboration with artist Marcus Maximus Mera.[14]
Depictions
Williams's trademarks have been his
Personal life
Ken married Roberta Williams 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, and Mexico.[15]
Games programmed
- Mission Asteroid (1980)
- Mystery House (1980)
- Wizard and the Princess (1980)
- Cranston Manor (1981)
- Ulysses and the Golden Fleece (1981)
- Threshold (1981)
- The Dark Crystal (1983)
- King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne(1985)
- Space Quest: Chapter I – The Sarien Encounter (1986)
- The Black Cauldron (1986)
- Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel (1987)
- Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (1987)
- Colossal Cave (2023)[16]
Further reading
- Williams, Ken (July 24, 2020). Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings: The rise and fall of Sierra On-Line. Lulu. p. 408. ISBN 979-1716727367.
- Levy, Steven (1984). Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution. Anchor Press/Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-19195-2.
References
- ^ Givens, Linda Holden (November 27, 2019). "Williams, Roberta Lynn (b. 1953)". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- 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 New 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 The Final Hours of Half-Life". Archived from the original on May 8, 1999. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
- ^ Markoff, John (March 22, 1992). "The Nation; The Latest Technology 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, Tom (October 13, 2023). "Microsoft completes Activision Blizzard acquisition, Call of Duty now part of Xbox". The Verge.
- ^ Williams, Ken (March 25, 2022). "Roberta and Ken Williams are back after 25 years with 'Colossal Cave 3D Adventure'". Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ TalkSpot
- ^ Ken's Blog
- ^ Williams, Ken. "Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings". Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ Sierra gamers, Sierragamers.
- ^ Boudreau, Ian (January 20, 2023). "Why Colossal Cave matters and why Ken and Roberta Williams remade it". PCGamesN. Network N. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
External links
- Official website
- SierraGamers – Ken and Roberta Williams page
- www.kensbook.com – Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings - Book about Sierra's rise and fall
- October 17, 2005 interview with Ken Williams
- Ken & Roberta Williams Interview
- Ken Williams at MobyGames
- Ken Williams at IMDb