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Warren Spector
Warren Evan Spector (born October 2, 1955) is an American role-playing and video game designer, director, writer, producer and production designer. He is known for creating immersive sim games, which give players a wide variety of choices in how to progress. Consequences of those choices are then shown in the simulated game world in subsequent levels or missions. He is best known for the critically acclaimed video game '' Deus Ex'' that embodies the choice and consequence philosophy while combining elements of the first-person shooter, role-playing, and adventure game genres. In addition to ''Deus Ex,'' Spector is known for his work while employed by Looking Glass Studios, where he was involved in the creation of several acclaimed titles including '' Ultima Underworld'', '' Ultima Underworld II, System Shock'', and '' Thief: The Dark Project''. He is employed by OtherSide Entertainment, where he was part of the development team for the stalled '' System Shock 3''. Early life Spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Immersive Sim
An immersive sim (simulation) is a video game genre that emphasizes player choice. Its core, defining trait is the use of simulated systems that respond to a variety of player actions which, combined with a comparatively broad array of player abilities, allow the game to support varied and creative solutions to problems, as well as emergent gameplay beyond what has been explicitly designed by the developer. This definition is not to be confused with game systems which allow player choice in a confined sense or systems which allow players to easily escape consequences of their choices. Immersive sims by definition allow for multiple approaches, and typically incorporate elements of multiple genres, including role-playing games, stealth, first-person shooters, platform games, survival horror and adventure games. Although they typically have smaller worlds than open world games, they also generally allow for open-ended gameplay, allowing the player to progress in any order and p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
System Shock
''System Shock'' is a 1994 first-person action-adventure game, action-adventure video game developed by LookingGlass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. It was directed by Doug Church with Warren Spector serving as producer. The game is set aboard a space station in a cyberpunk vision of the year 2072. Assuming the role of a nameless security hacker, the player attempts to hinder the plans of a malevolent artificial intelligence called SHODAN. ''System Shock'' 3D computer graphics, 3D engine, physics simulation and complex gameplay have been cited as both innovative and influential. The developers sought to build on the emergent gameplay and immersive environments of their previous games, ''Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss'' and ''Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds'', by streamlining their mechanics into a more "integrated whole"; it is considered one of the defining examples of an immersive sim. Critics praised ''System Shock'' and hailed it as a major bre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northwestern University
Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in Illinois. Chartered by the Illinois General Assembly in 1851, Northwestern was initially affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church but later became non-sectarian. By 1900, the university was the third-largest Higher education in the United States, university in the United States, after University of Michigan, Michigan and Harvard University, Harvard. Northwestern became a founding member of the Big Ten Conference in 1896 and joined the Association of American Universities in 1917. Northwestern is composed of eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools in the fields of Kellogg School of Management, management, Pritzker School of Law, law, Medill School of Journalism, journalism, McCormick School of Engineering, enginee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Labyrinth Of Worlds
''Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds'' is a 1993 action role-playing game developed by LookingGlass Technologies and published by Origin Systems. As the sequel to '' Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss'', the game is set in the ''Ultima'' fantasy universe. Players assume the role of the Avatar—the protagonist of the ''Ultima'' series—and adventure through multiple dimensions while seeking to prevent the evil Guardian from achieving world domination. Progression is largely nonlinear and the game allows for emergent gameplay. ''Ultima Underworld II'' began production in April 1992, shortly after the completion of ''Ultima Underworld''; and it was developed in nine months. The team sought to improve upon the foundation laid by the game's predecessor, particularly by increasing the size and interactivity of the game world. The team reused and improved the first game's engine. Development was impeded by insufficient staffing and extensive playtesting, and the rapid product ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Space Gamer
''The Space Gamer'' was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s. The magazine is no longer published, but the rights holders maintain a web presence using its final title ''Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer''. History ''The Space Gamer'' (''TSG'') started out as a digest quarterly publication of the brand new Metagaming Concepts company in March 1975. Howard M. Thompson, the owner of Metagaming and the first editor of the magazine, stated "The magazine had been planned for after our third or fourth game but circumstances demand we do it now" (after their first game, '' Stellar Conquest''). Initial issues were in a plain-paper digest format. By issue 17, it had grown to a full size bimonthly magazine, printed on slick paper. When Steve Jackson departed Metagaming to found h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David O
David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the Kings of Israel and Judah, third king of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Canaanite and Aramaic inscriptions, Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damascus in the late 9th/early 8th centuries BCE to commemorate a victory over two enemy kings, contains the phrase (), which is translated as "Davidic line, House of David" by most scholars. The Mesha Stele, erected by King Mesha of Moab in the 9th century BCE, may also refer to the "House of David", although this is disputed. According to Jewish works such as the ''Seder Olam Rabbah'', ''Seder Olam Zutta'', and ''Sefer ha-Qabbalah'' (all written over a thousand years later), David ascended the throne as the king of Judah in 885 BCE. Apart from this, all that is known of David comes from biblical literature, Historicity of the Bible, the historicit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Ransom Center
The Harry Ransom Center, known as the Humanities Research Center until 1983, is an archive, library, and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the purpose of advancing the study of the arts and humanities. The Ransom Center houses 36 million literary manuscripts, one million rare books, five million photographs, and more than 100,000 works of art. The center has a reading room for scholars and galleries which display rotating exhibitions of works and objects from the collections. In the 2015–16 academic year, the center hosted nearly 6,000 research visits, resulting in the publication of over 145 books. History Harry Ransom founded the Humanities Research Center in 1957 with the ambition of expanding the rare books and manuscript holdings of the University of Texas. He acquired the Edward Alexander Parsons Collection, the T. Edward Hanley Collection, and the Norman Bel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dungeons & Dragons
''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules, Tactical Studies Rules (TSR). It has been published by Wizards of the Coast, later a subsidiary of Hasbro, since 1997. The game was derived from miniature wargaming, miniature wargames, with a variation of the 1971 game ''Chainmail (game), Chainmail'' serving as the initial rule system. ''D&D'' publication is commonly recognized as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the role-playing game industry, which also deeply influenced video games, especially the Role-playing video game, role-playing video game genre. ''D&D'' departs from traditional wargame, wargaming by allowing each player to create their own Player character, character to play instead of a military formation. These characters embark upon adventures wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metagaming Concepts
Metagaming Concepts, later known simply as Metagaming, was a company that published board games from 1974 to 1983. It was founded and owned by Howard Thompson, who designed the company's first game, '' Stellar Conquest''. The company also invented Microgames and published Steve Jackson's first designs, including ''Ogre'', '' G.E.V.'' and '' The Fantasy Trip''. History The company's first product, released in 1974, was '' Stellar Conquest'', which had been rejected by Avalon Hill in 1973. Many of Metagaming's notable titles were also science fiction wargames, including ''Ogre'', '' G.E.V.'', and '' WarpWar''. In 1975, Metagaming started ''The Space Gamer'' as a quarterly house magazine. By its 17th issue, ''TSG'' was a full size bimonthly magazine, printed on slick paper and covering games from other publishers, including fantasy games. Thompson and Metagaming pioneered the idea of publishing small, low-cost games in what came to be known as the MicroGame format. For a whil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ogre (board Game)
''OGRE'' is a science fiction board wargame designed by the American game designer Steve Jackson (American game designer), Steve Jackson and published by Metagaming Concepts in 1977 as the first microgame (board games), microgame in its MicroGame line. When Jackson left Metagaming to form his own company, he took the rights to ''OGRE'' with him, and all subsequent editions have been produced by Steve Jackson Games (SJG). Game description ''OGRE'' is an Asymmetric warfare, asymmetrical two-player wargame set in the late 21st century that pits a single giant Autonomous robot, robot tank called an "OGRE" against the second player's headquarters, defended by a mixture of conventional units, including tanks, infantry, and artillery. During each player's turn, they may move their unit(s), then engage in combat with the opponent's unit(s) if the movement has brought those unit(s) in range of the weapons on the moved unit(s). After the combat has been resolved by rolling a die for eac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the company's "Hasbro Gaming" division. Avalon Hill introduced many of the concepts of modern recreational wargaming, including the use of a hexagonal grid (a.k.a. hexgrid) overlaid on a flat folding board, zones of control (ZOC), stacking of multiple units at a location, and board games based upon historical events. History The Avalon Game Company Avalon Hill was started in 1952 outside Baltimore in Catonsville, Maryland, by Charles S. Roberts under the name of "The Avalon Game Company" for the publication of his game '' Tactics''. It is considered the first of a new type of war game, consisting of a self-contained printed map, pieces, rules and box designed for the mass-market. Other war games published over the prior half-century, from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg Costikyan
Greg Costikyan (born July 22, 1959), sometimes known under the pseudonym Designer X, is an American game designer and science fiction writer. Costikyan's career spans nearly all extant genres of gaming, including: hex-based wargames, role-playing games, boardgames, card games, computer games, online games, and mobile games. Several of his games have won Origins Awards. He co-founded Manifesto Games, now out of business, with Johnny Wilson in 2005. Personal life and education Greg Costikyan was born in New York City, the son of attorney and politician Edward N. and Frances (Holmgren) Costikyan. He and game designer Warren Spector were friends since high school. He is a 1982 graduate ( B.S.) of Brown University. (subscription required) He married Louise Disbrow (a securities analyst), September 4, 1986. They have three children. He is a frequent speaker at game industry events including the Game Developers Conference and E³. Career Greg Costikyan has been a game designer since ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
