Ask me about my 40+ years in the video games (VP at Activision early '90's)

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me about my 40+ years in the video games (VP at Activision early '90's)

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VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Rekinom posted:

Were you involved in Mechwarrior 2? I remember playing that game back in '95 and it absolutely blew my mind with how advanced it was over everything else around at the time. The soundtrack, the graphics, the sound, even the gameplay and plot. We got Ghost Bear's Legacy and then Mercs as a sequel, but then it kinda just....stopped.

If you had anything to do with that, I just want to say job well done. I still consider it one of the best games of all time.

I designed the video compression codec used for the opening of the original DOS version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X3GD0UnBCk

Same video system used in RTZ.

Prior to that, I flew to the UK in 1990 to see what the MW2 team at a Leeds based company was up to with MW2 (yes, it took almost 5 years) and discovered they had bought TWO 12 cylinder BMW's with Activision's cash. They got canned.

The 2nd team was internal and was trying to stick with a 16bit model (Intel) and hit a wall. Canned as well.

The 3rd team pulled it off. I left in the summer of 1994 so I missed the launch.

The producer of MW1 was a co-founder of Aegis Development. I worked with him there, then at Activision and at James Cameron's Earthship TV and finally at Teknik Digital Arts. He produced Bubsy for Genesis as well. John Skeel.

# ? Aug 19, 2021 05:15

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 21:52

Canine Blues Arooo: Jan 7, 2008; when you think about it...i'm the first girl you ever spent the night with; Grimey Drawer

VideoGameVet posted:

On the new game, this week's drama was getting the team access to the Apple Connect stuff. Just loads of stupid work.

Just to get the builds onto my phone/iPad took a day of updating:

XCODE: I can't talk to your devices, their operating systems are too new.

After a few hours downloading the new XCODE ...

XCODE: I won't run on your Mac, update the OS.

After several hours.

XCODE: Your devices aren't setup.

Update the Climate Trail (update RenPy). Try that.

XCODE: Oh do you want me to authorize these devices?

Finally apk onto the devices.

Almost 3 days, not to mention the "the app is missing some certificate that we can't find, so forget about test flight-ing anything."

Crap, why do they make this so f-ing complex?

Working with Apple is a nightmare literally every step of the way. I truly, truly hate dealing with them and I'd like to understand the cost of dealing with their bullshit and what the break-even on revenue is against Apple Bullshit�. I feel for you here

# ? Aug 19, 2021 19:00

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Canine Blues Arooo posted:

Working with Apple is a nightmare literally every step of the way. I truly, truly hate dealing with them and I'd like to understand the cost of dealing with their bullshit and what the break-even on revenue is against Apple Bullshit�. I feel for you here .

Well, the reason I do is because in the word game segment, iOS is 2/3rds of the revenue.

# ? Aug 20, 2021 19:00

96 spacejam: Dec 4, 2009

Any insight from your end on the complete clusterfuck that has just become Blizzard/Activision?

# ? Aug 26, 2021 17:15

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

96 spacejam posted:

Any insight from your end on the complete clusterfuck that has just become Blizzard/Activision?

Yeah.

Activision's senior management was more diverse (racially, gender, and orientation) in 1989 then now.

Ken Coleman, Lucy Bradshaw, Sherry Ann Whitely, Art Director Steve S. etc.

I have tried to get to people there to hire super talented women like the female CTO I worked with at 3 companies for over a decade (she shares design credit with me on the very first iPhone game ever released). No luck.

When they bought in the Union Busting Law Firm (WilmerHale), to deal with this. it was a WTF moment for me.

And I know Kotick himself is not a 'bro' at all. I don't know why he isn't chopping off more heads.

# ? Aug 27, 2021 00:03

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

96 spacejam posted:

Any insight from your end on the complete clusterfuck that has just become Blizzard/Activision?

Higher level thoughts on this.

I was at Activision from '88 thru '94. The video game industry was not considered 'cool' back then. It was a bit nerdy.

When it because cool it attracted 'bros and I think that began the shift.

Sure there were antics, Sierra OnLine's hot tub etc., but at least that had a female lead designer. But nothing like the Cosby room.

# ? Aug 27, 2021 07:07

shame on an IGA: Apr 8, 2005

an entirely unregulated addictive product, in retrospect it should've been obvious the industry would be overrun with the kind of people who ran beer companies in the 80s

# ? Aug 27, 2021 12:52

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

shame on an IGA posted:

an entirely unregulated addictive product, in retrospect it should've been obvious the industry would be overrun with the kind of people who ran beer companies in the 80s

I refuse to release glorified Skinner-Boxes. My next game won't even have ads. Some if it will be free, the rest will be subscription (new content every day).

# ? Aug 27, 2021 19:55

Fuschia tude: Dec 26, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER 2019

shame on an IGA posted:

an entirely unregulated addictive product, in retrospect it should've been obvious the industry would be overrun with the kind of people who ran beer companies in the 80s

I haven't heard this story before. Is there a good writeup somewhere?

# ? Aug 28, 2021 05:37

shame on an IGA: Apr 8, 2005

Under The Influence and the more recent and significantly friendlier Bitter Brew, wherein the Busch family's influence in funding the book as a propaganda piece results in them being painted merely as monsters, instead of a deathless fountain of human weakness

# ? Aug 28, 2021 08:55

GordonComstock: Oct 9, 2012

VideoGameVet posted:

I designed the video compression codec used for the opening of the original DOS version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X3GD0UnBCk

Same video system used in RTZ.

Prior to that, I flew to the UK in 1990 to see what the MW2 team at a Leeds based company was up to with MW2 (yes, it took almost 5 years) and discovered they had bought TWO 12 cylinder BMW's with Activision's cash. They got canned.

The 2nd team was internal and was trying to stick with a 16bit model (Intel) and hit a wall. Canned as well.

The 3rd team pulled it off. I left in the summer of 1994 so I missed the launch.

The producer of MW1 was a co-founder of Aegis Development. I worked with him there, then at Activision and at James Cameron's Earthship TV and finally at Teknik Digital Arts. He produced Bubsy for Genesis as well. John Skeel.

I mostly lurk but just chiming in to to say this is amazing. To this day I will still watch some of these intros on youtube.

# ? Aug 28, 2021 19:35

ZombieLenin: Sep 6, 2009; "Democracy for the insignificant minority, democracy for the rich--that is the democracy of capitalist society." VI Lenin

[/quote]

VideoGameVet posted:

I was requested to do this thread on another discussion.

In summery:

1. Got a winter-break job play testing Avalon Hill's first computer games in Dec. 1979.

2. Designed and programmed 3 games for Avalon Hill 1980-1982.

3. Co-founded Aegis Development in 1985, designed and coded two games for the original Mac.

4. Hired by Activision in 1988 as Director of Tech, eventually VP of Technology. Did tech and UI for a few games. Want Some Rye?

5. Ran development at Lightspan and launched their PlayStation games, almost got rich when they IPO'd in 2000.

6. Mobile game stuff at Bonus Mobile (with then Wayans) and PlayScreen (I blew up pigs before Angry Birds did).

7. Launched a VR Game thing in 2017, didn't work out.

8. Did The Climate Trail in 2019 as a solo effort and gave it away.

9. Recently attempted a turnaround at a game studio owned by a company that does everything from alcoholic beverages to telemedicine.

10. What I'm up to today.

No offense, but what was it like to work with the insufferable douche bags on a daily basis that are literally every executive I ever interacted with, at every video game company I ever worked for, in the 5 years I spent in the industry?

For the record I, like you, started in QA and moved up to design before I quit because I wanted a life and to go to grad school in 2007.

# ? Sep 15, 2021 23:35

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

ZombieLenin posted:

No offense, but what was it like to work with the insufferable douche bags on a daily basis that are literally every executive I ever interacted with, at every video game company I ever worked for, in the 5 years I spent in the industry?

For the record I, like you, started in QA and moved up to design before I quit because I wanted a life and to go to grad school in 2007.

I started in the game industry when I was in grad school. Did my Avalon Hill stuff when I was in school.

Get this, Bobby Kotick was easier to deal with than the prior Activision CEO.

There was a famous incident in 1990 at the Akasaka Prince hotel in Tokyo, company dinner, where Lewis "Kelly" Flock and I ended up cursing the CEO and managed not to get fired.

Remember, when I was at Activision I was a huge intimidating person. I didn't get messed with.

# ? Sep 18, 2021 06:40

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Here's my thoughts on being aged out of the game industry and what I did about it.

https://medium.com/forty-years-of-mischief-and-mayhem-in-video-gaming/is-it-game-over-for-video-industry-veterans-731ad59c03a7

# ? Sep 21, 2021 21:35

worms butthole guy: Jan 29, 2021; by Fluffdaddy

I always heard from ITKs that Bobby Kotick was a decent person and "nice', no idea if it was even remotely true

# ? Sep 22, 2021 04:21

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Fixins posted:

I always heard from ITKs that Bobby Kotick was a decent person and "nice', no idea if it was even remotely true

He was decent to me. I knew him before I even went to Activision in 1988 from his Amiga stuff.

He knew me as well, when Aegis Development folded, his company took over "Ports Of Call."

The main thing is even though LGOP2 flopped, he gave me a second chance with The Return To Zork.

# ? Sep 22, 2021 06:21

goatsestretchgoals: Jun 4, 2011

Hey VideoGameVet, this Twitter thread came up in the PYF Tweets thread, any idea what game it�s from?

Tiggum posted:

https://twitter.com/gravislizard/status/1444134590998736897

# ? Oct 2, 2021 15:55

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

goatsestretchgoals posted:

Hey VideoGameVet, this Twitter thread came up in the PYF Tweets thread, any idea what game it�s from?

No idea. I did send out some Digital Audio Tape (DAT) backups to a retro fan but they couldn't do anything with them.

# ? Oct 3, 2021 00:34

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

goatsestretchgoals posted:

Hey VideoGameVet, this Twitter thread came up in the PYF Tweets thread, any idea what game it�s from?

It�s got to be a Sierra title.

I�ll ask Ken Williams.

(Facebook and FB Messenger are down, I suspect ANON is engaging in a DDOS attack).

VideoGameVet fucked around with this message at 17:59 on Oct 4, 2021

# ? Oct 4, 2021 17:57

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

VideoGameVet posted:

It�s got to be a Sierra title.

I�ll ask Ken Williams.

(Facebook and FB Messenger are down, I suspect ANON is engaging in a DDOS attack).

Ken Williams says:

quote:

It does look like motion capture, but I don't think it is us. It could be, but I didn't recognize any of the characters or even the names

Reached out to Interplay people. I'll also see what Trip Hawkins says.

# ? Oct 5, 2021 05:58

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

goatsestretchgoals posted:

Hey VideoGameVet, this Twitter thread came up in the PYF Tweets thread, any idea what game it�s from?

Might be: Cyberhood 1 by Interplay

https://vimeo.com/464297053

# ? Oct 5, 2021 15:33

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Script: https://docu.tips/documents/cyberhood-a-live-action-video-game-by-martin-olson-5c12e386c84a6

# ? Oct 5, 2021 15:46

SearchInward: Oct 22, 2021

What's view on where Augmented Reality platforms and where that fits into the world?

# ? Oct 25, 2021 20:45

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

SearchInward posted:

What's view on where Augmented Reality platforms and where that fits into the world?

I do believe that un-obtrusive AR glasses (look like normal glasses) will eventually replace the smartphone. At first as an add-on to the smartphone but eventually as a standalone device.

I've seen systems the could sense gestures without gloves perfectly.

Game-wise this means stuff that takes the Pokemon Go gameplay to the next level.

For amusement, here's a rather dystopian view of the whole thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJg02ivYzSs

# ? Oct 26, 2021 17:03

mercenarynuker: Sep 10, 2008

Excuse me, I think you mean https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=is12anYx2Qs

# ? Nov 6, 2021 18:55

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

mercenarynuker posted:

Excuse me, I think you mean https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=is12anYx2Qs

I wonder if this 1991 episode was done using the Amiga Video Toaster?

# ? Nov 6, 2021 19:23

Buckwheat Sings: Feb 9, 2005

Haha boy that Bobby Kotick sure is a rascal. Have you found people tend to lose themselves when they get into leadership positions?

Like I'm sure Kotick wasn't always like this.... Or I guess at least he hid it well.

Also in case anyone wonders why he won't get fired anytime soon.

https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1407658278893592579?t=tepmd2cUfKBRdYxUZDsqbw&s=19

# ? Nov 17, 2021 04:51

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Buckwheat Sings posted:

Haha boy that Bobby Kotick sure is a rascal. Have you found people tend to lose themselves when they get into leadership positions?

Like I'm sure Kotick wasn't always like this.... Or I guess at least he hid it well.

Also in case anyone wonders why he won't get fired anytime soon.

https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1407658278893592579?t=tepmd2cUfKBRdYxUZDsqbw&s=19

... not to mention yesterday's news that he's been accused of harassment himself.

He wasn't like this when I worked with him.

Makes me sad because when LGOP2 bombed he still believed we could pull off a good game and we did (RTZ).

# ? Nov 17, 2021 16:08

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

FYI: I just released this.

The Devils - A Visual Novel of WWII ... has been released:

https://deepstategames.itch.io/the-devils

The Devils is a horror story based on actual events at the end of WWII. Two Japanese soldiers struggle to make it through a deadly island swamp as the unforgivable sins of their less honorable Japanese soldier comrades come back to exact their bloody revenge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY5CmQ6ffi0

# ? Nov 17, 2021 16:08

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Buckwheat Sings posted:

Haha boy that Bobby Kotick sure is a rascal. Have you found people tend to lose themselves when they get into leadership positions?

Like I'm sure Kotick wasn't always like this.... Or I guess at least he hid it well.

Also in case anyone wonders why he won't get fired anytime soon.

https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1407658278893592579?t=tepmd2cUfKBRdYxUZDsqbw&s=19

Looks like he could get terminated for cause, given the latest disclosures.

# ? Nov 24, 2021 18:32

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Going to be producing a widely anticipated AAA game.

Pretty amazed by all of that.

# ? Nov 26, 2021 20:22

slidebite: Nov 6, 2005; Good egg

You're literally going to leave us hanging right there, aren't you?

# ? Nov 27, 2021 03:56

Waroduce: Aug 5, 2008

VideoGameVet posted:

Going to be producing a widely anticipated AAA game.

Pretty amazed by all of that.

How do non competes work in your world? Like im a mid career product guy specifically in healthcare and I have lawyers review all my poo poo so that I don't sign something that says "CANT WORK ON ANYTHING THAT TRANSFERS PATIENT INFORMATION ELELCTRONICALLY" but I for sure can't work in specific verticals like substance abuse, adolescent behavioral health and other stuff where I built and bought products to market....

Is it typical to slap non competes on engineers and product peoples in the manner of let's say leaving Bungie and not being allowed to work on a scifi shooter mmo or something?

# ? Nov 27, 2021 04:12

Zarin: Nov 11, 2008; I SEE YOU

Waroduce posted:

How do non competes work in your world? Like im a mid career product guy specifically in healthcare and I have lawyers review all my poo poo so that I don't sign something that says "CANT WORK ON ANYTHING THAT TRANSFERS PATIENT INFORMATION ELELCTRONICALLY" but I for sure can't work in specific verticals like substance abuse, adolescent behavioral health and other stuff where I built and bought products to market....

Is it typical to slap non competes on engineers and product peoples in the manner of let's say leaving Bungie and not being allowed to work on a scifi shooter mmo or something?

I am not a lawyer, nor have I spoken to one in the last 10 minutes, but . . .

My understanding of the whole Non-Compete space as it relates to BFC (the forum I mean) is that almost all of this sort of verbiage is - at a legal level - not enforceable. It merely exists to cause people who might otherwise consider changing employers to second-guess that decision.

Again, seek legal advice if you're concerned, but at the end of the day you're probably able to whatever you want without repercussions.

Edit: to answer your actual question, I think the answer is that HR, anybody, and everybody will slap non-compete verbiage on everything they possibly can - even the lunchroom fridge - but that none of it means a hill of beans in the real world and it's just an attrition-reduction tactic that won't actually bind anyone who is interested in scrutinizing it.

Zarin fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Nov 27, 2021

# ? Nov 27, 2021 06:12

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

The story:

https://shytoshikusama.medium.com/the-future-of-gaming-is-shib-6b35b1cae170

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA9DFD1iVGM

# ? Nov 27, 2021 06:24

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Waroduce posted:

How do non competes work in your world? Like im a mid career product guy specifically in healthcare and I have lawyers review all my poo poo so that I don't sign something that says "CANT WORK ON ANYTHING THAT TRANSFERS PATIENT INFORMATION ELELCTRONICALLY" but I for sure can't work in specific verticals like substance abuse, adolescent behavioral health and other stuff where I built and bought products to market....

Is it typical to slap non competes on engineers and product peoples in the manner of let's say leaving Bungie and not being allowed to work on a scifi shooter mmo or something?

You can protect trade secrets but non-competes are mainly BS.

# ? Nov 27, 2021 06:24

Zarin: Nov 11, 2008; I SEE YOU

VideoGameVet posted:

You can protect trade secrets but non-competes are mainly BS.

I want to just drop in to say that I'm glad you are taking all of this in stride.

I value your posting and I recognize that this has to be a tough time for you (not that you are unused to tough times, given the industry and all) but that you are able to present detached and realistic viewpoints of the goings-on all the same.

Thank you for being you, and good luck on the biking thing. My biking experiences were overwhelmingly negative and I gave them up in favor of just walking.

# ? Nov 27, 2021 06:33

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Zarin posted:

I want to just drop in to say that I'm glad you are taking all of this in stride.

I value your posting and I recognize that this has to be a tough time for you (not that you are unused to tough times, given the industry and all) but that you are able to present detached and realistic viewpoints of the goings-on all the same.

Thank you for being you, and good luck on the biking thing. My biking experiences were overwhelmingly negative and I gave them up in favor of just walking.

I have to bike almost every day for my sanity. Today�s ride was 35 miles around San Diego bay.

I recommend this website for useful info on dealing with traffic.

https://cyclingsavvy.org/

If you look at my post above, I�m quite happy to be producing a very much anticipated AAA game. The best Thanksgiving ever.

# ? Nov 28, 2021 04:56

Fuschia tude: Dec 26, 2004; THUNDERDOME LOSER 2019

VideoGameVet posted:

I have to bike almost every day for my sanity. Today�s ride was 35 miles around San Diego bay.

I recommend this website for useful info on dealing with traffic.

https://cyclingsavvy.org/

If you look at my post above, I�m quite happy to be producing a very much anticipated AAA game. The best Thanksgiving ever.

I still can't tell if you're joking about a shiba inu cryptocoin (and no, not that one) themed game being AAA

# ? Dec 12, 2021 20:40

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 21:52

VideoGameVet: May 14, 2005; It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion. It is by the juice of Java that pedaling acquires speed, the teeth acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my bike in motion.

Fuschia tude posted:

I still can't tell if you're joking about a shiba inu cryptocoin (and no, not that one) themed game being AAA

In that world. Most of the blockchain games seem weak. What we're doing is to create something of quality rather than slapping on stuff to a so-so game mechanic.

I'd say more but I'm NDA'd to the max.

Also I'm drat fortunate to get this position at this point in my career, but I have years of experience in a related thing ...

# ? Dec 12, 2021 21:26

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me about my 40+ years in the video games (VP at Activision early '90's)

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