Who is your favorite computer game programmer?

[wizardofwor1975]

I got to thinking...who is my favorite computer game programmer. Unquestionably, there are so many pioneer computer game programmers to choose from but if I had to choose just one it would be without a doubt Mr. Sid Meier. My list of runner ups would include: John Carmack (Wolf 3D, Doom, Quake), Richard Garriott aka Lord British (Ultima series), Gabe Newell (Half Life series), and last but certainly not least Mr. John Romero. So anyway who would it be for you?

[Tanooki]

I fear this topic won't go very far. Computer programmers really don't get much name as the console people do unfortunately. A few do, especially back in the 90s when someone did something stunning millions adored so it got out there.

I know it's just aping your list, but you pretty much nailed it. Wolf3D+DOOM1 and 2 were huge for me and Carmack and his crew top my list from then, and of course Eric Chahi with his Another World and Flashback games were fantastic. One I really think needs all the love is Chris Roberts -- two words -- Wing Commander!

[wizardofwor1975]

I fear this topic won't go very far. Computer programmers really don't get much name as the console people do unfortunately. A few do, especially back in the 90s when someone did something stunning millions adored so it got out there.

I know it's just aping your list, but you pretty much nailed it. Wolf3D+DOOM1 and 2 were huge for me and Carmack and his crew top my list from then, and of course Eric Chahi with his Another World and Flashback games were fantastic. One I really think needs all the love is Chris Roberts -- two words -- Wing Commander!

Your right. When I was writing the thread initially I was tempted to just name Sid Meier and leave it at that. BTW, good choice with Chris Roberts. I wonder if anyone will pick Will Wright? He's a bonafide legend for Raid on Bungeling Bay but when you throw in his brillant creation the SimCity series he's a real hall of famer.

[Zap!]

It's been a while, but I think their names are Jeff Minor and Chris Crawford. They were amazing in their day.

[Tanooki]

Had I not drawn a blank Will Wright I would have listed.

My first home computer was christmas 1990, a 386sx16, 2MB of ram, a 256 color SVGA card, a (half) single speed cd rom, the works, it was the first PC with them a headstart from magnavox(philips.) The earliest games I ended up with was shareware Wolf3D I noted before and the Simpsons, but another was the DOS version original Sim City release and I've played the hell out of it for years. One thing I never was good at was playing it on medium or hard, because starting out I'd get creamed, but once going it was always a fantastic ride as was the sequel (shame it went off the rails after that.) Before that, little did I ever notice but for some reason I bought Raid on Bungling Bay or was gifted it, whenever that came out in the later 80s on the NES which he made too. Sid Meier would be another, one of the other early firsts I had was the DOS/Win combo CD of Civilization, fantastic game, never much could get into the sequels other than #2 and V wasn't bad either.

[wizardofwor1975]

Will Wright is just a GIANT in the world of computer gaming. As if Raid wasn't great enough on the good old C64 but when he ported it to the NES he took it to another level. The amount of time I've invested in Wright's and Meier's creations could literally be measured in years of actual playing time.

Zap! mentioned Chris Crawford. Crawford's Balance of Power was a real gem. I remember playing it on an Amiga 500 back in the day.

[tom]

Gary Grigsby
Chuck Kroegel
Paul Norman
All the Infocom guys (and girl)
Brent Erickson
Roger Damon
Jordan Mechner
Chris Gray
and all who programmed for A8

[otaku]

Gotta be Carmack and Romero for me. I had never really thought of programmers before (just miyamoto and suzuki) until I discovered doom and read the book about the team and the games development process it was fascinating carmack to me is a genius and romero was my kinda guy behaviour wise lol my brother would say lord british

[Zap!]

Jeff Minter is getting no love here. What, no one likes llamas?

[tolls]

There's a UK coder called David Collier who knocked out some great arcade conversions for the C64 such as:

Green Beret
Hyper Sports
Yie Ar Kung Fu
Arkanoid

If I had the money back then, I'd buy the game if it had his name on!

[Gameguy]

It's hard to say an actual favourite, but since nobody mentioned Ron Gilbert I'll go with him for creating SCUMM. Plus not sure if this thread is specifically looking only for programmers or any people involved in creating computer games.

[Oldskool]

Roberta Williams - she and her husband founded Sierra and were the driving force behind games like King's Quest, Phantasmagoria, and Mystery House to name a few. VERY influential and some of the best classic PC games out there.