tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6264881409789872629.post4055352143004085430..comments2024-03-28T18:16:41.746-04:00Comments on Data Driven Gamer: Game 168: Choplifter!Ahabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04131989140638867919noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6264881409789872629.post-13660900242777137622020-03-30T22:49:15.013-04:002020-03-30T22:49:15.013-04:00Auteur theory probably applies even more to video ...Auteur theory probably applies even more to video games of this era than it does to the film industry at the height of the term's popularity! Films are, after all, large scale collaborative efforts even under the most tyrannical directors, while a 48KB computer game can be entirely designed, programmed, and produced by a single person, and often were.<br /><br />That said, I have to think that the company where a game is made plays a role in how it turns out, and I'm just as interested in exploring that as I am in exploring developers' personal achievements. For instance, I find stronger parallels in Activision's Atari 2600 games than I do in the cross-company oeuvre of any of their individual founders. In Gorlin's case, though, there aren't any non-Broderbund games where he's credited as principal developer or designer. The closest thing is Banzai Bug, where he is credited as Lead Programmer and also as one of several designers, but the roles of Producer, Director, Lead Designer, Lead Artist, and even Original Concept are all filled by other people.<br /><br />In any event, the Bungelings will return in later Broderbund games and provide a tangible sort of continuity even though Gorlin won't be involved.Ahabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04131989140638867919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6264881409789872629.post-85055908425043842662020-03-30T17:04:09.941-04:002020-03-30T17:04:09.941-04:00For me, Myst is what really put them on the map.For me, Myst is what really put them on the map.ERobertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10100273633659655294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6264881409789872629.post-42303004096670436692020-03-30T17:00:55.038-04:002020-03-30T17:00:55.038-04:00If video games work like films, then the auteur th...If video games work like films, then the auteur theory might apply here — that is, the aesthetic of the game is determined more by the lead developer (Dan Gorlin) than the company. I haven’t played his other games, though, so I don’t know if that’s the case with Choplifter.RetroAnalysthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10633021712932756737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6264881409789872629.post-59915593194683708202020-03-30T14:27:43.349-04:002020-03-30T14:27:43.349-04:00Broderbund always struck me as a publisher that si...Broderbund always struck me as a publisher that simply had a good eye for what to release, rather than a company with a distinct aesthetic. Choplifter and Lode Runner are probably their greatest contributions.Andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14624614486574035692noreply@blogger.com