Charlie Wiederhold
06-21-06, 04:27 PM
I know I don't have to tell anyone about this since anyone reading this will already know about it... but you had better go try out the Prey demo (http://www.3drealms.com/prey/download.html) when it comes out.
It's hard to wrap my mind around the idea that the Prey that is coming out very soon is the final result of events that unfolded 10 years ago. I remember sitting on USENET all the time posting about those early screen shots which had oh so much color compared to Quake. It's strange to think that the following screen shot blew me away back then, but it did.
http://www.gamingisstupid.com/images/prey0027.jpg
Whenever I think of the early days of Prey, that image is what comes to mind. I still have a hard time accepting that the guys I worked with at Ritual were the ones who put together the stuff for that early shot.
Then came the next version with all the portal tricks and oh boy did my 3DR fanboyism kick into overdrive. I was all over USENET and followed every morsel of news that came out.
I applied twice to be a level designer on Prey (mostly to be closer to Duke, but I also really wanted to work on Prey). The first time I had to learn Quake editing in a few days and Matt Wood beat me out. Rightfully so. And by beat me out I mean that my stuff was so bad I wasn't even in the running... so it wasn't like it was “me vs him”. His map was very cool and exactly the sort of stuff 3DR looks for. The next time I applied I was working full time for Sunstorm Interactive on the Duke Nukem addons and had a much better showing. I got to the final round with 3 or 4 other mappers, but John Anderson was the one who kicked the crap out of all of us. The sort of clever stuff he pulled off in the Quake engine was very humbling.
As big of a Duke fan as I was, and as proud of my build engine maps as I was (even to this day)... I still didn't translate that Duke style to the 3D engines very well. My third time around I was applying to Ritual and I finally "got it". I think if I had applied with the Ritual maps I would have been a part of the Prey team, but I just wasn't good enough yet when I had my shot. Practice practice practice... which is why every aspiring game developer I talk to I'm so supportive even if they don't make it their first couple of tries. Looking back I'm glad it worked out the way it did as it gave me the chance to work with a wide variety of people and different projects before finally going towards my "dream job".
The application process was one of the most exciting things I've ever been a part of (both for 3DR and for Ritual). The first time I would carry my entire computer down the hall to the UT Austin Jester Dorm lounge to work on the map so I wouldn't keep my roommate awake all night. One of my long term friends Peter would often come hang out with me in there to keep me company (and he probably never realized how much I enjoyed and appreciated that), and I'd chat in #Duke3D on IRC with Stephen Cole and Matt Wood (who I was attempting to compete with) along with a whole bunch of other really fun guys. I've made some life long friends because of that IRC channel... one of which is sitting down the table from me right this minute (Kyle Davis). The second time I would work 9-10 hours at Sunstorm and then go home and do another 9-10 hours working on my application maps. It was insane, but rare to have something you are so focused on and want so bad. In some ways I wish I could capture that feeling again... but it is hard without starting over brand new in an entirely different career.
I'm drifting though, this is about Prey and what it is to me. So once I was working at Sunstorm and Ritual I kept in close contact with the Prey guys and had a really good time hanging out with them at E3 in Atlanta and kept being amazed by the game. We just knew it was going to be awesome and were glad Sin was coming out long before it (ohhh boy there we go again with the delay jokes).
Then the call comes with the chance to work at 3DR on DNF... oh shit yes! Oh wait... what's this other news about Prey being put on hold? FUCK! Very interesting time to come into 3DR to say the least. Nothing to do but forget about it, but that was my first taste of true disappointment as a video game fanboy. No need to get too worried though... here was DNF and I got to be a part of it. Nothing but blue skies ahead! The end of the millennium was going to be the best thing ever!!! Right?
Anyways...
Then Prey comes back to life (seemingly) out of nowhere. Nothing public was known, but rumors kept popping up from time to time and there was nothing to do but sit there like the dog from Duck Hunt and giggle waiting for the day when it finally gets known for real. This time was an entirely different perspective... as I got to watch it mature from the inside and see it go from very basic ideas to the fully developed game everyone is going to get to play soon. While it is not the same game that I fantasized about 10 years ago... it is certainly a part of that legacy and since I'm watching the final days unfold from the outside... I'm getting that flutter of excitement and anticipation of the unknown possibilities that any good fanboy thrives on. Oh and I'm so totally kicking your asses at MultiPrey.
Having worked with or met almost every person that has been a part of Prey for the past 10 years, it is a very important project and title to me as a developer and as a First Person Shooter fan. I'm so happy to see it coming to a computer near you and I'll be passing my hard earned dollars over to buy a copy (or two or three) as soon as possible. Congratulations to everyone at Human Head for bringing it together... now I'll just wait for that Gone Gold announcement that surely must be right around the corner. 6 hours left until I'm trying to download it and see how much better it has gotten even in the short time (relatively... har har) since the last time I played it.
Cheers to anyone that was ever involved in Prey. This is a pretty damn cool day and despite never being an official part of Prey, it has always had a special place in my mind.
Anyone who wants to know more about the actual history of Prey itself in great detail... you should check out Lon Matero's Prey History Page (http://www.apogeegames.com/prey/history.htm). It's a good read.
It's hard to wrap my mind around the idea that the Prey that is coming out very soon is the final result of events that unfolded 10 years ago. I remember sitting on USENET all the time posting about those early screen shots which had oh so much color compared to Quake. It's strange to think that the following screen shot blew me away back then, but it did.
http://www.gamingisstupid.com/images/prey0027.jpg
Whenever I think of the early days of Prey, that image is what comes to mind. I still have a hard time accepting that the guys I worked with at Ritual were the ones who put together the stuff for that early shot.
Then came the next version with all the portal tricks and oh boy did my 3DR fanboyism kick into overdrive. I was all over USENET and followed every morsel of news that came out.
I applied twice to be a level designer on Prey (mostly to be closer to Duke, but I also really wanted to work on Prey). The first time I had to learn Quake editing in a few days and Matt Wood beat me out. Rightfully so. And by beat me out I mean that my stuff was so bad I wasn't even in the running... so it wasn't like it was “me vs him”. His map was very cool and exactly the sort of stuff 3DR looks for. The next time I applied I was working full time for Sunstorm Interactive on the Duke Nukem addons and had a much better showing. I got to the final round with 3 or 4 other mappers, but John Anderson was the one who kicked the crap out of all of us. The sort of clever stuff he pulled off in the Quake engine was very humbling.
As big of a Duke fan as I was, and as proud of my build engine maps as I was (even to this day)... I still didn't translate that Duke style to the 3D engines very well. My third time around I was applying to Ritual and I finally "got it". I think if I had applied with the Ritual maps I would have been a part of the Prey team, but I just wasn't good enough yet when I had my shot. Practice practice practice... which is why every aspiring game developer I talk to I'm so supportive even if they don't make it their first couple of tries. Looking back I'm glad it worked out the way it did as it gave me the chance to work with a wide variety of people and different projects before finally going towards my "dream job".
The application process was one of the most exciting things I've ever been a part of (both for 3DR and for Ritual). The first time I would carry my entire computer down the hall to the UT Austin Jester Dorm lounge to work on the map so I wouldn't keep my roommate awake all night. One of my long term friends Peter would often come hang out with me in there to keep me company (and he probably never realized how much I enjoyed and appreciated that), and I'd chat in #Duke3D on IRC with Stephen Cole and Matt Wood (who I was attempting to compete with) along with a whole bunch of other really fun guys. I've made some life long friends because of that IRC channel... one of which is sitting down the table from me right this minute (Kyle Davis). The second time I would work 9-10 hours at Sunstorm and then go home and do another 9-10 hours working on my application maps. It was insane, but rare to have something you are so focused on and want so bad. In some ways I wish I could capture that feeling again... but it is hard without starting over brand new in an entirely different career.
I'm drifting though, this is about Prey and what it is to me. So once I was working at Sunstorm and Ritual I kept in close contact with the Prey guys and had a really good time hanging out with them at E3 in Atlanta and kept being amazed by the game. We just knew it was going to be awesome and were glad Sin was coming out long before it (ohhh boy there we go again with the delay jokes).
Then the call comes with the chance to work at 3DR on DNF... oh shit yes! Oh wait... what's this other news about Prey being put on hold? FUCK! Very interesting time to come into 3DR to say the least. Nothing to do but forget about it, but that was my first taste of true disappointment as a video game fanboy. No need to get too worried though... here was DNF and I got to be a part of it. Nothing but blue skies ahead! The end of the millennium was going to be the best thing ever!!! Right?
Anyways...
Then Prey comes back to life (seemingly) out of nowhere. Nothing public was known, but rumors kept popping up from time to time and there was nothing to do but sit there like the dog from Duck Hunt and giggle waiting for the day when it finally gets known for real. This time was an entirely different perspective... as I got to watch it mature from the inside and see it go from very basic ideas to the fully developed game everyone is going to get to play soon. While it is not the same game that I fantasized about 10 years ago... it is certainly a part of that legacy and since I'm watching the final days unfold from the outside... I'm getting that flutter of excitement and anticipation of the unknown possibilities that any good fanboy thrives on. Oh and I'm so totally kicking your asses at MultiPrey.
Having worked with or met almost every person that has been a part of Prey for the past 10 years, it is a very important project and title to me as a developer and as a First Person Shooter fan. I'm so happy to see it coming to a computer near you and I'll be passing my hard earned dollars over to buy a copy (or two or three) as soon as possible. Congratulations to everyone at Human Head for bringing it together... now I'll just wait for that Gone Gold announcement that surely must be right around the corner. 6 hours left until I'm trying to download it and see how much better it has gotten even in the short time (relatively... har har) since the last time I played it.
Cheers to anyone that was ever involved in Prey. This is a pretty damn cool day and despite never being an official part of Prey, it has always had a special place in my mind.
Anyone who wants to know more about the actual history of Prey itself in great detail... you should check out Lon Matero's Prey History Page (http://www.apogeegames.com/prey/history.htm). It's a good read.