Salon has a well-written and respectful profile of game developer Dani Bunten, co-creator of M.U.L.E., a quintessential game developer's game.
M.U.L.E. is a favorite game of Justin's, and deceptively easy to learn. Simple rules stacked up together and the unpredictability of your opponents conspire to make this a game with near-infinite variety. Is it primitive? Sure, from a graphics standpoint; but the gameplay is incredibly complex. Strategy, quick reflexes, and pure luck all play a part.
The piece is also a critique, through the lens of Bunten's career, of the last twenty years of game development history - a history which rewarded snazzy graphics over innovative game mechanics, and which left Dani Bunten, for the most part, confined to a dusty footnote in the annals.
Thanks for your kind post!
Posted by: John Gorenfeld | 03/18/2003 at 09:17 PM
A nice article, John.
What's this game 'Mr. President' that you're working on? Can you tell us about it?
Posted by: Walter | 03/19/2003 at 07:24 PM
It's in the early stages of getting the game engine working right now. It's going to be Psi 5 Trading Company meets Shadow President, with a good dose of G.W. Bush. One of these days I will get a development blog up.
Posted by: John | 03/21/2003 at 08:26 PM
Greg Costikyan posted to his weblog a piece he'd written about Dani Bunten for Happy Puppy. It's an elegaic tribute.
Posted by: jane | 03/22/2003 at 07:28 AM
M.U.L.E. is one of my favorite games of all times.
If you want to see an updated version of it, try Space HoRSE by Shrapnel Games. It keeps much of the same gameplay of the original M.U.L.E., but updates the graphics slightly.
I'd have to agree on the article's points. Unfortunately, graphics are sexy and sell games. It's difficult to market gameplay.
Again, I blame it all on the marketers....
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Posted by: hyhy | 08/28/2006 at 07:42 PM