The Minds Behind PlayStation Games: Interviews with Creators and Developers

by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Overview

Featuring interviews with the creators of 43 popular video games--including Spyro the Dragon, Syphon Filter, NFL GameDay 98 and Final Fantasy VII--this book gives a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most influential (and sometimes forgotten) titles of the original PlayStation era. Interviewees recall the painstaking development, challenges of working with mega publishers and uncertainties of public reception, and discuss the creative processes that produced some of gaming's all-time classics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476685076
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	10/06/2022
Series:	Studies in Gaming
Pages:	291
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.58(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Patrick Hickey, Jr., is the founder and editor-in-chief of ReviewFix.com and a lecturer of English and journalism at Kingsborough Community College, in Brooklyn, New York. Over the past decade, his video game coverage has been featured in national ad campaigns by Nintendo, Disney and EA Sports. Series editor Matthew Wilhelm Kapell teaches American studies, anthropology, and writing at Pace University in New York.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Foreword by Jason Weesner
Preface
Introduction
Craig Stitt, Spyro the Dragon: Born Green, Immortalized Purple and Remastered Fuchsia
James Dillon, Crash Bandicoot: A Marsupial Mascot Is Born
Gavin Rummery, Tomb Raider II: Lara’s Bigger ­Ponytail-Swinging Adventure

Scott Rogers, ­Pac-Man World: From Ghosts to Glory
Aaron Cammarata, Pitfall 3D: From a Commodore Compilation to Neversoft
Tony Warriner, In Cold Blood: Ahead of Its Time

David Grijns, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins: The Most Ninja “Ninja” Game, Ever
Jose Villeta, Treasures of the Deep: Childhood Dreams Become Reality
Joe Brisbois, Aquanaut’s Holiday: A Misunderstood Effort in Relaxation
Richard Ham, Syphon Filter: Taking from the Best, Making the Best
Michael Mendheim, Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes: Green and Eventually Mean
David Shea, Alien Trilogy: The Best of Times
Jason Weesner, Apocalypse: Neversoft’s Ironic Invitation to the Big Time
Laurent Benes, Future Cop: LAPD: Days of Future Past
Noah Slater, 007: Tomorrow Never Dies: From Sandwiches to Spies
Craig Stitt, Disruptor: Something Special After Sonic But Before Spyro
Mike Froggatt, C-12: Final Resistance: The ­Counter-Invasion Before the Jump to Microsoft
Michael Heilemann, Medal of Honor: German Shepherds and Writing Your Name on the Wall
Scott Rogers, Soul Blade: More Than a Localization
Tony Iuppa, Knockout Kings: The Greatest “Draw” in Boxing History
Kellan Hatch, Jet Moto: The Last of the SingleTrac Hat Trick, A Monkey Off Your Back
Brian Wiklem, Jet Moto 2: Two Versions of a Special Sequel
Brian Wiklem, Cool Boarders: Rejection, Compromise and Respect
Jules Burt, Sled Storm: The First One, the Best One
Jim Buck, Rally Cross: Sexy 3D Math
Tim Huntsman, WWF War Zone: When RAW Was WAR
Joe Brisbois, ESPN Extreme Games: Before Tony Hawk, After the Rash
Sebastiaan Reinarz and Amory Wong, NBA Live 96: A ­Full-Court Press
Erik Kiss and Jon Spencer, Triple Play 97: The Rookie’s Road to MVP
Trent Shumay, NHL 98: EA’s First Hat Trick on PS1

Chris Foley, NFL GameDay 98: From the Hallway at Sony to Google
Charles Pinady, Parasite Eve: Aya’s ­Not-So-Square Tale
Alan Flores, ­Spider-Man: Doing Whatever a Spider Can—in 3D
Eric Thommerot and David Grijns, Nightmare Creatures/Nightmare Creatures II: PlayStation’s Gothic Dream and Curse
Scott Campbell, Rogue Trip: Vacation 2012: After Twisted, Before Incognito
Kellan Hatch and Scott Campbell, Warhawk: One Half of Sony and SingleTrac’s Twisted ­Team-Up
Russ Patterson, Courier Crisis: Flippin’ Off the Police on Your GT
Dave Quesnelle, Brain Dead 13: The Animated Twitch Game Swan Song
Dominic Craig, Team Buddies: Too “Leggit” to Quit
Martin Edmondson, Driver: From the Figure Eight to the Open World

Nigel Conroy, Grand Theft Auto 2: Light It Up, Before the War in Chinatown
Scott Campbell, Twisted Metal: Heating Up the PlayStation
Jonathan Williams and David Bamberger, Final Fantasy VII: Changing the Way the U.S. Thought About RPGs
Conclusion
Index