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Bruce Shelley
Ensemble Studios
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How would you like to be Sid Meier's protégé? Maybe you should ask Bruce Shelley, who worked with Meier for five years at MicroProse, co-designing classics such as Civilization and Railroad Tycoon. Now, having come into his own at Ensemble Studios with the Age of Empires series, Shelley, who has been designing games since 1980 and enjoys collecting Boy Scout memorabilia in his spare time, has shown that a fun and compelling game can also be historically accurate. From living through the Bronze Age of the ancient world to recreating the plight of French heroine Joan of Arc in Age of Empires II, Shelley has brought a new level of depth to real-time strategy.
1. If there were one moment from gaming you'd put in a time capsule to represent the 20th century of interactive entertainment, what moment would it be and why?
Age of Empires II |
Bruce: The one event that stands out for me was my introduction to Sid Meier's game Pirates! At a relatively early date, that game included story, ship-to-ship action, land battles, treasure hunts, and aspects of role-playing, good graphics, and great gameplay. It was an important signpost for me about the promise of interactive gaming, even though it was for a single player only. When I found out the company that made that game was located in the city in which I lived, I set out to get a job there and did about a year later.
2. Do you think the gaming industry is underestimating one aspect of interactive entertainment that will take us all by surprise in the early 21st century?
Bruce: A big breakthrough will be the capability of talking live with the other people in your game while you play multiplayer over the Internet. I think that will be huge and is now underestimated. At Ensemble Studios, we are lucky in that we can play in our test lab or in our offices and talk to each other directly or by speakerphone. That greatly enhances the enjoyment of playing.
Next: Bruce Shelley (cont.)
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