As someone born and raised in this wild city, I decided to attend the “Games + Chicago: Then and Now” panel. I appreciated the brief history of games in Chicago, especially the recognition of the Sears Tower. In all seriousness, I was surprised to learn that Sears was a major factor in the release and retail of Atari’s Home Pong console.
Josh Tsui
Midway Games was a constant topic of discussion since Josh Tsui gave insight into what working there was like. My favorite piece of advice from Tsui was “steal” from the companies you work with, if morally justified, I assume. Josh was involved in games like Mortal Kombat and WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game; fighting games piqued his interest.
When the panelists were asked what made the games they worked on “Chicago-ey,” Tsui credited Chicago for the violence in Mortal Kombat. According to Tsui, the studio was competitive, and winter in particular made them angry. Tsui’s preference for video games ties back to fast-paced and short arcade games like Mortal Kombat. Tsui also advised the crowd not to create a studio but to work for a company first and learn from colleagues, since losing money would be the company’s loss and not a personal one.
Billy Basso
Billy Basso, creator of Animal Well, responded to the “Chicago-ey” question by mentioning how the Buckingham Fountain inspired the seahorse in the game. Basso also said that the overall architecture present in Animal Well is based on Chicago’s architecture. When asked for specific examples, Basso said it was a general thing. Basso posed a question regarding the use of AI in game development: Is not using AI rebellious? This question, in particular, will become even more relevant as more companies find ways to exploit AI. Although not primarily a game, Duolingo is an example of a company that has decided to embrace AI and that has lowered the accuracy and quality of its lessons.
Thoughts
I enjoyed the panel discussion, but I felt that there were no real ties to Chicago in the works of the panelists, besides Billy Basso’s seahorse design. It was cool to see that Chicago has had a role in game history, but I felt like Chicago’s role might have been exaggerated a bit. I wish that the panel had focused more on Chicago, although hearing diverse views (especially generational differences) was informative. (I am also quite jealous of Tsui after seeing his picture with Bret Hart in his prime.)
Although I enjoyed it overall, I was also a bit disappointed by the panel. I wanted to learn more about what made Chicago unique compared to other major cities in terms of video game development. It seemed like Chicago was most relevant in the pinball/arcade era. It was surprising that the panelists didn’t seem to have a prepared answer to the question about how Chicago has impacted their design choices. Personally, I want a CTA themed transit video game that lets you be a train operator; a Japanese PS3 train simulator had an accurate depiction of the brown line, but I need an updated version.
Wait, Sears was the reason Home Pong blew up? That’s the most random Chicago flex I’ve ever heard. Also “winter made us violent” is peak Midwest energy. Very on brand for this city.
Totally agree the Chicago ties felt stretched. Buckingham Fountain seahorse is cool, but “general architecture” is doing a lot of lifting there lol. Still, hearing Tsui talk about the Midway era must’ve been surreal. That whole studio culture sounds chaotic in the best way.
(Eternally jealous of anyone who got to meet prime Bret Hart. The Hitman was unmatched.)