Sierra Flashback w/ Ken & Roberta - Good, Bad & Disappointments
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- Опубликовано: 11 окт 2024
- In this video we sit down with Ken & Roberta Williams in their house in Southern California for an exclusive chat about Sierra On-Line games including some of their biggest hits and some of their failures and disappointments. We discuss the making of the popular games like King's Quest, Leisure Suit Larry & Phantasmagoria...but also some of the hidden gems and nuggets from Dynamix, Papyrus, Coktel Vision and more.
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I tell everyone I know about your channel.
Some people think I'm annoying...
@@AyratHungryStudent haha anyone I know when I talk about games they find me annoying 😁
@@DEVILTAZ35 what games do you play?
I remember the game pharaoh
I'm newer to your channel but loving it bro. The connection to Sierra is awesome. Lords of the Realm II is still one of my most favorite game of all time
This is the kind of stuff I feel like you can only get on this channel. 🤘
that's literal.
Yep. And another video with these two legends coming soon. Something pretty unexpected. Stay tuned 😜
@@MetalJesusRocks random guess: you made a new I hate you episode with them as guests?
Quality program.
@@overlordalfredo Do you expect to be answered kid smh? Get out beat it
I owe my career to these two people. My fascination with Sierra games got me into reverse engineering the AGI engine and writing my first compiler so I could modify/create similar games. Their strategy of producing an in-house programming language and interpreter that made other aspects of development much easier was a powerful one, and today I'm fortunate enough to have a job building basically the same kind of thing, albeit for a different domain (Fintech). If it wasn't for Sierra I expect my professional life would have gone in a very different direction.
Ken and Roberta were true pioneers of the industry in so many ways. They cared deeply about hiring the best talent, giving designers the autonomy to make the best products, and building a loyal fan base across a wide range of genres, which was a tremendously successful formula. The fact that 25 year later, so many of us fans still feel an emotional connection to the company is testament to that. While it's sad the way the company ended, the amount of joy Sierra brought to the world and their long-term impact on the industry and subsequent generations of game developers (and others outside the industry) is immense.
Your AGI studio was instrumental to me becoming a game developer way back as a kid in the mid 2000's. It was so neat to make (and tool around with Sierra's own) AGI games with a free tool like that.
@@jayharris7673 Wow, I'm so happy to hear that! AGI Studio was a project I did for my own interest/enjoyment, but it's always great to see when people find it useful and create their own games with it. I think that society is best when we all work to create things that are both fun to make and bring benefit and enjoyment to other people, and the gaming industry in particular is all about that.
I want to thank you because AGS sparked my desire to learn programming like nothing else could. Being able to mess around with code and see its results in almost real time is amazing.
Roberta still looks so much like she did way back when. As a former Dynamix Alum, it's great to see them both.
I am 42 Years old Now and I have been playing Sierra games ever since I was 7 years Old. Roberta has always been an inspiration and a role model for me.
I was lucky to meet Charles Cecil from Revolution, but meeting Roberta and Ken Williams will be something that I could never have dreamed.
KEN, ROBERTA I MISS YOU GUYS PLEASE COME BACK!!!
I hope Roberta comes back for a Sequel to Softporn Adventure with an updated Cover Art. :)
41 here, and I remember seeing Roberta's name on the games I played on my PC way back in the late 80s!
42 as well and Roberta is an absolute hero and legend! She is at the very top of my favorite game designers, residing alongside the likes of Shigeru Miyamoto, Tim Schafer, Yoshinori Kitase and Chris Roberts.
@@Grail_Quest Yeah, but Chris Roberts needs to get his crap together, he's dropping the ball hard on Star Citizen!
Being 41-42 means we were born around the time Sierra started...
Sierra was such a big part of my childhood, thank you guys for giving us such great games and memories.
I'm looking at this from a different perspective. The relationship that those two had back then. And now. Its crazy how those two worked together. Its a very heartwarming tale. When you feel like you don't have someone...aspire to be these two. They are amazing...even now!
Edit: they STILL look at each other with such admiration.
It was great to see my old bosses, though I don't know for sure whether I ever got to ever meet them in person or not. As a former Dynamix dev, I only ever got down to the Oakhurst office once, and that was for a conference they held there with Robert McKee (Roberta might have been there at the time, but I can't remember). I'll always be grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the extended Sierra Online family thanks to these two.
I just found this interview today. As someone who played a bunch of Dynamix games I want to say thank you. Mechwarrior, Earthsiege and Death track were among my fondest memories of gaming in my youth (outside of adventure games)
I’m 41. The King’s Quest series were among the first few games I ever played on PC. It was Myst and then King’s Quest series. This interview is such a treat. Thanks for this interview!
KINGS QUEST HERE TODAY GONE TOMORROW!! Best times for me as a kid in the mid 90’s playing on our first family computer!
For me it was Leisure Suit Larry and Police Quest
I’m a huge Sierra fan, and was super excited to watch this.
Congratulations, MetalJesus, you've reached the final boss(es).
There's so many good memories connected to the Quest games for me, particularly the Police Quest series!
Oh? Look like you don't know anything about voodoo, then... So instead, what about that wily looking Shnibble of Azimuth? Ring any bells... Master Beamish? Still lookin' good, hey?
Captain Skirt
Stuff like this... this is why I'm subscribed! The Sierra nostalgia overload!
This made me really happy I subscribed I didn't know he worked for Sierra. Mad respect.
What an amazing video. It actually made me teary eyed with joy to listen to these two talk. As a kid growing up in the 1980's. Ken and Roberta were my unofficial faraway parents because they ultimately taught me to read and write and be computer literate at an early age. Roberta's Kings Quest series in particular. I am so thankful for the work they did with Sierra. They are my heroes.
I’m 42 now and I tell my kids I learnt to read and type fast from Space Quest and Kings Quest games.
What a treat! Loved the chat with Ken and Roberta. And yeah, I was one of the KQ fans. Still pull them out and play them to this day.
They barely mentioned "Space Quest", that was my favorite game. I loved the humor in it. I played the heck out of that game. Half-Life was also one of my favorites.
Space Quest was hands-down my favorite Sierra game tbh, not that the others were bad.
making Roger puke at Monolith Burger - fun times!
I suspect that "Ryley Robinson" of "Subnautica" is part of "Roger Wilco's" gene pool. "Non-Essential Systems Maintenance Chief" sounds like what Xenon's Space Janitor did on the science vessel "Arcada.";)
Loved me some Space Quest
Loved SQ4. PQ3. LSL5. Wasn't rly into KQ at all.
its easy to see why ken and roberta are such legends in the industry, they really come across as genuinely nice people and someone you'd want to work for. Especially when the leisure suit larry talk comes up. Wonderful discussion here everyone.
I saw the thumbnail and was like, NO WAY! This is great guys Love Sierra!
MT32 games had the best music, despite their lack of digital audio, don't feel too bad, I loved mine.
Wasn’t expecting this today! I’ve always enjoyed your videos where you and Paul have a longer discussion and to have one with Ken and Roberta takes it to the next level.
More to come!
Can’t wait, they seem like an awesome couple
I'd have to agree. The adult show and tell videos don't really do it for me.
What a treat this is. Thank you so much for posting it. I am 41 and Sierra games is what got me into computers/gaming back in 1990.
Holy shit!!! I haven’t watched this yet, but WOW!! Will be blocking off time this weekend to get cozy and watch this conversation with these two LEGENDS!!
That was really sweet. What an adorable couple. Thanks for putting this together. Sierra has such a special place in video game history .
Glad you enjoyed it!
I've never seen an interview with them. Really cool seeing the legends in this format.
They seem so nice to. I would love to work for them. To bad Sierra is no more.
Absolute legends. I miss the old days playing Sierra games here in Brazil in the 90s. Great to see they are going well.
As someone who's never even played a Sierra game, I find this to be intriguing.
Excellent! Then my job is done. 👍
I grew up playing Sierra games
GOG has a ton of old Sierra games. Steam has as well. Many games still hold up to this day and they are quite inexpensive.
@@MetalJesusRocks no it ain’t sir. You’ve got more videos to do… just kidding… but you’re so close to ONE MILLION SUBS, DUDE! I’m so stoked for you
@@Obloms one can pick up the entire Kings Quest, Space Quest, and Quest for Glory series together for under $30.
Love that these guys came out of coarsegold, CA and seeing the address at @17:09. For anyone that lives in this area, you'd *never* guess that a software company would come out of that area. So cool to see.
One of the best things in the world is to watch really passionate people talk about their work.
It doesn't even matter what they do, it's captivating.
When you are also passionate about the topic, it's 2 times better.
The highlight of this video, hands down, is the authentic early 90s dancing at 38:14 - more than likely recorded on a VHS tape rolling in a massively oversized video camera!🤘😎
I loved the incredible machine contraptions as a kid, probably one of the reasons I'm in engineering now
such an awesome series. I think one of them came on a Compaq I got and I played the hell out of it
Finally, Metal Jesus goes back to his roots. It was these kinds of videos with paul that got me watching the channel around 2017
Omg I am so excited!!! I was a young embedded developer back when all the Sierra games were first coming out, and I loved them. Also, as a woman (something I usually still conceal online), I was so stoked to see Roberta. It was always such an inspiration to me to see women succeed in tech in any capacity.
By the way, the Quest For Glory games were my favorite Sierra games. I still play them, and as I near retirement, I’m sure I’ll play them more 😊
I think Leisure Suit Larry might have been the first non-text based PC games I played back when I was in the Air Force 😂
Yes!! Roberta’s success in the industry was so unprecedented at the time, and was so inspiring to me as a young female gamer.
@@noradurst5317 Amen, for me as well 🥰
@@noradurst5317 is your dad's name Fred?
@@anonamatron nope
@@noradurst5317 Oh good, Fred Durst sucks.
Roberta and Ķen are innovators . This interview was so necessary. Wish they did more interviews/videos.. These guys deserve their flowers for their contributions to video game history. Absolute Legends ✌
Awesome! These are the stories I wanted to listen to. It’s so awesome that you got work at Sierra during the height of adventure games. We need more.
That was awesome! Didn't expect this to pop up. Every so often I wonder what Roberta and Ken are up to, so this made me very happy.
Metal Jesus, I can't help but feel proud watching the former heads of the Sierra meet you years later and come full circle knowing one of their employees revolutionized gaming content online as well as they did gaming itself. You're truly a gem my friend, I wish you the best in the future such an amazing channel. Keep it up for us fans! :)
Love to hear from the two's own words. Thank you for conducting this interview!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is such a great video. I've been a Sierra fan most of my life, but don't think I ever saw Ken and Roberta in a video before. I always wondered what they were like as people and I can't say I'm disappointed. I always thought of them like celebrities, but they seem so down to earth.
I read Ken's book as soon as it came out and it felt like he had invented a time machine...it had so many great stories of the past. Sierra games inspired me to get my first computer as a teenager. The effect their games had on my life is hard to over state. I still have some of those old boxes on my shelf!
My childhood heroes, they're responsible for so much fond memories. Thank you!
Those two people had such an impact on my childhood and my teen years it's unbelievable. Love you Ken and Roberta!
That was amazing! I wanted it to keep going and have them go through the entire gaming catalog. Really loved this interview!
I was limited by the amount of games I could cram into my luggage, or we would have! 😂
grew up playing every sierra game i could get my hands on. this was such a great video to watch! thanks for doing it
Oh wow. This is such a treat. Thank you all so much for doing this. I live in the Oakhurst area and I drive by the old Sierra On-Line building every day going to and from work and I love to imagine what it was like in the glory days. I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and join the fun.
This made me smile, and thinking of it - someone’s actually being a fan as I am and casually drives by the place I totally dreamt of going to as a kid.
That's still there? What is it now?
@@Art7220 I think it's just medical offices now. x-ray labs and stuff like that. The local Urgent Care center used to be there as well but they moved across town.
Sierra, and specifically, Roberta's works along with Jane, Scott and Mark's works, are the blood that brings life to my life. I have spent a lifetime collecting, playing, and loving Quest after Quest! It has spanned multiple generations in our family, being passed on from my uncles and grandfather to me, and from me on to my own children. Thanks for the excellent vid Metal, and big thanks to Ken and Roberta for doing this with you! They have no idea how much joy they have brought to my life.
Ken sent me. Great to see Ken & Roberta! Betrayal at Krondor was especailly one of those games I played many hours.. and still have it. It was funny to hear that one copy is in Finland. So many great games, which I player as younger version of me.
As a lover of racing games, papyrus is probably one of my favorite studios of all time. Especially with Nascar Racing 2003. The game still has a thriving community too this day. Terrible they lost the license but I have heard some of the devs moved on to work on Iracing, which works directly with Nascar so good for them.
This is the the best video on youtube. Thank you for making it happen MJ!
My first exposure in life to games was playing Sierra Adventures on my family's first PC. It's one of my very favorite things about you, is that you work for Sierra. Seeing Ken and Roberta in this special you've done is an absolute joy!
Ken and Roberta thank you for a lovely interview! Metal Jesus thank you for the wonderful content and for history of gaming to hopefully live on forever.
I must have been 5 or 6 years old sitting in front of my brand new Tandy 1000 computer from Radio Shack. TGA draphics, RAM upgrade card to max it out at 640k, 3 voice sound chip, it was an awesome machine. The VERY FIRST computer game I ever played was Sierra's "Hoyle Card Games". I loved playing old maid with Larry, King Graham, and others. It is my very first memory of interacting with a computer, and Sierra was there for that. Such an experience that it lead me into a career with computers as a repair technician for a whole school district! My life would definitely not be as it is, with-out Kens' and Roberta's influence on that excited 5 year old so long ago. Thank You!
Love your content MetalJesus, thank you for entertaining us.
Awesome interview! I worked at Dynamix between 93 and 99. Lots of great memories and friendships were formed out of that job and it springboarded my career. Very thankful for that time in my life.
Nice! I love these old sierra sit down chats they’re awesome
Glad you like them!
I grew up playing Sierra On-Line games and often wondered what Ken and Roberta Williams were like. I've known their names my entire life but this is the first time that I've seen and heard. What lovely people!
One of the greatest memories in life, was playing Phantasmagoria 1 and 2, and Grabriel Knight as a kid, and being scared as shit.
Ken & Roberta are legends. So glad for this video. Absolutely important interview and retrospective.
You just defined the gold standard for nostalgic computer retro youtube this year! Now we want more; any chance of a video with the two guys from andromenda?
I think they're probably in hiding from the people who crowd funded SpaceVenture like 12 years ago who still didn't get their game.
I am also still waiting for Space Venture😟
I played so many games on my pc from Sierra. When I was little I was obsessed with Mixed up Mother Goose. Love the memories. Thanks Sierra 🥰
This is magical! Amazing job guys thanks for doing this, whenever I ran an installer in the 90's and the Sierra logo came up you knew you were in for an awesome game!
Greetings from İstanbul. This interview amazed me so much, I met Sierra games through my late brother.
It brings so many memories, we improved our English playing all those amazing series from LSL to King’s Quest. What struck me most is, how humble these two legends are.
I am sure their iq is off the charts combined with their financial success but they share their fascinating story so calm and humble.
This is tremendous, Jason! Thank you so much for the interview! Also, ALWAYS good to see Drunken Master Paul!
This was amazing to watch. I grew up on all of these games. I appreciate that you made a video like this for us to go back and reminice along with you.
This video is really special - two absolute legends of the industry, and they seem down-to-earth despite all they achieved. The most memorable of their games for me is Mystery House / Hi-res Adventure #1.
Wonderful. I have very fond memories of Sierra's early games. eg. King's Quest for the TRS-80 CoCo and was a Sierra game addict for many years.
Awesome interview and experience to see. I loved it. One of the most successful and groundbreakings pair of game developers of their generation and yet they still come across as parents that don’t know anything about video games. So strange and wonderful.
It was lovely listening to these old classic video game developers discussing historical events that they we're apart of...🤘🏼💯✔️
Wonderful interview! Dynamix did one of my favorite adventure games as a kid. "The Adventures of WIllie Beamish"
Loved the entire discussion amongst the Sierra gang! absolutely stellar throwback ❤❤❤❤
This is possibly the most wholesome bosses and employees reunion ever
When I started playing this video, I got chills running down my spine. It is amazing to see this interview. I am always so happy to see Sierra, Roberta and Ken, true pioneers of the very games we love and play to this day. Space Quest, King Quest and Police Quest were such great games that I had to learn english so that I could actually understand the complete story. They are truly amazing people. It is really good also to see insiders interview Roberta and Ken. There is a bigger picture here, and I love to hear more about it.
I remember being excited as a kid to play King's Quest VII, but had to return it as my computer didn't have enough RAM. I had played through most of the King's Quest games up to that point. Sierra was a big part of my childhood, along with Lucasarts.
Why didn't you buy more ram?
@@turrican4d599 Because I was a kid
Not only are you helping with preservation of games and hardware, you're preserving the words and minds of the creators themselves. As an industry, we need to spend more time on the people, past and present, who are the ones behind all these amazing games. The work you're doing is very much appreciated, thank you!
This is a good example of nostalgia done right.
Such a joy seeing both Ken and Roberta talk about the stuff they've worked on, the ins and outs of the games and the company...
Dynamix were amazing! My big fave: Rise of the Dragon. What a game!
That's what I say when I get a boner.
Yeah it was great. Hearts in China was pretty similar too
Thank you so much to Mrs. and Mr. Williams to talk to you and us as the audience about their memories of one of the most important companies in PC game history. Especially the personal connection between studios, Sierra and customers is something that no other company achieved after them, in my opinion. I wish them many more years to enjoy the legacy they have built together.
Sierra has been a "household" name in my head since I played Kings Quest 6 back in 94. Colonization was also one of my favorites, not to be confused with Civilization lol, which was also great, just not as good... to me :P
Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow
KQ6 was my first time playing a KQ game
@@madmax2069 Same, Ive seen my buddies play 4 and 5, but 6 was the first one I actually played, and I also completed it. Couldn't put it down. Great game!
@@lloydhillier945 indeed
These guys brought me so many awesome experiences growing up. Gaming wouldn't be where it is today without Sierra. Thanks so much for putting this together. I could listen to these stories all day.
First Al Lowe and now the Williams!
If you somehow interview Jane Jensen and talk about Gabriel Knight, you'll be the new king of Sierra.
Sierra Games were my childhood. Thank you everyone who worked for Sierra Online for all the wonderful memories.
As a guy in my early 40's this is definitely reminiscing my childhood and teens. Surprised no mention of the Gabriel Knight series. . Have you guys interviewed Jane Jenson before? It's amazing how many classic PC games had Sierra logo on the cover! I missed out on Kings Quest 7 and Phantasmagoria probably because I didn't have the money or the right PC to play them at the time.
I know you have a large console audience but i was primarily a computer gamer (C64/Amiga/early PCs) and for me videos like this are so valuable. I have followed the adventures of Ken and Roberta on their various vessels around the world and the gaming history is a treasure for the future.
wow amazing. Roberta Williams games were a huge part of my early gaming life. Dagger of Amon Ra was my favorite. Man, if those high res images existed, we could have a remaster!
YES! I had that game too.
Memories of playing King's Quest come flooding back when I hear the name Sierra.
My first KQ game was KQ VI Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow and I enjoyed it immensely. And had to get them all.
That was my feelings too! My and my siblings mid 90’s playing that game
King's Quest games are some of my all time favorite. Got so excited when a new one was coming out. I've played and beat 1-6 but could not get into 7, I really should just go back and try it again. 5 and 6 I go back and play a lot with 1-4 I still do but sparingly. Still have so many good / fun memories of playing those back in the days when nobody would bug me. Now a days I'm pestered all the time lol
did you ever beat part 1? It was SOO hard
@@branscombe_ Yes, took forever but beat it with my cousin. Two minds working together figured it out eventually. Lol
Did you ever play the remake?
I play the AGD remakes of KQ 1, 2 and 3 they are really good. You should give them a try if haven’t heard of them.
@@Zazzaro703 I've played 1 & 2 but not 3. 3 was always hard as hell with that damn mountain trail going down from the house.
omg watching the old graphics and old clips of you guys is taking me back to how games used to look and how people used to look back then as a 90s born I understand the beauty of old school gaming maybe I started playing games in 2000 but still old school games can't be matched, thanks guys for bringing the old days memories in this video
"I wanted people to love us." Mission accomplished!
Seeing them grow old and realising those were my childhood games makes me realize how old i have become.
Always nice to get some background info on things we fondly remember.
This was amazing to watch, Roberta you are my hero and a huge inspiration as a woman game developer. Thank you for hosting this interview, it was an absolute treat!
This is amazing, I've just been playing back through King's Quest V and VI, and I'd love to know where I can get a print of the box art. Such amazing artwork.
Just subscribed. Sierra gave me some truly great memories. My personal favorites are Metal Arms: Glitch In The System, SWAT 3, and SWAT 4, and Half-Life on PS2. I still have these games, and pull them out every now and then. Glad to be a subscriber to you.👍😎
on Israel I grew up on them... I still play their games from time to time
Holy cow, this is amazing! Grew up with King's Quest, Space Quest, Police Quest, and Leisure Suit Larry, and it's so awesome to see a current interview with two legends of gaming history! Great content, and great channel man!!!
Sierra was like the Rockstar Games of the 80s and 90s
This was a great interview! Very happy to listen to Ken and Roberta talk about their games, stories and friendships they had with companies and their employees. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Roberta & Ken Williams saved my life. LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGENDS!
Great interview! I enjoyed the opportunity to reminisce on countless hours of childhood fun.
What would the games industry even be without these two legends... As a PC gamer in the early 90s, Sierra Online was my bread and butter. Playing The Incredible Machine and Red Baron after school are some of my favorite memories. But King's Quest was in a class all its own.
Awesome video and somewhat surprising, in a good way. I worked at a major game developer myself for several years but couldn't imagine getting my former bosses for a sitdown video! So bravo for getting these icons of early PC gaming on your channel. I watched the full video and at the end said "wait, that was 40 minutes?!" I only wish it was longer!
bruh ya got huge bump in respect having this video. Ken and Roberta are LEGENDS. they are such great OGs to talk to they never disappoint in interviews.
This is such a nice treat. I remember playing a few Sierra games back in the early 90s when I was in college, stuff like King's Quest 5 and 6, Police Quest, and Leisure Suit Larry 5. They were the kings of adventure games back then.