Carol Shaw goes from 3D Tic/Toe to Checkers to River Raid!!

[Kenwood]

I find it so interesting that Carol Shaw goes from 3D Tic/Tac/Toe to Checkers to River Raid. What a jump! (She also did the widely unknown Polo).

 

River Raid was such an awesome game, which I consider a must own and classic. Too bad she didn't do any more games.

[NovaXpress]

Programmers get better as they go . . .

Alan Miller went from Surround to Starmaster.

David Crane went from Slot Machines to Pitfall 2

Bob Whitehead went from Star Ship to Private Eye

 

Carol Shaw programmed the Locomotion rip-off "Happy Trails" for Intellivision

[Kenwood]

Anyone know why Carol Shaw stopped making Atari Games?

[Tempest]

Anyone know why Carol Shaw stopped making Atari Games?

 

Probably just retired form game making and moved into consulting. Alot of programmers did that.

 

Also don't forget she did Happy Trials for the Intellivision.

 

Tempest

[Big Player]

Also don't forget she did Happy Trials for the Intellivision.

 

It's definitely the best lawyer game ever.

[bjk7382]

Programmers get better as they go . . .

 

True, I think another good example would be

 

Todd Frye = Pacman - Save Mary - Xevious (I am not sure if SM or Xevious came first, but they are both equalyl

[bjk7382]

That is supposed to say "equally impressive)" at the end of that sentance.

[Luigi301]

Don't blame Frye. They gave him not nearly enough time to polish the game just to make the Christmas release.

[NovaXpress]

Don't blame Frye. They gave him not nearly enough time to polish the game just to make the Christmas release.

 

PacMan was released in March/April 1982.

[+kisrael]

Programmers get better as they go . . .

Alan Miller went from Surround to Starmaster.

Personnally I think that was a step down

Funny...I was thinking the same thing about 3D Tic Tac Toe and Checkers to River Raid...from a 2600 programmer geek point of view.

 

I've already said how greatly impressed I was with 3D Tic Tac Toe...putting a 3DTTT/Checkers Algorithm into the constraints of a 2600 is pretty damn amazing.

 

River Raid, on the other hand, has one amazing idea, that of using a Pseduo-Random Number generator to make an extremely long, repeatable river...the rest is just superb, well-nigh flawless execution.

[Big Player]

Funny...I was thinking the same thing about 3D Tic Tac Toe and Checkers to River Raid...from a 2600 programmer geek point of view.

 

I've already said how greatly impressed I was with 3D Tic Tac Toe...putting a 3DTTT/Checkers Algorithm into the constraints of a 2600 is pretty damn amazing.  

 

River Raid, on the other hand, has one amazing idea, that of using a Pseduo-Random Number generator to make an extremely long, repeatable river...the rest is just superb, well-nigh flawless execution.

 

I'll add that programmer Rob Zdybel in HSW's Once Upon Atari doc said that Carol did some brilliant programming in Checkers as well.

[gavv]

Anyone know why Carol Shaw stopped making Atari Games?

 

Probably just retired form game making and moved into consulting. Alot of programmers did that.

 

Also don't forget she did Happy Trials for the Intellivision.

 

Tempest

 

She married Ralph Merckel(sp?) who pioneered RSA security, and after activision (according to David Crane at the 2002 activision panel) went back to Tandem computers (where she had worked before atari, doing non game-ly 'serious' type multiprocessor computing stuff ..) and has 'been long since retired'.

 

gavv

[+kisrael]

Funny...I was thinking the same thing about 3D Tic Tac Toe and Checkers to River Raid...from a 2600 programmer geek point of view.

 

I've already said how greatly impressed I was with 3D Tic Tac Toe...putting a 3DTTT/Checkers Algorithm into the constraints of a 2600 is pretty damn amazing.  

 

I'll add that programmer Rob Zdybel in HSW's Once Upon Atari doc said that Carol did some brilliant programming in Checkers as well.

Yeah, i figured it was good as well...

I have to watch that video..I have a signed copy from PhillyClassic (heh, got to work in the same booth as him) but I've been saving it for my friend's movie night.

 

I guess I was more impressed with Tic Tac Toe because I know someone built an almost unbeatable checker's program in the 60s so the routines to play it were known, but I don't know how well known a good 3D Tic Tac Toe routine is...at least one that doesn't consume gobs of memory.

[Cap5750]

Programmers get better as they go . . .

Alan Miller went from Surround to Starmaster.

David Crane went from Slot Machines to Pitfall 2

Bob Whitehead went from Star Ship to Private Eye

 

Carol Shaw programmed the Locomotion rip-off "Happy Trails" for Intellivision

 

Yep...very true. We learn from our own "mistakes" as well as meet others and share ideas. Sometimes I go back and look at my old code and wonder to myself..."What the heck dude?"

 

Cap