Roberta Williams, the Queen of Graphic Adventure Video Games

While I had copies of Zork laying around, my formative gaming was done when Sierra's 80s titles were brand new. They were made for another time when people were different. They were more like reading a book than playing a game of paintball or laser tag. Movies have changed since I was a child as well, you don't see the majority of films being like say, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves being made today.

I've read Ken Williams was against putting violence into video games, in case you need another example of how people and times changed. They didn't think it was necessary, and it's not. These days you'd be insulted for holding such a sentiment. Before Half Life, I can count the number of times overt violence was in Sierra's games. Even Half Life, the last project Ken Williams greenlighted, was very tastefully done.

The culture has changed, we don't make founders like the Williams anymore, and thus products aren't like they used to be, which has further changed the culture. Those were good times though! The Williams naturally and effortlessly hired and had many star female game designers, had multicultural elements in their games, and none of it came off awkward or weird like today's forced efforts come across to people. People just acted-good in a low-key and humble way, rather than tried to look-good as with today.

If you, the reader, wasn't cognizant during the 80s and early 90s, I can say for sure to you that this country (speaking to the US) has changed. The Williams to me, always represented the best of it. Roberta Williams is very deserving of recognition.

I have two computer game books on my to read list - Sid Meier's Memoir! and Ken Williams' Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings.

In the 90s there was an accounting scandal that caused the downfall of Sierra, it's a pretty interesting read [0].

[0] https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3vem8/inside-story-sierra-o...

I played a lot of those games and they were a lot of fun. My favorite (no idea if she worked on it) was willy Beamish.