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Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings: The rise and fall of Sierra On-Line
Sierra On-Line was one of the very first computer game companies and at one time dominated the industry. The author, Ken Williams, founded Sierra On-Line Sierra with his wife Roberta who went on to create many of the company's best selling games. Sierra grew from just Ken and Roberta to over one thousand employees and a fan base that still exists today, despite the fact that the company was torn apart by criminal activities, scandal and corruption that resulted in jail sentences and the collapse of Sierra. This is the behind-the-scenes story of the rise and fall, as it could only be told by the ultimate insider.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2020
About the author
Ken Williams
9 books28 followersRetired game programmer who, with his wife Roberta Williams, founded On-Line Systems (later Sierra On-Line, and ultimately Sierra Entertainment).
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October 9, 2020
A mildly satisfying nostalgia trip in desperate need of an editor/researcher.
This biography/memoir of Ken Williams, the founder of Sierra Online, the influential game company from the 1980s/90s is obviously a niche product. A 40 year old game company that hasn't been a going concern for 15-20 years obviously limits the market for the book. I grew up playing Sierra games so I'm definitely in that niche market, yet while I wanted to read it, I'm not convinced Williams really wanted to write it.
He says early on that this won't be a comprehensive history of Sierra or its games or people (that's fine) and also says at the end that he didn't really want to write this book (less fine) and doesnt really think/talk about Sierra anymore and that the book is the product of COVID lockdowns (even less fine). So I take from this that Williams was just bored. The writing reflects that boredom/largely half-assed effort.
So much of the book is Williams straight up saying he doesn't remember what happened at any given time or who this or that person was. "I hired Jeff, I dont really remember why, but he was great at what he did for Sierra. I wasn't directly involved and can't really say what he did, but he was great." This is a common passage and so frustrating/unsatisfying.
Positive/insightful elements is Williams' obvious forward view towards gaming. His efforts in popularizing sound cards, CD ROMS, and multi-player platforms shows that Sierra really was ahead of its time in many respects. Williams makes clear he was willing to take a loss on the first iteration of a series if it meant he could build a brand/IP that would later prove profitable. He also writes about how his view of yearly, iterative products would generate steady income with minimal expense. This predates the 2K-ification of sports titles and is quite insightful.
His publication of the free company magazine "Interaction Magazine" also shows Sierra's willingness to foster customer loyalty (he describes it as a "fan club" - which has a unintended negative connotation) while taking a loss on the actual magazine. Williams states several times he wanted Sierra to be a leader in the industry and later has a list of Sierra industry "firsts." There's an unstated irony here in that the winner of the first leg of the race is rarely the one that finishes the race.
The other positives are some of the original photographs that appear in the book, including original marketing sheets for early Sierra games and some personal photos. Unfortunately, these are overshadowed by the amateurish selection of other photos which are generally low quality/resolution and open-source selections. Williams describes his grandfather as being a Kentucky moonshiner and includes a generic picture of a still. Why? I have no idea.
This amateurism continues in how Williams provides kindergarten level explanations of concepts like stocks and entities like the Securities and Exchange Commission while at the same time including MULTIPLE "citations" to Wikipedia. So frequently it reads like a high schoolers attempt to write a history of Sierra without doing any real research. But when you realize this was the product of COVID lockdown boredom, it makes sense.
Williams' descriptions of his actual management style is...inconsistent to say the least. He frequently vascilates between "Sierra was a family" and "this made me a lot of money so I liked it." His approach towards the various rounds of layoffs at Sierra sounds positively emotionless despite the "we're a family" veneer when viewed in light of his extended passage about the various "hatchet men" he employed to do the dirty work of laying off the "B and C players" that Williams derisively describes.
Ultimately, there's a major disconnect in this book. Williams describes what he looked for in game designers was primarily passion. He wanted to see that spark in a designer's eyes when describing a project. What you don't get out of this book is any sense of passion. It was written as a vanity project borne of boredom. It reads as a first draft of just that.
This biography/memoir of Ken Williams, the founder of Sierra Online, the influential game company from the 1980s/90s is obviously a niche product. A 40 year old game company that hasn't been a going concern for 15-20 years obviously limits the market for the book. I grew up playing Sierra games so I'm definitely in that niche market, yet while I wanted to read it, I'm not convinced Williams really wanted to write it.
He says early on that this won't be a comprehensive history of Sierra or its games or people (that's fine) and also says at the end that he didn't really want to write this book (less fine) and doesnt really think/talk about Sierra anymore and that the book is the product of COVID lockdowns (even less fine). So I take from this that Williams was just bored. The writing reflects that boredom/largely half-assed effort.
So much of the book is Williams straight up saying he doesn't remember what happened at any given time or who this or that person was. "I hired Jeff, I dont really remember why, but he was great at what he did for Sierra. I wasn't directly involved and can't really say what he did, but he was great." This is a common passage and so frustrating/unsatisfying.
Positive/insightful elements is Williams' obvious forward view towards gaming. His efforts in popularizing sound cards, CD ROMS, and multi-player platforms shows that Sierra really was ahead of its time in many respects. Williams makes clear he was willing to take a loss on the first iteration of a series if it meant he could build a brand/IP that would later prove profitable. He also writes about how his view of yearly, iterative products would generate steady income with minimal expense. This predates the 2K-ification of sports titles and is quite insightful.
His publication of the free company magazine "Interaction Magazine" also shows Sierra's willingness to foster customer loyalty (he describes it as a "fan club" - which has a unintended negative connotation) while taking a loss on the actual magazine. Williams states several times he wanted Sierra to be a leader in the industry and later has a list of Sierra industry "firsts." There's an unstated irony here in that the winner of the first leg of the race is rarely the one that finishes the race.
The other positives are some of the original photographs that appear in the book, including original marketing sheets for early Sierra games and some personal photos. Unfortunately, these are overshadowed by the amateurish selection of other photos which are generally low quality/resolution and open-source selections. Williams describes his grandfather as being a Kentucky moonshiner and includes a generic picture of a still. Why? I have no idea.
This amateurism continues in how Williams provides kindergarten level explanations of concepts like stocks and entities like the Securities and Exchange Commission while at the same time including MULTIPLE "citations" to Wikipedia. So frequently it reads like a high schoolers attempt to write a history of Sierra without doing any real research. But when you realize this was the product of COVID lockdown boredom, it makes sense.
Williams' descriptions of his actual management style is...inconsistent to say the least. He frequently vascilates between "Sierra was a family" and "this made me a lot of money so I liked it." His approach towards the various rounds of layoffs at Sierra sounds positively emotionless despite the "we're a family" veneer when viewed in light of his extended passage about the various "hatchet men" he employed to do the dirty work of laying off the "B and C players" that Williams derisively describes.
Ultimately, there's a major disconnect in this book. Williams describes what he looked for in game designers was primarily passion. He wanted to see that spark in a designer's eyes when describing a project. What you don't get out of this book is any sense of passion. It was written as a vanity project borne of boredom. It reads as a first draft of just that.
October 30, 2020
This was a book I bought simply because of the subject matter, but didn't intend to read for quite some time.
Fast forward a few days, and while waiting for my wife to come out of the grocery store (one person allowed per family during the pandemic!) I found myself casually browsing the images in the book. Next thing I knew, I was properly reading it, and that same day I ended up finishing it at about 4am.
Is it the greatest autobiography ever written? No.
Did it give me every last detail I had always wondered about Sierra? No.
Is this the first time in 20 years I've finished a full book in one day? Yes.
This book gets 5 stars from me because whether or not it is 'a perfect book,' it is paced extremely well, it cuts out a lot of the boring self-important fluff a lot of biographies have, and it knows its audience. The author knows that if you want to learn about the forest maze in Leisure Suit Larry 3, those documents already exist elsewhere. You're here for the bigger picture, to see the whole thing played out in aggregate.
What this book does give you is a incredible sense of nostalgia. For the entire time while you are reading the book, Sierra is back, and you're a kid again flipping through Interaction magazine dreaming of getting the next big release for Christmas. Speaking of which, why did Sierra produce that in-house magazine? Was it purely a cynical propaganda piece? Was it just a wacky experiment? Here, you will get those answers and insights.
The big takeaway from this book for me as a reader is that nostalgia. Sierra nostalgia, especially, is a powerful drug and it can be hard to get a good hit. This book dealt it to me in spades. :)
To that end, I think this is a book that will only be truly appreciated by Sierra fans. Sierra fans still follow each other on Twitter, we casually lookup old YouTube videos of the classic games, and we listen to retro podcasts that talk about these games. Many of us buy a lot of indie adventure games on Steam, or those episodic King's Quest remakes, chasing that dragon of what it felt like to play games like Police Quest 2 for the first time.
The bottom line is that we cared and still care about Sierra.
Sadly, like any great tragedy, you know the end that is coming with this story. Every time you turn the page you will be one step closer to it. At least now you will finally get to cut through the rumor and speculation and hear from the horse's mouth why it all happened the way it did.
Finishing this book, reminds me of what it was like when Sierra ended. I wish there was more. I wasn't ready for the journey to be over. But I am overjoyed that this book exists, and I will certainly be revisiting it from time to time, if only to be reminded of some of the happiest times of my life once more. To remember what it felt like sitting next to my father (who has since passed) as he eagerly helped me spell 'examine mailbox' in King's Quest 2. As I developed a love of reading because I loved these games so much.
Get this book.
This sits alongside Masters of Doom as one of my most enjoyed books of this era of computer software.
Fast forward a few days, and while waiting for my wife to come out of the grocery store (one person allowed per family during the pandemic!) I found myself casually browsing the images in the book. Next thing I knew, I was properly reading it, and that same day I ended up finishing it at about 4am.
Is it the greatest autobiography ever written? No.
Did it give me every last detail I had always wondered about Sierra? No.
Is this the first time in 20 years I've finished a full book in one day? Yes.
This book gets 5 stars from me because whether or not it is 'a perfect book,' it is paced extremely well, it cuts out a lot of the boring self-important fluff a lot of biographies have, and it knows its audience. The author knows that if you want to learn about the forest maze in Leisure Suit Larry 3, those documents already exist elsewhere. You're here for the bigger picture, to see the whole thing played out in aggregate.
What this book does give you is a incredible sense of nostalgia. For the entire time while you are reading the book, Sierra is back, and you're a kid again flipping through Interaction magazine dreaming of getting the next big release for Christmas. Speaking of which, why did Sierra produce that in-house magazine? Was it purely a cynical propaganda piece? Was it just a wacky experiment? Here, you will get those answers and insights.
The big takeaway from this book for me as a reader is that nostalgia. Sierra nostalgia, especially, is a powerful drug and it can be hard to get a good hit. This book dealt it to me in spades. :)
To that end, I think this is a book that will only be truly appreciated by Sierra fans. Sierra fans still follow each other on Twitter, we casually lookup old YouTube videos of the classic games, and we listen to retro podcasts that talk about these games. Many of us buy a lot of indie adventure games on Steam, or those episodic King's Quest remakes, chasing that dragon of what it felt like to play games like Police Quest 2 for the first time.
The bottom line is that we cared and still care about Sierra.
Sadly, like any great tragedy, you know the end that is coming with this story. Every time you turn the page you will be one step closer to it. At least now you will finally get to cut through the rumor and speculation and hear from the horse's mouth why it all happened the way it did.
Finishing this book, reminds me of what it was like when Sierra ended. I wish there was more. I wasn't ready for the journey to be over. But I am overjoyed that this book exists, and I will certainly be revisiting it from time to time, if only to be reminded of some of the happiest times of my life once more. To remember what it felt like sitting next to my father (who has since passed) as he eagerly helped me spell 'examine mailbox' in King's Quest 2. As I developed a love of reading because I loved these games so much.
Get this book.
This sits alongside Masters of Doom as one of my most enjoyed books of this era of computer software.
January 6, 2021
This is not a professionally-written book. And for that reason, it's not nearly as compelling as it might have been. The story of Sierra and Ken and Roberta Williams is full of interesting stuff and much of that stuff is in this book. But this was never as exciting or rousing as I would have liked. It also wasn't nearly as focused on the games as I would have liked.
Williams is not afraid to "tell it like it is", so that's good. But I didn't find his voice to be particularly likeable most of the time. And as he states quite clearly a number of times in the book, he really wasn't that interested in the games. He was much more interested in the company.
I read "Sid Meier's Memoir!" shortly before this and that book couldn't have been more different: it's brief and all about the games. This is long and it's all about the business and, to a lesser extent, about personal life.
As much as I had a hard time relating to Williams for the first, say, half of the book, I did find myself coming to grips with his personality by the end. In that way, the books serves as a way to get to know him as a person. This is where his willingness to be candid about his thought process was a big benefit. Even there, however, there are some problems as he contradicts himself (example: his opinion about the value of a college education doesn't match his desire to raise his kids in a place where they would be prepared for a college education - though the funny part is that I agreed with him both times).
Hard-core fans of Sierra On-Line will get a lot out of this. I personally had NO IDEA what had happened to the company towards the end and it was all new to me. And that was really interesting to me since I briefly met someone who worked there during the Seattle years and continued to play games published by Sierra until the bitter end. So, interesting? Very. Great book? Nope.
Williams is not afraid to "tell it like it is", so that's good. But I didn't find his voice to be particularly likeable most of the time. And as he states quite clearly a number of times in the book, he really wasn't that interested in the games. He was much more interested in the company.
I read "Sid Meier's Memoir!" shortly before this and that book couldn't have been more different: it's brief and all about the games. This is long and it's all about the business and, to a lesser extent, about personal life.
As much as I had a hard time relating to Williams for the first, say, half of the book, I did find myself coming to grips with his personality by the end. In that way, the books serves as a way to get to know him as a person. This is where his willingness to be candid about his thought process was a big benefit. Even there, however, there are some problems as he contradicts himself (example: his opinion about the value of a college education doesn't match his desire to raise his kids in a place where they would be prepared for a college education - though the funny part is that I agreed with him both times).
Hard-core fans of Sierra On-Line will get a lot out of this. I personally had NO IDEA what had happened to the company towards the end and it was all new to me. And that was really interesting to me since I briefly met someone who worked there during the Seattle years and continued to play games published by Sierra until the bitter end. So, interesting? Very. Great book? Nope.
November 15, 2020
This guy. Keeping it so low key. Ken's all like "I don't know why I'm even writing this! This is old news! I have a boat now! Covid cancelled my vacation plans, so here's a book I guess!"
It turns out it took a global pandemic to give Sierra fans the closure they've been seeking for decades. This was a quick, powerful read.
Ken and Roberta were rockstars to my friends and I during the golden age of PC adventure gaming.
Hearing the story of a founder capitalizing on his own talents, building a AAA team of creatives, cultivating an intimate connection with a legion of fans, becoming a global phenomenon...only to ultimately lose it all in a brutal chain of broken promises, double-crosses, and outright fraud. It was equal parts inspiring and heartbreaking. The universe did the Williamses wrong.
There's a lot of great advice in here for running not just a software business, but any business that relies on creative people to build content and drive innovation.
Thanks, Ken, for taking the time!
It turns out it took a global pandemic to give Sierra fans the closure they've been seeking for decades. This was a quick, powerful read.
Ken and Roberta were rockstars to my friends and I during the golden age of PC adventure gaming.
Hearing the story of a founder capitalizing on his own talents, building a AAA team of creatives, cultivating an intimate connection with a legion of fans, becoming a global phenomenon...only to ultimately lose it all in a brutal chain of broken promises, double-crosses, and outright fraud. It was equal parts inspiring and heartbreaking. The universe did the Williamses wrong.
There's a lot of great advice in here for running not just a software business, but any business that relies on creative people to build content and drive innovation.
Thanks, Ken, for taking the time!
October 9, 2020
The last month I have finished three biographies written by insiders within the gaming industry. I believe that Ken was one of the most interesting to read since I was exposed to Sierra games very early in my life. Games such as Jawbreaker and the arcade conversions of Frogger was often played on my Atari 8bit computer. I also have fond memories of the text-based adventure game Softporn adventure which later become a point and click adventure game also published by Sierra. I was a bit skeptical when I started reading it felt to me as Ken was not that fond of writing about the more personal parts of his life and therefore the first chapters were not that intriguing to read. However, when he started to write about the origin and foundation of Sierra and the early year of the company a fascinating story reveled itself on my dimly lit Kindle and I could not really but it down.
The chapters described the foundation and later the end of Sierra, at least from Kens perspective, but every know and then there was interlude chapter where he digressed from the story and talked about software development, marketing and other gold nuggets from his rich business life. There were many things I did not know, for example that Sierra, or Online systems, almost got bust in 1983 when they were betting on the wrong hardware. Ken is, IMO, very humble in his writing also avoid bashing or foul descriptions of people that obviously hurt him and his family personally but also the company. I would have loved to see more discussions and writing about Roberta, his wife, and one of the best game designers ever. She is, of course, an important part of the story and she is woven into it when the games are discussed but I really would like to have more details about her and the games she brought to life.
I get the impression that the whole book was researched and written during the spring of 2020 which is a huge achievement in my book. The book is a fantastic read for anyone that has a relation with Sierras games but also a book for everyone that want to hear the story of the rise and fall of one of the best gaming houses ever.
The chapters described the foundation and later the end of Sierra, at least from Kens perspective, but every know and then there was interlude chapter where he digressed from the story and talked about software development, marketing and other gold nuggets from his rich business life. There were many things I did not know, for example that Sierra, or Online systems, almost got bust in 1983 when they were betting on the wrong hardware. Ken is, IMO, very humble in his writing also avoid bashing or foul descriptions of people that obviously hurt him and his family personally but also the company. I would have loved to see more discussions and writing about Roberta, his wife, and one of the best game designers ever. She is, of course, an important part of the story and she is woven into it when the games are discussed but I really would like to have more details about her and the games she brought to life.
I get the impression that the whole book was researched and written during the spring of 2020 which is a huge achievement in my book. The book is a fantastic read for anyone that has a relation with Sierras games but also a book for everyone that want to hear the story of the rise and fall of one of the best gaming houses ever.
November 2, 2020
“I dreamed, that games would never die…”: a Review of _Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings_
By: Ron Baxley, Jr., published fantasy and science fiction author
As Roberta Williams would have perhaps done via an Easter Egg or Al Lowe or the Two Guys from Andromeda would have done as a straight parody, I must preface my review:
“I dreamed a dream in games I did buy
When cash was high with games worth playing
I dreamed, that games would never die
I dreamed God would keep me adventuring
Then I was young and often played
And dreams of making games were used and wasted
There were many bills to be paid
No games created, but novels vetted.”
Adventure gaming did basically die for quite some time, and its partial eulogy is laid out in Ken Williams’ Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings . He shows how Sierra Online was so much more than an adventure game company, but I was an avid buyer and player of that gaming genre, so my focus tends to be more on those. In the 80s and early 90s, Electronics Boutique and Radio Shack were used to seeing me around birthdays or holidays, and I had an extensive collection of “quest” games. In fact, I wanted to go more into computer graphics and use my past programming skills and writing skills as an adventure game designer at one point. My father pushed me more into computer programming itself, but I was always using graphics programs and game creation engines to make my own games. I wrote a research paper my senior year in high school on adventure gaming and even the future of it, focusing mostly on Sierra On-line and using periodicals from the nearest branch of the University of South Carolina. At the start of university, I did fairly well with programming but not calculus and other requirements. I did learn to do some rudimentary programming in a Multi-user Dungeon within the early 90s and remembered early forms of email and the starts of the Internet. Eventually, I moved from computer science to English and had many publications, including novels. Even recently, though, I created an interactive story for the Choice of Games company with adventure game facets.
Therefore, what I liked most about Williams’ book was the insider background on Roberta Williams and others at the company creating games and what that culture was like. Seeing Roberta’s methods at work were intriguing to me. Not liking the last Sierra-produced King’s Quest particularly, I could understand her frustration when the corporate culture that had taken over did not listen to her about the divergent 3-D King’s Quest. I always identified more with Mrs. Williams because I had some programming background as she did, but my heart was in creativity and storytelling. Seeing how she always stuck up for what she wanted in the company in the face of investors – even when it was sold – made me admire her even more.
Next, what I liked second best about his book was Williams showed who he admired and tried his best to emulate, including Walt Disney and Bill Gates. I am a life-long Disney fan and have a love of the parks and Disney films. When Williams stated that he was trying to make consumers feel like family and a part of something larger and that he got that from the early Disney methods, I knew just what he meant. Having grown up with Bill Gates’ products from MS-DOS on forward, I did have an admiration for him as well and understood how having a somewhat harsh, expert taskmaster at the helm of an enterprise is something one might want to follow in business. As a side note, William’s love of the early Apple computer company and what they did with that company made me very nostalgic. My late father was a techie and started my sister and I as children on an Apple IIe and a Texas Instruments computer before that. The screen captures from the Apple and the discussions of early games for it almost brought a tear to my eye.
Finally, what I enjoyed the least but still found intriguing were the ins and outs of the corporate buy-outs as that was the most tragic part of the book and also the most business-oriented. However, as with the “Disney War” book I read quite a few years ago and other comparable books, when a company I am interested in is involved, I pay more attention. For Williams to keep me reading through the entire book when it was focused a good bit on business at times is a testament to his ability to make business details into a good narrative.
I highly recommend this book to any adventure gamer who does not mind business details, wants to see what made the leadership of Sierra On-line tick, who is a fan of Roberta Williams and other game designers at Sierra On-line, and who also likes insider information about the growth and decline of a computer software company.
Five Stars (*****)
By: Ron Baxley, Jr., published fantasy and science fiction author
As Roberta Williams would have perhaps done via an Easter Egg or Al Lowe or the Two Guys from Andromeda would have done as a straight parody, I must preface my review:
“I dreamed a dream in games I did buy
When cash was high with games worth playing
I dreamed, that games would never die
I dreamed God would keep me adventuring
Then I was young and often played
And dreams of making games were used and wasted
There were many bills to be paid
No games created, but novels vetted.”
Adventure gaming did basically die for quite some time, and its partial eulogy is laid out in Ken Williams’ Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings . He shows how Sierra Online was so much more than an adventure game company, but I was an avid buyer and player of that gaming genre, so my focus tends to be more on those. In the 80s and early 90s, Electronics Boutique and Radio Shack were used to seeing me around birthdays or holidays, and I had an extensive collection of “quest” games. In fact, I wanted to go more into computer graphics and use my past programming skills and writing skills as an adventure game designer at one point. My father pushed me more into computer programming itself, but I was always using graphics programs and game creation engines to make my own games. I wrote a research paper my senior year in high school on adventure gaming and even the future of it, focusing mostly on Sierra On-line and using periodicals from the nearest branch of the University of South Carolina. At the start of university, I did fairly well with programming but not calculus and other requirements. I did learn to do some rudimentary programming in a Multi-user Dungeon within the early 90s and remembered early forms of email and the starts of the Internet. Eventually, I moved from computer science to English and had many publications, including novels. Even recently, though, I created an interactive story for the Choice of Games company with adventure game facets.
Therefore, what I liked most about Williams’ book was the insider background on Roberta Williams and others at the company creating games and what that culture was like. Seeing Roberta’s methods at work were intriguing to me. Not liking the last Sierra-produced King’s Quest particularly, I could understand her frustration when the corporate culture that had taken over did not listen to her about the divergent 3-D King’s Quest. I always identified more with Mrs. Williams because I had some programming background as she did, but my heart was in creativity and storytelling. Seeing how she always stuck up for what she wanted in the company in the face of investors – even when it was sold – made me admire her even more.
Next, what I liked second best about his book was Williams showed who he admired and tried his best to emulate, including Walt Disney and Bill Gates. I am a life-long Disney fan and have a love of the parks and Disney films. When Williams stated that he was trying to make consumers feel like family and a part of something larger and that he got that from the early Disney methods, I knew just what he meant. Having grown up with Bill Gates’ products from MS-DOS on forward, I did have an admiration for him as well and understood how having a somewhat harsh, expert taskmaster at the helm of an enterprise is something one might want to follow in business. As a side note, William’s love of the early Apple computer company and what they did with that company made me very nostalgic. My late father was a techie and started my sister and I as children on an Apple IIe and a Texas Instruments computer before that. The screen captures from the Apple and the discussions of early games for it almost brought a tear to my eye.
Finally, what I enjoyed the least but still found intriguing were the ins and outs of the corporate buy-outs as that was the most tragic part of the book and also the most business-oriented. However, as with the “Disney War” book I read quite a few years ago and other comparable books, when a company I am interested in is involved, I pay more attention. For Williams to keep me reading through the entire book when it was focused a good bit on business at times is a testament to his ability to make business details into a good narrative.
I highly recommend this book to any adventure gamer who does not mind business details, wants to see what made the leadership of Sierra On-line tick, who is a fan of Roberta Williams and other game designers at Sierra On-line, and who also likes insider information about the growth and decline of a computer software company.
Five Stars (*****)
October 25, 2020
Questions finally answered
Some of my best childhood memories are of playing Sierra games on the family computer. My sister and I spent hours playing Leisure Suit Larry and King's Quest, or watcing our dad play Phantasmagoria and Gabriel Knight. When investing money in a new game, it was easy to choose the next installment in a Sierra adventure, having full faith it would be good. I was in my early 20s when Sierra suddenly dropped off the radar and always wondered what happened. I remember following development of a new Leisure Suit Larry game, and being disappointed when Al Lowe wasn't involved. It was hard to understand what happened to the game company that was such a huge part of my childhood. 30 something years later, I still enjoy playing adventure games. It's a welcome relief to the stress of adult life. There is something magical about escaping to these imaginary worlds and being a new person for a short time. So, thank you Ken Williams for telling your story. Thank you and Roberta for introducing me to the magic and turning on my love of the adventure.
Some of my best childhood memories are of playing Sierra games on the family computer. My sister and I spent hours playing Leisure Suit Larry and King's Quest, or watcing our dad play Phantasmagoria and Gabriel Knight. When investing money in a new game, it was easy to choose the next installment in a Sierra adventure, having full faith it would be good. I was in my early 20s when Sierra suddenly dropped off the radar and always wondered what happened. I remember following development of a new Leisure Suit Larry game, and being disappointed when Al Lowe wasn't involved. It was hard to understand what happened to the game company that was such a huge part of my childhood. 30 something years later, I still enjoy playing adventure games. It's a welcome relief to the stress of adult life. There is something magical about escaping to these imaginary worlds and being a new person for a short time. So, thank you Ken Williams for telling your story. Thank you and Roberta for introducing me to the magic and turning on my love of the adventure.
November 21, 2020
Having just finished Sid Mier’s memoir, I can’t help but compare it, despite being more of a fan of Side Mier and Microprose, this book is better, far more interesting and compelling.
This isn’t a book looking at the individual games of Sierra but rather the founders journey from making that very first game with his wife to being forced out of the company that he founded, it is an interesting worthwhile look into the computer game industry, memories however fade and it’s a shame that Ken didn’t write it closer in time to the events as opposed to nearly 25 years after he exited the industry.
This isn’t a book looking at the individual games of Sierra but rather the founders journey from making that very first game with his wife to being forced out of the company that he founded, it is an interesting worthwhile look into the computer game industry, memories however fade and it’s a shame that Ken didn’t write it closer in time to the events as opposed to nearly 25 years after he exited the industry.
May 27, 2021
This isn't a technical book, but interesting history to read, nevertheless.
It also illustrates very well why the gaming industry is hell to work at. The combination of insane deadlines, insane projects, insane people may be worth it for the people that really love it, but otherwise it's still one of the worst areas in IT to work in.
It also illustrates very well why the gaming industry is hell to work at. The combination of insane deadlines, insane projects, insane people may be worth it for the people that really love it, but otherwise it's still one of the worst areas in IT to work in.
January 24, 2024
1) "I have three great loves in life: Roberta, computers and boats. That said, this is not a book about any of those things, although the first two of those are important to the story."
2) "If you want to win in life, find something to sell, and sell it. Learn to accept and even cherish rejection. [...]
The newspaper had never seen anyone like me. I was a selling machine. I loved selling, and I especially loved making money. I claimed every sales award and couldn't stop selling."
3) "Did I mention that I know how to sell?
Being a starving seventeen-year-old, our first date was not particularly amazing. We went to a local Mexican restaurant and talked for hours. A couple weeks and a handful of dates later, I informed Roberta that we were to be married. She thought I was insane or joking, but that's only because she didn't know me. That was about to change.
Her dad became my strongest ally, and saw in me a chance to rescue his errant daughter. He pushed Roberta from his end, and threw roadblocks in the way of other suitors.
It took a few dates to sell Roberta on the idea of marriage but closing a sale is what I do best."
4) "We needed to form a real corporation for her to buy part of, transfer ownership of all the games into the corporation, and then sell her some stock. With the help of lawyers she referred us to, all of that was quickly accomplished.
Unfortunately, during this process I discovered that there was already a large company that had our company name, 'On-Line Systems.' I was very proud of my background dealing with networks and knew, even at the time, that networking would someday be key to Sierra's future. I wanted to keep the 'on-line' part of the business name. Renaming the company did not require a lot of creativity. We were located near Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains, near the famous landmark Half Dome. So, overnight we became Sierra On-Line, with Half Dome as our logo."
5) "Instead of just doing a revved up version of Wizard and Princess, Roberta had started a new game, to be called King's Quest. IBM was giving us upfront money, as royalty advances, to help fund the development of the game.
In hopes of bringing back some of the laid off employees, I flew to IBM and pitched them on additional games, and even a word processor! During that meeting I showed them the progress we were making on King's Quest and they were blown away."
6) "We overworked our developers, and this resulted in union organizing. This was a low point for morale around the company. I was personally devastated. From my perspective, I was doing whatever it took to provide jobs and grow the company. However, the employees felt the company was abusing them.
In fact, both sides were correct."
7) "As Sierra would rise and fall over the years there would be employees who were laid off, or just didn't make the cut. DJ, our older son, was bullied in school by the children of former Sierra employees who had a grudge against Sierra. One parent, an ex-Sierra employee, even slugged DJ. Question: What adult slugs an elementary school kid? The answer, 'Someone with a grudge against their employer.' It was a company town, with all the good and bad that goes with it."
8) "One day toward the end of 1996, I received an email. In it, Gabe Newell said he had an early build of a game ready for presentation. Sierra had no interest in publishing games that we hadn't developed internally, but given the circumstances, I took the meeting. I figured that, in the worst case, I'd get the inside scoop on how they were able to obtain rights to the Quake engine.
In November, Sierra and Valve had set a meeting, which ended up happening during a rare Washington snowstorm. I do not recall many details from the meeting itself, except that within half an hour of Valve's presentation of their game, called Half-Life, I made my pitch and offered to publish their game."
9) "Walter Forbes and his management team had lied to Sierra and were destroying the company we had spent seventeen years of our lives building. At that point, all Roberta and I wanted was to get away from CUC. I tried to put the best possible face on the disaster, but there was no denying that the merger was a total mess. That said, I remained convinced that Walter and his team were smart business people and that the software business would recover. Perhaps without the Davidsons and myself the company would shift to focusing on product and stop being sidetracked by anything to do with the former leaders.
Roberta was even more upset than I was and insisted that we sell our stock along with my resignation. We talked about selling stock over a long period of time, but there had been a stock market crash in Asia and it rattled us. We decided to just blow out our CUC stock all at once. That decision would turn out to have been a very lucky one."
10) "This book is full of my opinions. I absolutely guarantee you that some of my opinions in this book are bad ideas. The problem is that I don't know which ones."
2) "If you want to win in life, find something to sell, and sell it. Learn to accept and even cherish rejection. [...]
The newspaper had never seen anyone like me. I was a selling machine. I loved selling, and I especially loved making money. I claimed every sales award and couldn't stop selling."
3) "Did I mention that I know how to sell?
Being a starving seventeen-year-old, our first date was not particularly amazing. We went to a local Mexican restaurant and talked for hours. A couple weeks and a handful of dates later, I informed Roberta that we were to be married. She thought I was insane or joking, but that's only because she didn't know me. That was about to change.
Her dad became my strongest ally, and saw in me a chance to rescue his errant daughter. He pushed Roberta from his end, and threw roadblocks in the way of other suitors.
It took a few dates to sell Roberta on the idea of marriage but closing a sale is what I do best."
4) "We needed to form a real corporation for her to buy part of, transfer ownership of all the games into the corporation, and then sell her some stock. With the help of lawyers she referred us to, all of that was quickly accomplished.
Unfortunately, during this process I discovered that there was already a large company that had our company name, 'On-Line Systems.' I was very proud of my background dealing with networks and knew, even at the time, that networking would someday be key to Sierra's future. I wanted to keep the 'on-line' part of the business name. Renaming the company did not require a lot of creativity. We were located near Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains, near the famous landmark Half Dome. So, overnight we became Sierra On-Line, with Half Dome as our logo."
5) "Instead of just doing a revved up version of Wizard and Princess, Roberta had started a new game, to be called King's Quest. IBM was giving us upfront money, as royalty advances, to help fund the development of the game.
In hopes of bringing back some of the laid off employees, I flew to IBM and pitched them on additional games, and even a word processor! During that meeting I showed them the progress we were making on King's Quest and they were blown away."
6) "We overworked our developers, and this resulted in union organizing. This was a low point for morale around the company. I was personally devastated. From my perspective, I was doing whatever it took to provide jobs and grow the company. However, the employees felt the company was abusing them.
In fact, both sides were correct."
7) "As Sierra would rise and fall over the years there would be employees who were laid off, or just didn't make the cut. DJ, our older son, was bullied in school by the children of former Sierra employees who had a grudge against Sierra. One parent, an ex-Sierra employee, even slugged DJ. Question: What adult slugs an elementary school kid? The answer, 'Someone with a grudge against their employer.' It was a company town, with all the good and bad that goes with it."
8) "One day toward the end of 1996, I received an email. In it, Gabe Newell said he had an early build of a game ready for presentation. Sierra had no interest in publishing games that we hadn't developed internally, but given the circumstances, I took the meeting. I figured that, in the worst case, I'd get the inside scoop on how they were able to obtain rights to the Quake engine.
In November, Sierra and Valve had set a meeting, which ended up happening during a rare Washington snowstorm. I do not recall many details from the meeting itself, except that within half an hour of Valve's presentation of their game, called Half-Life, I made my pitch and offered to publish their game."
9) "Walter Forbes and his management team had lied to Sierra and were destroying the company we had spent seventeen years of our lives building. At that point, all Roberta and I wanted was to get away from CUC. I tried to put the best possible face on the disaster, but there was no denying that the merger was a total mess. That said, I remained convinced that Walter and his team were smart business people and that the software business would recover. Perhaps without the Davidsons and myself the company would shift to focusing on product and stop being sidetracked by anything to do with the former leaders.
Roberta was even more upset than I was and insisted that we sell our stock along with my resignation. We talked about selling stock over a long period of time, but there had been a stock market crash in Asia and it rattled us. We decided to just blow out our CUC stock all at once. That decision would turn out to have been a very lucky one."
10) "This book is full of my opinions. I absolutely guarantee you that some of my opinions in this book are bad ideas. The problem is that I don't know which ones."
May 20, 2022
Ken Williams jest zdecydowanie gorszym pisarzem, niż programistą i biznesmenem, ale to jakoś szczególnie nie ujmuje i nie szkodzi tej momentami uroczo ujmującej, czasami dojmująco szczerej książce, będącej memuarem i swoistym rozrachunkiem z bolesną historią opowiadającej o narodzinach, wzlocie i upadku jednej z najlepszych i najbardziej wizjonerskich firm w branży komputerowej. Firmy, która często będąc o krok przed innymi, "potykała się" tuż przed przekroczeniem progu ku osiągnięciu niezbywalnego i wieczystego pionierskiego statusu w wielu dziedzinach informatyki, o czym - przyznam szczerze, będąc wielkim fanem ich przygodówek - nie miałem pojęcia. Pierwsze gry multiplayerowe?... Pierwsze MMO?... Gra "Half-Life"?... Czy Waszą pierwszą myślą jest łączenie ich ze Sierrą?...
Jakkolwiek, jak przyznałem się wyżej, ja uwielbiam przede wszystkim ich przygodówki i mimo masy informacji zawartych w tej książce - dotyczących funkcjonowania, narodzin, rozwoju i upadku korporacji oraz zaskakującym związkom personalnym i biznesowym Williamsów z tuzami branży IT - nie ukrywam rozczarowania, że sztandarowym produkcjom Sierry poświęcił tu Ken zaledwie promil miejsca.
Tak więc, wszyscy skuszeni okładką i popchnięci do zakupu, wydającymi się oczywistymi, oczekiwaniami - możecie poczuć się rozczarowani, jako i ja. W pewnym względzie, bo kiedy już przełknie się to, że to nie jest książka, jakiej się spodziewacie, otrzymacie naprawdę pasjonującą - choć, jak wspomniałem napisaną nieco topornie (wstawki z Wikipedii? Serio?...) - opowieść, która raz na zawsze rozwieje kłębiące się w Waszych fanowskich głowach pytania odnośnie tego, co się stało ze Sierrą On-line. I jako taką, szczerze polecam tę książkę.
P.S. Zaś o kulisach powstawania kultowych gier Sierry więcej dowiecie się między innymi zamieszczonego z 40-minutowego filmu, w którym udział wzięli niedawno Roberta i Ken Williams, umieszczonym na kanale byłego pracownika Sierry, Jasona Lindseya, twórcy kanału MetalJesusRocks - https://youtu.be/LAemLilaNjk Polecam!
Jakkolwiek, jak przyznałem się wyżej, ja uwielbiam przede wszystkim ich przygodówki i mimo masy informacji zawartych w tej książce - dotyczących funkcjonowania, narodzin, rozwoju i upadku korporacji oraz zaskakującym związkom personalnym i biznesowym Williamsów z tuzami branży IT - nie ukrywam rozczarowania, że sztandarowym produkcjom Sierry poświęcił tu Ken zaledwie promil miejsca.
Tak więc, wszyscy skuszeni okładką i popchnięci do zakupu, wydającymi się oczywistymi, oczekiwaniami - możecie poczuć się rozczarowani, jako i ja. W pewnym względzie, bo kiedy już przełknie się to, że to nie jest książka, jakiej się spodziewacie, otrzymacie naprawdę pasjonującą - choć, jak wspomniałem napisaną nieco topornie (wstawki z Wikipedii? Serio?...) - opowieść, która raz na zawsze rozwieje kłębiące się w Waszych fanowskich głowach pytania odnośnie tego, co się stało ze Sierrą On-line. I jako taką, szczerze polecam tę książkę.
P.S. Zaś o kulisach powstawania kultowych gier Sierry więcej dowiecie się między innymi zamieszczonego z 40-minutowego filmu, w którym udział wzięli niedawno Roberta i Ken Williams, umieszczonym na kanale byłego pracownika Sierry, Jasona Lindseya, twórcy kanału MetalJesusRocks - https://youtu.be/LAemLilaNjk Polecam!
February 28, 2022
The vast majority of the book is in the 3 star range. However, Ken's ground floor insights into Sierra's latter days, which make up that final 1/3 of the book, are riveting (5 star material for a niche crowd)-- and if you're a fan of this era of PC gaming, then it's well worth the read. Ken interjects his own...interesting...business philosophies and musings, which bog down a decent portion of this book. But if you can power through to the end, you're in for a thoroughly insightful take on the demise of one of the juggernauts of video game history.
November 8, 2020
The details about development of the games was a great peek but overall this book was more about the business side of Sierra. Worth the read through once if you are a Sierra-head from childhood but I'd still much more preferred to have a book on the creative side of the company and where the ideas came from according to the designers.
April 2, 2023
Essential for old fans, needs professional editing
I grew up in the 80s and 90s playing most of the old Sierra point and click games, so reading this book was a trip through nostalgia, as well as giving me all kinds of insight into what was going on behind the scenes, of which I had no idea.
The history of Sierra from the man himself is endlessly fascinating for an old fan like me; this was a great read if you also played those titles.
The only thing is that this book is riddled with spelling mistakes, bad text formatting, inconsistent capitalization, and random punctuation. The irony is that, in the acknowledgements section, Ken thanks some colleagues of his for editing the book and correcting those very mistakes, but it seems like they missed a whole lot. And I find it strange that a self-described Triple-A personality like KW would allow this book to go out looking very self-published.
All the same, it’s a wonderful book for fans of that era, but if he got it professionally edited, I’d give it one more star.
I grew up in the 80s and 90s playing most of the old Sierra point and click games, so reading this book was a trip through nostalgia, as well as giving me all kinds of insight into what was going on behind the scenes, of which I had no idea.
The history of Sierra from the man himself is endlessly fascinating for an old fan like me; this was a great read if you also played those titles.
The only thing is that this book is riddled with spelling mistakes, bad text formatting, inconsistent capitalization, and random punctuation. The irony is that, in the acknowledgements section, Ken thanks some colleagues of his for editing the book and correcting those very mistakes, but it seems like they missed a whole lot. And I find it strange that a self-described Triple-A personality like KW would allow this book to go out looking very self-published.
All the same, it’s a wonderful book for fans of that era, but if he got it professionally edited, I’d give it one more star.
April 27, 2022
I grew up playing Sierra games and still enjoy replaying them on GOG so I was happy to see a book by the former CEO about the history of the company. I would love to read a book by Roberta Williams, who was a pioneer in the computer game industry and the heart and soul of the company. It was a bummer that she wasn't involved in writing it. The book wasn't particularly professional in terms of writing quality and Ken didn't come across as someone I would get along with, but it was a page turner and I enjoyed reading it. I loved the history of how the company started up and was surprised to learn about the scandal behind its downfall. Overall recommended for anyone who was similarly a fan of their games.
February 20, 2021
Ken Williams takes us on a nostalgic journey into the games that made our childhoods so special. From his humble beginnings, to meeting Roberta and getting into the computer industry, to forming Sierra and finally to the downfall of one of the greatest entertainment companies in the world. He gives us the insights that nobody else can.
In addition to the story, Ken fills this book with helpful tips for programmers, business people and those wanting to get into games industry.
Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings was easy to listen to and very entertaining.
In addition to the story, Ken fills this book with helpful tips for programmers, business people and those wanting to get into games industry.
Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings was easy to listen to and very entertaining.
October 24, 2022
Un libro sobre Sierra solo interesante si conoces los hechos que rodean al auge y caída de una de las grandes empresas de software de los 80 y 90. Su fundador habla de sus recuerdos y experiencias, pero sin desarrollar nada. "Recuerdo tal", "si hoy en día me ofreciesen cual...", esas cosas.
Sin embargo, proporciona una ludografía oficial de Sierra y da luz acerca del loco mundo del desarrollo de finales del siglo pasado.
Un detalle para fans (como yo) y poco más.
Sin embargo, proporciona una ludografía oficial de Sierra y da luz acerca del loco mundo del desarrollo de finales del siglo pasado.
Un detalle para fans (como yo) y poco más.
February 24, 2024
I feel like I need to make an exception to my usual rating system for this one. I would probably have given it one or two stars. In a vacuum, this book is not well-written nor is it particularly compelling, but that doesn’t actually matter. Any super fan of Sierra (like myself) will want to read this book.
As a kid, all I thought I knew was my favorite video game publisher got bought up by “the man” and was unceremoniously killed off. I’m glad to have this new and more complete view on what happened. The icing on the cake were the two included eulogy emails at the end of the book. I’m glad Ken included those.
RIP Sierra. 💔 Thank you, Ken, for writing this book.
As a kid, all I thought I knew was my favorite video game publisher got bought up by “the man” and was unceremoniously killed off. I’m glad to have this new and more complete view on what happened. The icing on the cake were the two included eulogy emails at the end of the book. I’m glad Ken included those.
RIP Sierra. 💔 Thank you, Ken, for writing this book.
January 21, 2021
Pretty good book
I really enjoyed reading this book and finding out what really happened with Sierra. The chapters chronicle Ken’s experiences with his life and the company, with some chapters breaking away from the retelling, offering advice from his experiences. Definitely a fun read.
I really enjoyed reading this book and finding out what really happened with Sierra. The chapters chronicle Ken’s experiences with his life and the company, with some chapters breaking away from the retelling, offering advice from his experiences. Definitely a fun read.
January 23, 2021
I loved this book. As a child, I bought and enjoyed their games. In fact, our first family computer was unwrapped on Christmas morning in 1987 and we also got three Sierra games to boot! I wanted to learn about what happened to Sierra On-Line. Ken did a fantastic job with this book. I now have closure....
November 2, 2020
Before reading this book, I had no idea who Ken Williams was or his wife Roberta for that matter.
I had heard of Sierra as a video game company but did not know any history about it's founders or the happenings that went on inside the company. It wasn't until reading this book that memories flooded back of myself playing there games and while reading I was surprised and was like: "Holy crap they made that game, what? Wow!"
After reading this book I took one thing away from this, Ken is right not all fairy tales have happy endings as 1 mistake could jeopardise a company that you have created from the ground up.
The thing is Ken seems like such a genuine guy and after reading the final chapters of this book, I felt bad for him and his wife.
Life is unfair and cruel.
When I started reading this book I did not know what I was getting myself into and now that I have finished it, I can safely say that Ken and Roberta Williams have now become people who I now have true admiration for, I hope I can aspire to be like them in my own career and have a legacy like there's.
Sidenote: I was not expecting Christy Marx, the creator of Jem and the Holograms to be mentioned in this book and was a nice surprise. Now I have to find a copy of her game and play it.
I had heard of Sierra as a video game company but did not know any history about it's founders or the happenings that went on inside the company. It wasn't until reading this book that memories flooded back of myself playing there games and while reading I was surprised and was like: "Holy crap they made that game, what? Wow!"
After reading this book I took one thing away from this, Ken is right not all fairy tales have happy endings as 1 mistake could jeopardise a company that you have created from the ground up.
The thing is Ken seems like such a genuine guy and after reading the final chapters of this book, I felt bad for him and his wife.
Life is unfair and cruel.
When I started reading this book I did not know what I was getting myself into and now that I have finished it, I can safely say that Ken and Roberta Williams have now become people who I now have true admiration for, I hope I can aspire to be like them in my own career and have a legacy like there's.
Sidenote: I was not expecting Christy Marx, the creator of Jem and the Holograms to be mentioned in this book and was a nice surprise. Now I have to find a copy of her game and play it.
October 4, 2020
Heartbreaking trip down memory lane
Ken rattles his way through an impressive list of industry firsts and incredible successes. The eventual fall of this industry giant provides a valuable account for hopeful entrepreneurs.
Ken's personal advice about software engineering, work ethic and higher education alone are worth the asking price.
Ken rattles his way through an impressive list of industry firsts and incredible successes. The eventual fall of this industry giant provides a valuable account for hopeful entrepreneurs.
Ken's personal advice about software engineering, work ethic and higher education alone are worth the asking price.
March 1, 2021
Great insight in one of my favorite game development companies from 90ies.
June 10, 2021
This book is actually focusing a little bit too much on the business side of things for my taste but even if Ken can feel a little full of himself at times it also seems to be a very honest recollection from his point of view. He doesn't shy away from writing about the bad decisions he made but tries to explain his thinking and why he made them, which is something I appreciate.
If you want the definitive story behind the many popular games created by Sierra this is not the book for that. There are some interesting and fun game development stories but they never really go in depth. I would love to read a book by Roberta Williams from her point of view as a game designer at Sierra. She just seems awesome (I kind of got the idea that the character Cameron from the great TV show Halt and Catch Fire could be based on her).
I found the book both interesting and easy to read (although it could have used some better editing) and even though there were a couple of chapters I didn't care much about I enjoyed this read for the most part. 3,5.
If you want the definitive story behind the many popular games created by Sierra this is not the book for that. There are some interesting and fun game development stories but they never really go in depth. I would love to read a book by Roberta Williams from her point of view as a game designer at Sierra. She just seems awesome (I kind of got the idea that the character Cameron from the great TV show Halt and Catch Fire could be based on her).
I found the book both interesting and easy to read (although it could have used some better editing) and even though there were a couple of chapters I didn't care much about I enjoyed this read for the most part. 3,5.
October 3, 2020
Ken sent me
Amazing, Required reading for everyone who lived and played Sierra games at their prime. And for everyone interested in the dark details of behind the scenes boardroom deals.
Amazing, Required reading for everyone who lived and played Sierra games at their prime. And for everyone interested in the dark details of behind the scenes boardroom deals.
October 30, 2020
Perfect read for many
This is an all around great book. Sierra game lovers get some inside knowledge. Future programmers get insight in to a tough career. Future small business owners can learn some real basic ideas on growing a business and missteps that can happen. Really this is great for a basics business class in high school because it is any easy to read and follow book with great concepts of business.
This is an all around great book. Sierra game lovers get some inside knowledge. Future programmers get insight in to a tough career. Future small business owners can learn some real basic ideas on growing a business and missteps that can happen. Really this is great for a basics business class in high school because it is any easy to read and follow book with great concepts of business.
October 29, 2020
Spectacular autobiographical account of the founder of the computer games that defined my childhood. In a way, a part of me still lives in the worlds of the text parser and point and click adventure games of the 1980s and 1990s. I could not put this book down, and nearly shed a tear at the ending of such a moving story of innovation.
September 21, 2021
Sierra's PC adventure games were some of the earliest I played, and even as a kid I remember being impressed with how polished the company's style was. In the late-80's-to-early-90's, they felt a bit like the Disney of PC games - you knew there was a high bar of quality and you anticipated their next releases. If I were to make a top-10 list of the games that I had the most fun playing as kid, Sierra would account for about 6 or 7 of those (with the remainder being Ultima games and Maxis simulations!).
It was kind of fascinating, therefore, to come back to that company and read a direct account about the journey from the inside. There's not a lot of specific details on games, as Ken acknowledges upfront, but there's plenty of content on the company's origins, its growth to the biggest PC entertainment company of its time, and its unfortunate slow death at the hands of its new owners. Ken's recollections seem forthright and honest, making this a good top-down history of the company.
Especially as someone in software engineering and a manager today, it was also interesting to read Ken's advice and perspectives in his "interlude" chapters.
Highly recommended if you were a fan of Sierra's output.
It was kind of fascinating, therefore, to come back to that company and read a direct account about the journey from the inside. There's not a lot of specific details on games, as Ken acknowledges upfront, but there's plenty of content on the company's origins, its growth to the biggest PC entertainment company of its time, and its unfortunate slow death at the hands of its new owners. Ken's recollections seem forthright and honest, making this a good top-down history of the company.
Especially as someone in software engineering and a manager today, it was also interesting to read Ken's advice and perspectives in his "interlude" chapters.
Highly recommended if you were a fan of Sierra's output.
October 21, 2020
Williams has written a casual, blog-style memoir that's in need of a bit of editing. However, these shortcomings are more than offset by his engaging behind-the-scenes look at the rise and fall of Sierra On-Line. I'm glad he took the time to get down his thoughts, so that this beloved bit of history is not lost to time.
June 5, 2022
I really liked this book. Just couldn't put it down.
A disclaimer: I really really loved the Sierra adventure games of the time and have spent countless hours in the environments built by them!
Even more, I kind of worked in game development back in the time when Sierra On Line was still one of the major players. So this book spoke really close to my interests and I'm always really keen on reading about the insides of the Game Companies of that time as well as modern ones.
However, an aspect of the book that I thoroughly enjoyed, was the honest first person approach Ken Williams had in his writing. I think it makes the reader really get close to the situations being described as well as get to know Ken Williams as a person a little.
A disclaimer: I really really loved the Sierra adventure games of the time and have spent countless hours in the environments built by them!
Even more, I kind of worked in game development back in the time when Sierra On Line was still one of the major players. So this book spoke really close to my interests and I'm always really keen on reading about the insides of the Game Companies of that time as well as modern ones.
However, an aspect of the book that I thoroughly enjoyed, was the honest first person approach Ken Williams had in his writing. I think it makes the reader really get close to the situations being described as well as get to know Ken Williams as a person a little.
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