Did anybody ever check out the design documents Roberta made public?

[Anakin Skywalker]

Back in 2011, Ken and Roberta Williams donated their entire archive of Sierra material--including design documents for all her games--to a video game museum in Rochchester, NY. Has anyone ever gone to check it out? The documents there could be a goldmine of information about the creation, design ideas and development phases of the various KQ games. Basically, it's like being able to look at the blueprints to the games, and see why certain things were chosen, why others were nixed, etc.

http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/1048...-a-museum.html

In a move that commands some serious respect, Sierra Entertainment co-founders Ken and Roberta Williams have donated two decades worth of "design documents, artwork, newspaper articles, memorabilia, photographs, company newsletters, business records, press releases, catalogs, and annual reports" for their classic series of games - including King's Quest, Space Quest, and Hero's Quest/Quest For Glory - to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games in Rochester, New York. Gamasutra relays the good news:

"In a statement, Ken Williams said the collection, which will now be available to researchers and historians, includes many items the pair never intended for public consumption, including King's Quest design documents that have remained secret for decades.

"Giving them up was not an easy decision, but it seemed the right time, and I’m sure her fans will enjoy this ‘behind the scenes’ peek at her creativity," Ken Williams said. "I would encourage anyone who is curious about the history of gaming, the history of Sierra, or the creativity behind our games, to visit the museum."

The Williams' long career as game designers began in 1979 with the founding of On-Line Systems and the creation of Apple II adventure title Mystery House, based on Roberta's infatuation with Colossal Cave Adventure.

Their company renamed to Sierra On-Line in 1982 and eventually grew to encompass over 1,000 employees. Sierra is perhaps best remembered for popularizing graphical adventure games, creating franchises that include King's Quest, Space Quest, Gabriel Knight, Quest For Glory and Leisure Suit Larry."

[BagginsKQ]

I hope to maybe next summer, if I get the chance. That is if I'm able to get into the area, while doing some other unrelated research.

[Blackthorne519]

Man, I live an hour away from there, and I haven't yet. I should sometime, for sure. Someone remind me to.


Bt

[Anakin Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Blackthorne519

Man, I live an hour away from there, and I haven't yet. I should sometime, for sure. Someone remind me to.


Bt

Go, dammit! Lol.

[BagginsKQ]

Yes, if you can take photos, legally, do so, and upload them!

[MtnPeak]

Originally Posted by Blackthorne519

Man, I live an hour away from there, and I haven't yet. I should sometime, for sure. Someone remind me to.


Bt

Yes, and pictures are a must, even if it means a little covert action with the camera.

We demand no less. ;-)

[Jennifer]

I also live near Rochester (an hour an 45 minutes in my case). I'll have to make a trip there too.

They allow complete access to their archives for research purposes by appointment. I'll definitely have to do that. The Sierra stuff sounds like a treasure trove of interesting tidbits.

OK, I submitted a request for research. They said they'll get back to me within a month. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Jennifer]

I just thought I'd update to let you know they got back to me already. They don't allow me to share the scans I make without paying for a licence to do so. But, I'm planning on writing an extensive article from this research for my website (and I'll try to go into as much detail as possible).

I'll let you know more once the appointment date becomes solidified.

[JuntMonkey]

Awesome, thank you!

[BagginsKQ]

They don't allow me to share the scans I make without paying for a licence to do so.

Oh well, so much for the possiblity of putting up scans on the KQ wiki!

Guess I'll need to do my own research there to see what kind of material was cut from the KQ games, during development.

[Jennifer]

Originally Posted by BagginsKQ

Guess I'll need to do my own research there to see what kind of material was cut from the KQ games, during development.

Any deleted material will definitely be detailed in my article. It's on the history of Sierra and their games, so I'll try to be as thorough as possible with it.