Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – this week we are doing something different from the standard show. A few months ago on the Diary Facebook page I asked if the listeners might not want to break from the podcast focusing on a video game each week – the requests were for some shows to be on individual creators or even game companies. That is why this week I am tackling the career and legacy of Howard Scott Warshaw – the iconic game designer that created three successful Atari 2600 titles with Yars’ Revenge, Raiders of the Lost Ark, as well as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. As I mention in the episode itself – Warshaw has the distinct honor of being credited for ‘The Worst Atari Game Ever Created’ as well as ‘The Best Original Atari Game Ever Created’. I have a few things to say about the falsity of the former statement in addition to Howard Scott Warshaw being responsible for the decline of Atari.
While on this episode of the podcast I have refrained from going into all the details of the three games that Howard Scott Warshaw designed and programmed – I naturally included my memories of the games themselves. I also was able to include some exceptional quotes from Warshaw thanks to an interview by Scott Stilphen of the excellent Atari Compendium – in addition to an excerpt from Patrick Hickey Jr.’s fantastic book entitled The Minds Behind The Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers.
I am joined once again by the esteemed Earl Green – who not only met Warshaw in person but has a few things to say about E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial supposedly being the worst game Atari produced. I am happy to say that Gary Burton joins us on this episode and shares some of the hard work he had to do to bring the Atari 2600 back to life at the Arkadia Retrocade. By the way there are some wonderful articles by Howard Scott Warshaw on Yars’ Revenge in some of the Old School Gamer magazine.
As always I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to check out the podcast – it is very much appreciated. So go and grab your favorite snack and beverage and let us tell you a bit about Howard Scott Warshaw!
Remember that for even more pop culture related goodness – make sure to check out Earl’s own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
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If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Really enjoyed this episode! Vic – what’s the best way to contact you privately? Thanks!
Thanks, Mike – I am very glad you enjoyed the show! Feel free to contact me in any of the usual ways!
Thanks for crediting my interview with HSW for your podcast, Vic. I just want to add the interview was first published in Tim Duarte’s “2600 Connection” newsletter in 1997. The interview has since been revised and updated and the most current version of this and other interviews of mine can be found on my Atari Compendium website.
Scott, thank you for the information, obviously Howard Scott Warshaw and his work is something I feel extremely passionate about – as does Earl Green – I believe that is evident on the show itself. I made sure that all of the links to your site are up to date, but let me also add that I am extremely grateful for all of the hard work you have put into the Atari Compendium.