Revisiting the Golden Days of Gaming: Lessons from the Legends

The Good Old Days of Game Development

Ever had a buddy casually ask about your salary and then say, “No problemo, we’ll just double it?” Ah, those carefree days! Flashback to 1989, when the legends of game development were reminiscing about a time that they thought was already behind them—the so-called golden days of computer games. Spoiler alert: it might not have felt like a golden era after all!

Nostalgia Hits Hard

Imagine a bunch of old-school game developers sitting around, swapping stories as if they were at a digital campfire. Among them was Robert Garriott from Origin Systems, who was already fretting about too many games crowding the market—even though the current yearly game releases looked like a toddler’s toy box compared to today’s mega releases. Who knew nostalgia had such a long shelf life? Back then, they even had a panel cheekily titled, “Return with us to the thrilling days of yesteryear (about 10 years ago).” Little did they know, folks in 2026 would be feeling just as whimsical.

Take Steve Cartwright, an early Activision veteran who got his start back in the stone age of gaming—also known as the early ’80s. He shared how he made the leap into game design with a nudge from co-founder David Crane. Grab some popcorn for this one: when he told Crane he had zero experience, Crane just laughed it off, saying, “There is nobody with experience.” No pressure, right?

Cartwright’s fast track into the gaming world included a delightful exchange about salary. When he mentioned his new gig at an engineering firm came with a big raise, Crane confidently declared, “No problem, we’ll double it!” Oh, how we all wish we had those salary negotiation skills today.

As if that wasn’t already a wild ride, Richard Garriott, another legend, chimed in. He shared tales of trying to sell his games in Ziploc bags (yep, you read that right) before finding a publisher who could see his vision of fancy cloth maps and instruction booklets. It’s like trying to pitch a gourmet burger at a hotdog stand!

When the nostalgic feels faded, someone in the audience peculiarly asked what the biggest loss was since those golden days. Danielle Bunten Berry, designer of the cult classic M.U.L.E., said it perfectly: “We’ve lost that sense of daring, where anything was possible.” Back in the day, if you had a wild idea, it was met with, “Hey, that’s cool, let’s make it happen!” Nowadays? The game design world is flooded with market data and trends—meaning every move has to be calculated, which totally kills the vibe.

Closing this trip down memory lane, Garriott did have some sage advice for budding developers: keep your eyes peeled on the industry trends. The days of artists in their basements churning out games solo are mostly gone. With the rise of budgets that could make or break a team, understanding team dynamics is crucial. These days, marketing might just be more critical than the game itself—yeah, it’s come to that!

Despite all the changes, indie development is proving that you can still create some big waves even if you’re a one-person show—thank heavens for that! Wonder what tales we’ll be telling in 10 years about the state of gaming today?