Page 45 - Developer

pixel pusher // steve theodore

was best known for his active (and figures was an intriguing novelty. Quake III: arena.
often controversial) engagement Fans lapped it up, dissecting
with the online community. every update with Kremlinological
Steed was almost a prototype zeal. Rival developers discussed
of the now-familiar Internet each other’s work, sometimes
celebrity. He joined id Software in with admirable frankness and
1996, when it was the most closely sometimes with unparalleled
watched company in games. In that insensitivity. Fans repeated
year, Quake had shown the game and amplified these comments,
industry that real-time 3D, action, sometimes turning mild technical
and visual immersion were the observations into grist for
future of interactive entertainment. brutal takedowns.
Building off the success of Doom, Steed was a fearsome gladiator
Quake became an online sensation; of the .plan battlefields, and he was
its online multiplayer spawned always eager to share his opinions
a huge, fractious community of in the most direct way possible. He
fans, mod-makers, and would-be let readers in on his opinions about
game journalists. games, life as a developer, and life
For better or worse, Quake in general. He was always willing
fandom set the pattern for a lot to engage with fans online or by
of what we now know as Internet email. He once told an interviewer
manners. The combination of useful from PlanetQuake (www.
information, endless factionalism, quakewiki.net/archives/legacy/
and sheer boorishness that we interviews/steed.htm):
all presume to be part of Internet
culture today was honed in “...egocentric, self-
arguments comparing Quake and centered bastard that I
Unreal, debates about the relative am, I keep all mail sent
merits of OpenGL and DirectX, and, to me in a fan or flame
alas, in endless torrents of insults vein... Flame me. I don’t
and abuse directed at rival players, really give a shit. I’m
fans of different games, or anybody confident that I can
unlucky enough to show up in the address or redress the
wrong forum on the wrong day. nature of your problem
Somewhere in most of those flame with something I’ve
wars you’d find Paul Steed. posted and either pull
The key source of tinder for you over to my side or
this early generation of flame simply ignore you.
wars were the notorious “.plan The way I feel about it
files.” Originally an innocent is that if anyone takes
UNIX workstation feature, the time to write me StrIke Commander.
.plans published shared status SOMETHING OF SUBSTANCE
information—so that, for example, I have an obligation to
a supervisor could remotely see answer them.”
what a group of engineers was
working on without needing to walk His opinions on life at id, on
the halls with his clipboard and other games, and on life (which
pocket protector. However, .plans seemed to consist largely of
quickly evolved into a primitive alcohol and scantily clad women)
form of Twitter—a medium for were ubiquitous Internet fodder
quickly sharing thoughts or in the late ’90s. His online
opinions without considering feuds, most famously with Chet
the implications of making those Faliszek and Eric Wolpaw—then
thoughts or opinions public. of OldManMurray.com, now of
In the mid-’90s, this kind of Valve—were legendary in the
immediate contact with public gaming community. >>> FIlm noIr.

A memoriAl fund for PAul Steed’S fAmily has been established at trentsteed36@gmail.com. His online column is available
at www.loonygames.com/content/1.1/totb/. Along with his books, it provides a pretty characteristic look at his personal style as well
as some old-school modeling techniques that give the flavor of what life was like when a triple-A character had 800 triangles.

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