Mike Khromoff interview

I’ve read your article “Is Adventure Dead?” The title was a question. It’s a pity, but is it time to delete the “?”?

Absolutely. It's a damned shame, I think, but the truth. People no longer seem interested in challenging their minds, but only their "trigger finger."

Have you ever thought that refusing further LSL8 development was good for you and Larry? Maybe it was the best way – to leave the game industry when you were on the top of your glory?

It was good in one way: it got me into an Internet startup, where I was Vice President of Technology. But not all good, because the Internet startup failed. Besides, it was hardly my decision. Sierra decided that they would stop producing adventure games. That was the end of Larry.

Can you name at least one of the modern (published in 2000 or at least in the end of 1999) quests that you have really liked? And if you can – why you’ve liked it?

No. The last one I liked was Grim Fandango. I expect I would like Gabriel Knight 3, although I've not yet played it. (I'm still waiting for my free copy from Sierra!)

What do you think about using 3D-graphic in absolutely every game, including adventure? Maybe some game-genres don’t need it? Or it’s better to follow one of Sierra’s slogan “all 3D, all the time?”

Had I done Larry8, it would have been "all 3-D." Graphics sell games and 2-D graphics are too old looking to count any more.

MultiPlayer: every modern game must have it. And the result is: the classic quests and slow, turn-based strategies (X-Com, JA1-2 …etc) are dead. From your point of view, why do people want to fight with real opponents, not computer-simulated?

There has not, and will not for quite some time, been an AI written that comes close to being as smart as the dumbest human. Therefore, no matter how lames your friends are, they're more fun to play against than a machine.

What do you think of Mr. Gates? Have you ever wanted to put him in a computer game, like you did President Clinton in LSL7?

Bill is in Larry's Casino—he walks through and gets hit by a pie in the face. It seems only fair, don't you think?

In Russia there is no programmer, or even advanced user, with good things to say about Windows. One of its popular pseudonyms is “MustDie.” What do you and your friends call the virtual child of Uncle Bill?

We call it "a great opportunity to make money."

Back to the games; today, do you want to continue the development of LSL8 or start a new project just for your own pleasure?

As of Jan. 1, 2000, I have been Vice President of Technology at jacknabbit.com, an Internet startup. It's been quite challenging!

What do you think about creating the “ideal computer game?” Can anybody make it? Or maybe somebody already has done it?

I think those of us back at Sierra in the '80s had the best opportunity to do it. We made the type of games that we wanted to play—and got paid for doing it. We were in a special place at a special time and by doing something we loved we made people happy and even changed a few lives. How many people get to say that?

Finally, what do you want to say to all the Russian gamers who live in horrible north country with wild bears walking down the streets?

Move to Mexico. There's plenty of room there, now that everyone in Mexico has moved to California!