Exclusive Al Lowe interview Posted on 09.08.2003 at 07:38:58 -by Daniel Zelter Remember the programmer who worked for Sierra back when they made games, and not just Half Life expansion packs?!   Back when Lara Croft was still wearing a training bra, you had very few places to get your T&A fix. And long before games which centered around armed robbery, cursing squirrels, and dating Japanese schoolgirls, you had very few games which appealed to adults. Enter Sierra and Al Lowe. Remaking a successful Apple game which focused on the perils(STD's and hit-and-runs) and pleasures(scoring) of the club scene, they created the polyester-wearing anachronism we all know and love: Leisure Suit Larry. He managed to thrive for a decade and six sequels before getting canned by Sierra's new owner, Vivendi. Larry was an ordinary guy(and that's an understatement) whose goal in life was to seek the pleasures of the flesh. To do this, he had to appeal to the individual desires of each woman he sought; and the outcome was he either he succeeded or got screwed over. (Just like real life!) Yes, in an era of gaming in which female role models are defined as girls who show less skin, the women in the series actually had the ability to decide on their own terms whether to take things further with Larry. And these were also equal-opportunity games, in the sense that you'd meet girls of all colors, shapes, and sizes. What also made Larry appealing were the comical situations, the risque humour, and the challenging(but not frustrating) puzzles. Plus the programmers would often insert zany gags which they probably wouldn't have gotten away with on other titles. Larry was a major reason to own a PC, long before on-line gaming, and even the internet. Thus, after reminiscing about old times, I decided to contact Al Lowe for an interview. He might be retired, but his devotion to the little guy isn't retired. And he runs his own webpage where you can download jokes, faq's and other neat surprises. So without further adieu, here's Al. JT: So how are you doing Mr. Lowe? Al Lowe: Great. I'm working on my site, trying to make it as much fun as possible. I hope your readers will get a chance to visit it soon. JT: First off, I want to state that what makes Al Lowe unique from other developers is that he was a teacher. He started his programming career by producing educational software. So considering you’re someone who’s had to make a career of teaching and entertaining, what are the necessary qualities to be a successful teacher? Al Lowe: I wouldn't say no other developers were teachers; I know many who were. I think success in teaching has much in common with success in other fields: an ability to persevere through obstacles; a sense of humor; a love for your field; learning how to make your particular skills best solve the problems. That said, teachers need more: patience, understanding, empathy, and interest in young people. There's an old saw that says, "Those that can't, teach." I content that the converse is not true: "Those that can, may not be able to teach." JT: I want to add another question about your teaching experience. Lately, video and PC games get blamed for the occasionally violent incidents of a few students. (*cough* Columbine *cough*) You’ve been on both sides of the fence. So what’s your opinion on this? Al Lowe: I don't enjoy playing violent games, but not because I'm morally opposed, but rather because I'm no good at twitch games! Perhaps FPSs teach some students "winning techniques," but so do violent films. It's a copout to blame shootings on either. I believe the blame lies with the finger that pulls the trigger and knowing that there's a difference between a joystick and an assault weapon. JT: On a lighter note, how do you feel about the fact that nowadays, adventure games seem to emphasize graphics and complicated puzzles over user-friendliness? (*cough* 7th Guest *cough*) Al Lowe: I feel that good game design is always better than poor. What one player likes, another may hate. That's why there's more than one game on the shelf! JT: I’m ashamed to say it, but Sierra adventure games no longer have any heart and soul, particularly the last two sequels for King’s Quest and Gabriel Knight. They’re just 100 MB 3D demos which take forever to load. Would you say that’s indicative of games in the PC industry in general? Al Lowe: I'm a poor one to ask about recent game trends; since I retired I find I'm not very interested in playing games any more. Whether that's because the games are repetitive or boring or I've changed, I can't say. I can say: the game I've played more than any other lately is Freecell. What does that say about the industry? JT: Going back to this topic, would you say that the Williamses even care about King’s Quest anymore? Or do you think they just sold out? Al Lowe: I'm not sure you understand your own question. Of course they sold out. Literally. The company that they founded and built to a success was bought out from under them by one of their board members. The first we heard was "We want to keep everything the same." And of course the first thing they did was to change everything! Ken was reassigned to some Internet project. Roberta was forced to add hack and slash to KQ8. They both quit back in 1999. They haven't been involved in years. JT: Right now, the most popular PC game genres seem to be first-person shooters, war games, and MMORPG’s. Have you ever considered producing any of these types of games? Al Lowe: No. As I said above, I don't enjoy playing those games. Therefore, I wouldn't be able to design a good one. JT: I remember reading that one of your favorite 3D games was Mario 64. Is Nintendo your favorite videogame company? And if so, do you currently own a GameCube or Game Boy Advance? Al Lowe: That was a while back. But, yes, I did enjoy that game. My kids took all our game systems with them when they moved out. I do have a nice 2Ghz P4 that keeps me busy. JT: I remembered once reading that they were going to port Leisure Suit Larry to the Sega CD, but it never happened. Do you happen to know why? Al Lowe: No. I designed the games. Sierra produced the rollovers. Evidently, they didn't get that one done, or decided it wouldn't sell enough to cover the costs of reprogramming. JT: Even though Larry has been indefinitely postponed, I feel his spirit lives on among fans. At Newgrounds (sorry, but I gotta promote their site), there was a flash tribute called Leisure Suit Harry. And The Romp has its own girl-chasing game, but with a younger character. How does that make you feel? Al Lowe: I'm honored that something I created is well-loved enough to have fans willing to do that. JT: In Larry 7, you twist the names of a lot of famous female celebrities, and even poke a little fun at Disney characters. Considering how litigious corporations are nowadays, have you ever once been threatened with a lawsuit for any of your parodies? Al Lowe: Never. Parody is protected under US law. If I had not been making fun of them, but just treating them seriously, then I might have been sued. But current standards make parody nearly bulletproof. JT: Finally, many people (including me) really want to buy legitimate copies of Larry and other classic Sierra games, but they seem to be out-of-stock at most stores and on-line retailers. Do you have any suggestions on how to get legal and new copies of these games? Al Lowe: No. When Sierra announced they were going to stop production, I begged them to sell me all they had in the warehouse. They said they had none. So I asked to buy all the copies that got returned. They say they get none back. It's really a problem. I've asked them for the rights to sell the game from my website, but they've refused. About all you can do is watch eBay, garage sales, old software stores, etc and snatch up any copy you see. So there you have it, folks. As Mr. Lowe suggested, if you're interested in checking this series out, you'll have to go a used game store or an on-line auction to get your fix. But it's worth it, because it'll take you back to a time when PC games actually required problem solving and not just numerous clicks on the left mouse button.