Matt Chat 62: Chris Avellone's Early Days

This episode features the first part of my interview with Chris Avellone, Creative Director of Obsidian Entertainment and Senior Designer of Planescape: Torment, one of the greatest computer role-playing games ever designed. This part of the interview covers Chris how Chris's deep background in pen and paper role-playing influenced his later work as a computer games designer.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• chris
• avellone
• fallout
• new vegas
• planescape
• torment
• interview
• videogames
• games
• role-playing
• design

[rowdyrob3d]

Great video as always, Matt. How is it that these great game designers you find always seem like such normal, down-to-earth, cool people? I have a mental picture of game designers being mega-nerds.

As for comments wondering how someone who designed "Planescape" could have been inspired by "System Shock 2," a seemingly out-of-character game.... I've read that John Singleton, director of the great movie "Boyz N The Hood," was inspired to film-making by the movie "Star Wars." :-}

[blacklily8]

@rowdyrob3d My theory is that the nerdy ones wouldn't do an interview in the first place, so I'm getting the ones who are articulate and fun to hang out with. Hey, works for me. :)

[Kazoku24]

you do mmorpg reviews right? why don't you review runescape?

[blacklily8]

@Kazoku24 Haven't played it. It's really hard to do more than one MMO at the time. What do you like about it over Wow?

[strangejourney101]

Very interesting. It's a pity that it's only 10 minutes long and seems to be very truncated. A lot of the topics I'd have liked to hear more about.

Matt, will you upload the full audio again on your blog, like you did with the Romero interview? Pleaaaase! =)

[blacklily8]

@strangejourney101 Yes, it will be uploaded.

[KazuoKiriyama666]

One of the best game designers of all time.

[Skyfel]

MCA is teh awesomeness.

[FalloutGamer131]

does anyone know any valid info on fallout 4?? please reply!

[blacbraun]

@NartSaga and both came out in 1999. They were the best games of that year for sure.

[rvistaworkbench]

His forehead never rests

[TotalNeutrality]

@blacklily8 What's the theme in the background/Sounds like the theme from the first Predator movie?It's from 2:30 to 3:50

[shadowsworn9]

this is really a really great interview. thanks Matt (and Chris!)

[00Miedo]

hahaha bilbo's speech.. very nice ;)

[MartinPurvis]

If would be awesome if you done a review/interview about Thief: Deadly Shadows or do you only do rpg games?

[Darkfire9189]

Chris Avellone is a god in the gaming industry honestly. NOt many are on his level.

[GermanIIanimeIIupper]

Chris Avellone... isn't gay....

[NartSaga]

Warren Spector and Chris Avallone are my favorite designers.

System Shock 2 and Planescape Torment are my favorite games. :)