Dave Gilbert (game designer)
Encyclopedia
Dave Gilbert is a designer of independent adventure games using Adventure Game Studio
. He started out with home-made, freeware
games, but went professional in 2006, founding Wadjet Eye Games and releasing The Shivah
and The Blackwell Legacy commercially.
). He went on to make three more RON titles, which gained a reputation for being among the better games in the series. In 2003, Gilbert released Bestowers of Eternity — Part One, a game about a young woman who inherits a family ghost when her aunt dies in an insane asylum. It went on to win multiple awards in the 2003 AGS Awards.
In 2004, the AGS Forums organized the AGS Team Challenge, an informal contest where teams worked together to create an adventure game. Gilbert designed and wrote Two of a Kind for the contest. The game included two playable characters with different abilities and personalities, an unusual feature in an adventure game. This was one of only two games completed (the other was The Hamlet) by the deadline, and both were declared co-winners. Two of a Kind received positive reviews, and won an AGS Award for Best Gameplay.
In the summer of 2006, Gilbert produced The Shivah
, one of the first videogames to star a rabbi, for MAGS, the monthly one-month AGS game contest (which it won). After its release, Gilbert decided to rework the freeware version, improving the graphics, adding new puzzles and voice acting, and releasing it as a commercial title. The game got good reviews and received considerable attention in the press,
mainly because of its subject matter. It even earned some criticism in the Israeli press. The Shivah is sold through Manifesto Games
on a non-exclusive basis.
Turning his hobby into a professional career, Gilbert decided to become a full-time game designer. He founded Wadjet Eye Games to sell The Shivah and his forthcoming titles. A few months later, in December 2006, The Blackwell Legacy was released. This game was partially a much-improved remake of Bestowers of Eternity (revamping the earlier project which he considered to be over-ambitious ), but continued past the end of the earlier game, telling more of the story. The Blackwell Legacy is intended as the first installment of an episodic game. The second game, a prequel called Blackwell Unbound, was released 4 September 2007.
In February 2008, a publishing deal was announced between Wadjet Eye Games and PlayFirst
. Under the agreement, Wadjet Eye Games would develop a casual
adventure game for PlayFirst. The resulting game, Emerald City Confidential
, a noir
story set in the world of Oz
, was released on 19 February 2009.
and presented The Shivah
at the associated Game Developers Conference
. Dave was also awarded the AGS Lifetime Achievement Award in February 2007 to go along with his other 8 AGS Awards. In 2008, Gamasutra listed Dave and Wadjet Eye as one of their top 20 breakthrough developers.
. However, he claims that he is not at all religious, despite this, he feels a strong connection to his Jewish heritage beyond its religious aspect.
Gilbert spent some years in South Korea
, teaching English as a second language and spent some time exploring China. He now lives in New York City
with his wife Janet.
Commercial (Wadjet Eye Games)
Adventure Game Studio
Adventure Game Studio is a free software development tool that is primarily used to create graphical adventure games. It is aimed at intermediate-level game designers, and combines an Integrated development environment for setting up most aspects of the game with a scripting language to process...
. He started out with home-made, freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
games, but went professional in 2006, founding Wadjet Eye Games and releasing The Shivah
The Shivah
The Shivah is a computer game designed and developed by Dave Gilbert with the assistance of others . The game was originally developed for the Monthly Adventure Game Studio 5th anniversary competition in June 2006, which it won...
and The Blackwell Legacy commercially.
Game design career
Gilbert's first adventure game was The Repossessor in 2001, an entry in the Reality-on-the-Norm series (a shared universe for adventure games started by Ben CroshawBen Croshaw
Benjamin Richard "Yahtzee" Croshaw is an English comedic writer, video game journalist and author of adventure games created using Adventure Game Studio software. He writes articles for Australia's Hyper magazine, a major games publication...
). He went on to make three more RON titles, which gained a reputation for being among the better games in the series. In 2003, Gilbert released Bestowers of Eternity — Part One, a game about a young woman who inherits a family ghost when her aunt dies in an insane asylum. It went on to win multiple awards in the 2003 AGS Awards.
In 2004, the AGS Forums organized the AGS Team Challenge, an informal contest where teams worked together to create an adventure game. Gilbert designed and wrote Two of a Kind for the contest. The game included two playable characters with different abilities and personalities, an unusual feature in an adventure game. This was one of only two games completed (the other was The Hamlet) by the deadline, and both were declared co-winners. Two of a Kind received positive reviews, and won an AGS Award for Best Gameplay.
In the summer of 2006, Gilbert produced The Shivah
The Shivah
The Shivah is a computer game designed and developed by Dave Gilbert with the assistance of others . The game was originally developed for the Monthly Adventure Game Studio 5th anniversary competition in June 2006, which it won...
, one of the first videogames to star a rabbi, for MAGS, the monthly one-month AGS game contest (which it won). After its release, Gilbert decided to rework the freeware version, improving the graphics, adding new puzzles and voice acting, and releasing it as a commercial title. The game got good reviews and received considerable attention in the press,
mainly because of its subject matter. It even earned some criticism in the Israeli press. The Shivah is sold through Manifesto Games
Manifesto Games
Manifesto Games was an ecommerce retailer of downloadable computer games, specializing in independently developed games aimed at hardcore gamers.It was founded in October 2005 by Greg Costikyan and Dr. Johnny L...
on a non-exclusive basis.
Turning his hobby into a professional career, Gilbert decided to become a full-time game designer. He founded Wadjet Eye Games to sell The Shivah and his forthcoming titles. A few months later, in December 2006, The Blackwell Legacy was released. This game was partially a much-improved remake of Bestowers of Eternity (revamping the earlier project which he considered to be over-ambitious ), but continued past the end of the earlier game, telling more of the story. The Blackwell Legacy is intended as the first installment of an episodic game. The second game, a prequel called Blackwell Unbound, was released 4 September 2007.
In February 2008, a publishing deal was announced between Wadjet Eye Games and PlayFirst
PlayFirst
PlayFirst is a San Francisco-based publisher of casual games. The company’s mission is to deliver delightful games for everybody, every day. PlayFirst was founded in 2004 by industry veterans...
. Under the agreement, Wadjet Eye Games would develop a casual
Casual game
A casual game is a video game targeted at or used by a mass audience of casual gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games...
adventure game for PlayFirst. The resulting game, Emerald City Confidential
Emerald City Confidential
Emerald City Confidential is a 2009 computer adventure game conceived by Dave Gilbert, developed by Wadjet Eye Games and published through PlayFirst. It follows the protagonist Petra, Emerald City's only private eye, as she is approached by a strange woman named Dee Gale. Dee's fiancé is missing,...
, a noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
story set in the world of Oz
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
, was released on 19 February 2009.
Awards
In 2007, Dave Gilbert's Wadjet Eye studios was nominated for Best New Studio in the prestigious Game Developers Choice AwardsGame Developers Choice Awards
The Game Developers Choice Awards are annually presented by the Game Developers Conference for outstanding game developers and games.Introduced in 2001, the Game Developers Choice Awards were preceded by the Spotlight Awards, which were presented from 1997 to 1999.The 2009 award presentation was...
and presented The Shivah
The Shivah
The Shivah is a computer game designed and developed by Dave Gilbert with the assistance of others . The game was originally developed for the Monthly Adventure Game Studio 5th anniversary competition in June 2006, which it won...
at the associated Game Developers Conference
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
. Dave was also awarded the AGS Lifetime Achievement Award in February 2007 to go along with his other 8 AGS Awards. In 2008, Gamasutra listed Dave and Wadjet Eye as one of their top 20 breakthrough developers.
Life
Dave Gilbert is Jewish, a background he drew on in making The ShivahThe Shivah
The Shivah is a computer game designed and developed by Dave Gilbert with the assistance of others . The game was originally developed for the Monthly Adventure Game Studio 5th anniversary competition in June 2006, which it won...
. However, he claims that he is not at all religious, despite this, he feels a strong connection to his Jewish heritage beyond its religious aspect.
Gilbert spent some years in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, teaching English as a second language and spent some time exploring China. He now lives in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with his wife Janet.
Games
Freeware- The Repossessor (Reality-on-the Norm)
- The Postman Only Dies Once (Reality-on-the Norm)
- Purity of the Surf (Reality-on-the Norm)
- A Better Mousetrap (Reality-on-the Norm)
- Bestowers of Eternity — Part One
- Two of a Kind
Commercial (Wadjet Eye Games)
- The ShivahThe ShivahThe Shivah is a computer game designed and developed by Dave Gilbert with the assistance of others . The game was originally developed for the Monthly Adventure Game Studio 5th anniversary competition in June 2006, which it won...
(2006) - The Blackwell LegacyThe Blackwell SeriesBlackwell is an independent adventure video game series consisting of four games: The Blackwell Legacy, Blackwell Unbound, Blackwell Convergence and Blackwell Deception. The first game was released on 23 December 2006, the second on 4 September 2007, the third on 22 July 2009, and the fourth was...
(2006) - Blackwell UnboundThe Blackwell SeriesBlackwell is an independent adventure video game series consisting of four games: The Blackwell Legacy, Blackwell Unbound, Blackwell Convergence and Blackwell Deception. The first game was released on 23 December 2006, the second on 4 September 2007, the third on 22 July 2009, and the fourth was...
(2007) - Emerald City ConfidentialEmerald City ConfidentialEmerald City Confidential is a 2009 computer adventure game conceived by Dave Gilbert, developed by Wadjet Eye Games and published through PlayFirst. It follows the protagonist Petra, Emerald City's only private eye, as she is approached by a strange woman named Dee Gale. Dee's fiancé is missing,...
(2009) - Blackwell ConvergenceThe Blackwell SeriesBlackwell is an independent adventure video game series consisting of four games: The Blackwell Legacy, Blackwell Unbound, Blackwell Convergence and Blackwell Deception. The first game was released on 23 December 2006, the second on 4 September 2007, the third on 22 July 2009, and the fourth was...
(2009) - Puzzle Bots(2010)
- Gemini RueGemini RueThe game was well received by game critics, praising the game for its compelling storyline, and its retro graphics....
(2011) - The Blackwell DeceptionThe Blackwell SeriesBlackwell is an independent adventure video game series consisting of four games: The Blackwell Legacy, Blackwell Unbound, Blackwell Convergence and Blackwell Deception. The first game was released on 23 December 2006, the second on 4 September 2007, the third on 22 July 2009, and the fourth was...
(2011)
External links
- Dave's new blog
- Dave's old blog
- Wadjet Eye Games
- Reality-On-The-Norm website
- YouTube video of Dave Gilbert presenting The Shivah at the IGDA NY Chapter Demo Night on August 23, 2006:
- A favorable review of Gilbert's "Blackwell Unbound"