Gregory Yob
Encyclopedia
Gregory Yob was an American computer game designer.
Gregory was born in Eugene, Oregon
. An article about his experiment on simulating gravitational fields with droplets of water on a soap bubble was published in Scientific American
in December 1964, under The Amateur Scientist.
His one published game, Hunt the Wumpus
(1972), written while he was attending University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
, is one of the earliest adventure games. While living in Palo Alto, California
, Yob came across logic games on a mainframe computer
named Hurkle, Snark, and Mugwump. Each of these games was based on a 10 × 10 grid, and Yob recognized that a puzzle game on a computer could have a far more complex structure. He created the world for Wumpus in the shape of a dodecahedron, in part because as a child he made a kite with that shape.
In the late 1980s he designed Comfort House. He wrote: "Comfort House is a new form of entertainment. High technology and interactive systems combine with your participation to give you an enjoyable evening uniquely attuned to your senses and mind." It did not get built.
In recent years he had made his home in Santa Cruz, California
.
Gregory Yob, also known as Hara Ra, had changed his name to Gregory H. Coresun shortly before he died in Scottsdale, Arizona
, where he underwent neurosuspension
at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation
.
Gregory was born in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
. An article about his experiment on simulating gravitational fields with droplets of water on a soap bubble was published in Scientific American
Scientific American
Scientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
in December 1964, under The Amateur Scientist.
His one published game, Hunt the Wumpus
Hunt the Wumpus
Hunt the Wumpus is an early computer game, based on a simple hide and seek format featuring a mysterious monster that lurks deep inside a network of rooms. It was originally a text-based game written in BASIC...
(1972), written while he was attending University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is one of five campuses and operating subdivisions of the University of Massachusetts . It is located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States, in the center of the South Coast region, between the cities of New Bedford to the east and Fall River...
, is one of the earliest adventure games. While living in Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, Yob came across logic games on a mainframe computer
Mainframe computer
Mainframes are powerful computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.The term originally referred to the...
named Hurkle, Snark, and Mugwump. Each of these games was based on a 10 × 10 grid, and Yob recognized that a puzzle game on a computer could have a far more complex structure. He created the world for Wumpus in the shape of a dodecahedron, in part because as a child he made a kite with that shape.
In the late 1980s he designed Comfort House. He wrote: "Comfort House is a new form of entertainment. High technology and interactive systems combine with your participation to give you an enjoyable evening uniquely attuned to your senses and mind." It did not get built.
In recent years he had made his home in Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
.
Gregory Yob, also known as Hara Ra, had changed his name to Gregory H. Coresun shortly before he died in Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, where he underwent neurosuspension
Neuropreservation
Neuropreservation is cryopreservation of the human brain with the intention of future resuscitation and regrowth of a healthy body around the brain. Usually the brain is left within the head for physical protection, so the whole head is cryopreserved...
at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation
Alcor Life Extension Foundation
The Alcor Life Extension Foundation, most often referred to as Alcor, is a Scottsdale, Arizona, USA-based nonprofit company that researches, advocates for and performs cryonics, the preservation of humans in liquid nitrogen after legal death, with hopes of restoring them to full health when new...
.
External links
- Together forever: Local couple hopes to be frozen through cryonics and see the future (Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper article, July 12, 2002.)