Jim Walls
Encyclopedia
Jim Walls is a retired police officer, who in 1971 joined the California Highway Patrol
. He retired after 15 years on the forcehttp://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,83001/ after a shooting incident that left him traumatizedhttp://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1292533.
During his recovery from the shooting incident, Jim met Ken Williams
who was then a developer for Sierra Entertainment
(then Sierra Online). Ken asked Jim to his house for a game of raquetball, and over drinks after the game, Ken told Jim of his idea of starting an adventure game series with a police genre. Ken told Jim that all he needed was a real police officer to be involved with the design in order to maintain realism.http://eager.back2roots.org/PROG/W/WALLS.HTML
Following this meeting, Jim went on to become a game designer for Sierra Entertainment
(then Sierra On-Line).
Jim claims "When I first sat down in front of a computer to begin the design story of the original Police Quest
I had to be shown where the on/off switch was. I typed the entire story with two fingers (after all, the only skills I had at the time were chasing people down and throwing them in jail)."http://eager.back2roots.org/PROG/W/WALLS.HTML
Walls' best-known works were the first three Police Quest
games (1987's Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel
, 1988's Police Quest II: The Vengeance
, and 1990's Police Quest III: The Kindred
). Walls also created an espionage game called Codename: Iceman
in 1989, but this sold poorly in comparison to the Police Quest titles. The games included real situations that he had lived through his career.
The final game in the Police Quest series (Police Quest IV: Open Season
, and the subsequent spin-off games Police Quest: SWAT
and Police Quest: SWAT 2
) were designed by Darryl F. Gates after Walls left Sierra.
Walls also created Blue Force
, another adventure game featuring a police officer, in 1993 for Tsunami Games
. He is also credited on Earth & Beyond
, in 2002, for Electronic Arts Inc., Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat
in 2002, for Electronic Arts Inc. and had a cameo as a weapons handler in a police station, in the adventure game Blade Runner in 1997, for Virgin Interactive Entertainment, Inc
based on the 1982 film
of the same name. Jim is sometimes credited as James Walls.
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
. He retired after 15 years on the forcehttp://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,83001/ after a shooting incident that left him traumatizedhttp://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1292533.
During his recovery from the shooting incident, Jim met Ken Williams
Ken Williams (gaming)
Ken Williams is an American game programmer and co-founded On-Line Systems, which later became Sierra On-Line, together with his wife Roberta Williams. Roberta and Ken married at the age of 19 and have two children...
who was then a developer for Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
(then Sierra Online). Ken asked Jim to his house for a game of raquetball, and over drinks after the game, Ken told Jim of his idea of starting an adventure game series with a police genre. Ken told Jim that all he needed was a real police officer to be involved with the design in order to maintain realism.http://eager.back2roots.org/PROG/W/WALLS.HTML
Following this meeting, Jim went on to become a game designer for Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
(then Sierra On-Line).
Jim claims "When I first sat down in front of a computer to begin the design story of the original Police Quest
Police Quest
Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
I had to be shown where the on/off switch was. I typed the entire story with two fingers (after all, the only skills I had at the time were chasing people down and throwing them in jail)."http://eager.back2roots.org/PROG/W/WALLS.HTML
Walls' best-known works were the first three Police Quest
Police Quest
Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
games (1987's Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel
Police Quest
Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
, 1988's Police Quest II: The Vengeance
Police Quest
Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
, and 1990's Police Quest III: The Kindred
Police Quest
Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
). Walls also created an espionage game called Codename: Iceman
Codename: ICEMAN
Codename: ICEMAN is a graphical adventure game made with the SCI engine and published by the American computer game company Sierra On-Line in 1989. The lead designer was Jim Walls, who also created the Police Quest games...
in 1989, but this sold poorly in comparison to the Police Quest titles. The games included real situations that he had lived through his career.
The final game in the Police Quest series (Police Quest IV: Open Season
Police Quest
Police Quest is a series of computer games produced and published by Sierra On-Line between 1987 and 1993. The original series was composed of four adventure games, the first three of which were designed by former policeman Jim Walls, with the fourth title designed by former LAPD Chief Daryl F....
, and the subsequent spin-off games Police Quest: SWAT
SWAT series
The SWAT series are the follow-up of Sierra's classic adventure game series Police Quest. The adventure game decreased in popularity by the mid-nineties and Jim Walls, the former series designer, left Sierra and was replaced by real-life SWAT founder Daryl F. Gates. After Gates released Open...
and Police Quest: SWAT 2
SWAT series
The SWAT series are the follow-up of Sierra's classic adventure game series Police Quest. The adventure game decreased in popularity by the mid-nineties and Jim Walls, the former series designer, left Sierra and was replaced by real-life SWAT founder Daryl F. Gates. After Gates released Open...
) were designed by Darryl F. Gates after Walls left Sierra.
Walls also created Blue Force
Blue Force
Blue Force is a computer game released in 1993 by former Police Quest designer Jim Walls.-Synopsis:The player is a rookie police officer named Jake Ryan. Jake's father was a police officer, which prompted Jake to join the force. Jake's father was killed in the line of duty and his case has not yet...
, another adventure game featuring a police officer, in 1993 for Tsunami Games
Tsunami Games
Tsunami Games was an American video game developer and publisher founded in 1991 by former employees of Sierra Entertainment . The company was based in Oakhurst, California, which at the time was also the home of Sierra...
. He is also credited on Earth & Beyond
Earth & Beyond
Earth & Beyond was a science fiction massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Electronic Arts . The game was released on September 24, 2002 in the United States. EA shut down Earth & Beyond on September 22, 2004...
, in 2002, for Electronic Arts Inc., Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat
Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat
Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat is an action-adventure video game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox...
in 2002, for Electronic Arts Inc. and had a cameo as a weapons handler in a police station, in the adventure game Blade Runner in 1997, for Virgin Interactive Entertainment, Inc
Virgin Interactive
Virgin Interactive was a British video game publisher. It was formed as Virgin Games Ltd. in 1981. The company became much larger after purchasing the budget label, Mastertronic in 1987. It was part of the Virgin Group...
based on the 1982 film
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
of the same name. Jim is sometimes credited as James Walls.