Audacity Games
Activision legends tell Paul Drury about their new venture
» The promotional artwork for Circus Convoy beautifully recalls Activision’s Atari 2600 cover art.
DavidCrane left Atari in 1979 to cofound Activision, kickstarting the whole third-party software business, and created the best-selling original title for the Atari 2600, Pitfall!. Garry and Dan Kitchen were key players in Activision’s East Coast studio, producing Keystone Kapers and Crackpots, respectively. The trio launched Audacity Games earlier this year, a company dedicated to creating new games for old consoles.
Let’s start with the name. Do you see this venture as a bold move?
David Crane: Yes, it’s audacious to make new games for a 40-year-old console. People say, “I never go backwards”, but we love those old consoles and love the retro gaming people. They’re always so pleasant when we visit shows. We wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t think we could do it right. And the company name had to start with the letter A because of Atari, Activision, Absolute… and now Audacity!
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David Crane , the father of Pitfall Harry.