Gaming on the PC has a list of characters that everyone knows, either by direct experience or reputation. One of those characters is Larry Laffer (aka Leisure Suit Larry), the brainchild of "the oldest game designer in the world," Al Lowe. When Sierra got shuffled a couple of years ago, Al was turned out into the street and plans for Larry 8 were "put on hold." Al Lowe is pioneer and a hard worker, not someone to take things lying down (well, some things he takes lying down), who has been involved from PC gaming right from the beginning. He has developed and worked on a number of games, including Softporn, the Larry series, Torrin’s Passage, Freddy Pharkus: Frontier Pharmacist and The Black Cauldron; he’s worked as a high school band teacher and played in jazz clubs all over the place; he is responsible for a generation of adolescent boys who appreciate pixilated forms over the real McCoy. We thank Al for taking the time to answer our questions and putting up with our constant badgering. (I won’t badger you again, Al. Honest! – Omni) He’s a legend and here he is . . .

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Al Lowe (Leisure Suit Larry) Interview

December 15, 2000

How busy have you been since Sierra told you to clear out your desk?

Quite. Retirement is much harder work than work, sometimes. In addition, I spent about 10 months as Chief Technology Officer at a local dot.com—before it met the fate of so many other dot.coms and ate the big one!

Any hard feelings toward Sierra?

Sierra who?

Where do you see Sierra in twenty years?

Gone. They are already merely a shadow of the company they were. That said, their parent company is producing some good titles, but it’s not the Sierra of old.

Did other game companies approach you after you left Sierra?

Yes, but I didn’t want to leave this area. I didn’t need the work, so it was easy to say no. Then too, I’m not sure they wanted to produce the sort of games I’m good at writing.

Is the "me too" and clone phenomenon a good thing for the gaming industry?

Of course not. But it’s hardly limited to the game biz. Look at movies. TV. Pop music, of course!

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Sprint had corporate advertising in Space Quest 5. Do you think this is an option over going through traditional publishers as more independent gaming houses try to bring their games to the mainstream market?

Sprint also paid us for that mention in the airport in Larry 5. Did I get anything out of it? Hell, no. I did it because I thought product placement in games was

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a crack-up. I think it’s totally ineffective in films, etc. too. Really now: have you ever bought a product just because some character in a movie used it? If you have, you’re a sad case.

Does the world need a Leisure Suite Larry action figure? And if so, what accessories should be included?

Actually my son and I designed an entire line of Larry action figures: the "Inner City Collection," complete with pimps, bag ladies, ho’s, winos, homeless, dumpsters, etc. And whichever one of you figure companies that steals this idea: send me a complete set, okay?!

What is the single most influential advancement that has affected gaming?

The mouse, because it freed up your other hand to do other things!

What is the strangest thing a fan has sent you?

I once received a complete game design drawn on scraps of shirt cardboard with crayons concerning a game that featured multiple ways to murder women with knives. As I recall, the phrase "The blood running down" was used a lot.

Do you get recognized in public?

Occasionally by my children.

Will game programmers and designers ever achieve movie star status? And if so could they handle the groupies?

I’ve certainly had no trouble handling the groupies so far—but that could be because of my lack of hair. No, Scott Murphy (Space Quest) has lots of hair, and he has no trouble either!

If you had everything to do over again, is there anything in your life you would have done differently?

Yes. I would not have signed away the rights to Leisure Suit Larry for that six-pack of beer Ken offered me!

It seems you stumbled upon computer entertainment, hooking up with Ken Williams as Sierra On-Line got started. You admit that you had no experience. Is it because you were a pioneer that you were able to get into the industry with practically no experience?

No, it was because I sat at home for years and hacked away at one of the first Apple II’s until I taught myself to program it, then applied the knowledge I had of education to create an educationally valid product; the years of experience I had as a professional entertainer to understand staging, presentation and timing; the years of addiction to reading and movies to apply to plot and drama; and the training I had as a musician to persevere until I produced games that were equal to or better than anything available at the time. I then sold those games to Sierra. With their widespread distribution, they were able to sell tens of thousands of copies. That’s how I got in!

What advice can you give to someone who wants to get into the process of making games?

Do it. Seriously. Just start making levels and apply for jobs everywhere you can. Be ready to move across the country or the world. Take whatever crappy pay they offer. If you’re not picky, you’ll get in somewhere, if you’re good enough. But do your homework first (see my story above).

Do you keep in contact with your old friends at Sierra?

Of course. I had lunch with 8 of them yesterday.

A thousand years from now, an archeological dig uncovers a copy of Love for Sail. The media covers the find extensively. What headline do they run?

"New Evidence Found of Late 20^th century Humor"

Will Microsoft eventually own everything?

Yes.

Microsoft has waded into the console market with their X-Box. Will there ever be an all-in-one gaming console?

Yes. But no one will buy it because Nintendo will announce a better one.

What games have you played recently?

Surreal Dot Com—Inside the Internet Bubble As It Burst! No, wait; that was really my life!

Besides Super Mario 64, what is your all-time favorite game? How has it influenced your work?

I think it’s obvious: Roberta Williams had the most influence on my work. I loved her games.

Some think that computer games have the potential to become works of art, like a Picasso. Is this elevation possible?

Actually, I first felt that way about Loom. If you haven’t played that game, find it on eBay for $3 and play it. While the graphics may be dated, the story is wonderful.

Some say that a reading an author’s works is a window to their soul and identity. I’ve played all your games. How well do I know you?

Probably better than you think, although not in the way you think. You see: in my games, I’m not Larry, I’m the narrator. All those smart-ass lines and put-downs? That’s me. Larry is just there so I can get a cheap laugh out of you!

Did you watch Survivor at all? Do you see any game potential there?

No. No. No. Truthfully, I watched 20 minutes and was so bored that I gave up. Why waste your time on reality when fiction is so much better structured?

Is the Internet being used to its full potential?

No. But then, neither are you!

Larry is a product of your imagination/subconscious. That being said, there are some striking similarities between Larry Laffer and Larry, the guy from upstairs, on Three’s Company. Freaky coincidence or evidence of time travelers stealing your ideas and sending them to the past?

You know, I watched Three’s Company some, but not enough to remember that character, at least, not consciously. Perhaps there was a connection, although I doubt it.

If you knew you had ten minutes to live, how would you use the time?

Borrowing money.

How would you want your obituary to read?

"That guy owed everybody!"

Are any of the women found in Larry games based on real people?

Based on? Hell, those are real people! Seriously? No, I’m afraid I just made them up, although there were a few that I would have loved to spend a few nights with!

Have the Archie people ever tried to sue you for the depiction of the Jughead, Archie, Veronica and Betty in Love for Sail? Sure, they’re just having some wholesome fun, playing volleyball, but hey, they’re naked!

This brings up the question: wouldn’t the Archies have been a better band if they had performed naked, too?

Anything else we should know before we ask the last question?

Yes.

What is your beverage of choice when pulling all-nighters to make a deadline?

Coffee, strong and black. Coca-Cola, never Pepsi.

Al’s official website: www.allowe.com

Conducted by Omni


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