"Oregon Trail" computer game is now being developed as a movie

By branfont
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branfont

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NORTHFIELD, Minn. — "The Oregon Trail," one of the most successful computer games of all time and a staple for children of the '80s and '90s, is currently being developed into a movie project.

Bill Heinemann says it's hard to find someone these days who hasn't heard of "The Oregon Trail." The computer game he co-created in 1971 at Carleton College in Northfield has sold tens of millions of copies and is in the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

"It's surprising and gratifying and humbling, in a way, that a little thing that I spent two weeks on has become a worldwide phenomenon," Heinemann said.

The idea sprouted when Heinemann's friend, Don Rawitsch, came up with a board game for students he was teaching that simulated 1800s settlers going west on the Oregon Trail.

Computers were in their very early days, and even though Heinemann says he'd only seen "Pac-Man," he sensed an opportunity.

"I said, 'That'll be a great application for a computer,' because you wouldn't have to shake the dice to see what happens," Heinemann said. "What happens could come up and be unexpected."

 

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oregon-trail-movie-creator-bill-heinemann/

  • 2 weeks later...
Grand Master

FloatingFatMan

Posted
Posted
On 02/12/2024 at 01:07, branfont said:

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — "The Oregon Trail," one of the most successful computer games of all time and a staple for children of the '80s and '90s, is currently being developed into a movie project.

Bill Heinemann says it's hard to find someone these days who hasn't heard of "The Oregon Trail." The computer game he co-created in 1971 at Carleton College in Northfield has sold tens of millions of copies and is in the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

Gotta love the "America is the whole world" viewpoint here.  Amusingly, OUTSIDE of America, it's barely known at all...  Hell, the ONLY reason I've heard of it is because I'm into retro gaming and watch a lot of that content on YouTube...

 

Out of curiosity I looked it up on the various lists of most successful games... It's nowhere to be found. :p 

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+LightEco Subscriber²

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On 11/12/2024 at 01:26, FloatingFatMan said:

Out of curiosity I looked it up on the various lists of most successful games... It's nowhere to be found. :p 

Hey, it sold over 65 million copies so far in it's various forms, and that was back in 2011. That's nothing to pass by.

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FloatingFatMan

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On 11/12/2024 at 21:08, LightEco said:

Hey, it sold over 65 million copies so far in it's various forms, and that was back in 2011. That's nothing to pass by.

Don't tell me, tell the people who compile the lists! ;) 

Grand Master

adrynalyne

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 11/12/2024 at 17:03, neufuse said:

probably dont consider it a "game" since it was "Educational software"

Which is funny because the only thing I learned from it is dysentery. Was cool to play in grade school though on big ol 5.25 floppies. 

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branfont

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On 12/12/2024 at 01:56, Dick Montage said:

British: fully aware of this game and the comedy it could provide as a movie if done tongue in cheek.

Check out the following:

 

Grand Master

Steffan

Posted
Posted
On 01/12/2024 at 22:40, Warwagon said:

But, of course, it is.

Someone in the movie better die of Dysentery.

I received an ornament a couple of a years ago as a departing gift from a department I left.

20220808_151214.jpg

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