One genre of primary source in game history and criticism is game creators’ writings: memoirs, interviews, and design perspectives. Among the memoirs is Sid Meier’s Memoir!: A Life in Computer Games, written by Meier and Jennifer Lee Noonan. Meier created many strategy games and series, among the latter the “Civilization” series, and his detailed memoir is a valuable source. Richard Garriott’s autobiography Explore/Create: My Life in Pursuit of New Frontiers, Hidden Worlds, and the Creative Spark, co-written with David Fisher, describes his experiences as a computer game pioneer and creator of the “Ultima” computer adventure game series. Also valuable is Mat Bradley-Tschirgi’s Simply the Best: Interviews with Video Game Designers, Composers, and Scofflaws. Included in Bradley-Tschirgi’s book are first-person accounts of topics such as working within technical limitations and creators’ experiences with, and inspiration from, other games. Some books by game critics and scholars mix the authors’ own formative game experiences with interviews, research, and analysis. One example is Andrew Ervin’s Bit by Bit: How Video Games Transformed Our World, in which the author discusses notable video games and their intersection with his own life. A similar work, Tom Bissell’s Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter, mixes the author’s personal experiences with games with observations on game design, addiction, and the power of game storytelling. Depending on the researcher’s approach, combining critical game research and subjective experiences may compromise the objective of the observations and analysis or it may provide useful context. Many such works are somewhere along this spectrum.
