Paul Norman (game designer)

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Paul Norman (born December 18, 1951) has been a professional musician and composer since 1970. He has been involved with the development of computer entertainment and information since 1982.

[edit] Biography

After fifteen years as a professional touring and studio musician, set out on his first major computer program during the 1980s, Forbidden Forest, to create a movie experience, which relied on 6502 machine language programming. One year after release, Forbidden Forest was selling hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. At this time he completed a second title Aztec Challenge and the first success created a receptive audience. In 1989, Personal Computing magazine stated: "In his very first game, Paul Norman created a classic. The atmosphere is overwhelming and the music score remains one of the best ever made for the C64. "

Europeans seemed particularly fond of the graphic adventure games he was producing. So he pressed on with another moody, movie-like experience called Caverns of Khafka [1]. Though he did not consider himself a 'programmer' type, he did need to do it to make his little 8-color 'films'. His growing expertise with computer languages and their logic made it easier to work on the story and special effects. The popularity of TV's Airwolf and the movie Blue Thunder were an inspiration for the very first helicopter simulator: Super Huey, which sold two million sold copies.

He joined a CD-ROM development team in 1990, acting as script writer, audio and music producer, creator and engineer. After two years as design consultant for Sega, he was contracted to produce audio and video content for a Discovery Channel Software title. In 1995, he became a consultant and contributor on internet projects as well as interim contracts for JAVA programming. In 1999, he produced a complete website for a retail Internet startup, from GUI to database processing, He has spent the last two years developing ideas and methods for a better model of Internet presentations and entertainment.