Interview with Ron Gilbert (without Ron Gilbert)

In March 2011, I was writing for a video game magazine when I sent an interview request to Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert. I was working on a series of interviews in which various industry veterans would talk about their experiences and work in the video game industry. Numerous, numerous interview requests went completely unanswered. Ron Gilbert responded just one day later and, to my surprise, agreed and he asked me to email him the questions. I was really excited.

Ron Gilbert never responded again. After three months, I sent a politely restrained reminder mail; after another three months, another reminder. At some point I gave up the 3-months-mail rhythm – but until today I send Ron Gilbert an e-mail every year. It has become a kind of ritual: Every year a mail with a revised and updated interview template. For a long time, I puzzled over why Ron Gilbert wordlessly backed out of his interview commitment back then. Admittedly: The questions of the original interview from 2011 (see below) were not particularly special, witty or fresh – but also not soo lousy to remain unanswered forever.

I learned the reason for the sudden ghosting years later in his Thimbleweed podcast, which he published alongside the development of Thimbleweed Park with Gary Winnick and David Fox: Ron Gilbert does not use Windows as an operating system on his computer. And Ron Gilbert hates it, as he put it in a podcast episode back then, when he gets sent “Microsoft file formats” (DOC, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX). I immediately stopped the podcast episode, booted up the computer, looked in the 2011 mail archive and immediately felt addressed:

“Hey Ron! First of all, thank you very much for taking the time for this interview. We appreciate it very much! You find the interview questions as a word document in the attachment. The questions are partly ordered topically, while the text in italics shall serve you as a guideline to show you where the questions are aimed at.”

But enough of the preface, at this point we finally come to our exclusive interview with Ron Gilbert – unfortunately without Ron Gilbert due to my file format glitch. Have fun!


Wall Jump: Hello and thank you very much for taking the time for this interview. Would you introduce yourself for our younger readers?

Ron Gilbert:

Wall Jump: The programmable calculator TI-59 has played a certain role in your life. Do you have any idea what would have become of you if you hadn’t fallen for the gaming business?

Ron Gilbert:

Wall Jump: 20 years ago, 10 people could create a game which is still known today. Nowadays over 100 people create games, of which most are forgotten 2 weeks after release. What do you think about this development? / Do you believe that there will be a rethinking inside the gaming industry during the next couple of years? Or is money always right?

Ron Gilbert:

Wall Jump: How do you see the chances for young creators in the current gaming business? With all these free Dev-Kits and platforms do you think it has become easier to make a name for yourself and actually fulfil your projects?

Ron Gilbert:

Wall Jump: What kind of advice would you give to young creative brains trying to get into the business or standing at the beginning of a possible career? You know, everyone wants you to tell them something extremely intelligent now…

Ron Gilbert:

Wall Jump: Let’s come back once again to your career: You were asked once, if you ever create something again that gets such a huge fanbase like it happened with the Monkey Island series. You answered: “The problem is, you can only do one deal with the Devil and I blew it on a 16-color EGA game.” Isn´t it sad in a way? Don’t you feel sorry that the devil doesn’t knock at the door for a second time? It always seems that you’re completely satisfied, even at the time when you were creating games for kids.

Ron Gilbert:

Wall Jump: Deathspank and The Cave were quite a success. How important are the PSN and the XBLA for you?

Ron Gilbert:

Wall Jump: The Secret of Monkey Island is PI. The Secret of life is 42. What is the secret of creating a good game?

Ron Gilbert:

Wall Jump: Is there anything else that you always wanted to say but never had the chance to?

Ron Gilbert:

Wall Jump: Thank you so much for taking the time for the interview.

This post is also available in: German

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