Guy Welch collection

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: 2013.welch

Staff Only

The Guy Welch collection contains materials from 1988 through 2013, with the bulk of the materials dated between 1990 and 1998. This collection, amassed by Guy Welch during his time at both Sierra Entertainment and Microsoft, holds game development materials, artwork, sketches, animation cels, published advertisements, magazines, corporate records, concept design documents, ephemera, and more. Additional scope and content information can be found under the “Contents List” section of this finding aid.

The Guy Welch collection is arranged into three series, one of which has been further divided into subseries. The materials are housed in three archival document boxes, three flat print boxes, and six oversized flat folders.

Dates

1988 - 2022
Majority of material found within 1990 - 1998

Conditions Governing Use

This collection is open for research use by staff of The Strong and by users of its library and archives. Though the donor has not transferred intellectual property rights (including, but not limited to any copyright, trademark, and associated rights therein) to The Strong, he has given permission for The Strong to make copies in all media for museum, educational, and research purposes. Intellectual property rights for materials in this collection may be owned by former employees of Sierra On-Line, Inc., or Microsoft.

Extent

8.0 Linear Feet (7 boxes, 6 separate oversized folders)

Additional Description

Abstract

The Guy Welch collection is a compilation of materials featuring two notable American video game companies: Sierra On-Line and Microsoft. Items in this collection include correspondence, sketches, animation cels, artwork, published advertisements, magazines, corporate records, concept design documents, and more. The bulk of the materials are from between 1990 and 1998.

Biographical Note

Guy Welch is an American video game designer and product manager. He began his career in the gaming industry at Sierra Entertainment in 1998. Since 2007, Welch has worked for Microsoft as a product manager within its Xbox 360 division, handling franchises such as Gears of War and Mass Effect. Welch is interested in preserving early video game history and making artifacts available to fellow game historians.

System of Arrangement

Series I: Personal papers, 1990-2013

Series II: Sierra, 1988-2004

Subseries A: Leisure Suit Larry series

Subseries B: Phantasmagoria

Subseries C: Other Sierra games

Subseries D: Sierra publications

Subseries E: Sample corporate records

Subseries F: Sierra publicity and miscellaneous

Series III: Microsoft Xbox, 2005-2022

Custodial History

The Guy Welch collection was donated to The Strong as a gift from Guy William Welch. The papers were accessioned by The Strong under Object IDs 112.1022 (Activity ID 11223); 112.3065 (Activity ID 11227); 119.5393 (Activity ID 14021); 122.64 (Activity ID 14845); and several separate paper drawings under Activity ID 11677. Additional materials were received under Activity IDs 11900, 15321, and 15261. The papers were received from Guy Welch in several shipments, occurring in February 2012, May 2012, May 2013, December 2013, October 2019, December 2021, and December 2022.

Related Materials

For more information on Sierra On-Line and its founders, see also Ken and Roberta Williams’ Sierra On-Line collection, housed in the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play at The Strong. The International Center for the History of Electronic Games at The Strong also holds many computer and video games relevant to this collection.