Laine Nooney Sierra On-Line collection
Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 115.85
This collection contains historic archival materials from former employees of Sierra On-Line, as well as transcripts of oral histories of former employees of Sierra On-Line. Document types include production schedules, publicity information, game proposals, quality assurance programming charts, slides, and other internal documentation relating to Sierra On-Line. The archival materials were the property of Jim Walls, designer of the game Police Quest, and Dale Carlson, a former Sierra executive; the majority of materials belonged to Carlson. The bulk of the archival materials are dated between 1986 and 1991.
The Laine Nooney Sierra On-Line collection is arranged into three series, two of which have been further divided into subseries, with one of those subseries even further divided into sub-subseries. Physical items in this collection are housed in two archival document boxes and one oversized folder. Digital items are located on the internal network of The Strong.
The Laine Nooney Sierra On-Line collection is arranged into three series, two of which have been further divided into subseries, with one of those subseries even further divided into sub-subseries. Physical items in this collection are housed in two archival document boxes and one oversized folder. Digital items are located on the internal network of The Strong.
Dates
- 1980-1993, 2015
- Majority of material found within 1986-1991
Language
The materials in this collection contain mostly English, with one item containing Japanese.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research use by staff of The Strong and by users of its library and archives.
Conditions Governing Use
Though the donor has not transferred intellectual property rights (including, but not limited to any copyright, trademark, and associated rights therein) to The Strong, she has given permission for The Strong to make copies in all media for museum, educational, and research purposes.
Extent
0.75 Linear Feet (2 boxes, 1 oversized folder)
0.371 Megabytes (Digital files) : Accessible on-site at The Strong.
Abstract
The Laine Nooney Sierra On-Line collection is a compilation of company documents, game maps, game pitches, game codes, art, photographs, slides, and oral histories from past employees of Sierra On-Line. Laine Nooney, games historian and post-doctorate researcher at New York University, collected these in the course of her research.
Historical Note
Laine Nooney is a video games historian and post-doctorate researcher at New York University. She is also an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at the Georgia Institute of Technology. During the course of her research, Nooney conducted oral histories with past employees of Sierra On-Line in 2014, while also acquiring the archival materials which comprise this collection.
On-Line Systems was founded in 1979 by Ken and Roberta Williams, later adopting the name Sierra On-Line in 1982. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Sierra released many significant games that changed the way home computers entertained the public, such as King’s Quest and Police Quest. In 1991, Sierra began The ImagiNation Network, a hub for online gamers to connect, play, chat, and post with one another, revolutionizing the home gaming experience well before massive online multiplayer games existed. In 1996, Sierra On-Line was sold to CUC International for a price of $1.5 billion, and a year later, Ken and Roberta Williams left the company.
CUC International then merged with HFS Incorporated in 1997, forming the Cendant Corporation. During the following years, Sierra On-Line restructured itself multiple times to adapt its focus to the consumer gaming market, while also ceasing to be a developer of games and becoming a publisher of games. Eventually Sierra was taken under Vivendi Games, which then merged with Activision to form Activision Blizzard, which is the current parent company of Sierra Entertainment today. Sierra is now responsible for reviving older games of Activision Blizzard, while also working on smaller projects.
On-Line Systems was founded in 1979 by Ken and Roberta Williams, later adopting the name Sierra On-Line in 1982. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Sierra released many significant games that changed the way home computers entertained the public, such as King’s Quest and Police Quest. In 1991, Sierra began The ImagiNation Network, a hub for online gamers to connect, play, chat, and post with one another, revolutionizing the home gaming experience well before massive online multiplayer games existed. In 1996, Sierra On-Line was sold to CUC International for a price of $1.5 billion, and a year later, Ken and Roberta Williams left the company.
CUC International then merged with HFS Incorporated in 1997, forming the Cendant Corporation. During the following years, Sierra On-Line restructured itself multiple times to adapt its focus to the consumer gaming market, while also ceasing to be a developer of games and becoming a publisher of games. Eventually Sierra was taken under Vivendi Games, which then merged with Activision to form Activision Blizzard, which is the current parent company of Sierra Entertainment today. Sierra is now responsible for reviving older games of Activision Blizzard, while also working on smaller projects.
System of Arrangement
Series I: Jim Walls items, 1987-1993
Series II: Dale Carlson items, c.1980s-1992
Subseries A: Company documents, 1983-19911: Production Q
Custodial History
The Laine Nooney Sierra On-Line collection was donated to The Strong in January 2015 as a gift from Laine Nooney. The papers were accessioned by The Strong under Object ID 115.85 and were received from Nooney in one box. Nooney sent transcriptions of oral histories to The Strong in 2016.
Revision Note
The oral history transcriptions in this collection were restricted in May 2016, will not be available for public use until June 2021. [Julia Novakovic, May 2016]
Processed by
Robert Ramos, February 2016
- Carlson, Dale
- Conquest of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood (Game)
- Conquests of Camelot (Game)
- Electronic games -- History
- Electronic games industry -- United States
- Game design and development
- Hero's Quest I (Game)
- Hero's Quest II (Game)
- Homeword II (Game)
- IBM Personal Computer Company
- King's Quest (Game)
- King's Quest II (Game)
- King's Quest III (Game)
- King's Quest IV (Game)
- King's Quest V (Game)
- Leisure Suit Larry (Game)
- Leisure Suit Larry (Video game series)
- Leisure Suit Larry II (Game)
- Leisure Suit Larry III (Game)
- Manhunter: New York (Game)
- Manhunter: San Francisco (Game)
- Murder Mystery (Game)
- Orb Quest (Game)
- Police Quest I (Game)
- Police Quest II (Game)
- Police Quest III (Game)
- Sierra Entertainment, Inc
- Sierra On-Line, Inc.
- Sierra On-Line, Inc.
- Silpheed (Game)
- Space Quest I (Game)
- Space Quest II (Game)
- Space Quest IV (Game)
- Thexder I (Game)
- Thexder II (Game)
- US Sprint
- Video games -- History
- Walls, Jim
- Williams, John
- Williams, Ken
- Williams, Roberta
- Women in Games
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Laine Nooney Sierra On-Line Collection, 1983-1993, 2015
- Status
- completed
- Author
- Robert Ramos
- Date
- 23 May 2016
- Description rules
- dacs
Revision Statements
- 07 March 2024: Revised finding aid to lift restrictions as per donor request, Stephanie Ball
Repository Details
Part of the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play at The Strong Repository
Contact:
The Strong
One Manhattan Square
Rochester NY 14607 USA
585.263.2700
585.423.1886 (Fax)
library@museumofplay.org
The Strong
One Manhattan Square
Rochester NY 14607 USA
585.263.2700
585.423.1886 (Fax)
library@museumofplay.org