We are looking for a missing pioneer of video games -apkrig

Apollo was formed in Texas in 1981, developing games for the Atari 2600. Although relatively successful and producing more than a dozen titles, it became one of the first victims of the great crash of the video game industry in 1983. Before that, it happened in the Apollo offices. something quite extraordinary, by which this company made history and among the pioneers of its field. And at the same time, one great mystery was born here.

Her garden is ravaged by rabbits and she throws eggs at them so they don’t steal her carrots.

Gaming companies in the early 1980s hunted for ideas where they could. Even among the fans. Conversely, they often bombarded developers with their title concepts. And so it happened that Apollo hired a young woman of Vietnamese origin named Ban Tran, who came up with some interesting ideas that went beyond the capabilities of the consoles at the time, but were obviously interested in them.

And so the game Wabbit was created in 1982. According to all indications, the first console title with a woman who has a name in the lead role. This character’s name is Billie Sue, and she’s a farmer. Her garden is ravaged by rabbits and she throws eggs at them so they don’t steal her carrots. It may sound a little bizarre, but it’s actually quite a handsome arcade for its time, which is not very different in gameplay from other shooters. Like the space ones.

Ban Tran reportedly had no experience developing games at all, and Wabbit was her debut. She designed and programmed it. It wasn’t so unusual in the 1980s when the gaming industry was just born. It has to start somewhere. However, it was far from common for a beginning female programmer to be able to do the whole game on her own. In addition, witnesses note that developing the Atari 2600 was not easy at all. Some therefore believe that she must have had at least some technical education or other experience. Then it is said to have moved to development on the Atari 5200.

A year later, however, Apollo went bankrupt and Ban Tran did not finish any more games, as far as we know. According to some sources, she may have participated in other Apollo titles, but this cannot be reliably documented. As well as claims that she later joined MicroGraphic Image, which was founded by some former Apollo employees. She was supposed to work on an unreleased version of Solar Fox here.

Ban Tran is a real, albeit unknown, author who has left a significant mark on the history of video games.

From then on, the ground seemed to fall on her. This pioneer is as game historians as Kevin Bunch a Kate Willaert trying to track down and contact. In vain. There are several obstacles that may prevent them from doing so. Ban Tran is reportedly a very widespread Vietnamese name, even in the United States. Identifying the right one is therefore not a toy. She could also move.

Another problem is the fact that women get married and usually adopt their husband’s surname. Or they will divorce again in time. By the way, according to historians, this also complicates the cataloging of their work in databases such as MobyGames. Unlike many other stories that we present in the game myth series, this one is supposed to be based on truth, even if it sounds a bit like a myth. Unless it’s an age-old joke or a modern prefabricated piece, Ban Tran is a real, albeit unknown, author who has left a significant mark on the history of video games.

It could, of course, theoretically be a pseudonym, but her former colleagues looked at her they remember, though only dimly. For example, for the ability to come up with original concepts. It was supposed to exist, even though none of the former employees could bring historians on a specific track. In 2013, Dan Oliver remembered her, saying that no one in Apollo expected much to come up with something interesting. But she surprised everyone by being one of the few newcomers to try to come up with original ideas, albeit unfeasible ones. Maybe something Dan Oliver likened to the GTA series. According to him, Wabbit looks very good, considering that this is the first game of Ban Tran and the situation that, according to him, prevailed in society.

We can only wonder why Ban Tran could not be found. Maybe she doesn’t want to be discovered, maybe these reports just didn’t reach her. After all, almost 40 years have passed since the release of her game. And as morbid as it may sound, we can’t completely rule out the possibility that he may no longer be alive. In any case, it’s a real mystery. Kevin Bunch and Kate Willaert, however, do not give up their search and continue to try to contact Ban Tran or contact someone who could tell them more. Let’s hope they succeed one day.