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JULY 2004
 A
CHAT WITH RANDY BEVERLY
(cont'd from
1)MC: There is
just a continuous buzz about wireless now and upcoming
consoles. How do you stay current on next generation
technologies?
RB: If I’m
not working on a project which endeavors to utilize
these technologies, I stay current by speaking with
those involved directly in working with them, or working
on projects which involve them. I also read as much
information as possible regarding these technologies
from a variety of resources.
MC: When you
were with EA, you worked as a designer and producer on
Maddens 97-2000. What was it like to work with
John and Joe Madden and why do you think these games did
so freakishly well? Timing? Quality? How much did John
Madden’s image play in the series’ success? With the
same timing and quality do you think a Ditka or a
Parcells would have done as well?
RB: John
Madden, the man, is timeless. I had a great time working
with John and Joe Madden at their studio, Goal Line
Productions in Pleasanton, California. I respect John
Madden a great deal, given our histories – we had
crossed paths when I was much younger. He’s an icon to
American Football and to the sports world in general.
Understanding what his world was like when he was an
active coach, and prior to the creation of the video
game, became an aspect that refocused the product. One
of my goals in design was to reflect the world of John
Madden, the football coach – not just Madden, the
broadcast announcer. Many people don’t realize that John
Madden could quite possibly be coaching any given
current NFL team in real life. He’s that knowledgeable
about the game. And many NFL coaches and general
managers will tell you the same thing, as they speak
with him when they have the opportunity. Working
directly with John and Joe Madden to translate the
nuisances and realities of the true game of NFL football
was a pleasure and something which I will always be
proud of doing. It meant a lot to me, given my own
background. During the time I worked with EA and John
Madden, the game moved out of the world of Techmo-like,
make-believe gameplay and into the world of a true NFL
sports simulation product, to include authentic plays
and play styles to reflect the NFL as it was in real
life. This is what core Madden video gamers wanted and
we were successful at delivering this to them. I believe
this aspect, combined with the visible interests of
current NFL athletes and coaches who I contacted
regularly for contributions to the actual product, also
contributed greatly to the success of the title as a
whole. This clearly became visible within the Madden
’98 title – the first true NFL simulation.
Given the same quality and timing of hypothetical
products going head-to-head with Madden, I’m not
convinced that a "Ditka" or "Parcells" title would not
have done as well. Each case is different. The edge that
Madden has is his own image as a successful and popular
championship coach who left the game as a winner on-top
of the world, combined with a seemingly timeless
visibility within that same world he enjoys now as a
popular broadcast announcer and product endorser. He’s
done more to stay visible and successful than any other
coach in retirement, and this has made all the
difference in the world. Madden is active whereas most
other retired coaches – aside from Joe Gibbs who just
came out of retirement this year and has been visibly
involved in NASCAR racing since his championship days as
a Redskins coach – simply leave the game, and much of
the world that comes with it, behind them.
MC: Childhood
obesity is in the news almost every day and among the
usual suspects, along with "super size" meals, vending
machines in school, and television, are video games. I’m
guessing you don’t get to be a Team Co-Captain on a Rose
Bowl winning team, being an out of shape kid. Were you
an avid gamer growing up? Do you think games are to
blame? Do you think games could help play a role in
solving the problem?
RB: Melanie,
I can’t tell you how many times my mother would tell me
that anything in excess would be bad for me. I’ve been a
gaming addict and competitor since childhood. I loved to
play all kinds of games, whether they required physical
participation or video participation. And I ruled the
nearest arcades around that hosted games like Missile
Command, Robotron, or Altered Beast.
Unfortunately at the time, the amount of time I spent on
coin-ops was directly relevant to the amount of quarters
that I had saved and this saving was also relevant to my
father’s understanding of just what was done with the
last savings I had earned. I had to mask my adoration
for coin-op games until the AS 2600 arrived in my home.
I look at some of the things that happen in the lives
of today’s younger generation and much of it seems to be
common sense – or lack thereof. Visual reinforcements of
deviant behaviors upon people who are already jaded is
not going to add value to their lives or help them
suddenly become quality people – doesn’t matter what the
conduit is: television, video games, etc. And attempting
to sue McDonald’s, or any other persons or entity for
that matter, for one’s own greed is a phenomena that I’m
not quite sure I understand yet. I guess through all of
this, developing my mind while using the knowledge
gained thus far, along with the creative aspects of what
has now become my profession have been the single-most
intangible elements that remain with me. My activities
in a competitive, physical, athletic world are no longer
in the forefront of my goals and aspirations as an
individual.
As an All-American athlete in two sports, I didn’t
get to be that way by not taking care of myself or by
wondering where the closest Twinkie was to my own
proximity while in and out of TV comatose. I dedicated
myself to my passions and to those things and people in
life which were important to me.
MC: In at least
two respects, you are living many a man’s (or woman’s
for that matter) dream – you don’t just make games, you
make games about sports. I would guess that watching
football on the weekend with your pals, for example, is
also part of your job. What gets you inspired? Is it
watching sports? Or movies? Or books?
RB: My
inspirations are really not much different than others.
I’m inspired by monumental achievements and the people
who accomplish them. People like Lance Armstrong and
Jackie Robinson are inspirations to my own life. I read
constantly, see movies when I can, and I’ve recently
reduced my sports-watching down to championship games
only, across all sports, unless I happen to be working
on a specific game which needs the attention of a full
season’s worth of watching. This wasn’t always the case
though.
MC: If you could
narrow your success down to three key elements, what
would they be?
RB: Really
the same as they were when I was an athlete:
Competitiveness – I want only the best and will also
give it. Conditioning – although much more of a
mental nature now as opposed to physical, and
Resourcefulness – worthwhile results come from
experiences, preparation, hard work, and careful
planning. Those are the three primaries. I must also
point out that being one of a handful of people in this
industry who’s actually ever really played a key role on
a true championship team, I’m also very familiar with
the term "teamwork" and what the true definition of
being a "teamplayer" means. And it takes experiences
like having a role on a winning team to gain insight and
understanding of these concepts and to apply them daily.
These qualities are equally important to me in my work
environment as well.
MC: Finally,
you’ve got a sort of "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" family
history. While I thought my friends would
be most interested in the fact that your first cousin is
Oprah’s beau, Stedman Graham, that interest was lost in
the dust when they found out who your dad is and what he
did and in which historical game he did it. Who is your
dad?
RB: I think
it’s kind of funny that most people don’t know that
Stedman was a professional basketball player before he
settled-down in Chicago with Oprah. It’s almost as if he
didn’t really exist, pre-Oprah. I used to spend a lot of
summers with him and the rest of the family years ago.
My father is Randy Beverly. He was a Defensive Back for
the New York Jets, San Diego Chargers, and Boston
Patriots back in the ‘60s and ‘70s and is still active
as an NFL Alumni. He was a member of the Super Bowl III
Champions, the New York Jets. And in that game, he had a
record-setting two interceptions. It was a fabulous day
for him and for our family as well. And there’s plenty
of memorabilia around the house which doesn’t allow us
to forget many of the times in our lives – his or mine –
like those we’ve shared as a family. Thanks, Melanie.
Note: Randy may
be contacted directly at
randybeverly(at)verizon(dot)net
AUTHOR
BIO
Since 1997
Melanie Cambron has been recruiting for game industry
leaders such as THQ, Rockstar, and Sony. Featured in
such books as Game Design: Secrets of the Sages,
Game Creation and Careers, The Fat Man on Game
Audio, Get in the Game! Careers in the Game
Industry, and Secrets of the Game Business
for her game industry knowledge, she also wrote the
foreword to the successful book, Game Programming
with Direct X 7.0 and its follow-up. Melanie is a
frequent guest speaker at universities and high schools
on the game development industry, and is frequently
interviewed by major media such as the Dallas Morning
News for her industry expertise. Having been a
moderator and panelist at e3 and GDC, she has also
served as a consultant to the City of Austin's
Interactive Industry Development Committee. Learn more
about the "Game Recruiting Goddess" at
www.melaniecambron.com
or contact her directly at
melanie(at)melaniecambron(dot)com
This interview has been
edited since first publication
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