The Hunt Valley, Maryland gaming complex

[lord of the mark]

In the beginning was Avalon Hill, which made board games, including some pretty sophisticated war games. A Baltimore firm.

And lo, the board war game industry tanked, and did death spiral, and all played DnD. Yet AH survived, while SPI and others died. And then AH tried to make it big by getting into computer games, including ports of board games. And lo, Avalon Hill died, but first AH begat Microprose (which moved to Hunt Valley, north of Baltimore), and Civ, and all was good. (there was much complexity about AH's death that effected Civ, but that is a different story, my son). And MP did Civ2, and Moo2, and much else that was good. And Microprose begat Breakaway Games(Hunt Valley), and Firaxis Games(Hunt Valley), before MP died. And Firaxis did SMG/SMA, with the help of Breakaway. (Microprose also begat Ensemble, but they left the Baltimore, and went to dwell among the lesser lands) And Breakaway continued the SMG series, while Firaxis did SMAC, and it was good. And lo, it was Sid Meiers SMAC, a Brian Reynolds design, and there was dissension in the land. And Firaxis begat Big Huge Games, which did RON, and it was good, if not great. And Firaxis did Civ3 with Breakaway, and it was good, if not great. And now Breakaway is doing "serious" games for govt agencies and non-profits, Firaxis has done Pirates! and is doing Civ4, and BHG is doing, er, something. And all are in Hunt Valley.

Comments, corrections?

[Apocalypse]

BHG is in Timonium IIRC

[ZargonX]

BHG is in Timonium, approximately 1/4 mile from my apartment Firaxis is in Hunt Valley proper, just up the road. And in between lay the glorious land of Cockeysville, home of... um... nothing, really.

I remember visiting the old Microprose building back in the olden days... got to see Sid Meier's office, which was quite a hoot. And working at the Software Etc. in the old Hunt Valley mall when I was in High School, I waited on the man Sid himself a few times (he was buying educational games for his kids ).

[Dinner]

It's really cool to see how a small group of guys can start one company and end up creating a whole industry in one area. This happened in Hunt Valley as different people broke off to form their own company and it happens all the time in Silicon Valley (which all started with HP). Here in San Diego we have one of the world's largest concentrations of biotechnology companies and it all started with Salk starting to manufacture his polio vaccine her in the early 1950's. One good entrepreneur is worth his weight in gold to a region's economy.

[Urban Ranger]

I don't think AH had anything to do with MicroProse, except both of them were bought out by Hasbro.

[lord of the mark]

Apparently UR is right. So how did Sid end up in Baltimore? Was it a coincidence that it was the town where AH was?

[snoopy369]

Perhaps Hasbro was HQed there? Or he just liked baltimore?

[child of Thor]

Avalon Hill - the name just speaks 'serious simulation' to me not always the most accesable games, but i still think board games are maybe one of the better ways to play a strat game(or computer versions of board games).

Microprose - still brings a smile to my face

Golden days for gaming - shame its all gone now, or just alive as a former shadow of its goodness.

where are the 'Microproses' of the gaming world these days??

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by ZargonX
And working at the Software Etc. in the old Hunt Valley mall when I was in High School, I waited on the man Sid himself a few times (he was buying educational games for his kids ).

This is way cool

Personally, if I had the chance I would love to sit and talk with someone like Sid

I mean not like we got a lot in common except I love playing CIV and he well, would probably look at me and say "now who's Grandpa did you say you were and exactly how am I supposed to know you..from where?"