Bob Bates

Updated: 12/01/2019 by Computer Hope
Robert Bates

Name: Robert "Bob" Bates

Born: December 11, 1953, in Washington DC., USA

Computer-related contributions

  • American computer game designer.
  • Best known for Eric the Unready, Unreal II, and Spider-Man 3 computer games.
  • Pioneer designer of interactive fiction games.
  • Co-founder of Challenge, Inc., which created games in the 1980s for Infocom.

Significant publications

  • Into the woods: A practical guide to the Hero's Journey (2014).
  • The Belly of the Whale: Living a creative life in the games industry (2014).
  • The Game Developer's Market Guide. Premier Press (2003).
  • Game Design: The Art and Business of Creating Games (2001).

Honors and awards

  • Lifetime Achievement Award, IGDA (2010).
  • Person of the Year Award, IGDA (2010).
  • Adventure Game of the Year, Eric the Unready by Computer Gaming World magazine (1993).