Dani Bunten (and M.U.L.E.) in the Hall of Fame

[Falconeer]

I am breaking my loose self-imposed rule and sneaking out of the MMO board just for this great news.
I am so happy.


http://www.joystiq.com/2007/01/24/m-u-l-e-designer-chosen-for-aias-hall-of-fame/

M.U.L.E. designer chosen for AIAS Hall of Fame

Posted Jan 24th 2007 3:55PM by Ludwig Kietzmann
Filed under: Culture, PC, Retro
Populated by such luminaries as Trip Hawkins, Shigeru Miyamoto and Will Wright, it's a true wonder that the Hall of Fame, deep within the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, has yet to produce a wildly innovative game where you vigorously rub shoulders for points. Perhaps the costly peripheral required is holding things up, or perhaps it's the fact that Dani Bunten is set to disrupt the current line of connected shoulders.

Though Dani (also known as Danielle Berry, previously known as Dan Bunten) passed away in 1998, the AIAS has decided to induct her into their Hall of Fame. Gamespot reports that the honorary Ahyeehuss achievement award will be accepted by none other than Will Wright during February's D.I.C.E. summit and should serve to highlight some of Bunten's cherished classics.

Those include Modem Wars, The Seven Cities of Gold and 1984's M.U.L.E., which is quite adeptly described by its packaging as "a game in which up to four players attempt to settle a distant planet with the so-called help of a mule-like machine they all learn to hate." Good times.

She changed my videogaming life. I  her.

[Miasma]

also known as Danielle Berry, previously known as Dan Bunten

I'm assuming there is a story behind that?

[Nebu]

From the wiki

After his third marriage failed, Bunten, who had until then been living as male, transitioned to living as a woman. He underwent sex reassignment surgery in November 1992 and later kept a lower profile in the games industry.

Who knows how accurate that is.

[Falconeer]

From the wiki

After his third marriage failed, Bunten, who had until then been living as male, transitioned to living as a woman. He underwent sex reassignment surgery in November 1992 and later kept a lower profile in the games industry.

Who knows how accurate that is.

It's accurate.
Still, that wasn't the point of the article.

[Nebu]

It's accurate.
Still, that wasn't the point of the article.

Miasma asked.  Why are you so defensive about everything?

[Lantyssa]

Yay Dani!

This made my day, thank you.

[Sky]

I used to love Seven Cities of Gold.

[WayAbvPar]

I used to love Seven Cities of Gold.

I would still play an updated version of it. Heart of Africa too. I think those two games are where I got my Explorer love.

[Falconeer]

Why are you so defensive about everything?

No, I am sorry. I am not defensive, it's just the "language barrier".
Plus, if any, I was defensive to Miasma, not you :)

EDIT: And now I am a heel tag team champion wrestler from the early nineties (see avatar). I have to be aggressive! Rawr!

[geldonyetich]

Yep Dani Bunten is the awesome.  Another one of Dani Bunten favorites was Modem Wars.

I get a feeling she'd still be around if the sex change wasn't performed though.  Playing with hormones: bad idea.  Having read some of her final work, she said she couldn't recommend it due to massive social impact.

Another favorite developer of mine I've been checking up on lately was Paul Reiche III.  Archon, Mail Order Monsters, Starflight.  Paul's still alive, apparently runs Toys for Bob.

[Trippy]

Yep Dani Bunten is the awesome.  Another one of Dani Bunten favorites was Modem Wars.

I get a feeling she'd still be around if the sex change wasn't performed though.  Playing with hormones: bad idea.

Or maybe it would've helped if she wasn't a chain smoker and got lung cancer which killed her.

[geldonyetich]

De ja vu - did we cover this before?

[Tebonas]

Seven Cities of Gold was one of my first "Oh wow" games. Good for her. There was not one game I know from after he became a she. Was that really such a career destroying move in the gaming industry?

[Falconeer]

Another favorite developer of mine I've been checking up on lately was Paul Reiche III. 

Uhmm.. we should do more than just a pro wrestling tag-team apparently...

[Sky]

Seven Cities of Gold was one of my first "Oh wow" games.

It was one of my first 'Oh shit!' games.

Oh shit....war drums!

Actually, I was trying to think of SCoG the other day when I was talking about great exploration games (probably spurred by the mmo thread). I couldn't remember which game had all those cool notifications "You have discovered the mouth of a great river". I was thinking maybe one of the early Sid games...but it was SCoG. Damn that was a great game, ahead of its time.

[Lantyssa]

I get a feeling she'd still be around if the sex change wasn't performed though.  Playing with hormones: bad idea.  Having read some of her final work, she said she couldn't recommend it due to massive social impact.

Sorry Dani, I cannot let this go on in your celebratory thread.  Some education needs to occur...

Playing with hormones did not kill her.  I do not know a single transsexual for whom hormones did not improve their psychological health.  Yes, playing with hormonal levels is dangerous (see my objections regarding treating babies in Politics), but that is why one does this under medical supervision.

It is a choice between living a lie and hating oneself for every moment of existence or doing something about it.  The process takes years, the costs are astronomical, medical and psychological support is pathetic, and there is a significant chance of losing everything one holds dear -- family, friends, one's home, one's employment.  One has to learn how to socialize in a way they have no experience in and decades of habits to break.  Not passing, which is common during the transition and for some never comes, is an additional burden for someone who just wants to be a normal guy or gal.

For a transsexual it is frequently do or die.  Of the living, a third have attempted suicide [recent UK study, I'll find the reference if you really want it].  The "successful" ones have been estimated as high as 40% of the total TS population.  This isn't a little bump in the statistics, it is a glaring sign this population has enough difficulties they would rather give up than continue fighting for a better life.

That is today when there is a lot more understanding about the issues.

A successful transition only alleviates gender issues (which may still have an influence; psychology is fun!).  Nothing guarantees a happy life for anyone in general, and trying to deal with both can be crushing.  I'm not surprised she was a chain smoker.  It's hard enough to quit when things are all going great.  The games industry is rough.  Being a woman in it was likely tough enough without being transsexual on top of it.  Gods know what else she had happening in her life.

Now Geldon, if you'll please stop talking about subjects you lack any knowledge about, we would appreciate it.

[HaemishM]

You could have just said, "Geldon, stop being fucking retarded." But yours was a good post.

[Lantyssa]

He wouldn't have gotten the point had I only said that.

[HaemishM]

You've made the mistake of thinking he'll ever get the point at all.

[WayAbvPar]

Now Geldon, if you'll please stop talking about subjects you lack any knowledge about, we would appreciate it.

Why would he stop now?

[Paelos]

You people are too easy. Stop making this thread about what it shouldn't be over a two-bit troll.

Good on her for making it into the Hall of Fame. It's a dubious honor IMO because it's a hall of fame for gaming development, which is sort of akin to the hall of fame for curling or something, but recognition is good for those that are great at what they do.

[Llava]

This sucks. I have a joke I want to make, but I don't want to offend anyone. But it's not funny if I preface it with "This is only a joke" or anything like that.  In fact, I've ruined it by posting this.

I believe Signe said it best when she said, "Damn it."

[Bunk]

M.U.L.E. will permanently reside in my top five greatest video games ever list. As to the rest of this thread - I didn't know Dani was transsexual, nor do I care. She made some damn fine video games and deserves the recognition. Too bad it had to be post-houmously (sp?).

[Lantyssa]

She did receive a lifetime achievement award shortly before her death, so hopefully she knew people appreciated her work.

[eldaec]

MULE is cool and everything. And I'm all in favour of MULE threads because they automatically confer ++greek_cred on any forum....

But wtf is an AIAS Hall of Fame, and why would we care that some PR bunnies got together to rack up expense accounts and put someone in or out of it?

[Furiously]

You people are too easy. Stop making this thread about what it shouldn't be over a two-bit troll.

Good on her for making it into the Hall of Fame. It's a dubious honor IMO because it's a hall of fame for gaming development, which is sort of akin to the hall of fame for curling or something, but recognition is good for those that are great at what they do.

This post makes baby Furiously smile.

[WayAbvPar]

Are you sure it's not just gas?

[Hokers]

I remember enjoying playing seven cities of gold for a longer period of time than I enjoy most games made since.  Thank you Dani.

[Arnold]

M.U.L.E. will permanently reside in my top five greatest video games ever list. As to the rest of this thread - I didn't know Dani was transsexual, nor do I care. She made some damn fine video games and deserves the recognition. Too bad it had to be post-houmously (sp?).

IMO, M.U.L.E., closely followed by Ultima Online, is the best multi-player computer game of all time.

[Yegolev]

But wtf is an AIAS Hall of Fame, and why would we care that some PR bunnies got together to rack up expense accounts and put someone in or out of it?

It is analogous to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, so you should not care much.  If you are bored, you can google "aias capcom".