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Ed Rotberg was the primary designer/programmer for the 1980 arcade game Battlezone which was the first true, first-person 3D video game.  Battlezone is listed as  the #5 game in 1up’s (1up.com) list of “The Most Important Games Ever Made”.  It is ranked as the #12 Coin-Operated video game on the Killer List of Video Games www.klov.com.  It is among the 100 video games chosen to be included the Videotopia Exhibit, an international traveling museum exhibit chronicling the history of mankind's first interactive media.   After its release, Atari was contacted by a consulting group for the US military, wanting a conversion of the game for use as a training device for it’s Bradley Fighting Vehicles.  The original game has been ported to many other systems and included in numerous collections of classic arcade hits, as recently as April, 2008 for XBOX Live.  It has also been credited as the first embodiment of the first-person shooter genre of video games.  Battlezone is also featured in many books of the video game era including Supercade (by Van Burnham) and High Score! (by Russel De Maria and Johnny L. Wilson).

Pro Series Golf,  Nokia N-Gage,  released July 2008

If you've never been a huge golf enthusiast, this small game might just be enough to change your mind. Pro Series Golf combines the basics of playing golf with simple controls and realistic graphics to create an entertaining game.

The controls, however, are deceptive in the way that they simple enough to grasp, but the precision required is astounding, making the courses a real challenge.

The graphics look great, and really push the possibilities of mobile gaming. The physics engine is also impressive, as the movement of the ball when it lands stays true to real life. Even wind plays a factor in determining where your ball lands, as well as the strength of your shot, making every course infinitely variable.

However, yet again the lack of a tutorial means that you are left to your own devices to figure out the controls, which can be pretty frustrating initially. But persevere and you'll find Pro Series Golf is a good game that gives a realistic challenge and is rewarding in the long run.

Oct 23, 2008  www.knowyourmobile.com

 It’s always an honor when Game Industry vets like Rich Adam and Ed Rotberg from Mine Shaft Entertainment contact you for any reason.  These guys worked at Atari when it was on top of the video game arcade world in the late 70’s and early 80’s.  They have the original Missle Command andBattleZone listed to their credits.  Later, Rich also worked on the first versions of John Madden Football and PGA Golf Tour at EA.  Whether as producers, designers, or programmers, these guys did it all contributing to a craft that only a lucky few ever get to make into a career. 

So, obviously, the pleasure was all mine when they asked if I would look at their Tilt-a-Ball game for the iPhone.  A brick breaker game with a twist: instead of a paddle, just use the accelerometer to tilt the device in the desired direction in which you want the ball to go.  With a bubble level tool built-in, use various brick types and special balls throughout the game to advance levels as well as your score before time runs out.  Overall, a simple yet well-executed concept, which you would come to expect from seasoned pros like these.  Price: 99¢

July 17th, 2009 www.appofmyeye.com

 In 1997 Rich Adam was awarded US patent 6,010,403 entitled "System and Method for Displaying an Interactive Event".