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The Number One Educational Resource for the Game Industry

Session Name: Classic Game Postmortem: 'Oregon Trail'
Speaker(s): Don Rawitsch
Company Name(s): Rawitsch Consulting
Track / Format: Design

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Overview:

'Oregon Trail' began as a mainframe-based game invented by three prospective teachers in Minnesota. Due to its simulation of historical events, its early use of putting the player into a story, and its unique game model for the time, 'Oregon Trail' became a classroom favorite, first in Minnesota, and then nationwide in the U.S. and beyond as it was converted to the initial generation of personal computers and enhanced over time. Don Rawitsch will discuss the serendipitous invention of the game, its simulation model, how it maintained popularity for a period of over 20 years, and its influence on other educational software. In 2016, 'Oregon Trail' became the first educational game inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame of the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY.

GDC 2017

Don Rawitsch

Rawitsch Consulting

free content

Design

Design