History Creator / RonGilbert

In the early 1980's, when the UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}} home computer was fairly new, a young college student named Ron Gilbert discovered the potential of the C64's BASIC programming language. A potential for creating games similar to those he had seen -and fallen for- in the arcades as a teen. Yet harnessing the C64's graphical power with the crude BASIC compiler was tedious work; a flexible library of commands did not exist. So Gilbert hacked the nights away to create one. When he finally finished his extension (appropriately named Graphics Basic), it was able to move sprites around the screen and perform other multitasking operations that were new territory on the C64 at the time.

Gilbert promptly sold Graphics Basic to a company named Human Engineered Software and, having meanwhile received his diploma in computer science, started to work there as well. He spent about half a year at [=HESware=], programming arcade games for the C64. None of them were ever released; the company went out of business. Searching for a new job, Gilbert ended up at Lucasfilm Games. While the name of director Creator/GeorgeLucas' company radiated magic and fame in the movie business, the video game department was still small, rather unknown and quite unsuccessful. Gilbert earned his living by doing C64 ports of Lucasfilm [[UsefulNotes/Atari8BitComputers Atari 800]] games. Soon tiring of mere rewriting, he was eager to create. He got his chance in 1985.

Ron Gilbert (born January 1, 1964) is an American computer game designer, programmer, and producer, best known for his work on several classic Creator/LucasArts AdventureGames, including Videogame/ManiacMansion , --the game for which he co-created [[FunWithAcronyms SCUMM]] [[note]] Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion[[/note]], the engine used by all the PointAndClick adventures made during [=LucasArts=]' {{golden age}}-- and above all the creation of the first two Videogame/MonkeyIsland games.

Ron Gilbert (born January 1, 1964) is an American computer game designer, programmer, and producer, best known for his work on several classic Creator/LucasArts AdventureGames, including Videogame/ManiacMansion , --the game for which he co-created [[FunWithAcronyms SCUMM]] [[note]] Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion[[/note]], the engine used by all the PointAndClick adventures made during [=LucasArts=] golden age-- and above all the creation of the first two Videogame/MonkeyIsland games.

** ''Videogame/ReturnToMonkeyIsland'' (Coming 2022) - With fellow ''Monkey Island'' creator Dave Grossman, in collaboration with Creator/DevolverDigital and Creator/LucasfilmGames. [[https://twitter.com/devolverdigital/status/1510995585138147333?t=XkVX1QzitmvOACnWStQnFg&s=19 Confirmed by Devolver]] to pick up where Monkey Island 2 left off, though Gilbert [[https://twitter.com/grumpygamer/status/1511022135191384067 confirmed on Twitter]] that ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' and its sequels are still canon.

Its fate uncertain, Cavedog began cancelling projects. The 3D-Shooter Amen was the first to be given up, Elysium followed. Finally, the last remaining program, Good & Evil, was stopped. It had been the first project that Ron Gilbert had been designing himself after some years of acting as a producer. In November 1999, GT Interactive was bought by Infogrames. On 2/12/2000, Cavedog closed its door. Ron Gilbert left the company.

Since then, Ron Gilbert kept out of the games business for a long time. "It just stopped being fun. So much of the game industry is now about people's egos and making money", says Gilbert, and regrets "fans screaming and swearing at you in e-mail, thinking that you owe them" and "design taking a backseat to technology". Continues Gilbert: "There's a real lack of interest in pushing boundaries. I find a lot of games to be violent, morally hollow games, and there doesn't seem to be all that much effort to change that."

He made his return at the independent development studio Hothead Games, where he worked on the game Deathspank. Previously, he also provided consultancy on a number of adventure game, most notably The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition and Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 1 - Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, two revival games of franchise he was deeply involved with, in 2009. On 2010 he left Hothead Games, as Deathspank neared completion. He later joined Double Fine, headed by former [=LucasArts=] writer/programmer/designer Creator/TimSchafer, to work on ''VideoGamr/TheCave''. Ron would then keave the company and team up with Gary Winnick, founding Terrible Toybox to develop ''VideoGame/ThimbleweedPark''.

** ''Videogame/ReturnToMonkeyIsland'' (Coming 2022) - With fellow ''Monkey Island'' creator Dave Grossman, in collaboration with Creator/DevolverDigital and Creator/LucasfilmGames. [[https://twitter.com/devolverdigital/status/1510995585138147333?t=XkVX1QzitmvOACnWStQnFg&s=19 Confirmed by Devolver]] to pick up where Monkey Island 2 left off, though Gilbert [[https://twitter.com/grumpygamer/status/1511022135191384067 confirmed on Twitter]] that ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' and its sequels are still canon; they're basically an AlternateTimeline now.

** ''Videogame/ReturnToMonkeyIsland'' (Coming 2022) - With fellow ''Monkey Island'' creator Dave Grossman, in collaboration with Creator/DevolverDigital and Creator/LucasfilmGames. [[https://twitter.com/devolverdigital/status/1510995585138147333?t=XkVX1QzitmvOACnWStQnFg&s=19 Confirmed by Devolver]] to pick up where Monkey Island 2 left off, though Gilbert [[https://twitter.com/grumpygamer/status/1511022135191384067 confirmed on Twitter]] that ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' is still part of the canon; whether or not the [[VideoGame/EscapeFromMonkeyIsland two]] [[VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland games]] that followed it are considered AlternateContinuity remains up in the air.

** ''Videogame/ReturnToMonkeyIsland'' (Coming 2022) - With Creator/DaveGrossman, in collaboration with Creator/DevolverDigital and Creator/LucasfilmGames. [[https://twitter.com/devolverdigital/status/1510995585138147333?t=XkVX1QzitmvOACnWStQnFg&s=19 Confirmed by Devolver]] to pick up where Monkey Island 2 left off, thus making everything from ''VideoGame/TheCurseOfMonkeyIsland'' onwards AlternateContinuity.

** ''VideoGame/DeloresAThimbleweedParkMiniAdventure'' (2020) - A free short game made using assests from the the original game.

** ''Videogame/ReturntoMonkeyIsland'' (Coming 2022) - With Creator/DaveGrossman, in collaboration with Creator/DevolverDigital and Creator/LucasfilmGames. [[https://twitter.com/devolverdigital/status/1510995585138147333?t=XkVX1QzitmvOACnWStQnFg&s=19 Confirmed by Devolver]] to pick up where Monkey Island 2 left off, thus making everything from ''Curse'' onwards AlternateContinuity.

** ''Videogame/ReturntoMonkeyIsland'' (Coming 2022) - With Creator/DaveGrossman, in collaboration with Creator/DevolverDigital and Creator/LucasfilmGames. [[https://twitter.com/devolverdigital/status/1510995585138147333?t=XkVX1QzitmvOACnWStQnFg&s=19 Confirmed by Devolver]] to pick up where Monkey Island 2 left off, thus making everything from 'Curse' onwards ''Alternate Continuity''.

** ''Videogame/ReturntoMonkeyIsland'' (Coming 2022) - With Creator/DaveGrossman, in collaboration with Creator/DevolverDigital and Creator/LucasfilmGames. [[https://twitter.com/devolverdigital/status/1510995585138147333?t=XkVX1QzitmvOACnWStQnFg&s=19 confirmed by Devolver]] to pick up where Monkey Island 2 left off.

** ''Videogame/ReturnToMonkeyIsland'' (Coming 2022) - In collaboration with Creator/DevolverDigital and Creator/LucasfilmGames.

** ''Videogame/ReturnToMonkeyIsland'' (Coming 2022) - With Dave Grossmann, in collaboration with Creator/Devolver Digital and Creator/LucasfilmGames.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rongilbert_6920.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Look behind you, a 5" 1/4 floppy disk!]]

He made his return at the independent development studio Hothead Games, where he worked on the game Deathspank. Previously, he also provided consultancy on a number of adventure game, most notably The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition and Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 1 - Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, two revival games of franchise he was deeply involved with, in 2009. On 2010 he left Hothead Games, as Deathspank neared completion. He is currently working at Double Fine Productions, with former [=LucasArts=] writer/programmer/designer Creator/TimSchafer.

He also worked at DoubleFine Productions with former [=LucasArts=] alumnus and fellow ''Monkey Island'' developer Creator/TimSchafer. This game was ''VideoGame/TheCave'', a SpiritualSuccessor of ''Videogame/ManiacMansion'', and was released in 2013.

* ''Videogame/ThimbleweedPark'' (2016) - An old-school adventure [[http://blog.thimbleweedpark.com/ co-developed with Gary Winnick]], another famed designer from [=LucasArts=] glory days.

Gilbert was also co-founder of HumongousEntertainment and its sister company Cavedog Entertainment. His games are generally focused on interactive storytelling. Additionally, Ron founded Hulabee Entertainment with Shelley Day after leaving Humongous Entertainment. He was Creative Director at Vancouver-based Hothead Games development studio.