History Creator / Sierra

* ''VideoGame/{{Shivers}}''

Sierra began to fizzle out in the late 90s, with the decline of adventure gaming (which prompted Sierra to branch out into publishing games of other genres), plus being bought out by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CUC_International CUC International]] (which also bought out [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davidson_%26_Associates Davidson & Associates]], the then-owner of Creator/BlizzardEntertainment, in 1996.[[note]]Roberta wasn't keen on the decision, but Ken believed it was best for the company's future and he himself was being exhausted by his executive role, wanting to return to managing game projects instead. When Davidson began running the show, Ken quickly became disillusioned with his choice due to his lack of say in decision-making at the new company and was constantly butting heads with the more conservative Davidson, who wasn't keen on the fantasy elements of ''King's Quest'' (despite also publishing the likes of {{VideoGame/Warcraft}} and {{VideoGame/Diablo}}) and the more risque projects like ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry'' and ''[[VideoGame/PhantasmagoriaAPuzzleOfFlesh Phantasmagoria]]''. Eventually both Ken and Roberta left the company, selling all of their stock in the process, which was actually a good move considering the account scandal that happened afterwards.[[/note]] CUC itself was bought by a conglomerate named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cendant Cendant]] which had its mitts in hotels, real estate and car rentals - soon after the company was formed, it sold Sierra and other software companies after it an accounting scandal occurred when Cendant discovered that CUC had committed what was, at the time, ''the largest case of accounting fraud in the history of the United States.'' It was bought by Vivendi Creator/{{Universal}} (although after Universal's merger with Creator/{{NBC}}, it became just Creator/{{Vivendi}}), who were cool enough to let amateur game makers create fan games of their series until 2009, when it was merged into Creator/{{Activision}} and subsequently closed down.

Sierra Entertainment, Inc., more popularly known under their former name, Sierra On-Line, is an early game developer founded by Ken and Roberta Williams. The company is credited with various milestones in video game history, such as creating the very first "graphic adventure game" (''Mystery House'', essentially InteractiveFiction with extremely crude line-art drawings), some of the earliest animated games (''VideoGame/KingsQuest''), and implementing beyond PC-Speaker sound into a game (''VideoGame/KingsQuestIVThePerilsOfRosella''). Sierra also was responsible for introducing the Japanese PC games ''VideoGame/{{Thexder}}'', ''Fire Hawk'', ''VideoGame/{{Silpheed}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Zeliard}}'' and ''Sorcerian'' to Western audiences. Sierra's milk and honey days were the mid-80s to the mid-90s: this was the era of [[AdventureGame adventure gaming]], when games focused more on testing the player's ingenuity than their reflexes.

Sierra began to fizzle out in the late 90s, with the decline of adventure gaming (which prompted Sierra to branch out into publishing games of other genres), plus being bought out [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CUC_International CUC International]] (which also bought out [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davidson_%26_Associates Davidson & Associates]], the then-owner of Creator/BlizzardEntertainment.[[note]]Roberta wasn't keen on the decision, but Ken believed it was best for the company's future and he himself was being exhausted by his executive role, wanting to return to managing game projects instead. When Davidson began running the show, Ken quickly become disillusioned with his choice due to his lack of say in decision-making at the new company and was constantly butting heads with the more conservative Davidson, who wasn't keen on the fantasy elements of ''King's Quest'' (despite also publishing the likes of {{VideoGame/Warcraft}} and {{VideoGame/Diablo}}) and the more risque projects like ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry'' and ''[[VideoGame/PhantasmagoriaAPuzzleOfFlesh Phantasmagoria]]''. Eventually both Ken and Roberta left the company, selling all of their stock in the process, which was actually a good move considering the account scandal that happened afterwards.[[/note]] CUC itself was bought by a conglomerate named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cendant Cendant]] which had its mitts in hotels, real estate and car rentals - soon after the company was formed, it sold Sierra and other software companies after it an accounting scandal occurred when Cendant discovered that CUC had committed what was, at the time, ''the largest case of accounting fraud in the history of the United States.'' It was bought by Vivendi Creator/{{Universal}} (although after Universal's merger with Creator/{{NBC}}, it became just Creator/{{Vivendi}}), who were cool enough to let amateur game makers create fan games of their series until 2009, when it was merged into Creator/{{Activision}} and subsequently closed down.

** ''Film/TheDarkCrystal''

** ''The Dark Crystal''

Sierra Entertainment, Inc., more popularly known under their former name, Sierra On-Line, is an early game developer. The company is credited with various milestones in video game history, such as creating the very first "graphic adventure game" (''Mystery House'', essentially InteractiveFiction with extremely crude line-art drawings), some of the earliest animated games (''VideoGame/KingsQuest''), and implementing beyond PC-Speaker sound into a game (''VideoGame/KingsQuestIVThePerilsOfRosella''). Sierra also was responsible for introducing the Japanese PC games ''VideoGame/{{Thexder}}'', ''Fire Hawk'', ''VideoGame/{{Silpheed}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Zeliard}}'' and ''Sorcerian'' to Western audiences. Sierra's milk and honey days were the mid-80s to the mid-90s: this was the era of [[AdventureGame adventure gaming]], when games focused more on testing the player's ingenuity than their reflexes.

Sierra began to fizzle out in the late 90s, with the decline of adventure gaming (which prompted Sierra to branch out into publishing games of other genres), plus being bought out by a conglomerate named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cendant Cendant]] which had its mitts in hotels, real estate and car rentals - soon after the company was formed, it sold Sierra and other software companies (including Creator/BlizzardEntertainment) after an accounting scandal. It was bought by Vivendi Creator/{{Universal}} (although after Universal's merger with Creator/{{NBC}}, it became just Creator/{{Vivendi}}), who were cool enough to let amateur game makers create fan games of their series until 2009, when it was merged into Creator/{{Activision}} and subsequently closed down.

* IconicLogo: The mountainside.

* [[TrialAndErrorGameplay Sadism.]]

Sierra's games are notoriously difficult. Death is [[EverythingTryingToKillYou everywhere]] and springs up at random, and if you haven't saved your game in a while, too bad, you have to start everything all over. The games are riddled with situations made UnwinnableByDesign, and since Unwinnable doesn't mean Unplayable, you often didn't realize the game was moot until you had been playing for hours. Or days. Sometimes weeks.

** [[UnintentionallyUnwinnable/{{Sierra}} UnintentionallyUnwinnable]]

Sierra Entertainment, Inc., more popularly known under their former name, Sierra On-Line, is an early game developer. The company is credited with various milestones in video game history, such as creating the very first "graphic adventure game" (''Mystery House'', essentially InteractiveFiction with extremely crude line-art drawings), some of the earliest animated games (''VideoGame/KingsQuest''), and implementing beyond PC-Speaker sound into a game (''VideoGame/KingsQuestIVThePerilsOfRosella''). Sierra also was responsible for introducing the Japanese PC games ''VideoGame/{{Thexder}}'', ''Fire Hawk'', ''Silpheed'', ''VideoGame/{{Zeliard}}'' and ''Sorcerian'' to Western audiences. Sierra's milk and honey days were the mid-80s to the mid-90s: this was the era of [[AdventureGame adventure gaming]], when games focused more on testing the player's ingenuity than their reflexes.

* MurphysLaw: Some of the ways you can get game overs arise from the fact that some games actually ''allow'' for you to do the wrong thing (for example, the sequence in ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestV'' [[http://tmd.alienharmony.com/rw/sq5/page_7.htm where you have to place Bea in a cryochamber so she can be cured of her illness]]).

* BleachedUnderpants: ZigZagged. They were known for being mostly family-friendly, and their flagship series was no worse than a Golden Age Creator/{{Disney}} flick. Their first big hit, however, was a text adventure game called ''Softporn Adventure.'' Where it zig-zagged? They tried to downplay or bury the original, but recycled most of the plotline and puzzles in a PlayedForLaughs way, and had an even ''bigger'' hit as ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry''. Ken Williams pointed out that most of the people who bought and played computer games were adults, and the company was simply catering to that market by releasing games with mature content and that they were no different from movie studios who released R-rated movies.

Sierra's infamous CopyProtection was a nuisance; their GuideDangIt moments made you want to scream. Though often their puzzles were well thought-out, equally as often they ventured into SolveTheSoupCans territory. And it bears repeating: death and unwinnable situations are ''everywhere''. It's possible that their games existed solely to keep you dialing their 1-900 hint line.

* UsefulNotes/PCVsConsole: Was very far on the "PC" side at its height, though they did publish a few games for consoles late in its life. Its adventure games were also popular enough to port to consoles, though these were done by outside companies with [[PortingDisaster varying results]], which likely only reinforced the opinion of fans that the PC was the superior platform. Ken Williams did admit that his family owned and enjoyed console games. ''VideoGame/KingsQuestMaskOfEternity'' was inspired by ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime''. After the Cendant sale and acquisition by Vivendi, it switched to supporting consoles fully. Thankfully, we got ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'' out of it.

[[caption-width-right:350:Save early, save often, and don't overwrite saves.]]

* BleachedUnderpants: ZigZagged. They were known for being mostly family-friendly, and their flagship series was no worse than a Golden Age Creator/{{Disney}} flick. Their first big hit, however, was a text adventure game called ''Softporn Adventure.'' Where it zig-zagged? They tried to downplay or bury the original, but recycled most of the plotline and puzzles in a PlayedForLaughs way, and had an even ''bigger'' hit as ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry''. Ken Williams pointed out that most of the people who bought and played computer games were adults, and the company was simply catering to that market by releasing games with mature content.

%%* IconicLogo

** [[UnwinnableByMistake/{{Sierra}} Unwinnable by Mistake]]

* BrandNameTakeover: In Russia, point'n'click games are referred to as "Quests", due to popularity of Sierra games in Soviet Russia during the late 80s, and the term "Quest" ("Квест") being much more comfortable to use than "Adventure Game" ("Приключенческая Игра").

* BleachedUnderpants: ZigZagged. They were known for being mostly family-friendly, and their flagship series was no worse than a Golden Age Creator/{{Disney}} flick. Their first big hit, however, was a text adventure game called ''Softporn Adventure.'' Where it zig-zagged? They tried to downplay or bury the original, but recycled most of the plotline and puzzles in a PlayedForLaughs way, and had an even ''bigger'' hit as ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry''.

* BleachedUnderpants: ZigZagged. They were known for being mostly family-friendly, and their flagship series was no worse than a Golden Age Creator/{{Disney}} flick. Their first big hit, however, was a text adventure game called ''Softporn Adventure.'' Where it zig-zagged? They tried to downplay or bury the original, but recycled most of the plotline and puzzles in a PlayedForLaughs way, and had an even ''bigger'' hit as 'VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry''.

* ActionBar
* AdventureGame

* CopyProtection

* EasterEgg

* FantasyKitchenSink

* HurricaneOfPuns
* IconicLogo
* KleptomaniacHero
* LastLousyPoint

* TheMaze

* NoFourthWall

* PlotCoupon
* PointAndClickGame

* SchmuckBait
* SolveTheSoupCans
* TalkToEveryone
* TextParser
* TheManyDeathsOfYou

However, in more recent times, Creator/TimSchafer's success with crowd funding on Website/{{Kickstarter}} has inspired several of the old Sierra teams to reunite under new banners, and thanks to several successful funding campaigns, many of them has started to work on SpiritualSuccessor and [[VideoGameRemake Remake]] projects.

* ''Hoyle's Official Book of Games'' series

* {{Adventure Game}}s, which made up the majority of its line
* {{Text Parser}}s, where the player had to write out all commands, from "PICK UP BOWL" to "OPEN DOOR" (Sierra switched to a [[PointAndClickGame point-and-click interface]] in the 90s.)

Sierra fizzled out in the late 90s, with the decline of adventure gaming, plus being bought out by a comglomerate named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cendant Cendant]] which had its mitts in hotels, real estate and car rentals- soon after the company was formed, it sold Sierra and other software companies (including Creator/BlizzardEntertainment) after an accounting scandal. It was bought by Vivendi Creator/{{Universal}} (although after Universal's merger with Creator/{{NBC}}, it became just Creator/{{Vivendi}}), who were cool enough to let amateur game makers create fan games of their series until 2009, when it was merged into Creator/{{Activision}} and subsequently closed down.

However, in the recent times, Creator/TimSchafer's success with crowd funding on Website/{{Kickstarter}} has inspired several of the old Sierra teams to reunite under new banners, and thanks to several successful funding campaigns, many of them has started to work on SpiritualSuccessor and [[VideoGameRemake Remake]] projects.

* The ''[[VideoGame/ThreeDUltraPinball 3-D Ultra Pinball]]'' series of DigitalPinballTables
** ''[[VideoGame/ThreeDUltraPinball 3-D Ultra Pinball]]''
** ''[[VideoGame/ThreeDUltraPinballCreepNight 3-D Ultra Pinball: Creep Night]]''

** ''[[VideoGame/ThreeDUltraPinballThrillRide 3-D Ultra Pinball: Thrill Ride]]''

* ''[[VideoGame/FreddyPharkasFrontierPharmacist Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist]]''

* ''VideoGame/YouDontKnowJack'' (up until ''5th Dementia'', developed by Berkeley Systems and Jellyvision, published by Sierra)

* BleachedUnderpants: ZigZagged. They were known for being mostly family-friendly, and their flagship series was no worse than a Golden Age Creator/{{Disney}} flick. Their first big hit, however, was a text adventure game called ''Softporn Adventure.'' Where it zig-zagged? They tried to downplay or bury the original, but recycled most of the plotline and puzzles in a PlayedForLaughs way, and had an even ''bigger'' hit as 'VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry''

* ''NASCAR Racing'' (developed by PapyrusDesignGroup)