Ed Boon On Getting Into The Game Biz
June 26, 2006 8:51 AM | Simon Carless
Over at former Shiny co-founder David Perry's site, he's posted a fun Q&A with Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon about getting into the video game industry.
Boon has advice on talking to your mother (yes, _your_ mother!) on why games is a good career: "I would probably try to educate her on the fact that the videogame business is an industry that is bigger than the movie business. I'm guessing that your mother still thinks that videogames are kids-stuff and doesn't take a career in games too serious. I'd probably draw some comparisons in terms of revenue generated by big game titles (GTA) that made more money than most movies ever did."
He also discusses his first ever interview: "I clearly remember my first interview at Williams Electronics in 1986. A guy named Bill Pfutzenreuter was asking me what games I liked playing and I said "Defender, Robotron, Missile Command, Joust". His response was "oh yea, I programmed Joust. I really though he was joking and said "get outta here" and he said "no, really, I did." I was floored as that was the first time I was talking to someone who had made such an impact on what I wanted to do for a living. I still have a hard time with the idea of someone thinking of me in that way." Fatality-ality-ality!
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14 Comments
i am a big fan of mortal kombat i think you should create a tag team tournament for the next mortal kombat game and you could make the guy say the kreate a fighters name like me my name is carnage
Donnie | August 19, 2007 8:44 PM
I love how good MK has gotten, but next time hopefully you'll go back 2 Hara-Kiri and the normal button Pressing fatality i hope u make sum mor MK cuz i cant get enough!!
Joser | August 24, 2007 10:50 AM
I just wanted to know if the fatalities will be the same as they were for mortal kombat : Armaggedon, because I did not like it that way. I would like to see a the old way that the fatalities were made. Thank you for all that you have done for the gaming business.
Spencer Hulin
Spencer Hulin | December 7, 2007 11:14 AM
Dear Edd Boon,
I really enjoy Mortal Kombat. I have played all the games and I really love Shoulin Monks. I also enjoy the bios of the characters. The best game I have is MKD.
I like MKD because of the betrayal the deception in the kombatans and how someone can betray an ally so quickly over power.
Mostly what I like about the game is the family relation ships. For instances Noob Saibaot the brother of Sub-Zero, and Queen Sindel the mother of Princess Kittana. I still can’t believe she is over 10,000 years old. Also I think its kind of cool that the cyborgs in the game used to be part of the Lin Kuei.
Also I would like to know if the Black Dragon Clan & the Lin Kuei are at war with each other. Also I think it was kind of wrong of Daegon to kill his own parents, but that’s deception. Also I did not know that Argus had 3 sons Rain, Taven, and Daegon. I also feel sorry for the cyborgs that were former Lin Kuei. (Cyrax, Sektor, and Smoke.)
Also I am fond of scorpion because of his lifestyle. I never knew Scorpion had a family. It was also very interesting that Melina is tarkatan. Also I did not know that Raiden was Shao Kahn’s brother.
I really think that Mortal kombat has a lot of effect on people’s life. Also I think that if Scorpion and Sub-Zero would put aside their differences they would almost be unstoppable, because Scorpion killed the Dragon King alone by diving through his stomach. Also I want to ask you if Raiden was corrupted by smoke? I just think it was kind of funny that he would try to kill Taven. (It wasn’t Raiden it was Shang Stung transformed into Raiden, because if you look closely Shang Stung did not actually enter the portal to Earth Realm.)
I have to go by.
Your #1 fan,
James P.S pleas send me all the MK comics you can.
MAY THE ELDER GODS WATCH OVER YOU. =)
James ???????. | December 18, 2007 7:57 AM
HI THERE I HAVE PLAYED GAMES ALL MY LIFE AND I LUV RACING AND FIGHTING GAMES FROM 2D AND 3D AND I THINK MORTAL KOMBAT IS THE BEST FIGHTING GAME OF ALL TIME I HAVE LOTS OF IDEAR'S 4 MORTAL KOMBAT LOTS PLUS I WANNA START GAME PROGRAMMING I LUV GAMES WHERE SHOULD I START I READ GAME PROGRAMMING BOOKS BUT I WANNA GO TO COLLAGE WOT DO U THINK PLEASE HELP ME THANKS LEE
LEE "THE CREATOR" ABBOTT | February 26, 2008 10:58 AM
Dear, Ed Boon
one thing i must admit u really know how to make a fighting game.ever since i bought my first system, the sega gen. my first game i ever had was mortal kombat. i fell in luv wit it ever since. one thing i would really enjoy that u could do is make another mk like shaolin monks. i played that game so much it stoped workin and i had to buy another one. it happen twice. me and my friend loved fighting side by side to beating the game. if u could make a shaolin monks two and even better and longer konquest mode i would be the first one in line for it. (THE REAL #1 FAN) STEPHEN FERRELL p.s. can u email me back i need to ask u something important. thanks ED
Stephen Ferrell | September 26, 2008 8:55 AM
I tried submitting an idea into Midway and got turned down. A friend suggest not going to the company but to the producer or creator. I have a hyperactive imagination. You want a storyline from anything in five minutes. I have three Marjor Ideas for you.
Mortal Kombat 8 Endgame
Mortal Kombat 9 Rebirth
and the third is confidential, My appologies. You have my e-mail adress If you are interested please contact me.
Sincerely,
Jessica Rain
Jessica Rain | March 10, 2009 10:21 AM
Correction here is my email address.
[email protected]
Jessica Rain | March 10, 2009 10:23 AM
dear ed boon,
i am a HUGE fan of mortal kombat, but i know a way that can make it even better. JUST AN IDEA IN 5 WORDS, "MORTAL KOMBAT VS STREET FIGHTER," so ya, Please, pretty please make this game. its just not me, its everyone, all of you fans amd street fighter fans want this. I see you also as my role modle. i like to make bloody fighting games like u do. :) I Hope you creat my idea!
My emai "[email protected]" PLEASE REPLY"
I Love MK | March 29, 2009 5:28 PM
to ed boon,
im one of your biggest fans & my favorite characters are mileena & sub zero. i think you should make a mk game were you can either choose a character & pick them from the past or future. anyways..i have ALL! of your mk video games & can you plzzzzz make your next game for wii plzz!! (wii is not my only game system =D)cuz i think fighting games are more creative on wii. oh & think scorpion is no match for sub zero not just cause i like sub zero more. me & my best friend kevin just talk about mk ALL the day at school. & i think you should make more characters in the mk roster. & i kinda agree with spencer hulin, the fatalities in mka (armageddon) are kinda well....more not interesting then the normal ones (NO OFFENCE!!!!!). & PLZZZ TAKE CARE OF MILEENA FOR ME (LOL!)
IF YOU WANT TO REPLY BACK ED BOON JUST E-MAIL ME AT [email protected] bye!
mileena's husband!! | April 23, 2009 8:39 PM
Dear Ed Boon,
I really enjoy Mortal Kombat and thanks for making it.I a real big fan of MK and know alot about it.I love MK and my favorite person is Sub-Zero because he's a great rival to Scorpion,can kill people with ease,and has some of the coolest moves.If you want to reply hit me at [email protected]
-Your greatest fan
mkfan | June 28, 2009 5:48 PM
hey i have a suggestion,is it possible to make marvel vs mortal kombat vs dc universe vs street fighter if u can email me by [email protected]
red head guy | July 12, 2009 5:28 PM
sou fan de mortal kombat deis de quando era criança gostaria de saber sobre o proximo mortal kombat tambem gostaria de ser amigo de ed boon v se ele tode converssar pelo msn comigo tenho algumas ideias de personagens para ele jogo rpg e sei criar personagens ve se ele gosta de uma de minhas criaçoe me adiciona o msn e [email protected]
elton fonseca | January 25, 2010 3:46 PM
Dear Mr. Boon, I am a college student at Westwood. I need to interview you for an assignment in Graphic Design. Please contact me soon, I have until the 4th of February. My email address is [email protected] please reply soon!
David Brown | February 2, 2010 8:04 AM