When game designer Tim Schafer was interviewed to work at LucasArts, he said he was a fan of their game “Ballblaster.” The interviewer told him their game was titled “Ballblazer” and only pirated copies were named “Ballblaster.” He eventually got the job, and co-created Secret of Monkey Island.

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Tim Schafer

Not to be confused with Tim Schaffer.

Timothy John Schafer (born July 26, 1967) is an American computer game designer. He founded Double Fine Productions in July 2000, after having spent over a decade at LucasArts. Schafer is best known as the designer of critically acclaimed games Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, Psychonauts, Brütal Legend and Broken Age, co-designer of Day of the Tentacle, and assistant designer on The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge. He is well known in the video game industry for his storytelling and comedic writing style, and has been given both a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Game Developers Choice Awards, and a BAFTA Fellowship for his contributions to the industry.

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9 thoughts on “When game designer Tim Schafer was interviewed to work at LucasArts, he said he was a fan of their game “Ballblaster.” The interviewer told him their game was titled “Ballblazer” and only pirated copies were named “Ballblaster.” He eventually got the job, and co-created Secret of Monkey Island.”

  1. Aistar

    I don’t know about USA, but before Steam became the huge thing, if you turned down every programmer or designer for playing a pirated game, you’d have zero candidates left. I heavily suspect this is true for most other countries in the world, too.

    Reply
  2. newtoallofthis2

    I had a friend who interviewed at Dyson. In the Interview he called it a Hoover.

    Apparently the atmosphere notably changed and he didn’t get the job.

    Reply
  3. NotTheBelt

    The Secret of Monkey Island? That’s the illegal version of The Well Known Fact of Gorilla Peninsula. We got another pirate!

    Reply
  4. walkingtalkingdread

    he still had the balls to send in a comic of him getting the job when they asked him to send in his resume anyway.

    something only a genius like the creator of Psychonauts would do.

    Reply
  5. supercyberlurker

    If it wasn’t for game piracy, we wouldn’t have as many game programmers.

    If it wasn’t for windows piracy, we wouldn’t have as many windows programmers.

    If it wasn’t for real piracy, we wouldn’t have so many Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

    .. I think I lost my point.

    Reply
  6. keepingthecommontone

    Sure, but when I was assigned to read and give a report on *Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH* in sixth grade, and instead read a comic adaptation of *The Secret of NIMH,* all I got was snarky corrections from Mrs. Bradley like “You mean Frisby, not Brisby?” and a failing grade…

    Reply
  7. neuralien

    Interviewer: Only pirated copies are named “Ballblaster”

    Tim Schaffer: Look behind you, a three-headed monkey!

    Reply
  8. TooMad

    It is Monkey Island you heathen.

    Reply
  9. TheDeadlySquid

    I’m sure they all had a really hardy laugh at that one.

    Reply

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