Deer Hunter

Development

Originally called Deer Hunt, Deer Hunter was conceived by a Wal-Mart buyer, and was contracted to Sunstorm by WizardWorks. The game was expected to be a throw-away, bargain-bin type title. Surprisingly enough, the original concept of the game was simply an arcade-style shooting gallery in which the hunter couldn't even move around in a map view. However, by pushing for more realism and an added map view, the programmers managed to convince the company owner to allow a more simulation-oriented title, but were given no more time to do so, as the game needed to be released by the start of the deer hunting season.

The entire game was developed by three relatively inexperienced programmers. One was a college intern, for another it was his first project, and the lead only had one other game to his credit. A single part-time artist created all the art, assisted by a programmer, who also did all the voice-overs as well. The entire game was finished in about 11 weeks and for around $75,000.

Awards

• GameStar (Germany)
  • Issue 12/1999 - #99 in the "100 Most Important PC Games of the Nineties" ranking