Not All Fairy Tales Have Happy Endings: The Rise and Fall of Sierra On-Line

On-Line Systems, founded in 1979 by Ken and Roberta Williams and later becoming Sierra On-Line, was one of the first computer game development companies. At one time it dominated the market and gathered thousands of professionals within it, with a huge fanbase around it—still existing to this day. It published games: • Mystery House • King’s Quest • Gabriel Knight • Space Quest • Phantasmagoria • Leisure Suit Larry. But in the end, nothing could save Sierra On-Line from collapse.

Founder Ken Williams invites you behind the scenes to tell the story of Sierra On-Line’s rise and fall. You’ll find successful business decisions, inspiring victories, scandals, conflicts, stories of corruption—and in the finale, the collapse of the company as a market leader in computer games. The audiobook version consultant is Anastasia Kurbatova.