View source for Dave Theurer

{{Infobox person
|name = Dave Theurer
|image = 
|image_size = 
|caption = 
|birth_name = 
|birth_date = 
|alma_mater = [[Wheaton College (Illinois)]]
|occupation = [[Game designer]]<br>[[Computer programmer]]
|known_for = ''[[Missile Command]]''<br>''[[Tempest (video game)|Tempest]]''<br>''[[I, Robot (video game)|I, Robot]]''
|employer = [[Atari, Inc.]]
|spouse = 
|alias = 
}}
'''David Theurer''' is a [[game designer]] and [[computer programmer]]. In 1980, he created the ''[[Missile Command]]'' and  ''[[Tempest (video game)|Tempest]]'' arcade games for [[Atari, Inc.]], considered two of the major releases from the [[Golden age of arcade games]]. Theurer also designed ''[[I, Robot (video game)|I, Robot]]'' for Atari, the first commercial video game with [[3D computer graphics|3D]] filled-[[polygon]]al [[graphics]].<ref>Morph. "Blowing Things Up". Morph's Outpost on the Digital Frontier. May 1994. Mirrored at: http://dreamsteep.com/writing/71-interviews/46-blowing-things-up.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417052238/http://dreamsteep.com/writing/71-interviews/46-blowing-things-up.html |date=2009-04-17 }}</ref><ref>[http://everything2.com/title/Dave+Theurer Dave Theurer], ''During the 80s Atari's arcade division had an unwritten rule known as Theurer's Law, which stated that "No designer gets his/her first game published." It was named after Theurer somewhat perversely, as he was the only designer up to that time to have his first (and in fact every) game released. That game was none other than the illustrious Missile Command, and other greats followed, such as Tempest, I, Robot, and APB.'', Everything2.com</ref>

==Early life==
David attended [[Wheaton College (Illinois)|Wheaton College]] in Chicago initially following a path in Chemistry and then Physics, but with two years to go until completion changed once more to Psychology, earning a degree. He has said that earning the degree had helped him create addictive games by using the same techniques originally used on pigeons.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://diginoodles.com/writing/interesting/blowing-things-up | title=Blowing Things up }}</ref>

David worked for the college data processing center for approximately six months after graduating. After which he found a job as a junior programmer at [[Bunker Ramo Corporation]], a company that built supermarket computer systems. He moved to California and joined [[National Semiconductor]] in 1976. Six months after joining National Semiconductor a co-worker was hired as Manager of Programmers for Atari Games and subsequently hired David without an interview. Theurer cites ''[[Pong]]'' as his inspiration to become a game designer.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://diginoodles.com/writing/interesting/blowing-things-up | title=Blowing Things up }}</ref>

==Atari, Inc.==
Despite not liking the sport, David's first game for Atari was ''[[Atari Football|Four Player Soccer]]''. During the development of ''[[Missile Command]]'', David regularly had nightmares which involved the bombing of nearby towns. These nightmares continued after the game had been completed although their regularity decreased.<ref name=missile-command>[http://www.polygon.com/features/2013/8/15/4528228/missile-command-dave-theurer The creation of Missile Command and the haunting of its creator, Dave Theurer], By Alex Rubens, August 15, 2013, Polygon</ref>  The idea for ''Tempest'' was of monsters appearing from a hole in the ground, a scenario from a movie which Theurer had seen as a child.<ref name=missile-command />

The last game he worked on for Atari Games—credited as a programmer—was [[APB (1987 video game)|APB]] in 1987. He left in 1990 to work full-time on [[DeBabelizer]], an automated image editor, graphics optimizer, and file converter for Windows and Macintosh.<ref>DeBabelizer, the Graphics Processing Toolbox: Reference Guide, Authors:Frank Colin, Dave Theurer, Publisher: Equilibrium Technologies, 1993</ref>

In 2012 Theurer was given the [[Game Developers Choice Awards#The Pioneer Award| Pioneer Award]] for his work on Atari arcade games.<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gdc-awards-honor-missile-command-creator-violent-game-law-ousters/1100-6349120/ GDC Awards honor Missile Command creator, violent game law ousters], ''Dave Theurer being given 2012 Pioneer Award for work on Atari arcade games'', by Eddie Makuch, January 24, 2012, GameSpot</ref>

==Personal life==
On the way to fireworks displays at [[Moffett Field]] on July 4, 1983, Theurer used his [[Porsche 928]] to chase down a hit-and-run driver who had struck Michael McCully, a 15-year-old boy from Los Altos. Michael suffered a severed spine injury and was paralyzed from the waist down. The driver returned to the scene where the [[California Highway Patrol]] arrested him for hit-and-run, drunken driving, giving false information to a police officer and driving without a license. David was praised for his efforts by the California Highway Patrol.<ref>{{cite news|title=Dave Theurer Nabs Hit-Run Suspect|date=July 15, 1983|newspaper=[[San Jose Mercury News]]|url=http://www.atarigames.com/files/cd72dd78191f02ac7dc3c47d99bb6712-19.html|access-date=May 24, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707183328/http://www.atarigames.com/files/cd72dd78191f02ac7dc3c47d99bb6712-19.html|archive-date=July 7, 2011}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{YouTube|41TbGi7u598|Dave Theurer talks about Tempest}}

{{Atari Games}}
{{Missile Command}}
{{Tempest series}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Theurer, Dave}}
[[Category:Atari people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Fergus Falls, Minnesota]]
[[Category:American video game designers]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Game Developers Conference Pioneer Award recipients]]