Biography:
Rebecca Ann Heineman is an American video game designer and programmer. Born and raised in Whittier, California, she developed a passion for video games at an early age. Unable to afford purchasing games for her Atari 2600, Heineman taught herself how to copy cartridges, allowing her to build a sizable pirated video game collection. However, she quickly grew dissatisfied with this and instead decided to understand the inner workings of the games by reverse-engineering the console’s code.
In 1980, Heineman’s video game skills were put to the test when she competed in a regional branch of a national Space Invaders championship in Los Angeles. Against all odds, she emerged victorious, becoming the first national video game tournament champion. Her triumph wasn’t a fluke, as she also secured the championship in New York later that same year. This remarkable achievement cemented Heineman’s place in gaming history.
After her tournament success, Heineman was offered a writing job for the monthly magazine Electronic Games and a consultancy job for the book How to Master Video Games. Her programming prowess caught the attention of a magazine publisher when she mentioned her reverse-engineering skills, leading to a meeting with the owners of Avalon Hill, a game publisher. Impressed by her talents, she was immediately hired as a programmer, despite being only 16 years old at the time. Heineman made the bold decision to move across the country for her new job, prioritizing her career in gaming over obtaining a high school diploma.
During her time at Avalon Hill, Heineman created a manual for the company’s programming team, developed the studio’s game engine, and contributed to various software projects, including her very own game, London Blitz. However, she eventually left Avalon Hill and returned to California, where she joined Boone Corporation. Working there, she gained valuable experience programming games such as Chuck Norris Superkicks and Robin Hood. This allowed her to expand her programming knowledge across platforms, including Commodore 64, Apple II, VIC-20, and IBM PCs.
In 1983, Heineman founded Interplay Productions (later known as Interplay Entertainment) alongside Brian Fargo, Jay Patel, and Troy Worrell. As the lead programmer of the company, she worked on iconic games such as Wasteland, The Bard’s Tale, Out of This World, and the Mac OS and 3DO ports of Wolfenstein 3D. Heineman also designed several games for Interplay, including The Bard’s Tale III: Thief of Fate, Dragon Wars, Tass Times in Tonetown, Borrowed Time, Mindshadow, and The Tracer Sanction.
Despite Interplay growing to more than 500 employees, Heineman yearned for a return to her small-team roots. As a result, she departed from Interplay and became a founding member of various other video game companies, including Logicware, Contraband Entertainment, and Olde Sküül. Since 2013, she has served as the chief executive officer of Olde Sküül.
Heineman has left an indelible mark on the video game industry through her innovative programming skills and contributions to iconic games. Her determination, creativity, and willingness to push boundaries have made her a prominent figure in the gaming world. Rebecca Ann Heineman’s legacy as a pioneer in the realm of video game design and programming continues to inspire aspiring game developers today.