Legendary Writer, Tom Clancy, also a Games Visionary

Today, the world is mourning the passing of Tom Clancy, one of the most influential and well-known writers of our time. He passed away at the age of 66 in his native Baltimore, and as of this time, the cause of his death has not been released. Although he was mostly known for his thrilling stories of international espionage and terrorism, he also published numerous books on military history. While most people are aware about this, I want to focus on his contribution to gaming.

Back in 1998, games that were advertised on TV were for the most part either kiddie fare or teenage focused action titles. Rainbow Six changed all that. I remember seeing the ad on TV for the first time, shocked that an adult tactical shooter was getting this kind of release. And as a bonus, there was a huge name associated with this game: Tom Clancy. At the time I knew him primarily from movies I had just become old enough to appreciate, most prominently The Hunt for Red October. My Dad was a fan of these movies, so it was a kick for me to see such a prominent name associated with my medium of choice. I tied up the phone-line for most of the day trying to download the demo.

Tom Clancy was a huge popularizer of games. With their rigid adherence to real world tactics and weapons, the Rainbow Six games (and later Ghost Recon) brought a sense of place and a ripped-from-the-headlines feel to games that until that point had been mostly concerned with blasting demons and aliens, and the occasional faceless nazis or communists. His games had a wide appeal; I remember my Uncle used to play Rainbow Six games, putting his police training to good effect.

Original Cover of Rainbow Six for the PC

Rainbow Six is the forerunner of the modern action game. Its DNA lives on, not only through more recent Clancy franchises such as HawX and Splinter Cell, but in Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, and Medal of Honor. Every time you’ve used a heartbeat sensor or agonized over ammunition types, you owe a debt to this game and its ultimate creator.

Today, we will celebrate the life of a brilliant author whose books and movies have thrilled millions. But lets not forget that he was also one of the fathers of modern gaming.