INTERVIEW
Todd Rogers

Marathon gamer, Hi-scorer, Record breaker, Activision and Twin Galaxies spokesperson, member of the U.S. National Videogame Team, Game mag author, Joystick endorser, Life-survivor and more! Todd has many interesting tales to tell...

MT> Tell us how you beat the "perfect" computer simulated score on the Activision game Drag Race? What is the whole story??
TR> Beating the "Perfect Run" was on Activision's Dragster. Activision's designer David Crane had programmed a Computer to perform a perfect run on Dragster so they can weed out the cheaters if there were any. When I submitted my 5.51 run on Dragster Activision reluctantly recognized that score and to my knowledge at that time I had no idea my score submission was under scrutiny. The reason why was that perfect run that David Crane programmed into the computer was 5.54 they had a way to simulate what they thought was the most possible fastest time. It would be by maxing all of the gears by shifting and not redlining at any point nor blowing an engine.

So when Activision called me on that eventful day it was sort of an ominous feeling, I remember it to this very day. Jan Marsella called me and she wasn't in her normal cheerful voice but she had more of a serious tone. She then began to ask me how I did my Dragster run I explained to her how I performed my shifting, she then asked me to explain once again in more detail EXACTLY how I shifted. So I repeated my shifting technique Jan said say it slower and I did but when I said it slower I started to think I was on a speaker phone. Once I got to the point of "I engage the clutch while the timer counts down till -0-"Jan said "You do…Oh that's wonderful that is really great news" at that point I still had no idea why all the mystery.

She then began to tell me why she had to be so serious and explained what David Crane had programmed, David never put in a provision in the program that engaged the clutch on the count down his program waited in -N- Neutral till -0- then it popped the clutch to first gear which gave the computer a slower run of a 5.54. To this very day I am the "ONLY person officially" to have beaten Activision's "Perfect Run" by beating their computer with my 5.51.

MT> Please describe your involvement at the 1982 Chicago Consumer Electronics Show (CES)?
TR> Well the answer to that question of my involvement at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in 1982 is Activision had the local Media Chicago's ABC channel 7 film my High School graduation and then film me at the (CES). I was a B+ student ranked 12 out of 453 students, they wanted to focus in on that I played video games for hours and yet still maintained that B+ grade rank.

I was submitting high scores to Activision since early 1980 you know the ones, Laser Blast, Dragster, Skiing, and Stampede. So in 1982 Activision decided to see if I was the real deal and at the (CES) where they showed off there video software in those days "NOT open to the public" I proved my self over and over again in those 4 days. So thus began the partnership between myself and Activision.

Activision was so happy with what I had to offer them that not only did they pay me for demonstrating there games at these (CES) events but they referred me to other companies as their High Score mascot for giving my gaming expertise.

MT> Joystik Magazine was and still is one of my favorite classic gaming magazines. Tell us about your contributions to Joystik Magazine.
TR> Joystik Magazine was one of my favorite companies to work for. They were one of the referrals by Activision and the classic book "How to Master Home Video Games" by Tom Hirschfield. Consumer Guide Limited was the parent company of Joystik and I was contacted by Jim Gorzelany and Mathew White to do a segment on the top 50 video games. They liked my slant so much they offered me a steady position with their magazine in doing video gaming reviews. I met such people like Consumer Guide owners Mr&Mrs Weber, The Centipede Champion at that time Eric Ginner, Video Game Designer Eugene Jarvis and Frank Zappa's daughter MoonUnit Zappa.

MT> What endorsement offers have you accepted? Have you denied any such offers?
TR> Some of the endorsements that I had accepted were Suncom's joysticks, The Slick Stick, The Star Fighter and the Unbreakable Tac2 which really wasn't unbreakable. I broke it during a game session of Decathlon, I told the designers at Suncom of my findings and needless to say they were not happy with my results.

I had declined endorsing a Joystick from Playboy/Playgirl Enterprise; since I had an affiliation with Barbie Benton the people at Playboy had this strange idea. The joystick idea was in the shape of a penis, pink and everything I sort of chuckled and said NO THANKS even though the money was tempting. I can see me now playing Decathlon with that so called stick…NOT…

MT> You have promoted several videogame contests over the years. What are the more interesting anecdotes to tell or memorable moments from partaking in these events?
TR> There are really so many funny moments but I think one of the most memorable ones was in 2002 at the Mall of America show. I was sharing a hotel room with Arcade legend Dwayne Richard, well we had to be at the opening ceremonies at 9am sharp to help Billy Mitchell and Walter Day do the set up of the show and to do media interviews.

I woke up and usually no matter where I am at I turn on the weather channel to see what the weather is going to be like, since I'm also a storm chaser. Well I noticed something odd….REAL odd it was 10:30am and I knew we had to be at the show at 9am. So I immediately woke Dwayne and said SHIT we are late ….. we are VERY late for the show. Dwayne said in his Canadian accent "No worries Todd It's only 8:30…. Yah we got a half hour ay!!! I said Ummm look at the TV its 10:30am on the weather channel and that's local time here…So Dwayne said "Ay I must have set the clock to Canadian-Pacific Standard time from my watch Ay" So needless to say we were conventionally 2hrs late because after all we still had to freshen up and catch the shuttle. Walter was going crazy at the thought that we were so late and wondered why so after telling him he laughed in the usual Walter Day way.

Well it didn't end all there then next day one of Walter's companions/helpers was switched over to Dwayne and my room. This guy must have been bugging Billy Mitchell so I guess Walter thought he would be better off with us. The next morning I look at the clock again and I'm starting to worry because the guy that Walter had bunk with us has been in the shower for 40 minutes and it's already 20 till the hour…..What the hell do you wash that takes 40 minutes…? So I bang on the door for the 5th time and say…HEY we are going to be late hurry up in there. As it happens this guy got out in just enough time to make it so I had NO way to dry my long hair and to be out side for the bus and the bus only runs at quarter till every hour ….. so I had to wait till the next departure which was an hour later…..So I was late 2 days in a row at the Mall of America show.

MT> Can you rattle off a list of games that you conquered of which the original game designers and programmers couldn't touch your high score?