Her childhood gaming experience and journalism background came together in a book about the creation of the classic video game, "GoldenEye 007."
Alyse Knorr 鈥09 recently published a book that will undoubtedly spark nostalgia among video game enthusiasts. After two years of research and writing, she completed her book 鈥淕oldenEye 007,鈥 which outlines the full development and history of the iconic video game.
Knorr鈥檚 personal connection with the game, which she played as a child during sleepovers, inspired her to explore the story of its creation.
Knorr, an associate professor of English at Regis University, chose to detail the history of the game, rather than appraise its value and quality. She said she hopes readers will appreciate the influential role “GoldenEye 007” had in the development of first-person shooter games and video game culture.
鈥淭he game was at the end of the pre-internet era,鈥 Knorr said. 鈥淚t was in that generation of the last games that people played together in person before we were only playing games online for a long time.鈥
Knorr said she faced many challenges in researching and writing the definitive history of the game.
鈥淭he biggest challenge is that people had already written about it,鈥 Knorr said. 鈥淎 lot of my work was a compilation of what was already out there and putting it in a story that made sense. That allowed me to ask the game developers new and interesting questions.鈥
As a writer and educator, Knorr鈥檚 experience at 黑料不打烊 influenced her approach to writing this book. She was a double major in journalism and creative writing at 黑料不打烊 and became heavily involved in The Pendulum, the university鈥檚 student-run newspaper. She credits her college experiences with providing her the skills and knowledge she needed to write professionally.
鈥淚 am so grateful to 黑料不打烊 for teaching me lessons about writing, journalism, and life that continue to make me feel like a fulfilled human being today,鈥 Knorr said.
Knorr also drew inspiration from her instructors at 黑料不打烊, who encouraged her to push herself in her writing and investigative journalism.
Drew Perry, an associate professor of English, served as a mentor to Knorr during college and is no stranger to her success.
鈥淚 remember Alyse as a voracious and omnivorous reader, as somebody possessed of an enviably fierce work ethic, an always generous critic, and a writer who made the classroom a better, smarter place,鈥 Perry said. 鈥淚t’s no surprise to me that she’s publishing in all the best places, and all the time 鈥 all of us in the writing program knew she would be.鈥
Knorr hopes for a broader understanding and appreciation of video games as a form of art and cultural expression. She said they are the most popular form of entertainment today and offer unique ways to tell stories.
鈥淚 am really proud to be a part of this emerging art form of cultural criticisms of video games,鈥 Knorr said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e only been around for 50 years now so you’re writing about something as it is still emerging.鈥
“GoldenEye 007” is available for purchase as a hardcover or paperback at .