Prince of Persia: Filmed in a Parking Lot

Creating a hit video game in the 1980s required ingenuity. There was no professional animation software. To make the character move realistically in *Prince of Persia*, designer Jordan Mechner used a simple solution: he videotaped his brother David running, jumping, and climbing in a parking lot. He then traced the movements, frame by frame, to program the game. The process was entirely self-taught. Programmers learned from magazines and shared tips with each other. To publish a game, you mailed a floppy disk to a company, similar to submitting a book manuscript. While studying at Yale University, Mechner sent his first game, *Deathbounce*, to publisher Broderbund. It was rejected. However, his next submission, *Karateka*, was accepted. This early success paved the way for his iconic project, inspired by the adventurous spirit of films like *Raiders of the Lost Ark*.