I was a little hesitant at taking the job at Atari. I had never programmed for a living and I worried it might get boring (building circuits seemed more fun). But I would probably still be in the video game business.

One week before Pitfall! was to be released, I only gave you one life to play the whole game. I was experimenting with that concept as sort of the ultimate challenge.

We were advised that nobody could stop us from pursuing our craft simply because we had honed, or even developed that craft while working at a company.

Our co-founder and company president, Jim Levy, came from a record industry background and understood the marketing and promotion of artists as well as products. So the video game business went from absolutely zero designer credit to something approaching rock star promotion.

I would have loved to have been science-minded enough to be in the caring profession - either as a doctor or nurse or vet.

At the time I finished high school, I was determined to study biology, deeply convinced to eventually be a researcher.

I actually am grateful for Freddy Krueger, because the big surprise to me - with that sort of double punch of science fiction TV series and then the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' phenomenon - was that I got an international celebrity out of it.

Intelligent design, unlike creationism, is a science in its own right and can stand on its own feet.