Alan Emrich, Creator Of The Strategy Game Term '4X', Has Passed Away 1
Image: Wargaming Labs

Writer, board game designer and video game developer Alan Emrich has passed away at the age of 65, we're sad to report.

His death was reported on the ConsimWorld forums (thanks, Game Developer). During his career, Amrich penned multiple strategy guides, founded Victory Point Games, helped establish several game conventions and worked on a wide range of video games.

According to his MobyGames credits, Emrich's credits include Master of Orion (consultant), Tonka Raceway (producer), Conquest of the New World (design) and Castles II: Siege & Conquest ("Privy Counsellor"). He also helped playtest other titles, such as Empire Deluxe, Empire II: The Art of War and Warlords II Deluxe.

However, his contribution to the design of Master of Orion (1993) and Master of Orion 3 (2003) cemented his place in the history of strategy video gaming. When reviewing the original game in Computer Gaming World, Emrich coined the term "4X" in relation to the genre. His feedback would help influence the final game.

Speaking to GameSpy in 2002, Emrich said:

The term '4X' game is one that I coined in the pages of Computer Gaming World magazine back when I was their first strategy games editor. I heard it from my MOO3 co-designer, Tom Hughes, liked it, put it in print, and was very chagrined to see the term '4X' had made it into the gaming vernacular when I read it in an ad (of all things!). The term '4X' means eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. These are the basic elements for every discover-the-world-and-then-conquer-it kinds of games.

[source gamedeveloper.com]