Way of the Warrior

Way of the Warrior is a 1994 fighting game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Universal Interactive Studios for the 3DO. The game, which emulates Mortal Kombat, features nine playable characters, who compete in a tournament to earn their place in the "Book of Warriors". Like its inspiration, the game features characters digitized from live actors as well as round-ending fatality moves. Naughty Dog co-founders Jason Rubin and Andy Gavin, discouraged by their prior experiences with Electronic Arts, took a hiatus from the video game industry until they were approached by The 3DO Company founder Trip Hawkins, who encouraged them to develop a game for the 3DO console. Inspired by the popularity of fighting games, Naughty Dog self-funded and developed Way of the Warrior in a Boston apartment with a cast of friends and family members, using a cream-colored sheet as a backdrop and improvised costumes. Following a financially straining development, Naughty Dog showcased the game at the Consumer Electronics Show, securing a publishing deal with Universal after a bidding war. The game and Universal's publishing deal marked Naughty Dog's shift to professional development, paving the way for future successes like Crash Bandicoot. Way of the Warrior received mixed reviews upon release. Critics praised its graphics and soundtrack, but criticized its controls, gameplay, and lack of depth in the movesets. Sales of the game were satisfactory by 3DO standards, but modest relative to the larger industry due to the console's small market presence.