Key Takeaways
- Oregon Trail, a classic game by an eighth-grade teacher from the 70s, is being adapted into a movie with a musical twist by Apple.
- The updated version on Apple Arcade includes improved representation of indigenous people and the removal of stereotypes.
- The Oregon Trail remains relevant after 50 years due to its historical importance and the endless source of iconic gaming memes.
In a wild west turn of events, a classic yet notoriously different computer-based educational game is being adapted into a movie. The Oregon Trail has been scooped up by Apple and being turned into an action/comedy musical, set in the same vein as 2023’s Barbie. Originally created in 1971 by Don Rawitsch, an eighth-grade history teacher, as well as help from fellow teachers Bill Heinemann and Paul Dillenberger, the game’s purpose was to teach schoolchildren about the hardships, history, geography, and decision-making of the 19th-century Oregon Trail, a 2170-mile wagon route in the United States.
Proving to be a huge hit, the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC) followed up on the success of the Oregon Trail with similar titles that included the likes of The Yukon Trail and The Amazon Trail. In 2021, an updated version of the Oregon Trail arrived on Apple Arcade, which was developed by Gameloft, and featured multiple playable characters, but, more importantly, improved its representation of indigenous people in an attempt to remove stereotypes and historical inaccuracies.
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The Creation And Legacy Of The Oregon Trail Game
The Oregon Trail was originally created by an eighth-grade history teacher, and it snowballed into a well-known game with a 50 year legacy.
The Oregon Trail Is Getting Adapted Into a Movie by Apple
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Apple has snatched up the rights to adapt the 1970s gaming classic, the Oregon Trail, and turn it into a full-blown action comedy musical. Comedy pair Will Speck and Josh Gordon are set to direct and produce the film, while EGOT composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the duo behind La La Land and The Greatest Showman, will provide an original score for the film. The Lucas Bros., the co-writers and co-producers behind Judas and Black Messiah, will team up with Max Reisman on adapting the screenplay. The Oregon Trail is considered to be one of the hardest games ever made due to how realistically difficult it was to keep people alive, with characters often succumbing to a bout of dysentery or a cart breaking down because actually feeding the ox a few towns back became an afterthought.
Even though the Oregon Trail is one of the oldest games ever created, it’s still just as important today as it was over 50 years ago. Providing a great source of historical events that can often get forgotten about among the latest must-haves on the market, The Oregon Trail retells the endless cycle of survival that pioneers went through and, even though it doesn’t allow for multiplayer, the decision-making aspect of the game as the party departs on its journey could provide some real key friendship defining moments. However, what the Oregon Trail is largely remembered for today in pop culture is its endless source of iconic gaming memes, especially regarding ones about dying of a certain disease.
Last year, mobile game developer Gameloft announced that the Oregon Trail was heading to the Nintendo Switch and PC. This was great news for those who still didn’t get a chance to play the classic game and a fantastic idea to reach not only a wider audience, but to bring a touch of nostalgia to those who enjoyed it back in the day. As yet, the Oregon Trail movie adaptation doesn’t have a release window as it’s still in early development.
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Every Oregon Trail Game (In Chronological Order)
Oregon Trail is one of the oldest video game series of all time. Here’s a look at every title, and how the series has evolved over the decades.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter