Ever wonder what inspires us folks at QSI to make "games that stand out from the crowd"? We thought we would give you some insight into what was going on in our heads while we were working on MOO3, Full-Spectrum Command and Cashflow 101 – as well as what we think would enhance your gameplay experience. Below are items that provided us with inspiration, helped us perform our jobs better, and made our game-playing more fun.

Bill Fisher Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• SS51G Mini Cube PC with Pentium 4 Processor
• MacOS X version 10.2

Music

• Tori Amos: Scarlet's Walk (2002)

Movies/DVDs

• Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Rantz Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• Microsoft Trackball Optical
• Intuos2 Wacom Tablet with Cordless Mouse and Grip Pen
• PNY Verto GeForce4 Ti4600 w/ 128 MB DDR RAM

Music

• Three Fish: The Quiet Table (1999)
• Tool: Lateralus (2001)
• Tori Amos: Scarlet's Walk (2002)
• Blue Man Group: Audio (1999)
• KMFDM: Attak (2002), Adios (1999) and Symbols (1997)
• Queens of the Stone Age: Rated R (2000), Songs for the Deaf (2002)
• A Perfect Circle: Mer de Noms (2000)
• David Sylvian: Secrets of the Beehive (1992) and Gone to Earth (1992)

Movies/DVDs

• 2001 - A Space Odyssey (1968)
• Solaris - The Criterion Collection (1979)
• Silent Running (1972)
• Dinosaur (2000)
• Tarzan (1999)
• A Bug's Life (1998)
• Fight Club (1999)
• Magnolia (2000)
• Brotherhood of the Wolf (2002)
• Star Trek - The Motion Pictures DVD Collection (2001)
• The Star Wars Series
• Neon Genesis: Evangelion Death and Rebirth (2002)

Books

• Yukito Kishiro: Battle Angel Alita Series
• Jeff Noon: Vurt (1996)
• Robert Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land (1995)
• Sarah Simblet, John Davis (Photographer): Anatomy for the Artist (2001)
• Neil Gaiman: American Gods (2002)
• Donald A. Norman: The Design of Everyday Things (2002)
• Stephen Draper, Donald A. Norman: User Centered System Design: New Perspectives on Human-Computer Interaction (1986)

Irene Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• Intuos2 Wacom Tablet with Cordless Mouse and Grip Pen
• Adobe Photoshop 7 and Illustrator 10
• Labtec LCS2414REGN Audio F/X Series Speakers with 15-watt subwoofer

Music

• Tool: all albums
• Tori Amos: Scarlet's Walk (2002) and To Venus and Back (1999)
• Mos Def: Black on Both Sides (2002)

Movies/DVDs

• Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
• Bowling for Columbine (2002) and anything else done by Michael Moore
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Books

• Dalai Lama: The Dalai Lama's Book of Love and Compassion (2002)
• Leslie Carbarga: The Desinger's Guide to Global Color Combinations (2001)
• Mark Ryden, Carlo McCormack : The Art of Mark Ryden: Anima Mundi (2001)

Ross Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• Logitech Z560 400WATTS Surround Sound System with M3D Matrix
• Belkin F8GFPC001 Nostromo Speedpad n50 10-Button SpeedPad
• Logitech MX700 Cordless Optical Mouse

Music

• Delerium: Poem (2001)
• Underworld: 100 Days Off (2002)
• Morcheeba: Big Calm (1998)

Movies/DVDs

• Blade Runner (1982)
• Office Space (1999)
• Aliens (1986)

Books

• Orson Scott Card: Ender's Game (1985)
• Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, David Frampton (Illustrator): Good Omens (1996)
• H.R. Giger, Clive Barker: H.R. Giger's Necronomicon (1991)

Mike H. Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• ViewSonic P220f 22" Professional Monitor
• PNY Verto GeForce4 Ti4600 w/ 128 MB DDR RAM
• D-Link DI-713P Wireless Broadband Router and Access Point with 3-Port Switch

Music

• Jimmy Eat World: Bleed American (2001)
• Muse: Hullabaloo (2002)
• Coldplay: A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)

Movies/DVDs

• Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
• 2001: A Space Oddysey (1968)
• Free Enterprise (1999)

Books

• Frank Herbert: Dune (25th Anniversary Edition) (1996)
• Isaac Asimov: Foundation (1991)
• Robert A. Heinlein: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1997)

Tim Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• Apple iPod
• Apple 17" flat-panel display
• Logitech Trackman Wheel Optical

Music

• Uncle Walt's Band: The Girl on the Sunny Shore (1993)
• Chris Isaak: Always Got Tonight (2002)
• Little Village: Little Village (1992)

Movies/DVDs

• Moulin Rouge (2001)
• The Bourne Identity (2002)

Books

• Ernie and Bert Can, Can You?: Featuring Jim Henson's Sesame Street Muppets; Illustrated by Michael Smollin (1982)
• Bjarne Stroustrup: The C++ Programming Language (2000)

Redmond Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• Cambridge SoundWorks FPS1600 FourPointSurround Speakers
• Logitech Extreme Digital 3D Joystick
• PNY Verto GeForce4 Ti4600 w/ 128 MB DDR RAM

Music

• U2: The Best of 1990-2000 (2000)
• Eraserheads: Aloha Milkyway (1998)
• Les Miserables - 1987 Original Broadway Cast (1990)

Movies/DVDs

• Black Hawk Down (2002)
• The Matrix (1999)
• Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Books

• Raymond E. Feist: Magician (1982)
• L.Ron Hubbard: Battlefield Earth (2001)
• Stephen R. Donaldson: The Gap into Conflict: The Real Story (1992)

Kevin D. Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• PNY Verto GeForce4 Ti4600 w/ 128 MB DDR RAM
• Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy Gamer Soundcard
• Windows 2000 Professional

Music

• Butthole Surfers: Weird Revolution (2001)
• Cherry Poppin' Daddies: Zoot Suit Riot (2001)
• Chumbawamba: Tubthumper (1997)

Movies/DVDs

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
• Aliens (1986)

Books

• David Weber: On Basilisk Station (Honor Harrington Series, Book 1) (1999)
• David Weber: The Honor of the Queen (Honor Harrington Series, Book 2) (2000)
• David Weber: The Short Victorious War (Honor Harrington Series, Book 3) (2002)

Alex Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer

Music

• The Beatles: Beatles Anthology 1 (1995)
• Aaron Copland, Helmuth Kolbe: Copland Conducts Copland (1990)
• Francis Poulenc: Poulenc: Complete Chamber Music, Volume 2 (2000)

Movies/DVDs

• Office Space (1999)
• Airplane! (1980)
• Zardoz (1974)

Books

• Douglas Adams: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Audio Book) (2002)
• Douglas Adams: The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide (1996)
• Herb Schildt: STL Programming From The Ground Up (1998)

Kevin H. Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• Logitech Dual Optical Mouse
• Grado Labs SR60 Headphones

Music

• Happy 2b Hardcore (Series), DJ Anabolic Frolic: Happy2bHardcore, Chapter Two (1997)
• DJ Quicksilver: Planet Love (1997)

Movies/DVDs

• Office Space (1999)

Books

• Stanley B. Lippman, Josee Lajoie: C++ Primer (3rd Edition) (1998)

Otmar Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• PNY Verto GeForce4 Ti4600 w/ 128 MB DDR RAM
• ATI Technologies All In Wonder Radeon 8500
• Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy Gamer Soundcard

Music

• Joe Henry: Fuse (1999)
• Dave Matthews Band: Busted Stuff (2002)
• Mighty Mighty Bosstones: A Jackknife to a Swan (2002)

Movies/DVDs

• Spiderman (2002)
• the Austin Powers Collection
• Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Books

• Dan Simmons: Hyperion (1990)
• William Goldman: The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High (2000)
• A. J. Jacobs: Fractured Fairy Tales (1997)

Floyd Recommends:

Music

• Loreena McKennitt: The Book of Secrets (1997)
• Garbage: Beautiful Garbage (2001)
• Concrete Blonde: Bloodletting (1990)

Movies/DVDs

• Aliens (1986)
• Blade Runner (1982)
• The Princess Bride (1987)

Books

• Joe Haldeman: The Forever War (1996)
• Robert Heinlein: Starship Troopers (1987)
• C. J. Cherryh: Downbelow Station (2001)

Shane Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• Microsoft Project 2000

Music

• Fantômas: The Director's Cut (2001)
• Shiner: The Egg (2001)
• At the Drive-In: Relationship of Command (2000)

Movies/DVDs

• Glengarry GlenRoss (1992)
• Office Space (1999)
• Startup.com (2001)

Books/Magazines

• Michael Moore: Stupid White Men...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation! (2002)
• Shift magazine

Michael H. Recommends:

Hardware, Software & Accessories

• SS51G Mini Cube PC with Pentium 4 Processor
• INTEL PENTIUM 4 3.06 GHZ
• Battlefield 1942

Music

• The Eyeliners: Here Comes Trouble (2000)
• The Eyeliners: Sealed with a Kiss (2001)
• Fugazi: End Hits (1998)