John Lyon

John Lyon
Lyon, John Jay
Born	July 11, 1940 Waukegan, Illinois
Died	October 2021 Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
Occupation	Software Developer

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Career

John Jay Lyon (1940–2021) was a visionary computer programmer and game designer whose pioneering work helped lay the foundation for the computer wargame industry. Best known for programming Computer Bismarck—the first commercial computer wargame— Lyon played a formative role in the creation and early success of Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI), a company that would become the leading developer of strategic war games in the 1980s.

Born in Waukegan, Illinois, Lyon showed resilience and intellectual curiosity from an early age. After being paralyzed by polio at 16, he returned to high school life, participating in academic clubs and working part-time at the local Carnegie Library. His academic excellence earned him scholarships, including one from Abbott Laboratories, and he entered Lake Forest College in 1959, graduating with a degree in business and later pursuing graduate studies in economics. Lyon began his professional career at Control Data Corporation in Sunnyvale, California, where he worked on telecommunications programming. After a decade in corporate computing, Lyon briefly explored a career in gemology before returning to programming—this time within the emerging video game and personal computing industry.

His turning point came in 1979 when he answered a flyer from entrepreneur Joel Billings, who was seeking programmers interested in developing computerized wargames. Despite having no personal computer experience, Lyon’s deep interest in gaming and substantial programming background made him a perfect partner. Working from Billings’ apartment and accessing a CP/M machine through contacts at Amdahl Corporation, Lyon coded the first prototype of Computer Bismarck, a game that simulated the WWII naval hunt for the Bismarck battleship. The success of this project led to the founding of SSI, where Lyon became the company's first full-time employee in November 1979.

Though not a prolific coder, Lyon's contributions were indispensable. His programming helped establish a new genre—serious, historically grounded strategy games—at a time when most computer games were simple arcade clones. In total, Lyon designed and programmed five strategic wargames for SSI:

Computer Bismarck (1979) – The first commercial computer wargame
Computer Napoleonics
Torpedo Fire – A pioneering submarine warfare simulator
The Shattered Alliance – His most polished and acclaimed title
S.E.U.I.S. – A strategy-arcade hybrid that marked his final major design

He also developed Queen of Hearts (1983), a minor pinball-style game for Atari, shortly before retiring from the industry.

Lyon's games were known more for their innovation than for their polish. Critics and peers alike noted issues with user interfaces and artificial intelligence, but they also recognized his originality and willingness to explore underrepresented genres. His early work gave SSI credibility and momentum, enabling it to attract other talent. As founder Joel Billings later said, “Without [Lyon], there would have been no SSI.”

Lyon’s approach to game design often reflected his personal interest in gameplay mechanics rather than coding perfection. He frequently explored uncharted thematic territory, creating games about submarine warfare and fantasy battles long before such subgenres became standard.

After leaving SSI, Lyon briefly explored sports betting in Nevada and then returned to California before eventually retiring to Wisconsin. Despite stepping away from the industry early, his legacy endured. In 1994, he was contacted by Billings one last time to inform him that SSI had been sold to Mindscape and that Lyon, as an early shareholder, would benefit financially from the company’s success.

Though he never sought the spotlight and quietly exited the gaming world, John Lyon’s early contributions were instrumental in shaping the computer game landscape. His unique perspective, fueled by life experience and intellectual depth, brought an irreplaceable authenticity to the birth of computer wargaming.

List of major works

External links

Mobygames