Crawford had made a name for himself during his years at Atari, Inc. in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His smash hit "Eastern Front (1941)" made him one of the few game authors known by name, and helped ensure later releases were also successful to a degree. By early 1984, Atari was rapidly going bankrupt due to the effects of the video game crash of 1983. In March they laid off the majority of their staff, including Crawford. His ample severance was enough to allow him to write a new game as a freelancer.