[1]: 145 MacDonald and Peterson had only enough money to print 1,500 copies of the game and hand-collated them to save money, and they sold their new game at Pacific Origins 1981; they were surprised to see it sell very well, selling 1,000 of their 1,500 copies at the convention.
[1]: 145 After this early success, MacDonald and Peterson started Hero Games as a publishing label.
[1]: 145 MacDonald and Peterson were ready to start making Hero Games into a professional business by 1982, so they opened an office and asked Ray Greer to be their partner handling marketing and sales, with Bruce Harlick soon becoming the first employee of Hero Games.
[1]: 146 Michael Stackpole and MacDonald happened to meet up at a 1982 convention, which resulted in an alliance between Flying Buffalo and Hero Games.
[1]: 147 MacDonald was the developer on the Gold Box game Pool of Radiance (1988).