So apparently Kathryn Lasky, author of Wolves of the Beyond, played Wolf Quest when researching the series.
She says, and I quote: “ And then I found a fantastic video game, the first ever video game I've played in my life. It's an ingenious role-playing game called Wolf Quest, designed by the Minnesota Zoo. In this game you become a virtual wolf living in Yellowstone National Park. The first step is to customize your wolf. You name it, choose its gender and the color of its pelt. And then you begin to live like a wolf. You follow scent trails and go on hunts. You learn how to be wary of elk that are fully healthy because they can deliver mortal wounds. You learn that grizzlies are not a direct threat to wolves, but will stand guard over carcasses. There are pack rallies and all sorts of wolf-ish things to do. But the point is to survive. I died. Not because I was a bad wolf, but because I am a lousy video game player. I truly think in real life I would be a better wolf than in cyberspace”
Source:http://www.kathrynlasky.com/blog/post/wolf-research