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{{short description|American video game developer}} |
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{{Over-quotation|many=y|date=March 2016}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}} |
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{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
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| name = Jason D. Anderson |
| name = Jason D. Anderson |
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| image = |
| image = Jason D. Anderson of Troika Games.jpg |
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| caption |
| caption = Anderson in 2015 |
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| birth_date |
| birth_date = |
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| nationality = American |
| nationality = American |
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| notable_works = ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'', ''[[Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura]]'', ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines]]'', ''[[Evolve (video game)|Evolve]]'' |
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| occupation = [[Game designer]] |
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| occupation = [[Video game design]]er, [[video game artist]] |
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| notable_works = ''[[Fallout (video game)]]'' series, [[Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura]], [[Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines]], [[Project V13]] (unreleased), [[Wasteland 2]] (main story outline), [[Evolve (video game)|Evolve]] |
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| employer = [[inXile Entertainment]] |
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| occupation = Creative Direction, General and Production Management, Game Development, Game Design, Technical Artist, 3D Artist & Animator |
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}} |
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| employer = [[Turtle Rock Studios]] |
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| previous = [[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]] |
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|}} |
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'''Jason D. Anderson''', usually credited as Jason Anderson, is a video game developer. He started out as a contract artist for [[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]] on the [[United States Chess Federation|USCF]] Chess project. He was later hired to work on ''[[Fallout ( |
'''Jason D. Anderson''', usually credited as Jason Anderson, is a video game developer. He started out as a contract artist for [[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]] on the [[United States Chess Federation|USCF]] Chess project. He was later hired to work on ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'' for which he became Lead Technical Artist, working on the original game design, interface, and quests. After working on the prototype design for ''[[Fallout 2]]'', Anderson left with fellow developers [[Tim Cain|Timothy Cain]] and [[Leonard Boyarsky]] to found [[Troika Games]]. After Troika Games collapsed, Anderson left the game industry for a short time to sell real estate.<ref name="Blancato">{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/77/13|title=The Rise and Fall of Troika|date=26 December 2006|first=Joe|last=Blancato|work=Escapist|access-date=8 July 2009|archive-date=6 July 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070706001931/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/77/13|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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Interplay reopened in-house development and in 2007 hired Anderson as Creative Director for an unannounced [[ |
Interplay reopened in-house development and in 2007 hired Anderson as Creative Director for an unannounced [[massively multiplayer online game]].<ref name="Thomas Beekers">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/28280-interplay-unannounced-mmorpg-interview/all-pages.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924040400/http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/28280-interplay-unannounced-mmorpg-interview/all-pages.html |url-status=live |archive-date=24 September 2015 |title=Interplay MMORPG Interview with Jason Anderson |first=Thomas |last=Beekers |date=2 December 2007 |work=Game Banshee |access-date=8 July 2009 }}</ref> In March 2009, Anderson joined [[inXile Entertainment]] as Creative Director.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22801|title=Interview: Fallout Co-Creator Jason Anderson Discusses New inXile Post|first=Chris|last=Remo|date=19 March 2009|work=Gamasutra|access-date=23 December 2009}}</ref> In January 2011, he left inXile to join [[Turtle Rock Studios]]. In March 2012, inXile announced the [[crowdfund]]ed development of ''[[Wasteland 2]]'' with Anderson as the game's storyline author.<ref name="kickstarter.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wasteland-2|title=Wasteland 2 by inXile entertainment — Kickstarter|date=18 September 2018 }}</ref> |
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In March 2019 it was announced on Twitter that Anderson had rejoined inXile, who in the meantime had been acquired by [[Microsoft]] alongside Obsidian Entertainment. This indirectly reunites him with Troika colleagues Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, who work for Obsidian. |
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In March 2009, Anderson joined [[inXile Entertainment]] as Creative Director.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22801|title=Interview: Fallout Co-Creator Jason Anderson Discusses New inXile Post|author=Chris Remo|date=19 March 2009|work=Gamasutra|accessdate=23 December 2009}}</ref> In January 2011, he left inXile to join [[Turtle Rock Studios]]. |
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In March 2012, [[inXile]] announced the fan funded development of [[Wasteland 2]] with Anderson as the game's storyline author.<ref name="kickstarter.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wasteland-2|title=Wasteland 2 by inXile entertainment — Kickstarter}}</ref> |
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
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Jason Anderson grew up being the youngest of 10 children. He got into [[Dungeons & Dragons]] (D&D) around the age of 10 when his mom bought him the basic D&D set. Already at a young age, he enjoyed using the D&D and [[Avalon Hill]] settings to imagine his own adventures set in other universes such as [[Blade Runner]]. |
Jason Anderson grew up being the youngest of 10 children. He got into ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' (D&D) around the age of 10 when his mom bought him the basic D&D set. Already at a young age, he enjoyed using the D&D and [[Avalon Hill]] settings to imagine his own adventures set in other universes such as ''[[Blade Runner]].'' He learned basic programming on the [[Apple II]] and created his own dungeon crawling program to simulate dungeons and random encounters from the D&D table top game. After high school he nearly stopped using the computer altogether, focusing on working in construction and getting his degree as [[Recording engineering]] from [[Golden West College]] in 1992. He later purchased an [[Amiga]] and subsequently taught himself to use both [[LightWave 3D]] and [[3ds Max|3D Studio]] (for [[Windows]]). He sent a sample of his work to [[Interplay Entertainment]], which got him started in the computer games industry.<ref name="Beekers">{{cite web|url=http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=38981 |title=Fallout Developer Profile: Jason D. Anderson |date=25 September 2007 |first=Thomas |last=Beekers |work=No Mutants Allowed |access-date=8 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507233950/http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=38981 |archive-date= 7 May 2015 }}</ref> |
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He learned basic programming on the [[Apple 2]] and created his own dungeon crawling program to simulate dungeons and random encounters from the D&D table top game. |
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After high school he nearly stopped using the computer altogether, focusing on working in construction and getting his degree as [[Recording engineering]] from [[Golden West College]] in 1992. He later purchased an [[Amiga]] with which taught himself to use [[3ds Max|3D Studio]]. He sent a sample of his work to Interplay, which got him started in the computer games industry |
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.<ref name="Beekers">{{cite web|url=http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=38981|title=Fallout Developer Profile: Jason D. Anderson|date=25 September 2007 |first=Thomas|last=Beekers|work=No Mutants Allowed|accessdate=8 July 2015}}</ref> |
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He has mentioned [[X- |
He has mentioned ''[[X-COM]]'', ''[[Jagged Alliance (video game)|Jagged Alliance]]'' and ''[[Planescape: Torment]]'' as being some of his favorite games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamebanshee.com/interviews/28280-interplay-unannounced-mmorpg-interview/all-pages.html|title=Interplay Unannounced MMORPG Interview|date=2 December 2007 |first=Thomas|last=Beekers|work=Gamebanshee|access-date=8 August 2015}}</ref> |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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===Interplay Entertainment (March 1994 |
===Interplay Entertainment (March 1994 – July 1997)=== |
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Anderson got his first contract working on [[USCF Chess]] and was subsequently offered a full-time position at [[Interplay Entertainment]]. His first job was 'clean-up artist' on [[Stonekeep]], which was just about to ship.<ref name="Beekers"/> In 1993 he was assigned to the GURPS-related project being developed by [[Tim Cain]]; the yet to be named ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]''. Within a short time, he rose to a lead position and became a key member of the Fallout team. His role in making the game started out with supplying Cain with art to test out with the graphics engine he was building. Even though Anderson was hired as an artist, he was allowed to take on several roles in the development process. He attended all design meetings and ultimately designed the way art would be implemented into the ''Fallout'' engine.<ref name="Beekers"/> |
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[[File:Fallout development team.jpg|thumb|left|Fallout development team. Boyarsky can be seen second from the left (back row) while Cain and Anderson are first and fourth from the left (front row), respectively.]] |
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Anderson started his career as a contract computer artist, as he had taught himself to use [[LightWave 3D]].<ref name="Fallout Developer Profile: Sharon Shellman">{{cite web|last1=Beekers|first1=Thomas|title=Fallout Developer Profile: Sharon Shellman|url=http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=36220|publisher=[[No Mutants Allowed]]|accessdate=15 July 2015|date=2007}}</ref> He was working for several clients <ref name="Anderson">{{cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=18102538&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=s4rc&locale=en_US&srchid=1649270241439218046353&srchindex=2&srchtotal=1504&trk=vsrp_people_res_name&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A1649270241439218046353%2CVSRPtargetId%3A18102538%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary%2CVSRPnm%3Atrue%2CauthType%3ANAME_SEARCH|date=8 August 2015 |first=Jason|last=Anderson|work=LinkedIn|accessdate=8 August 2015}}</ref> including [[Interplay Entertainment]]<ref name="Beekers"/> where he got his first contract working on USCF Chess and was subsequently offered a full-time position. His first job was 'clean-up artist' on [[Stonekeep]], which was just about to ship.<ref name="Beekers"/> In 1993 he was assigned to the GURPS-related project being developed by [[Tim Cain]]; the yet to be named Fallout. Within a short time, he rose to a lead position and became a key member of the Fallout team. His role in making the game started out with supplying Cain with art to test out with the graphics engine he was building. Even though Anderson was hired as an artist, he was allowed to take on several roles in the development process. He attended all design meetings and ultimately designed the way art would be implemented into the [[Fallout (video game)]] engine.<ref name="Beekers"/> |
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The small team size also contributed to the diversity of the tasks. Anderson created a large part of the opening cinematic, modeled and animated around half of the creatures, including female humans and mutants. He also built the interface, created many of the landscape tiles and wall sets. Finally, he did significant design work as well, especially concerning the story and the quests.<ref name="Beekers"/> |
The small team size also contributed to the diversity of the tasks. Anderson created a large part of the opening cinematic, modeled and animated around half of the creatures, including female humans and mutants. He also built the interface, created many of the landscape tiles and wall sets. Finally, he did significant design work as well, especially concerning the story and the quests.<ref name="Beekers"/> Anderson's wife also contributed to the development of the game, creating the death screen and doing several animations (including the two-headed Brahmin and Mr. Handy) and in-game movies shown when the water levels are lowering, the 'dipped in the vats/turn you into a mutant movie' and the 'exploding mutant vats movie'.<ref name="Fallout Developer Profile: Sharon Shellman">{{cite web|last1=Beekers |first1=Thomas |title=Fallout Developer Profile: Sharon Shellman |url=http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=36220 |publisher=No Mutants Allowed |access-date=15 July 2015 |date=2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507233946/http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=36220 |archive-date= 7 May 2015 }}</ref> |
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One of |
One of Anderson's fondest memory from ''Fallout''{{'}}s development was coming up with the ending to the game in conjunction with [[Leonard Boyarsky]]. They figured it would fit the tone of the game, including the xenophobic nature of the vault dwellers, if the main character would actually be rejected by his former people. Cain was skeptical at first, given its unorthodox nature compared to other RPGs which were usually about empowering the player and becoming a hero. But he eventually gave in to the idea.<ref name="Beekers"/> |
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[[File:Jason Anderson at Interplay tuxedo night party.jpg|thumb|right|Anderson at Interplay tuxedo party during Fallout's development]] |
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Fallout shipped in October 1997 and became a commercial success. Therefore, Interplay began the initial design work for the sequel. However, the initial team, notably Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky, felt that many design decisions were being taken without their consent such as who should work on the project.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106">{{cite book |last=Ramsay|first=Morgan|date= |title=Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play |url=https://books.google.be/books?id=lroZsP4zyIYC&pg=PA341&lpg=PA341&dq=gamers+at+work+Tim+cain&source=bl&ots=K9MW2hBtiT&sig=FpeWtSqcGHRCFoPie4-OSeaf8ek&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=iCmMVanQHcSqUazDjNgB&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=gamers%20at%20work%20Tim%20cain&f=false |location= |publisher=Apress; 1 edition (February 8, 2012) |pages=96–106 |isbn=1430233516 |access-date=4 August 2015 }}</ref> Anderson recalls that they ''"were unable to come to an agreement with Interplay as to how (the) next team should be structured"''.<ref name="Blancato"/> Owing to the fact that Fallout had received little attention internally from Interplay during its development gave the designers extensive freedom to craft the game the way they wanted to.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> However, that began to change already in the final months before it shipped. Cain says that ''"while Fallout was in production, I was unhappy at how development worked at Interplay. People who didn’t play games, or didn’t even seem to like games, were making decisions about how to market the game, what features it should have, and when it should ship"''.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> Consequently, Cain became increasingly discontent with the new working environment at Interplay. Already in July 1997, three months before Fallout would ship, he had decided that he did not want to work on the sequel.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> Before Thanksgiving that year, he told [[Feargus Urquhart]] of his plans of quitting the company, as he was afraid that increased interference from different units of Interplay would hamper his creative freedom of working on the game. Cain ended up working on Fallout 2 for a few more months, and was given the role of lead designer and producer.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ramsay|first=Morgan|date= |title=Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play |url=https://books.google.be/books?id=lroZsP4zyIYC&pg=PA341 |location= |publisher=Apress; 1 edition (February 8, 2012) |pages=96–106 |isbn=1430233516 |access-date=4 August 2015 }}</ref> Boyarsky and Anderson wrote the main story line for the game |
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=8146|title=RPG Codex Retrospective Interview: Leonard Boyarsky on Fallout, Interplay and Troika|date=7 May 2012 |first=Crooked|last=Bee|work=RPG Codex|accessdate=8 July 2015}}</ref> However, the problems persisted. According to Cain, marketing and sales took counterproductive decisions pertaining ''inter alia'' to game box design without consulting him. His wish to become division manager for the marketing department was met with resistance from Urquhart, who saw this as an infringement on his own authority and responsibilities.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ramsay|first=Morgan|date= |title=Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play |url=https://books.google.be/booksid=lroZsP4zyIYC&pg=PA341&lpg=PA341&dq=gamers+at+work+Tim+cain&source=bl&ots=K9MW2hBtiT&sig=FpeWtSqcGHRCFoPie4-OSeaf8ek&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=iCmMVanQHcSqUazDjNgB&ved=0CEoQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=gamers%20at%20work%20Tim%20cain&f=false |location= |publisher=Apress; 1 edition (February 8, 2012) |pages=96–106 |isbn=1430233516 |access-date=4 August 2015 }}</ref> Cain recalls that his ''"role as a producer appeared to consist of arguing with people and trying to defend the game from devolving into a lesser product"''<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> Boyarsky and Anderson, who could tell Cain was not happy, told him that they were unwilling to work on a sequel (for Fallout) without him.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> |
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[[File:A screen capture from Fallout showing a wall set from the Boneyard made by Jason D Anderson.png|thumb|left|Screenshot from Boneyard: JDA did many landscape tiles and wall sets in Fallout]] |
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In mid-January 1998, Cain decided to leave Interplay. Anderson and Boyarsky submitted their resignation the day after. Having left Interplay, Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky met the day after to discuss their next moves. None of them had approached any other gaming company to inquire for a job.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> Originally, they ''"never planned to make their own company"''<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> as ''"none of them were businessmen"''<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> but knew that they ''"enjoyed working together"''.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> In the following weeks they contacted local companies such as [[Blizzard Entertainment]] and [[Virgin Interactive]], who were more interested in hiring them to work on ongoing projects, rather than let them work on their own idea.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> Subsequently, they figured that their game ''"would only be made if we formed our their own company"'',<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> so they "''switched tactics and began approaching companies for a contract and not for employment"''.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> This is when Troika Games was founded. |
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''Fallout'' shipped in October 1997 and became a commercial success, eventually selling around 600,000 copies. Therefore, Interplay began the initial design work for the sequel. However, the initial team, notably Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky, felt that many design decisions were being taken without their consent such as who should work on the project.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106">{{cite book |last=Ramsay|first=Morgan|date= 31 January 2012|title=Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lroZsP4zyIYC&q=gamers+at+work+Tim+cain&pg=PA341 |publisher=Apress; 1 edition (8 February 2012) |pages=96–106 |isbn=978-1430233510 |access-date=4 August 2015 }}</ref> Anderson recalls disagreement with Interplay concerning who the next team members should be.<ref name="Blancato"/> As ''Fallout'' had received little attention internally from Interplay during its development gave the designers extensive freedom to craft the game the way they wanted to. However, that began to change already in the final months before it shipped. Cain says that he was unhappy at how development worked at Interplay while developing Fallout. People who neither played nor liked games were making crucial decisions about marketing the game, its features, and the shipping date. Consequently, Cain became increasingly discontent with the new working environment at Interplay. Already in July 1997, three months before ''Fallout'' would ship, he had decided that he did not want to work on the sequel. Before Thanksgiving that year, he told [[Feargus Urquhart]] of his plans of quitting the company, as he was afraid that increased interference from different units of Interplay would hamper his creative freedom of working on the game. Cain ended up working on ''[[Fallout 2]]'' for a few more months, and was given the role of lead designer and producer.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ramsay|first=Morgan|date= 31 January 2012|title=Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lroZsP4zyIYC&pg=PA341 |publisher=Apress; 1 edition (8 February 2012) |pages=96–106 |isbn=978-1430233510 |access-date=4 August 2015 }}</ref> Boyarsky and Anderson wrote the main story line for the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=8146|title=RPG Codex Retrospective Interview: Leonard Boyarsky on Fallout, Interplay and Troika|date=7 May 2012 |first=Crooked|last=Bee|work=RPG Codex|access-date=8 July 2015}}</ref> However, the problems persisted. According to Cain, marketing and sales took counterproductive decisions pertaining inter alia to game box design without consulting him. His wish to become division manager for the marketing department was met with resistance from Urquhart, who saw this as an infringement on his own authority and responsibilities.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ramsay|first=Morgan|date= 31 January 2012|title=Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lroZsP4zyIYC&dq=gamers+at+work+Tim+cain&pg=PA341 |publisher=Apress; 1 edition (8 February 2012) |pages=96–106 |isbn=978-1430233510 |access-date=4 August 2015 }}</ref> Cain recalls spending too much time arguing with people and trying to defend the game from devolving into a lesser product. Boyarsky and Anderson were both unwilling to work on a sequel for ''Fallout'' without him.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> |
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===Troika Games (April 1998 - April 2005)=== |
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[[Troika Games]] was incorporated on 1 April 1998 by [[Tim Cain]], Jason Anderson and [[Leonard Boyarsky]], with all three having the title of "Joint CEO".<ref name="escapistmagazine.com">{{cite web|url= http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_77/440-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Troika |title=The Rise and Fall of Troika|date=26 December 2006|first=Joe|last=Blancato|work=The Escapist|accessdate=8 August 2015}}</ref> According to Anderson, they ''"…each had (their) specialty"'', with ''"Tim being a talented programmer, Leonard a talented artist and I have a knack for technical things allowing me to develop ways for the programming and art to merge together"''.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> The name ‘Troika’ was originally coined by [[Feargus Urquhart]], referring to Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky’s ability to work together and complement each other's skills.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> |
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Anderson described the workplace at Troika as having a ''"…casual environment"'' and working hours, with frequent social activities such as barbeques and trips to the movie theatre.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> Also, Troika offered competitive remuneration packages including retirement plans.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> |
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[[File:Troika Games' Founders (left to right) Jason D. Anderson, Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky.jpg|thumb|center|Founders of Troika Games (left to right); Jason Anderson, Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky]] |
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Anderson carried out a plethora of tasks at Troika. While doing considerable work on two of the company’s three released titles ([[Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura]] and [[Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines]]), he also handled managerial tasks related to running the company. These included creating design documents for future games, managing projects, interactions with publishers and directing artists.<ref name="Anderson"/> |
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[[File:A screen capture from Fallout showing a wall set from the Boneyard made by Jason D Anderson.png|thumb|left|Screenshot from Boneyard: JDA did many landscape tiles and wall sets in ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'']] |
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Arcanum was the first game from [[Troika Games]]. The initial design of the game was conceived by Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky after leaving Interplay. While reflecting on what game to make next, they decided that they ''"really wanted to make a fantasy computer role-playing game"''.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> The post-apocalyptic setting of Fallout had been a conscious design-choice to distance themselves from ''"the [[Might and Magic]] series and all of the games based on Dungeons and Dragons''".<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> But now they wanted their turn at making an RPG set in a fantasy setting. However, they did not want to make a ‘typical’ fantasy game set in the 14th century, as seems to be the case for most games in the genre. [[Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura]] was thus set in the 18th century, imaging what would happen in a world where magic co-existed with the industrial revolution.<ref name="Barton">{{cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4XVW6qcuzM |title=Matt Chat 68: Arcanum and More With Tim Cain|date=11 June 2010|first=Matt|last=Barton|work=Matt Chat|accessdate=13 May 2015}}</ref> Indeed, the ''"desire to mix magic and technology was present from the outset"''<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> of their talks. They drafted ideas for how each race in the world would be affected by technology,<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> with Boyarsky stating that ''"the orcs would be used as the slaves of all the capitalist machinery"''.<ref name="Barton"/> Cain remembers that "''everything seemed to come together very quickly, and we were pleased with our outline for the game''". Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky worked on the initial design of Arcanum by themselves for five months until they landed a contract by with [[Sierra Entertainment]], which let them expand the team to 12 people.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> |
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In mid-January 1998, Cain decided to leave Interplay. Anderson and Boyarsky submitted their resignation the day after. Having left Interplay, Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky met the day after to discuss their next moves. None of them had approached any other gaming company to inquire for a job. Originally, they never planned to make their own company as none of them were businessmen but knew that they enjoyed working together. In the following weeks they contacted local companies such as [[Blizzard Entertainment]] and [[Virgin Interactive]], who were more interested in hiring them to work on ongoing projects, rather than let them work on their own idea. Subsequently, they figured that their game would only be made if they formed their own company, so they "switched tactics and began approaching companies for a contract and not for employment".<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> This is when Troika Games was founded. |
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===Troika Games (April 1998 – April 2005)=== |
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Because Arcanum was made with a modest sized team (later increased to 14 people), Anderson took on a number of different responsibilities.<ref name="Beekers"/> These included art, movies, design, dialogue, scripting, music and sound effects. Added to this came also business-related tasks where he ''"wrote business plans, managed budgeting, wrote proposals, pitched games to publishers, co-negotiated contracts and created and maintained schedules"''.<ref name="Anderson"/> The decision to keep the team small "''was a decision that would cost us many nights and weekends''",<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> remembers Boyarsky. He recalls that the company was in a near constant state of ‘crunch mode’ (working beyond the normal 40 hour work week), and the staff always felt under pressure.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> |
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[[Troika Games]] was incorporated on 1 April 1998 by Tim Cain, Jason Anderson and Leonard Boyarsky, with all three having the title of "Joint CEO".<ref name="escapistmagazine.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_77/440-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Troika|title=The Rise and Fall of Troika|date=26 December 2006|first=Joe|last=Blancato|work=The Escapist|access-date=8 August 2015|archive-date=11 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011045102/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_77/440-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-Troika|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to Anderson, each had their unique specialty: Cain being a talented programmer, Leonard a talented artist while Anderson created solutions for merging art and programming .<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> The name ‘Troika’ was originally coined by [[Feargus Urquhart]], referring to their ability to work together and complement each other's skills.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> |
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Anderson described the workplace at Troika as having a casual environment and working hours, with frequent social activities such as barbecues and trips to the movie theater. Also, Troika offered competitive remuneration packages including retirement plans.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> |
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[[File:Fallout 20 year reunion dinner.jpg|thumb|Fallout creators Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky and Jason Anderson]] |
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According to Boyarsky, ''"Troika's original goal had been to just be exclusive to one publisher, kind of their external RPG dev team''",<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> he says, ''"so we wouldn't have to always be scrambling for contracts. At first, Sierra seemed to be that publisher - even when they weren't sure about an Arcanum sequel, they had us working on something else. But then Sierra had its own problems, and that was the end of that."''.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> |
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Anderson carried out a plethora of tasks at Troika. While doing considerable work on two of the company's three released titles (''[[Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura]]'' and ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines]]''), he also handled managerial tasks related to running the company. These included creating design documents for future games, managing projects, interactions with publishers and directing artists.<ref name="Anderson">{{cite web|url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondeananderson|title=LinkedIn Profile: Jason Anderson|first=Jason|last=Anderson|work=LinkedIn|access-date=8 August 2015}}</ref> |
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''Arcanum'' was the first game from Troika Games. The initial design of the game was conceived by Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky after leaving Interplay. While reflecting on what game to make next, they decided that they wanted their turn at making an RPG set in a fantasy setting. The post-apocalyptic setting of ''Fallout'' had been a conscious design-choice to distance themselves from fantasy-titles like the [[Might and Magic]] series and other games based on Dungeons and Dragons. However, they did not want to make a ‘typical’ fantasy game set in the 14th century, often the case for games in the genre. ''Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura'' was thus set in the 18th century, imagining what would happen in a world where magic co-existed with the industrial revolution.<ref name="Barton">{{cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4XVW6qcuzM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/m4XVW6qcuzM |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Matt Chat 68: Arcanum and More With Tim Cain|date=11 June 2010|first=Matt|last=Barton|work=Matt Chat|access-date=13 May 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Indeed, the desire to mix magic and technology was a given from the start. They drafted ideas for how each race in the world would be affected by technology, with Boyarsky stating that "the orcs would be used as the slaves of all the capitalist machinery".<ref name="Barton"/> Cain remembers that ideas came swiftly, and they were happy with the outline of the game. Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky worked on the initial design of ''Arcanum'' by themselves for five months until they landed a contract by with [[Sierra Entertainment]], which let them expand the team to 12 people. |
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Having concluded their dealings with [[Sierra Entertainment]], Troika got a contract from [[Atari]] to work on [[The Temple of Elemental Evil (video game)]] in 2001. Cain spearheaded that project, which was released in 2003<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> to generally favorable reviews. |
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Because ''Arcanum'' was made with a modest sized team (later increased to 14 people), Anderson took on a number of different responsibilities.<ref name="Beekers"/> These included art, movies, design, dialogue, scripting, music and sound effects. Added to this came also business-related tasks where he wrote business plans, managed budgeting, wrote proposals, pitched games to publishers, co-negotiated contracts and created and maintained schedules. The decision to keep the team small was a decision that would cost the team many nights and weekends, remembers Boyarsky. He recalls that the company was in a near constant state of ‘crunch mode’ (working beyond the normal 40-hour work week), and the staff always felt under pressure.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> |
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Anderson and Boyarsky would focus on a game set in the [[Vampire: the Masquerade]] universe. Boyarsky states "''we wanted to challenge ourselves move from our comfort zone of making isometric-view role-playing games to try something completely new and challenging''."<ref name="gamespot.com">{{cite web|first1=Leonard Boyarsky|title=Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Designer Diary #1|url= http://www.gamespot.com/articles/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-designer-diary-1/1100-6076954/ |
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|publisher=[[Gamespot]]|accessdate=15 July 2015|date=17 October 2003}}</ref> The project began when Boyarsky and Anderson were invited to Seattle to see the latest build of the Source engine.<ref name="gamespot.com"/> Subsequently, they had discussions with Scott Lynch of [[Valve Corporation]] about using [[Source (game engine)]] ''"to create a brand new, groundbreaking first-person RPG"''.<ref name="gamespot.com"/> Troika was thus the first external team to be allowed using the Source engine. [[Activision]] (who had recently founded a partnership with [[Valve Corporation]] ), suggested them to make a game using the [[Vampire: the Masquerade]] setting, for which they had the license. Troika ''"began to diligently research the World of Darkness and the Vampire system and agreed that it would be a great fit"''.<ref name="gamespot.com"/> |
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[[File:Jason Anderson interview while at Troika Games.jpg|thumb|right|Anderson being interviewed while at Troika Games]] |
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Anderson’s responsibilities on Vampire: Bloodlines included game design, level design and creation, sound effects, and design and implementation of interface and artwork.<ref name="Anderson"/> He considered the game world as ''"a welcome change"''<ref>{{cite web|first1=Jason Anderson|title=Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Designer Diary #2|url= http://www.gamespot.com/articles/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-designer-diary-2/1100-6083943/|publisher=[[Gamespot]]|accessdate=15 July 2015|date=19 November 2003}}</ref> compared to his last two games (Fallout and Arcanum), and was happy that he was ''"actually going to get to create a game about vampires"''.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web|first1=Jason Anderson|title=Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Designer Diary #2|url= http://www.gamespot.com/articles/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-designer-diary-2/1100-6083943/ |
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|publisher=[[Gamespot]]|accessdate=15 July 2015|date=19 November 2003}}</ref> However, he was not familiar with the [[Vampire: the Masquerade]] table-top games, and had to do some research to understand the setting and "''figure out how to bring that experience to a computer game"''.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> First, he learned that ''"Vampire's role-playing seemed to be firmly rooted in character interaction"''<ref name="ReferenceA"/> while ''"stats, items, and powers took a backseat"''.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Main elements for the players’ experiences were ''"the intricacies of vampiric society"''<ref name="ReferenceA"/> and the ''"world itself"'',<ref name="ReferenceA"/> which was constantly changing. Second, Anderson had "''to reproduce as much of the pen-and-paper experience as possible in a computer game''" in order to satisfy fans of the setting and give newcomers an "''accurate introduction''."<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Generally, "''all of the character attributes from Vampire were easily implemented into the computer game'',"<ref name="ReferenceA"/> but he needed to leave out ‘knowledge of law’, which would not have translated well. Also, dice rolls and randomness were removed as they would not have fit in a first-person setting. Disciplines were the "''biggest challenge to implement''",<ref name="ReferenceA"/> as they were too confusing. A deviation from the board game was made to streamline the disciplines into the game. Furthermore, Anderson designed the ‘haunted mansion’ level of the game, which is famous for being "''eerily atmospheric, filled with all sorts of scripted events that will keep you on your toes, as well as a fair bit of puzzle-solving''".<ref name="Ocampo">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-review/1900-6113468/|title=Bloodlines Review - Gamespot|date=17 November 2004 |first=Jason|last=Ocampo|work=RPG Codex|accessdate=8 July 2015}}</ref> Boyarsky recalls that ''"several people took turns trying to make that work, but it wasn’t until Jason took it over that it really began to shine"''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=8146|title=RPG Codex Retrospective Interview: Leonard Boyarsky on Fallout, Interplay and Troika|date=7 May 2012 |first=Crooked|last=Bee|work=RPG Codex|accessdate=8 July 2015}}</ref> |
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According to Boyarsky, Troika's original goal had been to work exclusively for one publisher, as a kind of their external RPG dev team. This way, they thought they would maintain a staple flow of contracts. [[Sierra Entertainment]] was their first choice of publisher, which kept the team busy even while they were unsure about making an Arcanum sequel. But when Sierra faced economic problems, the partnership with Troika was cut short.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> |
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The development of Bloodlines was challenging for Troika. First, compared to the relative freedom they enjoyed during the development of Arcanum, Vampire’s design choices had more checks and balances as they ''"had to run everything not only by [[White Wolf Publishing|White Wolf]] but by the publisher as well"''.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> Second, the deteriorating working relationship with [[Activision]] and constant deadlines had damaged the morale of the development staff. Cain recalls an embargo being placed on the game. In fact, Troika was not allowed to work on it for several months before the release date, as Activision kept a gold version master until the release date. Any patches and fixes that Troika worked on, where thus not allowed to be included in the game. This also included improvements made to the Source engine such as ''"advancements in physics, modelling, facial animation"''<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> and other features which Bloodlines did not have. The embargo ''"demoralised the team"'',<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> as "''they had finished a game that couldn’t be shipped, or changed, or talked about"''. Furthermore, ''"Activision had become impatient and wanted to game to ship as soon as possible"'',<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> resulting in many features being cut and forcing the Troika staff to work long hours . Anderson later stated that "''it might be better to think of [Bloodlines' development] in terms of non-crunch time. Arcanum had about a year of non-crunch time and Vampire about one or two months"''.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> While Bloodlines received favorable reviews and praise from RPG fans, its numerous bug and imperfections were flagrant.<ref name="Ocampo"/> Anderson finds that ''"right or wrong, we just needed more time to test and polish the games, and none of our three publishers were willing to give it to us. Each and every game was pulled out of our hands before we were through with it. In all fairness, I have to say that we were late and over budget, but that still does not justify giving the public an unfinished product"''.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> Furthermore, Cain adds that ''"we never imagined that Activision would ship Vampire on the same day as Half-Life 2". He finds that postponing the day would have "...given us time to polish our game with a stable engine''"<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> and would ''"not have put us in direction competition for consumer dollars during our important first few weeks on store shelves, because we all knew that consumers were going to choose Half-Life 2 over Vampire"''.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> |
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Having concluded their dealings with Sierra Entertainment, Troika got a contract from [[Atari]] to work on ''[[The Temple of Elemental Evil (video game)|The Temple of Elemental Evil]]'' in 2001. Cain spearheaded that project, which was released in 2003<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> to generally favorable reviews. |
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Bloodlines was finally released on 16 November 2004 and has become somewhat of a cult classic among RPGs, which is still being updated to this day.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/04/25/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-patch-bugs-glitches/ |title=Vampire: Bloodlines Achieves True Immortality, Hits Patch 9.0|date=25 April 2014|first=Nathan|last=Greyson|work=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]|accessdate=8 August 2015}}</ref> Nevertheless, initial sales figures were weak, failing to ensure financial stability to the company. They continued to present game ideas to publishers, Anderson’s favorite being ''"Dreadlands, an [MMOG] set in mythical mid 19th century Eastern Europe"''.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> They also worked on a game set in a post-apocalyptic setting reminiscent of Fallout, for which an engine demonstration was released |
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.<ref name="FilmNoir82">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzYmQyHl2bc|title=Troika Games Untitled Post-apocalyptic RPG|date=29 July 2006|first=Film|last=Noir82|work=Escapist|accessdate=8 July 2009}}</ref> However, Troika was ''"unable to secure new deals with Activision or other publishers, presumably due to what had then become a track record of great design with poor implementation"''.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> Consequently, Troika shut down their business operations in 2005.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> |
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Anderson and Boyarsky would focus on a game set in the ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'' universe. Boyarsky expressed the desire to build a game in a new setting, to challenge themselves ."<ref name="gamespot_diary_1">{{cite web|first=Leonard |last=Boyarsky|title=Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Designer Diary #1|url= http://www.gamespot.com/articles/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-designer-diary-1/1100-6076954/|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=15 July 2015|date=17 October 2003}}</ref> The project began when Boyarsky and Anderson were invited to Seattle to see the latest build of the Source engine. Subsequently, they had discussions with Scott Lynch of [[Valve Corporation|Valve]] about using the [[Source (game engine)|Source game engine]] to create a brand new, groundbreaking first-person RPG. Troika was thus the first external team to be allowed using the Source engine. [[Activision]] (who had recently founded a partnership with Valve), suggested them to make a game using the Vampire: The Masquerade setting, for which they had the license. Troika began to research the World of Darkness and the Vampire system before agreeing that it would be a great fit. |
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Reminiscent on the fate of Troika, Anderson has said that "''Publishers aren't interested in games from developers that consistently turn out B titles. Unfortunately, although our games had depth and vision, we were never able to release a game that had been thoroughly tested and rid of bugs. The large quantity of errors in our product automatically rendered them B titles''".<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> |
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"<ref name="gamespot_diary_1" /> |
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Anderson's responsibilities on ''Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines'' included game design, level design and creation, sound effects, and design and implementation of interface and artwork.<ref name="Anderson"/> He liked the game world <ref name="gamespot_diary_2">{{cite web|first=Jason| last=Anderson|title=Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Designer Diary #2|url= http://www.gamespot.com/articles/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-designer-diary-2/1100-6083943/|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=15 July 2015|date=19 November 2003}}</ref> compared to his last two games (''Fallout'' and ''Arcanum'')and was happy that he able to make a game about vampires. However, he was not familiar with the Vampire: The Masquerade table-top games, and had to do some research to understand the setting and translate it to a video-game experience. Anderson relied on player experiences from colleagues and online forums, to understand what drew players to the game. First, he learned that the main point liked was Vampire's focus on character interaction with stats, items, and powers taking a backseat. Main elements for the players’ experiences were constantly changing intricacies of the world and vampiric society. Second, Anderson had to reproduce the pen-and-paper experience to satisfy fans of the setting and give newcomers an accurate introduction. Generally, the character attributes from Vampire were easily implemented into the video-game format, while others (such as ‘knowledge of law') had to be left out. Also, dice rolls and randomness were removed as they would not have fit in a first-person setting. Disciplines were confusing and thus challenging to implement. Thus, a deviation from the board game was made to streamline the disciplines into the game. Furthermore, Anderson designed the ‘haunted mansion’ level of the game, which is famous for being "eerily atmospheric" <ref name="Ocampo">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-review/1900-6113468/|title=Bloodlines Review - Gamespot|date=17 November 2004 |first=Jason|last=Ocampo|work=RPG Codex|access-date=8 July 2015}}</ref> and well-paced. Boyarsky recalls that "several people took turns trying to make that work, but it wasn’t until Jason took it over that it really began to shine".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=8146|title=RPG Codex Retrospective Interview: Leonard Boyarsky on Fallout, Interplay and Troika|date=7 May 2012 |first=Crooked|last=Bee|work=RPG Codex|access-date=8 July 2015}}</ref> |
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===Post-Troika hiatus (2004 - 2007)=== |
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After Troika shut down, Anderson took some vacation with his wife and family. They decided that they needed a break from the entertainment industry, in order to spend more time together. 2004 had been a difficult year, with several family issues on top of the demise of Troika.<ref name="Fallout Developer Profile: Sharon Shellman"/> Anderson spent a few months repairing his house, ''"remodeling the kitchen and baths, removing the sound room"''<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> and ''"replacing the balcony"''.<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> After selling the house, they settled down in [[Phoenix, Arizona]] and got active in the real estate business. His wife acquired her Real Estate License<ref name="Fallout Developer Profile: Sharon Shellman"/> and the couple bought another old house, which Anderson spent around 3 months fixing. Anderson also home-schooled his daughters during this period.<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> |
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The development of Bloodlines was challenging for Troika. First, compared to the relative freedom they enjoyed during the development of ''Arcanum'', ''Vampire''{{'}}s design choices had more checks and balances as both [[White Wolf Publishing|White Wolf]] and [[Activision]] wanted to validate their decisions. Second, the deteriorating working relationship with Activision and constant deadlines had damaged the morale of the development staff. Cain recalls an embargo being placed on the game. In fact, Troika was not allowed to work on it for several months before the release date, as Activision kept a gold version master until the release date. Any patches and fixes that Troika worked on, where thus not allowed to be included in the game. This also included improvements made to the Source engine such as advancements in physics, modelling and facial animation which Bloodlines did not have. The embargo hurt the morale of the team, who had finished a game that could not be shipped, changed, or talked about. Furthermore, Activision wanted to ship it as soon as possible, resulting in many features being cut and forcing the Troika staff to work long hours. Anderson later stated that the vast majority of Bloodline's development time was spent in 'crunch-mode' .<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> While ''Bloodlines'' received favorable reviews and praise from RPG fans, its numerous bug and imperfections were flagrant.<ref name="Ocampo"/> Anderson reflected that their publishers were not willing to give the Troika team the necessary time to polish their games, pulling an unfinished product from their hands.<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> Furthermore, Cain adds that they never imagined that Activision would ship ''Vampire'' on the same day as Half-Life 2. He finds that postponing launch day would have given the team time to polish the game using a stable engine, avoiding direct competition with the very popular Half-Life 2.<ref name="Ramsay 96–106"/> |
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While contemplating his return to the game industry, Anderson had ''"entertained the idea of working at both studios''"<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> of his former Troika partners (Boyarsky and Cain subsequently found jobs at [[Blizzard Entertainment]] and [[Carbine Studios]], respectively). However, Anderson did not get along with Boyarsky’s project leader at Blizzard, and never got around to applying at Carbine. Moreover, he reflects on the seven years he spend with Boyarsky and Cain as ''"closely...related to a marriage"'',<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> with "''a lot of stress with constantly looming milestone deadlines, stressful publisher relations and the constant worry that our project would be canceled or that we wouldn't be able to find a new contract and would have to let all of our employees go (which is ultimately what happened)"''.<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> He recalls that "''when Troika fell apart, we drifted a bit. We still talk and get together for lunch every once in a while, but not as much as we used to. I certainly would like to work with them again someday"''.<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> |
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Bloodlines was finally released on 16 November 2004 and has become somewhat of a cult classic among RPGs, which is still being updated to this day.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/04/25/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-patch-bugs-glitches/ |title=Vampire: Bloodlines Achieves True Immortality, Hits Patch 9.0|date=25 April 2014|first=Nathan|last=Greyson|work=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]|access-date=8 August 2015}}</ref> Nevertheless, initial sales figures were weak, failing to ensure financial stability to the company. They continued to present game ideas to publishers, Anderson's favorite being "Dreadlands, an [MMOG] set in mythical mid 19th century Eastern Europe". They also worked on a game set in a post-apocalyptic setting reminiscent of ''Fallout'', for which an engine demonstration was released.<ref name="FilmNoir82">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzYmQyHl2bc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/xzYmQyHl2bc |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Troika Games Untitled Post-apocalyptic RPG|date=29 July 2006|first=Film|last=Noir82|work=Escapist|access-date=8 July 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref> However, Troika faced difficulty finding new publisher deals, haunted by a track record of great ideas with lackluster implementation. Consequently, Troika shut down their business operations in 2005. Reminiscent on the fate of Troika, Anderson said that Troika's games were considered B-titles, Something that publishers shun away from. He adds, "Unfortunately, although our games had depth and vision, we were never able to release a game that had been thoroughly tested and rid of bugs".<ref name="escapistmagazine.com"/> |
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Spending time away from game development also allowed Anderson to reflect on the aspects he liked and did not like about his career as a game designer. Also, he had the opportunity ''"to look at things with fresh eyes and to actually play games just for the joy of it"'',<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> regaining the enthusiasm he had upon first entering the game industry.<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> |
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Leonard Boyarsky has since joined Obsidian Entertainment on April 1, 2016, and is currently working on an unannounced RPG with Tim Cain. This made fans hope that Anderson might join the company as well, effectively reuniting the Troika team. In an interview with RPGCodex from September 2016, Boyarsky said that the three are still friends and meet several times per year. He remains positive towards bringing the team together again, although they would have to find new ways of working together, given the differing experiences they have all had over the years.<ref name="RPGCodex">{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=10425|title=RPG Codex Interview: Leonard Boyarsky on joining Obsidian, Fallout & Bloodlines cut content and more|author=Jedi Master Radek|date=30 September 2016|work=RPGCodex|access-date=2 October 2016}}</ref> |
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===Interplay Entertainment (October 2007 - February 2009)=== |
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In November 2007, it was announced that [[Interplay Entertainment]] had "''restarted in-house development and hired...Jason D. Anderson to head their first project"''.<ref name="Game Banshee">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/113748/Interview_Fallout_CoCreator_Jason_Anderson_Discusses_New_inXile_Post.php|title=Jason Anderson Discusses Next InXile Post=Chris Remo|date=19 March 2009|work=Game Banshee|accessdate=8 July 2009}}</ref> Anderson worked on [[Project V13]] with fellow Fallout creator [[Christopher Taylor (game designer)|Chris Taylor]].<ref name="Game Banshee"/> Although it was never officially stated, the project he worked on was believed to be a Fallout-related MMO. Interplay retained the rights for such a title after selling the Fallout rights to [[Bethesda Softworks]]. However, Bethesda later disputed this right in a legal case, which further stalled its development. Anderson had been in talks with [[Hervé Caen]] ([[Brian Fargo]]'s successor after [[Titus Software]]'s acquisition of [[Interplay Entertainment]] in 2001) about the project for nearly a year, and felt "''it was one of the few projects that could entice (him) to get back into the game industry"''.<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> |
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Nevertheless, although he enjoyed working on the project, Anderson later decided to leave [[Interplay Entertainment|Interplay]] to accept an offer from [[InXile Entertainment]] who presented him with "''a more stable opportunity"''.<ref name="Game Banshee"/> |
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===Post-Troika hiatus (2004 – 2007)=== |
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===InXile Entertainment (March 2009 - December 2010)=== |
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After Troika shut down, Anderson took some vacation with his wife and family. They decided that they needed a break from the entertainment industry, in order to spend more time together. 2004 had been a difficult year, with several family issues on top of the demise of Troika. Anderson, who is skilled in many facets of construction, spent a few months repairing his house, remodeling the kitchen and baths, removing the sound room and replacing the balcony. After selling the house, they settled down in [[Phoenix, Arizona]] and got active in the real estate business. His wife acquired her Real Estate License and the couple bought another old house, which Anderson spent around 3 months fixing. Anderson also home-schooled his daughters during this period.<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> |
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Anderson was hired as Creative Director at [[InXile Entertainment]].<ref name="Anderson"/> His role was to work on the ''"design and story material"''<ref name="No Mutants Allowed">{{cite web|url= http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=60856|title=Wasteland Kickstarter Project Interview with Brian Fargo|date=2012|work=No Mutants Allowed|accessdate=8 July 2009}}</ref> for [[Wasteland 2]]. Before successfully funding the project via [[Kickstarter]], [[Brian Fargo]] attempted to generate publisher interest and secure their backing by having ''"the co-creator of Fallout working with the lead designer of Wasteland (Mike Stackpole) and the guy who helped produce them both all on the heels of a massive success with Fallout 3''."<ref name="No Mutants Allowed"/> Fargo was ''"quite surprised at how little interest there was"''. Subsequently, Anderson left the company before [[Wasteland 2]] launched on [[Kickstarter]]. However, Fargo has stated that they used a lot of Anderson’s material in the game, as ''"he was here for a year generating storylines, characters, and filling out the tone of the Wasteland 2 world"''.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/s81zu/rpg_fireside_chat_with_brian_fargo_and_chris/|title=RPG Fireside Chat with Brian Fargo and Chris Avellone AMA=2012|work=Reddit|accessdate=8 July 2015}}</ref> The Kickstarter campaign directly mentions Anderson’s work on the storyline, which was retained for the final game.<ref name="kickstarter.com"/> |
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While contemplating his return to the game industry, Anderson considered working at the new studios of his former Troika partners (Boyarsky and Cain subsequently found jobs at [[Blizzard Entertainment]] and [[Carbine Studios]], respectively). However, Anderson did not get along with Boyarsky's project leader at Blizzard, and never got around to applying at Carbine. Moreover, he reflected on the seven years he spent with Boyarsky and Cain as "closely...related to a marriage",<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> coupled with stressful publisher relations, frequent deadlines and the constant fear that the studio would have to close its doors.<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> When the studio closed, they started seeing either other less frequently. However, Anderson "would like to work with them again someday".<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> |
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===Turtle Rock Studios (2011 - present)=== |
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Anderson subsequently joined [[Turtle Rock Studios]] in 2011. They shipped the successful first-person shooter [[Evolve (video game)|Evolve]] in 2015. Anderson’s exact role in that project is unknown, although he is credited as 'level design' on the company’s forum. He has stated that ''"one of the things I love about the company is that there are no titles, everyone are equals. So I don’t have a title"''.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://gamestar.ru/article/1934.html|title=Knights of the Roleplaying Table. Jason Anderson: "People don’t relate to ideas or concepts"|date=2007|work=Gamestar.ru|accessdate=10 August 2015}}</ref> |
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Spending time away from game development also allowed Anderson to reflect on the aspects he liked and did not like about his career as a game designer. Also, he had the opportunity to enjoy playing games, regaining the enthusiasm he had upon first entering the industry.<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> |
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===Interplay Entertainment (October 2007 – February 2009)=== |
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In November 2007, it was announced that Interplay Entertainment had resumed development activities and hired Anderson to lead their first project .<ref name="Game Banshee">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/113748/Interview_Fallout_CoCreator_Jason_Anderson_Discusses_New_inXile_Post.php|title=Jason Anderson Discusses Next InXile Post | first=Chris | last=Remo|date=19 March 2009|work=Game Banshee|access-date=8 July 2009}}</ref> Anderson worked on [[Project V13]] with fellow ''Fallout'' creator [[Christopher Taylor (game designer)|Chris Taylor]]. Although it was never officially stated, the project he worked on was believed to be a ''Fallout''-related MMO. Interplay retained the rights for such a title after selling the ''Fallout'' rights to [[Bethesda Softworks]]. However, Bethesda later disputed this right in a legal case, which further stalled its development. Anderson had been in talks with [[Hervé Caen]] ([[Brian Fargo]]'s successor after [[Titus Software]]'s acquisition of Interplay Entertainment in 2001) about the project for nearly a year, and felt it was one of the few projects that could entice him to get back into the video-game industry. As Creative Director, Anderson was responsible for a putting a team together and overseeing progress on the game. Nevertheless, although he enjoyed working on the project, Anderson later decided to leave Interplay to accept an offer from [[InXile Entertainment]] who presented him with "a more stable opportunity".<ref name="Game Banshee"/> |
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===InXile Entertainment (March 2009 – December 2010)=== |
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Anderson was hired as Creative Director at InXile Entertainment.<ref name="Anderson"/> His role was to do design work and elaborate on the story for ''[[Wasteland 2]]''.<ref name="No Mutants Allowed">{{cite web|url=http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=60856 |title=Wasteland Kickstarter Project Interview with Brian Fargo |date=2012 |work=No Mutants Allowed |access-date=8 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301014404/http://www.nma-fallout.com/article.php?id=60856 |archive-date= 1 March 2012 }}</ref> Before successfully funding the project via [[Kickstarter]], [[Brian Fargo]] attempted to generate publisher interest and secure their backing by having Anderson (Fallout lead designer), [[Mike Stackpole]] (lead designer on the first [[Wasteland (video game)|Wasteland]]) and someone who helped produce both games following the success of ''[[Fallout 3]]''. Fargo was surprised at how little publisher interest there was. Subsequently, Anderson left the company before ''Wasteland 2'' launched on [[Kickstarter]]. However, Anderson's work during his time with [[InXile]] was kept .<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/s81zu/rpg_fireside_chat_with_brian_fargo_and_chris/|title=RPG Fireside Chat with Brian Fargo and Chris Avellone AMA=2012|work=Reddit| date=13 April 2012 |access-date=8 July 2015}}</ref> The Kickstarter campaign directly mentions Anderson's work on the storyline, which was retained for the final game. |
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===Turtle Rock Studios (2011–2019)=== |
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Anderson subsequently joined [[Turtle Rock Studios]] in 2011. They shipped the first-person shooter ''[[Evolve (video game)|Evolve]]'' in 2015. Anderson's exact role in that project is unknown, although he is credited for level design on the company's forum. He has stated that there are no titles at the company, as everyone is equal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gamestar.ru/article/1934.html |title=Knights of the Roleplaying Table. Jason Anderson: "People don't relate to ideas or concepts" |date=2007 |work=Gamestar.ru |access-date=10 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405200022/http://gamestar.ru/article/1934.html |archive-date= 5 April 2015 }}</ref> |
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===InXile Entertainment (2019–present)=== |
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On March 26, 2019, Anderson re-joined InXile Entertainment. This was announced by Chad Moore on Twitter, whom Anderson had worked with both at Interplay and Troika. Since both InXile and Obsidian were acquired by Microsoft, this in-directly reunites the Troika: Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky and Jason Anderson. |
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On June 11, 2023, Xbox Games Showcase revealed the new game he has been working on in collaboration with Chad Moore: Clockwork Revolution. <ref name="Greenberg">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/aarongreenberg/status/1667957567916744709 |title=So thrilled to see team @inXile revealing Clockwork Revolution. The project is led by Game Director Chad Moore and Principal Designer Jason Anderson, who just happen to have created one of the greatest steampunk RPGs of all time—Arcanum.|date=11 June 2023 |first=Aaron |last=Greenberg |access-date=11 June 2023 }}</ref> |
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==Works== |
==Works== |
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{|class="wikitable sortable" |
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!Title !! Year !! Role |
!Title !! Year !! Role |
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| ''[[USCF Chess]]'' |
| ''[[USCF Chess]]'' |
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| |
| [[1993 in video gaming|1993]] |
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| Artist |
| Artist |
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|- |
|- |
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| ''[[Stonekeep]]'' |
| ''[[Stonekeep]]'' |
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| |
| [[1995 in video gaming|1995]] |
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| Artist/Designer |
| Artist/Designer |
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|- |
|- |
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| ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'' |
| ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'' |
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| [[1997 in video gaming|1997]] |
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| Lead Technical Artist, original game design |
| Lead Technical Artist, original game design |
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|- |
|- |
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| ''[[Fallout 2]]'' |
| ''[[Fallout 2]]'' |
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| [[1998 in video gaming|1998]] |
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| Main story outline |
| Main story outline |
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|- |
|- |
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| ''[[Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura]]'' |
| ''[[Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura]]'' |
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| |
| [[2001 in video gaming|2001]] |
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| Creative principal |
| Creative principal |
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|- |
|- |
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| ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines]]'' |
| ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines]]'' |
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| |
| [[2004 in video gaming|2004]] |
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| Creative Director |
| Creative Director |
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|- |
|- |
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| ''[[Project V13]]'' |
| ''[[Project V13]]'' |
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| |
| [[2007 in video gaming|2007]] |
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| Creative Director |
| Creative Director |
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|- |
|- |
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| ''[[Wasteland 2]]'' |
| ''[[Wasteland 2]]'' |
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| |
| [[2014 in video gaming|2014]] |
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| Main Story Author |
| Main Story Author |
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|- |
|- |
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| ''[[Evolve (video game)|Evolve]]'' |
| ''[[Evolve (video game)|Evolve]]'' |
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| |
| [[2015 in video gaming|2015]] |
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| Unknown |
| Unknown |
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|- |
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| ''[[Clockwork Revolution]]'' |
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| [[TBA]] |
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| Principal Designer |
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|} |
|} |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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Apart from video games, music is one of Anderson's main hobbies. He has had an ear for music since being a child, and has composed several pieces on his own. He enjoys playing his guitar and prefers heavy, aggressive music such as [[Quicksand]], [[Tool]] and [[Sepultura]], which he listened to during the development of |
Apart from video games, music is one of Anderson's main hobbies. He has had an ear for music since being a child, and has composed several pieces on his own. He enjoys playing his guitar and prefers heavy, aggressive music such as [[Quicksand (American band)|Quicksand]], [[Tool (band)|Tool]] and [[Sepultura]], which he listened to during the development of ''Fallout''.<ref name="Beekers"/> |
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Anderson is married and has 3 children. In his spare time he enjoys swimming and hiking in the woods.<ref name="Thomas Beekers"/> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{commons category|Jason D. Anderson}} |
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* {{moby developer|id=46342|name=Jason Anderson}} |
* {{moby developer|id=46342|name=Jason Anderson}} |
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* [http://www.terra-arcanum.com/troikapedia/index.php?title=Jason_Anderson Terra Arcanum's entry on Jason D. Anderson] |
* [http://www.terra-arcanum.com/troikapedia/index.php?title=Jason_Anderson Terra Arcanum's entry on Jason D. Anderson] |
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{{Black Isle Studios games}} |
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{{Troika games}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Jason}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Jason}} |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Black Isle Studios]] |
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[[Category:Interplay Entertainment people]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:American video game artists]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:American video game designers]] |
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[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] |
Latest revision as of 14:41, 17 December 2024
This article contains too many quotations. (March 2016) |
Jason D. Anderson | |
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Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | Video game designer, video game artist |
Employer | inXile Entertainment |
Notable work | Fallout, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, Evolve |
Jason D. Anderson, usually credited as Jason Anderson, is a video game developer. He started out as a contract artist for Interplay on the USCF Chess project. He was later hired to work on Fallout for which he became Lead Technical Artist, working on the original game design, interface, and quests. After working on the prototype design for Fallout 2, Anderson left with fellow developers Timothy Cain and Leonard Boyarsky to found Troika Games. After Troika Games collapsed, Anderson left the game industry for a short time to sell real estate.[1]
Interplay reopened in-house development and in 2007 hired Anderson as Creative Director for an unannounced massively multiplayer online game.[2] In March 2009, Anderson joined inXile Entertainment as Creative Director.[3] In January 2011, he left inXile to join Turtle Rock Studios. In March 2012, inXile announced the crowdfunded development of Wasteland 2 with Anderson as the game's storyline author.[4]
In March 2019 it was announced on Twitter that Anderson had rejoined inXile, who in the meantime had been acquired by Microsoft alongside Obsidian Entertainment. This indirectly reunites him with Troika colleagues Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, who work for Obsidian.
Biography
[edit]Jason Anderson grew up being the youngest of 10 children. He got into Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) around the age of 10 when his mom bought him the basic D&D set. Already at a young age, he enjoyed using the D&D and Avalon Hill settings to imagine his own adventures set in other universes such as Blade Runner. He learned basic programming on the Apple II and created his own dungeon crawling program to simulate dungeons and random encounters from the D&D table top game. After high school he nearly stopped using the computer altogether, focusing on working in construction and getting his degree as Recording engineering from Golden West College in 1992. He later purchased an Amiga and subsequently taught himself to use both LightWave 3D and 3D Studio (for Windows). He sent a sample of his work to Interplay Entertainment, which got him started in the computer games industry.[5]
He has mentioned X-COM, Jagged Alliance and Planescape: Torment as being some of his favorite games.[6]
Career
[edit]Interplay Entertainment (March 1994 – July 1997)
[edit]Anderson got his first contract working on USCF Chess and was subsequently offered a full-time position at Interplay Entertainment. His first job was 'clean-up artist' on Stonekeep, which was just about to ship.[5] In 1993 he was assigned to the GURPS-related project being developed by Tim Cain; the yet to be named Fallout. Within a short time, he rose to a lead position and became a key member of the Fallout team. His role in making the game started out with supplying Cain with art to test out with the graphics engine he was building. Even though Anderson was hired as an artist, he was allowed to take on several roles in the development process. He attended all design meetings and ultimately designed the way art would be implemented into the Fallout engine.[5]
The small team size also contributed to the diversity of the tasks. Anderson created a large part of the opening cinematic, modeled and animated around half of the creatures, including female humans and mutants. He also built the interface, created many of the landscape tiles and wall sets. Finally, he did significant design work as well, especially concerning the story and the quests.[5] Anderson's wife also contributed to the development of the game, creating the death screen and doing several animations (including the two-headed Brahmin and Mr. Handy) and in-game movies shown when the water levels are lowering, the 'dipped in the vats/turn you into a mutant movie' and the 'exploding mutant vats movie'.[7] One of Anderson's fondest memory from Fallout's development was coming up with the ending to the game in conjunction with Leonard Boyarsky. They figured it would fit the tone of the game, including the xenophobic nature of the vault dwellers, if the main character would actually be rejected by his former people. Cain was skeptical at first, given its unorthodox nature compared to other RPGs which were usually about empowering the player and becoming a hero. But he eventually gave in to the idea.[5]
Fallout shipped in October 1997 and became a commercial success, eventually selling around 600,000 copies. Therefore, Interplay began the initial design work for the sequel. However, the initial team, notably Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky, felt that many design decisions were being taken without their consent such as who should work on the project.[8] Anderson recalls disagreement with Interplay concerning who the next team members should be.[1] As Fallout had received little attention internally from Interplay during its development gave the designers extensive freedom to craft the game the way they wanted to. However, that began to change already in the final months before it shipped. Cain says that he was unhappy at how development worked at Interplay while developing Fallout. People who neither played nor liked games were making crucial decisions about marketing the game, its features, and the shipping date. Consequently, Cain became increasingly discontent with the new working environment at Interplay. Already in July 1997, three months before Fallout would ship, he had decided that he did not want to work on the sequel. Before Thanksgiving that year, he told Feargus Urquhart of his plans of quitting the company, as he was afraid that increased interference from different units of Interplay would hamper his creative freedom of working on the game. Cain ended up working on Fallout 2 for a few more months, and was given the role of lead designer and producer.[9] Boyarsky and Anderson wrote the main story line for the game.[10] However, the problems persisted. According to Cain, marketing and sales took counterproductive decisions pertaining inter alia to game box design without consulting him. His wish to become division manager for the marketing department was met with resistance from Urquhart, who saw this as an infringement on his own authority and responsibilities.[11] Cain recalls spending too much time arguing with people and trying to defend the game from devolving into a lesser product. Boyarsky and Anderson were both unwilling to work on a sequel for Fallout without him.[12]
In mid-January 1998, Cain decided to leave Interplay. Anderson and Boyarsky submitted their resignation the day after. Having left Interplay, Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky met the day after to discuss their next moves. None of them had approached any other gaming company to inquire for a job. Originally, they never planned to make their own company as none of them were businessmen but knew that they enjoyed working together. In the following weeks they contacted local companies such as Blizzard Entertainment and Virgin Interactive, who were more interested in hiring them to work on ongoing projects, rather than let them work on their own idea. Subsequently, they figured that their game would only be made if they formed their own company, so they "switched tactics and began approaching companies for a contract and not for employment".[8] This is when Troika Games was founded.
Troika Games (April 1998 – April 2005)
[edit]Troika Games was incorporated on 1 April 1998 by Tim Cain, Jason Anderson and Leonard Boyarsky, with all three having the title of "Joint CEO".[12] According to Anderson, each had their unique specialty: Cain being a talented programmer, Leonard a talented artist while Anderson created solutions for merging art and programming .[12] The name ‘Troika’ was originally coined by Feargus Urquhart, referring to their ability to work together and complement each other's skills.[8] Anderson described the workplace at Troika as having a casual environment and working hours, with frequent social activities such as barbecues and trips to the movie theater. Also, Troika offered competitive remuneration packages including retirement plans.[12]
Anderson carried out a plethora of tasks at Troika. While doing considerable work on two of the company's three released titles (Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines), he also handled managerial tasks related to running the company. These included creating design documents for future games, managing projects, interactions with publishers and directing artists.[13]
Arcanum was the first game from Troika Games. The initial design of the game was conceived by Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky after leaving Interplay. While reflecting on what game to make next, they decided that they wanted their turn at making an RPG set in a fantasy setting. The post-apocalyptic setting of Fallout had been a conscious design-choice to distance themselves from fantasy-titles like the Might and Magic series and other games based on Dungeons and Dragons. However, they did not want to make a ‘typical’ fantasy game set in the 14th century, often the case for games in the genre. Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura was thus set in the 18th century, imagining what would happen in a world where magic co-existed with the industrial revolution.[14] Indeed, the desire to mix magic and technology was a given from the start. They drafted ideas for how each race in the world would be affected by technology, with Boyarsky stating that "the orcs would be used as the slaves of all the capitalist machinery".[14] Cain remembers that ideas came swiftly, and they were happy with the outline of the game. Cain, Anderson and Boyarsky worked on the initial design of Arcanum by themselves for five months until they landed a contract by with Sierra Entertainment, which let them expand the team to 12 people.
Because Arcanum was made with a modest sized team (later increased to 14 people), Anderson took on a number of different responsibilities.[5] These included art, movies, design, dialogue, scripting, music and sound effects. Added to this came also business-related tasks where he wrote business plans, managed budgeting, wrote proposals, pitched games to publishers, co-negotiated contracts and created and maintained schedules. The decision to keep the team small was a decision that would cost the team many nights and weekends, remembers Boyarsky. He recalls that the company was in a near constant state of ‘crunch mode’ (working beyond the normal 40-hour work week), and the staff always felt under pressure.[12]
According to Boyarsky, Troika's original goal had been to work exclusively for one publisher, as a kind of their external RPG dev team. This way, they thought they would maintain a staple flow of contracts. Sierra Entertainment was their first choice of publisher, which kept the team busy even while they were unsure about making an Arcanum sequel. But when Sierra faced economic problems, the partnership with Troika was cut short.[12]
Having concluded their dealings with Sierra Entertainment, Troika got a contract from Atari to work on The Temple of Elemental Evil in 2001. Cain spearheaded that project, which was released in 2003[12] to generally favorable reviews.
Anderson and Boyarsky would focus on a game set in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe. Boyarsky expressed the desire to build a game in a new setting, to challenge themselves ."[15] The project began when Boyarsky and Anderson were invited to Seattle to see the latest build of the Source engine. Subsequently, they had discussions with Scott Lynch of Valve about using the Source game engine to create a brand new, groundbreaking first-person RPG. Troika was thus the first external team to be allowed using the Source engine. Activision (who had recently founded a partnership with Valve), suggested them to make a game using the Vampire: The Masquerade setting, for which they had the license. Troika began to research the World of Darkness and the Vampire system before agreeing that it would be a great fit. "[15]
Anderson's responsibilities on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines included game design, level design and creation, sound effects, and design and implementation of interface and artwork.[13] He liked the game world [16] compared to his last two games (Fallout and Arcanum)and was happy that he able to make a game about vampires. However, he was not familiar with the Vampire: The Masquerade table-top games, and had to do some research to understand the setting and translate it to a video-game experience. Anderson relied on player experiences from colleagues and online forums, to understand what drew players to the game. First, he learned that the main point liked was Vampire's focus on character interaction with stats, items, and powers taking a backseat. Main elements for the players’ experiences were constantly changing intricacies of the world and vampiric society. Second, Anderson had to reproduce the pen-and-paper experience to satisfy fans of the setting and give newcomers an accurate introduction. Generally, the character attributes from Vampire were easily implemented into the video-game format, while others (such as ‘knowledge of law') had to be left out. Also, dice rolls and randomness were removed as they would not have fit in a first-person setting. Disciplines were confusing and thus challenging to implement. Thus, a deviation from the board game was made to streamline the disciplines into the game. Furthermore, Anderson designed the ‘haunted mansion’ level of the game, which is famous for being "eerily atmospheric" [17] and well-paced. Boyarsky recalls that "several people took turns trying to make that work, but it wasn’t until Jason took it over that it really began to shine".[18]
The development of Bloodlines was challenging for Troika. First, compared to the relative freedom they enjoyed during the development of Arcanum, Vampire's design choices had more checks and balances as both White Wolf and Activision wanted to validate their decisions. Second, the deteriorating working relationship with Activision and constant deadlines had damaged the morale of the development staff. Cain recalls an embargo being placed on the game. In fact, Troika was not allowed to work on it for several months before the release date, as Activision kept a gold version master until the release date. Any patches and fixes that Troika worked on, where thus not allowed to be included in the game. This also included improvements made to the Source engine such as advancements in physics, modelling and facial animation which Bloodlines did not have. The embargo hurt the morale of the team, who had finished a game that could not be shipped, changed, or talked about. Furthermore, Activision wanted to ship it as soon as possible, resulting in many features being cut and forcing the Troika staff to work long hours. Anderson later stated that the vast majority of Bloodline's development time was spent in 'crunch-mode' .[12] While Bloodlines received favorable reviews and praise from RPG fans, its numerous bug and imperfections were flagrant.[17] Anderson reflected that their publishers were not willing to give the Troika team the necessary time to polish their games, pulling an unfinished product from their hands.[12] Furthermore, Cain adds that they never imagined that Activision would ship Vampire on the same day as Half-Life 2. He finds that postponing launch day would have given the team time to polish the game using a stable engine, avoiding direct competition with the very popular Half-Life 2.[8]
Bloodlines was finally released on 16 November 2004 and has become somewhat of a cult classic among RPGs, which is still being updated to this day.[19] Nevertheless, initial sales figures were weak, failing to ensure financial stability to the company. They continued to present game ideas to publishers, Anderson's favorite being "Dreadlands, an [MMOG] set in mythical mid 19th century Eastern Europe". They also worked on a game set in a post-apocalyptic setting reminiscent of Fallout, for which an engine demonstration was released.[20] However, Troika faced difficulty finding new publisher deals, haunted by a track record of great ideas with lackluster implementation. Consequently, Troika shut down their business operations in 2005. Reminiscent on the fate of Troika, Anderson said that Troika's games were considered B-titles, Something that publishers shun away from. He adds, "Unfortunately, although our games had depth and vision, we were never able to release a game that had been thoroughly tested and rid of bugs".[12]
Leonard Boyarsky has since joined Obsidian Entertainment on April 1, 2016, and is currently working on an unannounced RPG with Tim Cain. This made fans hope that Anderson might join the company as well, effectively reuniting the Troika team. In an interview with RPGCodex from September 2016, Boyarsky said that the three are still friends and meet several times per year. He remains positive towards bringing the team together again, although they would have to find new ways of working together, given the differing experiences they have all had over the years.[21]
Post-Troika hiatus (2004 – 2007)
[edit]After Troika shut down, Anderson took some vacation with his wife and family. They decided that they needed a break from the entertainment industry, in order to spend more time together. 2004 had been a difficult year, with several family issues on top of the demise of Troika. Anderson, who is skilled in many facets of construction, spent a few months repairing his house, remodeling the kitchen and baths, removing the sound room and replacing the balcony. After selling the house, they settled down in Phoenix, Arizona and got active in the real estate business. His wife acquired her Real Estate License and the couple bought another old house, which Anderson spent around 3 months fixing. Anderson also home-schooled his daughters during this period.[2]
While contemplating his return to the game industry, Anderson considered working at the new studios of his former Troika partners (Boyarsky and Cain subsequently found jobs at Blizzard Entertainment and Carbine Studios, respectively). However, Anderson did not get along with Boyarsky's project leader at Blizzard, and never got around to applying at Carbine. Moreover, he reflected on the seven years he spent with Boyarsky and Cain as "closely...related to a marriage",[2] coupled with stressful publisher relations, frequent deadlines and the constant fear that the studio would have to close its doors.[2] When the studio closed, they started seeing either other less frequently. However, Anderson "would like to work with them again someday".[2]
Spending time away from game development also allowed Anderson to reflect on the aspects he liked and did not like about his career as a game designer. Also, he had the opportunity to enjoy playing games, regaining the enthusiasm he had upon first entering the industry.[2]
Interplay Entertainment (October 2007 – February 2009)
[edit]In November 2007, it was announced that Interplay Entertainment had resumed development activities and hired Anderson to lead their first project .[22] Anderson worked on Project V13 with fellow Fallout creator Chris Taylor. Although it was never officially stated, the project he worked on was believed to be a Fallout-related MMO. Interplay retained the rights for such a title after selling the Fallout rights to Bethesda Softworks. However, Bethesda later disputed this right in a legal case, which further stalled its development. Anderson had been in talks with Hervé Caen (Brian Fargo's successor after Titus Software's acquisition of Interplay Entertainment in 2001) about the project for nearly a year, and felt it was one of the few projects that could entice him to get back into the video-game industry. As Creative Director, Anderson was responsible for a putting a team together and overseeing progress on the game. Nevertheless, although he enjoyed working on the project, Anderson later decided to leave Interplay to accept an offer from InXile Entertainment who presented him with "a more stable opportunity".[22]
InXile Entertainment (March 2009 – December 2010)
[edit]Anderson was hired as Creative Director at InXile Entertainment.[13] His role was to do design work and elaborate on the story for Wasteland 2.[23] Before successfully funding the project via Kickstarter, Brian Fargo attempted to generate publisher interest and secure their backing by having Anderson (Fallout lead designer), Mike Stackpole (lead designer on the first Wasteland) and someone who helped produce both games following the success of Fallout 3. Fargo was surprised at how little publisher interest there was. Subsequently, Anderson left the company before Wasteland 2 launched on Kickstarter. However, Anderson's work during his time with InXile was kept .[24] The Kickstarter campaign directly mentions Anderson's work on the storyline, which was retained for the final game.
Turtle Rock Studios (2011–2019)
[edit]Anderson subsequently joined Turtle Rock Studios in 2011. They shipped the first-person shooter Evolve in 2015. Anderson's exact role in that project is unknown, although he is credited for level design on the company's forum. He has stated that there are no titles at the company, as everyone is equal.[25]
InXile Entertainment (2019–present)
[edit]On March 26, 2019, Anderson re-joined InXile Entertainment. This was announced by Chad Moore on Twitter, whom Anderson had worked with both at Interplay and Troika. Since both InXile and Obsidian were acquired by Microsoft, this in-directly reunites the Troika: Tim Cain, Leonard Boyarsky and Jason Anderson.
On June 11, 2023, Xbox Games Showcase revealed the new game he has been working on in collaboration with Chad Moore: Clockwork Revolution. [26]
Works
[edit]Title | Year | Role |
---|---|---|
USCF Chess | 1993 | Artist |
Stonekeep | 1995 | Artist/Designer |
Fallout | 1997 | Lead Technical Artist, original game design |
Fallout 2 | 1998 | Main story outline |
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura | 2001 | Creative principal |
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines | 2004 | Creative Director |
Project V13 | 2007 | Creative Director |
Wasteland 2 | 2014 | Main Story Author |
Evolve | 2015 | Unknown |
Clockwork Revolution | TBA | Principal Designer |
Personal life
[edit]Apart from video games, music is one of Anderson's main hobbies. He has had an ear for music since being a child, and has composed several pieces on his own. He enjoys playing his guitar and prefers heavy, aggressive music such as Quicksand, Tool and Sepultura, which he listened to during the development of Fallout.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Blancato, Joe (26 December 2006). "The Rise and Fall of Troika". Escapist. Archived from the original on 6 July 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Beekers, Thomas (2 December 2007). "Interplay MMORPG Interview with Jason Anderson". Game Banshee. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
- ^ Remo, Chris (19 March 2009). "Interview: Fallout Co-Creator Jason Anderson Discusses New inXile Post". Gamasutra. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ "Wasteland 2 by inXile entertainment — Kickstarter". 18 September 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g Beekers, Thomas (25 September 2007). "Fallout Developer Profile: Jason D. Anderson". No Mutants Allowed. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Beekers, Thomas (2 December 2007). "Interplay Unannounced MMORPG Interview". Gamebanshee. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ Beekers, Thomas (2007). "Fallout Developer Profile: Sharon Shellman". No Mutants Allowed. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d Ramsay, Morgan (31 January 2012). Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play. Apress; 1 edition (8 February 2012). pp. 96–106. ISBN 978-1430233510. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
- ^ Ramsay, Morgan (31 January 2012). Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play. Apress; 1 edition (8 February 2012). pp. 96–106. ISBN 978-1430233510. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
- ^ Bee, Crooked (7 May 2012). "RPG Codex Retrospective Interview: Leonard Boyarsky on Fallout, Interplay and Troika". RPG Codex. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Ramsay, Morgan (31 January 2012). Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play. Apress; 1 edition (8 February 2012). pp. 96–106. ISBN 978-1430233510. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Blancato, Joe (26 December 2006). "The Rise and Fall of Troika". The Escapist. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ a b c Anderson, Jason. "LinkedIn Profile: Jason Anderson". LinkedIn. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ a b Barton, Matt (11 June 2010). "Matt Chat 68: Arcanum and More With Tim Cain". Matt Chat. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
- ^ a b Boyarsky, Leonard (17 October 2003). "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Designer Diary #1". GameSpot. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ^ Anderson, Jason (19 November 2003). "Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Designer Diary #2". GameSpot. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ^ a b Ocampo, Jason (17 November 2004). "Bloodlines Review - Gamespot". RPG Codex. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Bee, Crooked (7 May 2012). "RPG Codex Retrospective Interview: Leonard Boyarsky on Fallout, Interplay and Troika". RPG Codex. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ Greyson, Nathan (25 April 2014). "Vampire: Bloodlines Achieves True Immortality, Hits Patch 9.0". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
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