Brad Wardell

Last updated
Brad Wardell
Brad Wardell.jpg
Born
Bradley R. Wardell

(1971-06-24) June 24, 1971 (age 52) [1]
Texas [2]
Alma mater Western Michigan University
Occupation(s) CEO, founder of Stardock Corporation
Website http://www.littletinyfrogs.com

Bradley R. Wardell (born June 24, 1971 [1] ) is an American businessman, programmer, author and AI Engineer. He is the founder, president, and chief executive officer [3] of Stardock, a software development and computer games company.

Contents

Wardell's specialty is the design and programming of artificial intelligence and game mechanics for turn-based strategy games. [4] In December of 2010, an ex-employee of Stardock filed a lawsuit against Wardell, alleging sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. The lawsuit was dismissed in September 2013. [5]

Career

Early career

Wardell graduated from Western Michigan University in 1994 with a degree in Electronic Engineering, specializing in Computer Engineering. [6] [7]

Wardell was involved in the design and implementation of Galactic Civilizations for OS/2, one of the platform's few games. [8] He led development of OS/2 Essentials, followed by Object Desktop , a package of utilities and desktop enhancements. [9]

When the OS/2 market collapsed, he shifted Stardock to Windows, heading development of PC game Entrepreneur (now The Corporate Machine ) while coordinating the creation of WindowBlinds and other Object Desktop components.

Wardell designed Galactic Civilizations for Windows and its sequel, which became GameSpy's Game of the Year. [10] He subsequently designed The Political Machine and Elemental , as well as two expansions ( Dark Avatar and Twilight of the Arnor ) to Galactic Civilizations II. [11] In 2012 he was the producer of Elemental: Fallen Enchantress .

Computer customization

Wardell is co-founder and webmaster of WinCustomize, a site specializing in the distribution of skins and themes for computer software. Wardell was a designer of OS customization programs such as WindowBlinds, [12] Fences (software), and Object Desktop. [13] [14] He was a regular on the PowerUser.TV podcast, [15] run by WinCustomize and Neowin, [16] and organized the GUI Olympics (later GUI Championships), a semi-annual skinning competition starting in 2002. [17]

Video games

Wardell has programmed, designed or executive produced a substantial number of video games and is regularly interviewed by game industry sites regarding his views on technology, game publishing and trends. [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] His particular expertise has focused on parallel computing, AI, graphics APIs and strategy games [23] . [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] He has also presented at the Game Developer's Conference several times on topics ranging from code optimization to disasters in publishing [29] [30] . [31]

Wardell takes an approach to game development allowing users to view and influence the process of making games. [32] [33] Wardell is credited with multiple game projects either as a game designer or as an executive producer. [34] Wardell is also an advocate for consumer rights for software and game customers and published the Gamer's Bill of Rights. [35] [36] [37]

As designer

As Executive Producer

Digital Distribution

Wardell was an early pioneer of digital distribution of games and software, despite the potential for software piracy. [38] While recognizing copyright infringement as an issue, he felt that efforts to prevent it ended up making software more frustrating for legitimate customers. [39] To this end, Wardell created a "Gamers Bill of Rights," released at PAX 2008. [40] [41] [42] Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor – who was working with Stardock on Demigod at the time – called the bill "an awesome framework for the industry to aspire to." [43] Later, his digital distribution platform, Impulse, was sold to GameStop in 2011 [44] [45] . [46]

Co-Founder work

In mid 2013, Stardock announced that it had promoted Derek Paxton to succeed Wardell in the running of Stardock Entertainment in order for Wardell to have more time for other projects. [47] These other projects included co-founding new game studios [48] including Oxide Games and Mohawk Games with Soren Johnson. [49] Wardell's goal was to encourage innovation and empower a new generation of 4X game developers. [50] As part of this endeavor, Wardell founded the Stardock Staffing Company to allow developers and artists to work on projects between a coalition of game studios to provide better job security. [51] [52] [53]

Author

Wardell wrote the fantasy novel Elemental: Destiny's Embers, published by Del Rey to accompany Elemental: War of Magic . The book is set a thousand years after the Cataclysm, after the time of the game itself, [54] and involves the quest of a former messenger to save mankind from the Fallen. [55] The book came with a coupon to download an exclusive campaign for the game. [56]

Gamergate campaign

Wardell has voiced support for the criticisms raised by the Gamergate campaign, stating that "anyone reading the gaming sites has seen the trend over the past few years of activist journalism creeping in". [57] In response to Ashes of the Singularity receiving a 69 rating on Metacritic, Wardell accused gaming journalists of having "some bone to pick with #gamergate", insisting that they "don't take it out on my game's metacritic score". [58] [59] Political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos voiced his support for Wardell, describing the media's unfair treatment towards Wardell that eventually led up to GamerGate. [60]

Awards

Wardell was a member of Crain's Detroit's 40 under 40 in 2003, [61] and has been a finalist for Ernst & Young's Michigan Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002-4 and 2007. [62]

Related Research Articles

<i>Galactic Civilizations</i> 2003 video game

Galactic Civilizations is a turn-based strategy video game developed by Stardock and released in March 2003. The game is a remake of an OS/2 series of the same name. An expansion pack entitled Altarian Prophecy was released in 2004. A sequel, Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords, was released February 21, 2006. On May 14, 2015, Stardock released Galactic Civilizations III. On April 26, 2022, Stardock released Galactic Civilizations IV.

<i>Master of Magic</i> 1994 video game

Master of Magic is a single-player, fantasy turn-based 4X strategy game in which the player plays as a wizard attempting to dominate two linked worlds. From a small settlement, the player manages resources, builds cities and armies, and researches spells, growing an empire and fighting the other wizards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4X</span> Genre of strategy-based video and board games

4X is a subgenre of strategy-based computer and board games, and includes both turn-based and real-time strategy titles. The gameplay generally involves building an empire. Emphasis is placed upon economic and technological development, as well as a range of military and non-military routes to supremacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stardock</span> Software and video game developer

Stardock Corporation is an American software development company founded in 1991 and incorporated in 1993 as Stardock Systems. Stardock initially developed for the OS/2 platform, but was forced to switch to Microsoft Windows due to the collapse of the OS/2 software market between 1997 and 1998. The company is best known for computer programs that allow a user to modify or extend a graphical user interface as well as personal computer games, particularly strategy games such as the Galactic Civilizations series, Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, Elemental: Fallen Enchantress, and Ashes of the Singularity.

<i>Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords</i> 2006 video game

Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords is a 4X turn-based strategy by Stardock for Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to the 2003 game, Galactic Civilizations, and was released at retail and on Stardock's online subscription service, TotalGaming.net, on February 21, 2006. An expansion, Dark Avatar, was released in February 2007. A second expansion, Twilight of the Arnor, was released in April 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stardock Central</span>

Stardock Central was a software content delivery and digital rights management system used by Stardock customers to access components of the Object Desktop, TotalGaming.net and ThinkDesk product lines, as well as products under the WinCustomize brand.

<i>Sins of a Solar Empire</i> 2008 video game

Sins of a Solar Empire is a 2008 science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Ironclad Games and published by Stardock Entertainment for Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that incorporates some elements from 4X games; its makers describe it as "RT4X". Players are given control of a spacefaring empire in the distant future, and are tasked with conquering star systems using military, economic and diplomatic means.

<i>Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar</i> 2007 video game

Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar is the first expansion pack to the turn-based strategy game Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords. It was released by Stardock in February 2007, both as a separately downloadable expansion and the combination retail box Galactic Civilizations II: Gold Edition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impulse (software)</span> Defunct video game distribution platform (2008-14)

Impulse was a digital distribution and multiplayer platform. Originally developed by Stardock to succeed Stardock Central, it was purchased by GameStop in March 2011, and was subsequently rebranded as GameStop PC Downloads, with the client being renamed GameStop App. The client was discontinued in April 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MyColors</span>

MyColors is a digital distribution platform for themes developed by Stardock. It allows users to skin the Windows graphical user interface. Sets of themes have been made in partnership with GM, Ford, HP, Dell, the NHL, NBA, and NCAA.

GamersGate AB is a Sweden-based online video game store offering electronic strategy guides and games for Windows, macOS, and Linux via direct download. It is a competitor to online video game services such as Steam, GOG.com, and Direct2Drive.

<i>Elemental: War of Magic</i> 2010 video game

Elemental: War of Magic is a fantasy 4X turn-based strategy game developed and published by Stardock, released in August 24, 2010.

In the video game industry, digital distribution is the process of delivering video game content as digital information, without the exchange or purchase of new physical media such as ROM cartridges, magnetic storage, optical discs and flash memory cards. This process has existed since the early 1980s, but it was only with network advancements in bandwidth capabilities in the early 2000s that digital distribution became more prominent as a method of selling games. Currently, the process is dominated by online distribution over broadband Internet.

Derek Paxton, sometimes known as "Kael", is a professional game designer and producer with Stardock, having previously been successful with his mod Fall from Heaven for Civilization 4.

<i>Elemental: Fallen Enchantress</i> 2012 video game

Elemental: Fallen Enchantress is a turn-based strategy video game developed and published by Stardock for Microsoft Windows in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxide Games</span> American video game developer

Oxide Games is an American video game developer based in Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland. The studio was founded in January 2013 by Brad Wardell and former Firaxis employees Dan Baker, Marc Meyer, Brian Wade, and Tim Kipp.

<i>Star Control: Origins</i> 2018 video game

Star Control: Origins is an action-adventure game developed and published by Stardock Entertainment for Microsoft Windows, released September 20, 2018.

<i>Stardock Systems, Inc. v. Reiche</i> 2018 legal case

Stardock Systems, Inc. v. Paul Reiche III and Robert Frederick Ford, 2018 WL 7348858, is a case where the United States District Court for the Northern District of California applied American intellectual property law to the contents and sale of computer games. Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford are the makers of the critically acclaimed 1990 Star Control game series, and Stardock is the maker of the 2018 release Star Control: Origins. The lawsuit stems from a dispute over the ownership, licensing, and infringement of the Star Control intellectual property, including both trademarks and copyrights.

Mohawk Games is an American video game developer based in Baltimore, Maryland, known for releasing the strategy video games Offworld Trading Company and Old World.

<i>Galactic Civilizations IV</i> 2022 video game

Galactic Civilizations IV is a 4X turn-based strategy video game developed by Stardock for Microsoft Windows. It features standard 4X space gameplay such as colonizing a galaxy, engaging in space combat, and discovering new technology and alien species. As the fourth entry in the Galactic Civilizations series, the game adds an artificial intelligence assistant, a scoring system, and a larger galaxy organized into multiple sectors of tile-based maps. The game entered early access in 2021, promising to learn from other 4X games including Stellaris, Endless Space, and Distant Worlds.

References

  1. 1 2 Brad Wardell, Customize.org profile - Frogboy, archived from the original on 2007-03-17, retrieved 2010-03-21
  2. ↑ Brad Wardell (2009-01-29), 25 random facts about me , retrieved 2010-03-21
  3. ↑ "30 Stardock Management Page", Stardock, retrieved 2013-03-13
  4. ↑ Brad Wardell (2006-12-12), Gal Civ II: Dark Avatar AI: How smart can the competition get?, IGN, archived from the original on December 16, 2006, retrieved 2010-03-24
  5. ↑ Schreier, Jason (2013-09-24). "Stardock Lawsuits Dropped, Ex-Employee Apologizes". Kotaku. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
  6. ↑ Stardock - Management, Stardock, retrieved 2010-03-21
  7. ↑ "Binpress Podcast Episode 24: Brad Wardell of Stardock". binPress. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  8. ↑ Andrew Cedotal, "30 Great Gaming Geeks", Geekosystem, archived from the original on 2010-02-16, retrieved 2010-03-03
  9. ↑ Stardock's OS/2 history, 2000-10-26, retrieved 2010-03-23
  10. ↑ GalCiv II Game of the Year?, GameSpy, archived from the original on 2008-04-08, retrieved 2010-03-24
  11. ↑ "Bradley Wardell", MobyGames , retrieved 2010-03-24
  12. ↑ Interview Brad from Stardock at CES about VIsta , retrieved 2022-09-30
  13. ↑ "EDM/2 - An Interview with Brad Wardell". www.edm2.com. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  14. ↑ "Interview with Stardock's Brad Wardell – OSnews". www.osnews.com. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  15. ↑ "Galactic Civilizations 3 preview: "We're making the GalCiv 2 that we always wanted"". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  16. ↑ PowerUser.TV (episodes from October 2005 to December 2006)
  17. ↑ Brad Wardell (2002-02-02), GUI Olympics 2002 Officially Begins, OSNews , retrieved 2010-03-25
  18. ↑ "GDC 2009: Stardock CEO says little games = big business". GameSpot. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  19. ↑ "Stardock CEO: Xbox One 'Probably' Has More Than We Know, Excited About Microsoft's GDC Showcase". GamingBolt. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  20. ↑ Orland, Kyle (2018-02-28). "War Stories: Brad Wardell on how poor memory management crippled Elemental". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  21. ↑ Orland, Kyle (2011-03-01). "Interview: Stardock's Brad Wardell On Taking Impulse: Reactor Free-To". Game Developer. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  22. ↑ Eric Caoili (2009-06-02), Wright, Meier, Wardell Added To Intel Game Contest Judges, Gamasutra , retrieved 2010-03-25
  23. ↑ "The other Gabe: Stardock CEO Brad Wardell talks independence, feminism, and taking responsibility". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  24. ↑ "Brad Wardell Interview - Parallel Computing, Social Media, and the Comeback of RTS Games - Niche Gamer". nichegamer.com. 2015-03-17. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  25. ↑ "Brad Wardell Discusses DirectX 12, Xbox One 'Crumby' Bandwidth & Draw Calls". RedGamingTech. 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  26. ↑ "Stardock CEO Praises DirectX 12 & Mantle, PS4 Fans Will Have Something Exciting To Rejoice About Soon". GamingBolt. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  27. ↑ Brad Wardell CEO StarDock Discusses Mantle & DX 12 - Talks Performance & Implementation , retrieved 2022-09-30
  28. ↑ "News - Brad Wardell Claims DirectX 12 Will Usher In A New Era Of Gaming discussion page 2". Game-Debate. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  29. ↑ "2009 Independent Games Summit Announces First Speakers". Game Developers Conference. 2008-11-23. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  30. ↑ "Stardock's Wardell: Hardcore PC Games Still Viable". Shacknews. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  31. ↑ "(304) Stardock On The PC Hardcore Scene As Indie". www.gdcvault.com. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  32. ↑ Brad Wardell (2006-03-14), Implementing feedback , retrieved 2010-03-23
  33. ↑ Spencer Scott (2009-05-27), Demigod 108 Hour Work Week - Part 1 , retrieved 2010-03-25
  34. ↑ "Bradley Wardell". Moby Games. 29 December 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  35. ↑ Remo, Chris (2008-08-29). "The Gamer's Bill Of Rights: Stardock's Wardell Explains". Game Developer. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  36. ↑ Rosenberg, Dave. "The Gamer's Bill of Rights applies to software users as well". CNET. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  37. ↑ Sherwood, James. "PC Gamers get Bill of Rights". www.theregister.com. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  38. ↑ Christian Nutt (2008-04-07), "Q&A: Stardock's Wardell Talks Distribution Revolution With Impulse", Gamasutra , retrieved 2010-03-24
  39. ↑ Kris Graft (2008-10-24), "Stardock's Copyright Security Solution", EDGE , archived from the original on 2013-01-15, retrieved 2010-03-24
  40. ↑ Brad Wardell (2008-09-04), The Gamers Bill, Stardock, archived from the original on 2010-03-27, retrieved 2010-03-24
  41. ↑ Brad Wardell (2008-08-29), "The Gamer's Bill of Rights", EDGE , archived from the original on 2012-09-04, retrieved 2010-03-24
  42. ↑ "Stardock Releases Gamer's Bill of Rights at PAX", GamePolitics.com , 2008-08-29, archived from the original on 2010-02-27, retrieved 2010-03-24
  43. ↑ Michael Fahey (2008-08-29), "The PC Gamer's Bill of Rights", Kotaku , retrieved 2010-03-24
  44. ↑ "Stardock's CEO on the Impulse/GameStop deal". Destructoid. 2011-04-09. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  45. ↑ "Why Stardock Sold Impulse to GameStop". The Escapist. 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  46. ↑ "Stardock's Brad Wardell talks about selling Impulse to GameStop". Engadget. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  47. ↑ Leana Hafer (2013-09-09). "Interview: Derek Paxton, Stardock's new head of games development". PC Gamer.
  48. ↑ "Oxide Games is a new studio of strategy veterans, with a new 64-bit engine". 2013-10-23.
  49. ↑ Valdes, Giancarlo (2015-05-21). "Stardock CEO: In the future, publishers will be partners — and not owners". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  50. ↑ "CEO Brad Wardell on Stardock's big picture: strategic development and rise of the managers". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  51. ↑ "Stardock creates staffing company to avoid cyclical layoffs". Engadget. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  52. ↑ Graft, Kris (2013-12-05). "In the fight for job stability, Stardock finds its own solution". Game Developer. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  53. ↑ "Stardock sets up talent sharing company". GamesIndustry.biz. 2013-12-05. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  54. ↑ Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg (2010-03-01), "Random House Sets Out to Apply Storytelling Skills to Videogames", The Wall Street Journal , retrieved 2010-03-01
  55. ↑ "Elemental - Purchase". Stardock . Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  56. ↑ Rainier (2010-08-24). "'Elemental: War of Magic' Free DLC With Novel Purchase". Worthplaying. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  57. ↑ "Brad Wardell GamerGate Interview". The Escapist. Archived from the original on 2016-08-18. Retrieved 2016-07-09.
  58. ↑ Phil Owen (2016-04-25). "Bias, Video Game Reviews and 'Ashes of the Singularity'". Yahoo!.
  59. ↑ Katherine Cross (2016-05-12). "Opinion: Death to review scores". Game Developer.
  60. ↑ Milo Yiannopoulos (2017). Dangerous . Threshold Editions. ISBN   978-0-692-89344-9.
  61. ↑ Andrew Dietderich (2003-09-29), "40 under 40", Detroit Business News, Crain Communications , retrieved 2010-03-21
  62. ↑ Frank Maselli (July 2007), "2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Brad Wardell, Star Player", Smart Business Detroit, retrieved 2010-03-22[ dead link ]
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