Brad McQuaid
Encyclopedia
Brad McQuaid is an American
computer game designer who was the key designer of EverQuest
, a highly successful massively multiplayer online role-playing game
(MMORPG) released in 1999. He later co-founded Sigil Games Online
where he served as CEO and Executive Producer of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
until Sony Online Entertainment
's acquisition of Sigil Games Online in May 2007.
, a shareware
computer role-playing game that they released in 1993. McQuaid and Clover then developed a WarWizard 2 demo
in 1995, which caught the attention of John Smedley
of Sony Interactive Studios America. Smedley hired McQuaid and Clover in 1996 to work on an online role-playing game, later named EverQuest
.
McQuaid started as the project's lead programmer
but was made the producer
and one of the lead designers. While EverQuest was being developed, Origin Systems
launched Ultima Online
in 1997 which became the top MMORPG. EverQuest became a huge hit and within months of its March 1999 launch it topped the subscription numbers held by Ultima Online. PC Gamer
called McQuaid one of the "Next Game Gods" in its November 2000 issue, believing that he would eventually become one of the industry's most influential game developers. After Sony Online Entertainment
acquired Verant Interactive, Brad McQuaid was promoted to Vice President
of Premium Games and Chief Creative Officer
.
. The game was finally released to the public in January 2007, five years after Sigil was founded. However, Vanguard had many technical problems and it was generally regarded as a failure upon launch. Brad McQuaid admitted that the game was not ready in January but was released early due to "financial resources".Full quote
After five months of disappointing reviews and sales, on May 15, 2007, Sony Online Entertainment officially announced that it had purchased the key assets of Sigil Games Online. Brad McQuaid resigned from his position of leadership within Sigil and was given a very limited role of "creative consultant".
After some casual posts in his blog (on his personal website), he then started a series of posts which he has entitled a "Vanguard: Post-mortem". His intentions seem to be to set the record straight on what went wrong with Vanguard. To summarise, his "Part One" focuses on Sigil's relationship with Microsoft. Part Two discusses the difficulties of working with the all-star staff Sigil hired for Vanguard. Part Three focuses on technical issues.
In his latest blog, dated June 16, 2010, Brad announced that he is the co-founder of a new gaming company in San Diego, CA.
in the MUD
Sojourn
, its successor TorilMUD
, and other MMORPG
s, as well as the name of a fictional character
in the MMORPGs he has designed.
In an IRC interview, McQuaid revealed that Aradune was a character from a series of books he started writing in his teens. He first used the name as his pseudonym
in MUDs and then later for his test character in the development of EverQuest
. Early screenshots often featured Aradune and players began to associate the name with him.
Despite McQuaid having left Sony Online Entertainment
, the memory of his character remains, as does the jestful graffiti
of the sewers of the city of Qeynos, stating simply, "Aradune is stinky".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
computer game designer who was the key designer of EverQuest
EverQuest
EverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost...
, a highly successful massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
(MMORPG) released in 1999. He later co-founded Sigil Games Online
Sigil Games Online
Sigil Games Online, Inc. was a computer game developer based in Carlsbad, California founded in January 2002 by Brad McQuaid and Jeff Butler, key development team members who created EverQuest, the most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game before World of Warcraft...
where he served as CEO and Executive Producer of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is a high fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by Sigil Games Online, and now developed and run by Sony Online Entertainment. Originally, the game was co-published by Sony Online Entertainment , and the company producing it, Sigil Games...
until Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment is a game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating massively multiplayer online games, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, The Matrix Online, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, DC Universe...
's acquisition of Sigil Games Online in May 2007.
EverQuest
Brad McQuaid's start in the video game industry came in 1989 when he co-founded MicroGenesis with Steve Clover. In their free time they created WarWizardWarWizard
WarWizard was a fantasy computer role-playing game that was released as shareware in 1993, first for Amiga, then ported to Ms-Dos for IBM-compatible computers. It was developed by MicroGenesis, a small company founded by Brad McQuaid and Steve Clover in 1989...
, a shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
computer role-playing game that they released in 1993. McQuaid and Clover then developed a WarWizard 2 demo
Game demo
A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
in 1995, which caught the attention of John Smedley
John Smedley (developer)
John Smedley was a computer game programmer, Product Development Director and is now President of Sony Online Entertainment since 2002.Smedley was involved with the creation and development of the original EverQuest and was co-founder of Verant Interactive, Inc., which became Sony Online...
of Sony Interactive Studios America. Smedley hired McQuaid and Clover in 1996 to work on an online role-playing game, later named EverQuest
EverQuest
EverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost...
.
McQuaid started as the project's lead programmer
Lead programmer
A lead programmer is a software engineer in charge of one or more software projects. Alternative titles include Development Lead, Technical Lead, Senior Software Engineer, Software Design Engineer Lead , Software Manager, or Senior Applications Developer...
but was made the producer
Game producer
A video game producer is the person in charge of overseeing development of a video game.The earliest documented use of the term producer in games was by Trip Hawkins, who established the position when he founded Electronic Arts in 1982...
and one of the lead designers. While EverQuest was being developed, Origin Systems
Origin Systems
Origin Systems, Inc. was a computer game developer based in Austin, Texas that was active from 1983 to 2004...
launched Ultima Online
Ultima Online
Ultima Online is a graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game , released on September 24, 1997, by Origin Systems. It was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today...
in 1997 which became the top MMORPG. EverQuest became a huge hit and within months of its March 1999 launch it topped the subscription numbers held by Ultima Online. PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
called McQuaid one of the "Next Game Gods" in its November 2000 issue, believing that he would eventually become one of the industry's most influential game developers. After Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment is a game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating massively multiplayer online games, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, The Matrix Online, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, DC Universe...
acquired Verant Interactive, Brad McQuaid was promoted to Vice President
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
of Premium Games and Chief Creative Officer
Chief creative officer
A chief creative officer is the highest ranking position of the creative team within a company. This position is responsible for the overall look and feel of all materials, media, and branding associated with the organization...
.
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
He left Sony to create Sigil Games with fellow game designer and EverQuest development team member Jeff Butler in January 2002. Several years later, McQuaid announced that Sigil would release a new next generation MMORPG. This game was given the name Vanguard: Saga of HeroesVanguard: Saga of Heroes
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is a high fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by Sigil Games Online, and now developed and run by Sony Online Entertainment. Originally, the game was co-published by Sony Online Entertainment , and the company producing it, Sigil Games...
. The game was finally released to the public in January 2007, five years after Sigil was founded. However, Vanguard had many technical problems and it was generally regarded as a failure upon launch. Brad McQuaid admitted that the game was not ready in January but was released early due to "financial resources".Full quote
After five months of disappointing reviews and sales, on May 15, 2007, Sony Online Entertainment officially announced that it had purchased the key assets of Sigil Games Online. Brad McQuaid resigned from his position of leadership within Sigil and was given a very limited role of "creative consultant".
Current
After the much criticized and disappointing launch of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, McQuaid disappeared from the public view, and his personal website went off-line. Rumours circulated amongst gamers on the Internet as to why the game turned out so poorly and what was going on behind the scenes at Sigil Games Online. In June 2009, Brad updated his personal website, initially only very briefly commenting on Vanguard, but also stating that, "in the last few months I’ve really felt that desire to be back in the industry and creating games."After some casual posts in his blog (on his personal website), he then started a series of posts which he has entitled a "Vanguard: Post-mortem". His intentions seem to be to set the record straight on what went wrong with Vanguard. To summarise, his "Part One" focuses on Sigil's relationship with Microsoft. Part Two discusses the difficulties of working with the all-star staff Sigil hired for Vanguard. Part Three focuses on technical issues.
In his latest blog, dated June 16, 2010, Brad announced that he is the co-founder of a new gaming company in San Diego, CA.
Aradune Mithara
Aradune Mithara is the alias McQuaid originally used for his player characterPlayer character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
in the MUD
MUD
A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
Sojourn
Sojourn (online game)
Sojourn was a MUD founded in 1993. During its lifespan, it was regarded as a leading source of innovation and content creation. At its height, it was extremely popular and content-rich...
, its successor TorilMUD
TorilMUD
TorilMUD is a MUD, a text-based online role-playing game, and is one of the oldest and largest of its kind.-Game characteristics:TorilMUD is set in the Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting...
, and other MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
s, as well as the name of a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the MMORPGs he has designed.
In an IRC interview, McQuaid revealed that Aradune was a character from a series of books he started writing in his teens. He first used the name as his pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
in MUDs and then later for his test character in the development of EverQuest
EverQuest
EverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost...
. Early screenshots often featured Aradune and players began to associate the name with him.
Despite McQuaid having left Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment is a game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating massively multiplayer online games, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, The Matrix Online, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, DC Universe...
, the memory of his character remains, as does the jestful graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
of the sewers of the city of Qeynos, stating simply, "Aradune is stinky".
External links
- Brad McQuaid's Website
- Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
- "The Hub of All Blame: A Postmortem". May 17, 2007. An interview with Brad McQuaid.