Jeff Briggs
Encyclopedia
Dr. Jeffery L. Briggs is founder and former President and CEO of Firaxis Games
, a video game developer
based in Hunt Valley, Maryland
, United States
. He was previously a game designer at MicroProse
but left that company in 1996 along with Sid Meier
and Brian Reynolds to form Firaxis Games.
in Musical Composition and Theory from the University of Illinois. His career began in New York City
where he composed music for various events, including dance and theater groups. He took a job as Game Editor and Designer at West End Games
where he worked until 1987. He then joined MicroProse Software, where he served as designer, writer, composer
, producer
, Executive Producer and, finally, Director of Product Development. He left in 1996 to co-found Firaxis Games. In a 2004 interview Jeff Brigs commented his decision to leave MicroProse:
He led the design of Civilization III
and oversaw the expansion of the company into a major developer of strategy computer games. Briggs also co-designed Colonization
and Civilization II
, as well as composing much of the original music in Civilization 4. In 1996 he was awarded US Patent 5,496,962 for a "System for Real-Time Music Composition and Synthesis" used in a product called "CPU Bach".
In 2003 Briggs was named software "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Ernst & Young
, and in 2004 he was named "CEO of the Year" by Baltimore SmartCEO magazine. Briggs negotiated the acquisition of Firaxis Games by Take Two Interactive in 2005, became its Chairman in spring of 2006, and left Firaxis in November of that year.
Before working in software entertainment, Briggs' music had already received performances by ensembles internationally in Paris' Pomidieu Centre ("Ecliptic"), New York City's Avery Fisher Hall ("Comets"), and in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
in Illinois ("Adjectives," "Firaxis,", "Chimera," "Aurora," and others) as well as various smaller venues in New York and other cities throughout the United States.
Briggs was awarded the Bernard and Rose Sernoffsky and Louis Lane Prizes for Music Composition at the Eastman School of Music
(1978, 1979), the Haimsohm Prize for Musical Composition at the University of Memphis
(1980), the ASCAP Award for Young Composers (1984), and a MacDowell Colony
Fellowship (1986). Briggs' composition teachers include Samuel Adler
, Warren Benson
, Joseph Schwantner
, Donald Freund, and John Melby
.
In May 2009, the Westfield Symphony Orchestra presented the world premier of Briggs's composition "Celebration for Orchestra".
Firaxis Games
Firaxis Games is a computer game developer. It was founded in 1996 by Sid Meier, Jeff Briggs, and Brian Reynolds upon leaving MicroProse. The company focuses on strategy games and is based in Sparks, Maryland in the United States....
, a video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
based in Hunt Valley, Maryland
Hunt Valley, Maryland
Hunt Valley is an affluent unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It lies just north of the city of Baltimore, along Highway 145 off Interstate 83. Loch Raven Reservoir...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was previously a game designer at MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
but left that company in 1996 along with Sid Meier
Sid Meier
Sidney K. "Sid" Meier is a Canadian programmer and designer of several popular computer strategy games, most notably Civilization. He has won accolades for his contributions to the computer games industry...
and Brian Reynolds to form Firaxis Games.
Businessman
Briggs holds a DoctorateDoctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in Musical Composition and Theory from the University of Illinois. His career began in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he composed music for various events, including dance and theater groups. He took a job as Game Editor and Designer at West End Games
West End Games
West End Games was a company that made board, role-playing, and war games. It was founded by Daniel Scott Palter in 1974 in New York, but later moved to Honesdale, Pennsylvania...
where he worked until 1987. He then joined MicroProse Software, where he served as designer, writer, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, 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...
, Executive Producer and, finally, Director of Product Development. He left in 1996 to co-found Firaxis Games. In a 2004 interview Jeff Brigs commented his decision to leave MicroProse:
He led the design of Civilization III
Civilization III
Sid Meier's Civilization III, commonly shortened to Civ III or Civ 3, is the third installment of the Sid Meier's Civilization turn-based strategy computer game series. It was preceded by Civilization II and followed by Civilization IV. The game offers very sophisticated gameplay in terms of both...
and oversaw the expansion of the company into a major developer of strategy computer games. Briggs also co-designed Colonization
Colonization (computer game)
Sid Meier's Colonization is a computer game by Brian Reynolds and Sid Meier released by MicroProse in 1994. It is a turn-based strategy game themed on the early European colonization of the New World, starting in 1492 and lasting until 1850...
and Civilization II
Civilization II
Sid Meier's Civilization II is a turn-based strategy computer game designed by Brian Reynolds, Douglas Caspian-Kaufman and Jeff Briggs. Although it is a sequel to Sid Meier's Civilization, neither Sid Meier nor Bruce Shelley was involved in its development.Civilization II was first released in...
, as well as composing much of the original music in Civilization 4. In 1996 he was awarded US Patent 5,496,962 for a "System for Real-Time Music Composition and Synthesis" used in a product called "CPU Bach".
In 2003 Briggs was named software "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
, and in 2004 he was named "CEO of the Year" by Baltimore SmartCEO magazine. Briggs negotiated the acquisition of Firaxis Games by Take Two Interactive in 2005, became its Chairman in spring of 2006, and left Firaxis in November of that year.
Composer
Briggs's music first appeared in Sword of the Samurai, a 1989 MicroProse release. Following that, most MicroProse games featured his work.Before working in software entertainment, Briggs' music had already received performances by ensembles internationally in Paris' Pomidieu Centre ("Ecliptic"), New York City's Avery Fisher Hall ("Comets"), and in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts was built in 1969 in Urbana, Illinois, USA, on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an educational and performing arts complex. Herman C...
in Illinois ("Adjectives," "Firaxis,", "Chimera," "Aurora," and others) as well as various smaller venues in New York and other cities throughout the United States.
Briggs was awarded the Bernard and Rose Sernoffsky and Louis Lane Prizes for Music Composition at the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
(1978, 1979), the Haimsohm Prize for Musical Composition at the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
(1980), the ASCAP Award for Young Composers (1984), and a MacDowell Colony
MacDowell Colony
The MacDowell Colony is an art colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S.A., founded in 1907 by Marian MacDowell, pianist and wife of composer Edward MacDowell. She established the institution and its endowment chiefly with donated funds...
Fellowship (1986). Briggs' composition teachers include Samuel Adler
Samuel Adler (composer)
Samuel Hans Adler is an American composer and conductor.-Biography:Adler was born to a Jewish family in Mannheim, Germany, the son of Hugo Chaim Adler, a cantor and composer, and Selma Adler. The family fled to the United States in 1939, where Hugo became the cantor of Temple Emanuel in...
, Warren Benson
Warren Benson
Warren Benson was an American composer. His compositions consist mostly of music for wind instruments and percussion...
, Joseph Schwantner
Joseph Schwantner
Joseph C. Schwantner is a Pulitzer Prize winning American composer and educator and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He was awarded the 1970 Charles Ives Prize....
, Donald Freund, and John Melby
John Melby
John Melby is an American composer.-Life and work:John Melby is most widely-known for his numerous compositions for computer-synthesized sounds, particularly in combination with live acoustic instruments...
.
In May 2009, the Westfield Symphony Orchestra presented the world premier of Briggs's composition "Celebration for Orchestra".
External links
- Jeff Briggs home page http://jlbmuse.com/Jeff_Briggs
- Jeff Briggs Named 'CEO of the Year' by Smart CEO Magazine, Firaxis press release