Jordan Weisman
Encyclopedia
Jordan Weisman is an American
game designer, author, and serial entrepreneur who has founded four major game design
companies, each in a different game genre and segment of the industry.
Weisman graduated from Francis W. Parker High School
, in Chicago
, Illinois
. He went to the Merchant Marine Academy
and briefly attended University of Illinois at Chicago
, before leaving school to pursue his business interests.
In 1980 Weisman founded role playing game publisher FASA Corporation (short for the Freedonia Aeronautics & Space Administration, named after the fictional country in the Marx Brothers
film Duck Soup) with partner L. Ross Babcock. After starting out producing supplements for the pen and paper role-playing game
Traveller
. FASA later produced the successful BattleTech
and Shadowrun
franchises.
With funding from FASA and from a Japanese investor, Jordan founded Environmental Simulations Project — later re-named Virtual Worlds Entertainment — in 1990, the company that produced the BattleTech Centers
. Working with Incredible Technologies
, VWE created the world's first immersive networked location-based virtual reality gaming centers. VWE was a critical, though not a commercial success.
In 1995, Weisman founded FASA Interactive
to personally take over the development and production of the hit MechWarrior PC games. The franchise is one of the top-selling PC games of all time, with sales of over 9 million units worldwide. In 1999, Microsoft
acquired FASA Interactive and moved the 40-person development team to Redmond, Washington
. As part of the deal Weisman became Creative Director for Microsoft's entertainment division.
In 2000, he founded WizKids
, which produced the games Mage Knight
, Heroclix
, and Pirates of the Spanish Main
. WizKids grew rapidly and went from start-up to over $30M in annual sales in just two years. The company focused on miniature figure games that use a combat dial (also invented by Weisman) and are easy to learn for younger players. WizKids
was sold to Topps
in 2004.
Whilst working at Microsoft
, Weisman developed the alternative reality game, "The Beast
", to promote the Steven Spielberg
film A.I.
In 2003 he founded 42 Entertainment
, a design company in the new field of the alternate reality game
or ARG's. 42 has created multiple ARG's, including, "I Love Bees" to promote the Xbox
game Halo 2
, and "Year Zero" to promote the Nine Inch Nails
album of the same name
.
In 2006 his Cathy's Book
, a novel with interactive elements co-written by Sean Stewart
and illustrated
by Cathy Brigg appeared from Running Press
.
In 2007 Weisman founded Smith & Tinker
(named after the characters in The Wizard of Oz). Smith & Tinker
has licensed the electronic entertainment rights to Crimson Skies
, Shadowrun
, MechWarrior
and other FASA properties that had belonged to Microsoft
.
The same year Weisman co-founded the start-up Fyreball
with Pete Parsons (formally of Bungie Studios and currently serves on the Board of Advisors along with Ed Fries
). The company is now operating under the name Meteor Solutions
On May 27, 2009 Weisman's Smith & Tinker announced their first game had been released to public beta. Nanovor
is an online battle game targeted to 7 - 12 year olds. In support of the game, Smith & Tinker is releasing episodic cartoons, graphic novels, comic books, figurines and more.
On June 9, 2009 Weisman and J.C. Hutchins released Personal Effects: Dark Art (Griffin). On the same day Weisman along with Russ Bullock announced that the MechWarrior franchise would be seeing a relaunch.
On September 11th, 2011 Weisman partnered with Piranha Games to create the MechWarrior Reboot.
Jordan is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Interactive Media Division at the USC School of Cinema-Television.
He also served as production manager and/or graphic designer on a long series of titles, and is co-author with Sean Stewart
of Cathy's Book, a young-adult novel with ARG components.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
game designer, author, and serial entrepreneur who has founded four major game design
Game design
Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
companies, each in a different game genre and segment of the industry.
Biography
Francis W. Parker School (Chicago)
Francis W. Parker School is an independent day school serving students from junior kindergarten through grade twelve of high school. Located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, the school is based on the progressive educational philosophies of John Dewey and Colonel Francis Wayland Parker,...
, in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He went to the Merchant Marine Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five United States Service academies...
and briefly attended University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
, before leaving school to pursue his business interests.
In 1980 Weisman founded role playing game publisher FASA Corporation (short for the Freedonia Aeronautics & Space Administration, named after the fictional country in the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
film Duck Soup) with partner L. Ross Babcock. After starting out producing supplements for the pen and paper role-playing game
Role-playing game (pen and paper)
A tabletop role-playing game, pen-and-paper role-playing game, or Table-talk role-playing game is a form of role-playing game in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech...
Traveller
Traveller (role-playing game)
Traveller is a series of related science fiction role-playing games, the first published in 1977 by Game Designers' Workshop and subsequent editions by various companies remaining in print to this day. The game was inspired from such classic science fiction stories as the Dumarest saga series by...
. FASA later produced the successful BattleTech
BattleTech
BattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
and Shadowrun
Shadowrun
Shadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
franchises.
With funding from FASA and from a Japanese investor, Jordan founded Environmental Simulations Project — later re-named Virtual Worlds Entertainment — in 1990, the company that produced the BattleTech Centers
BattleTech Centers
Battletech Centers are commercial virtual entertainment venues that feature multiplayer virtual combat in the fictional BattleTech universe. The games are played in fully enclosed cockpits with multiple screens, joysticks, and rudder pedals. The centers were initially created and operated by...
. Working with Incredible Technologies
Incredible Technologies
Incredible Technologies , based in Arlington Heights, Illinois is a US-based designer and manufacturer of coin-operated video games. Some of their games include Silver Strike Bowling, Power Putt, Target Toss Pro: Bags/Lawn Darts, and Golden Tee Golf...
, VWE created the world's first immersive networked location-based virtual reality gaming centers. VWE was a critical, though not a commercial success.
In 1995, Weisman founded FASA Interactive
FASA Interactive
FASA Studio was a video game developer that was founded in 1995 by the tabletop game company FASA Corporation, Spectrum HoloByte and Denny Thorley....
to personally take over the development and production of the hit MechWarrior PC games. The franchise is one of the top-selling PC games of all time, with sales of over 9 million units worldwide. In 1999, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
acquired FASA Interactive and moved the 40-person development team to Redmond, Washington
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
. As part of the deal Weisman became Creative Director for Microsoft's entertainment division.
In 2000, he founded WizKids
WizKids
WizKids, Inc. is an American New Jersey-based company that first made its mark in the game industry producing collectible miniatures wargames. WizKids was purchased by and is a subsidiary of National Entertainment Collectibles Association. The company was founded in 2000 by Jordan Weisman, a...
, which produced the games Mage Knight
Mage Knight
Mage Knight is a miniatures wargame using collectible figures, created by WizKids, Inc. The game was designed by founder Jordan Weisman along with Kevin Barrett. The game is the first to use Wizkids' Clix system, combining roleplaying and wargaming elements with aspects of collectible card games....
, Heroclix
HeroClix
HeroClix is a collectible miniatures game that uses the Clix system. Originally designed and produced by WizKids, it is now owned and marketed by NECA. Players construct teams of comic book heroes, villains, and other characters from popular video games such as Street Fighter, Gears of War, and Halo...
, and Pirates of the Spanish Main
Pirates of the Spanish Main
The Pirates Constructible Strategy Game is a tabletop game manufactured by WizKids, Inc., with aspects of both miniatures and collectible card genres. Pirates of the Spanish Main is the world's first "constructible strategy game," referring to the mechanics of creating game pieces from components...
. WizKids grew rapidly and went from start-up to over $30M in annual sales in just two years. The company focused on miniature figure games that use a combat dial (also invented by Weisman) and are easy to learn for younger players. WizKids
WizKids
WizKids, Inc. is an American New Jersey-based company that first made its mark in the game industry producing collectible miniatures wargames. WizKids was purchased by and is a subsidiary of National Entertainment Collectibles Association. The company was founded in 2000 by Jordan Weisman, a...
was sold to Topps
Topps
The Topps Company, Inc., manufactures chewing gum, candy and collectibles. Based in New York, New York, Topps is best known as a leading producer of baseball cards, football cards, basketball cards, hockey cards and other sports and non-sports themed trading cards.-Company history:Topps itself was...
in 2004.
Whilst working at Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Weisman developed the alternative reality game, "The Beast
The Beast (game)
The Beast was an alternate reality game created by a team at Microsoft to promote the Steven Spielberg film A.I.: Artificial Intelligence. The Beast, which ran for twelve weeks in the spring and early summer of 2001, is one of the most influential early ARG games.-Defining ARG:An ARG is a game...
", to promote the Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
film A.I.
In 2003 he founded 42 Entertainment
42 Entertainment
42 Entertainment is an American company based in Pasadena which specializes in creating and producing alternate reality games . The company was founded in 2003 as an independently-owned, creative content and interactive agency under the name 4orty 2wo Entertainment. The company started with a...
, a design company in the new field of the alternate reality game
Alternate reality game
An alternate reality game is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions....
or ARG's. 42 has created multiple ARG's, including, "I Love Bees" to promote the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
game Halo 2
Halo 2
Halo 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. Released for the Xbox video game console on November 9, 2004, the game is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved...
, and "Year Zero" to promote the Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
album of the same name
Year Zero (album)
Year Zero is the fifth studio album by American industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails, released on April 17, 2007, by Interscope Records. Frontman Trent Reznor wrote the album's music and lyrics while touring in support of the group's previous release, With Teeth...
.
In 2006 his Cathy's Book
Cathy's Book
Cathy's Book is a young adult novel with alternative reality game elements by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman, illustrated by Cathy Brigg. It was first published September 12, 2006...
, a novel with interactive elements co-written by Sean Stewart
Sean Stewart
Sean Stewart is a U.S.-Canadian science fiction and fantasy author.Born in Lubbock, Texas, Sean Stewart moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1968...
and illustrated
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
by Cathy Brigg appeared from Running Press
Running Press
The Running Press is a member of the Perseus Books Group, the imprint is the publisher of fiction, non-fiction, cooking, humor, and kit books. The publisher's offices are located in Philadelphia, but many of the corporate functions take place in New York City....
.
In 2007 Weisman founded Smith & Tinker
Smith & Tinker
Smith & Tinker is an American electronic entertainment company founded in February 2007 by Jordan Weisman, Jeremy Bornstein, Lenny Raymond, and Kev Ray. Weisman later brought in Tim Lebel and Joe Lawandus...
(named after the characters in The Wizard of Oz). Smith & Tinker
Smith & Tinker
Smith & Tinker is an American electronic entertainment company founded in February 2007 by Jordan Weisman, Jeremy Bornstein, Lenny Raymond, and Kev Ray. Weisman later brought in Tim Lebel and Joe Lawandus...
has licensed the electronic entertainment rights to Crimson Skies
Crimson Skies
Crimson Skies is a media franchise and fictional universe created by Jordan Weisman and Dave McCoy. The series' intellectual property is currently owned by Microsoft Game Studios , although Weisman's new company, Smith & Tinker Inc., has announced that it has licensed the electronic entertainment...
, Shadowrun
Shadowrun
Shadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
, MechWarrior
MechWarrior
MechWarrior is the title of a series of computer and video games set in the fictional universe of BattleTech-Games:In these games, players take control of a single BattleMech and combat other BattleMechs, tanks, infantry, and more, from within the cockpit of their machine. A third-person alternate...
and other FASA properties that had belonged to Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
.
The same year Weisman co-founded the start-up Fyreball
Fyreball
Fyreball was an e-mail alternative start-up founded by Pete Parsons and Jordan Weisman. It was a media content sharing tool designed for the Internet.- History :...
with Pete Parsons (formally of Bungie Studios and currently serves on the Board of Advisors along with Ed Fries
Ed Fries
Ed Fries was vice president of game publishing at Microsoft during much of the Xbox's lifecycle. He was a prime evangelist of the platform to game developers and had an important role in the acquisition of developers Bungie Studios, Ensemble Studios and Rare....
). The company is now operating under the name Meteor Solutions
On May 27, 2009 Weisman's Smith & Tinker announced their first game had been released to public beta. Nanovor
Nanovor
Nanovor is a massively multi-player online card battle video game developed by Smith and Tinker. It is the first release in a planned multimedia franchise to be marketed to the American youth demographic...
is an online battle game targeted to 7 - 12 year olds. In support of the game, Smith & Tinker is releasing episodic cartoons, graphic novels, comic books, figurines and more.
On June 9, 2009 Weisman and J.C. Hutchins released Personal Effects: Dark Art (Griffin). On the same day Weisman along with Russ Bullock announced that the MechWarrior franchise would be seeing a relaunch.
On September 11th, 2011 Weisman partnered with Piranha Games to create the MechWarrior Reboot.
Jordan is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Interactive Media Division at the USC School of Cinema-Television.
Design credits
Weisman's design credits in paper RPG game design include:- AerotechAeroTechAeroTech is a FASA wargame set in the BattleTech universe. It simulates combat between AeroSpace fighters, troop-carrying DropShips, delicate interstellar JumpShip and interstellar WarShips. The name "Aerotech" defines space/air elements of Battletech universe...
2, Revised Ed. (BattleTech) (2004) - MechWarrior: Dark AgeMechWarrior: Dark AgeMechWarrior: Dark Age was a tabletop wargame by WizKids set in the BattleTech universe that uses the Clix system...
(2002) - EarthdawnEarthdawnEarthdawn is a fantasy role-playing game, originally produced by FASA in 1993. In 1999 it was licensed to Living Room Games, which produced the Second Edition...
(1993) - ShadowrunShadowrunShadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
(1989) - MechWarriorMechWarriorMechWarrior is the title of a series of computer and video games set in the fictional universe of BattleTech-Games:In these games, players take control of a single BattleMech and combat other BattleMechs, tanks, infantry, and more, from within the cockpit of their machine. A third-person alternate...
: The BattletechBattleTechBattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
Role Playing Game (1986) - Star Trek III: Starship Combat Game Box Set (1984)
He also served as production manager and/or graphic designer on a long series of titles, and is co-author with Sean Stewart
Sean Stewart
Sean Stewart is a U.S.-Canadian science fiction and fantasy author.Born in Lubbock, Texas, Sean Stewart moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1968...
of Cathy's Book, a young-adult novel with ARG components.