Rick Goodman
Encyclopedia
Rick Goodman is a video game developer
and the founder and owner of the now-defunct Stainless Steel Studios
. He is best known for the RTS games he created, such as Age of Empires and Empire Earth
.
together with his brother, Tony Goodman, Bruce Shelley
, and Brian Sullivan
. Their first project was Age of Empires (AoE), in which Goodman worked as Lead Designer. After the game's release, it became an overnight sensation and Goodman became one of the most recognized game developers in the world. Because of the success of the game, some said that Goodman had invented in AoE "the most well recognized game interface for RTS games", because, in many games like it afterward began to use the AoE game interface: a mini map, unit and building controls, the name of your civilization and the age which you are currently in on top of the screen and others.
After Age of Empires, Goodman left Ensemble to form his own studio with Dara-Lynn Pelechatz: Stainless Steel Studios
in 1998. Pelechatz told GameSpy
that Goodman couldn't decide what name to give for his studio, so he opened a catalog with the plan to baptise the studio with the very first thing he encountered.
In 2001, Stainless Steel, under Goodman, created Empire Earth
. The game, which was published by Sierra Entertainment
, offered many new features, including a 3D view of the world, impressive zoom-in and zoom-out features, and a timeline that spanned from pre-history to the twenty-second century (over 500,000 years). The game won the GameSpy
PC "Game-of-the-Year 2001" Award. According to some, Empire Earth was the version of the 1st AoE game Goodman wanted to be. PC Gamer
said in an article about Empire Earth that it feels like it's the gold edition of the entire AoE-series (which is all the AoE games, including the future games such as AoE IV and V).
Goodman would soon break up with Sierra and start working on a new game Empires: Dawn of the Modern World
. The game is very similar to Goodman's previous successes, except the game spans only a millennium of entire history of humanity, from 950 to 1950, which is said to be the most pivotal years in human history. The game was released in 2003 and published by Activision
. Ironically, although it wasn't much of hit, the game was rated, in some reviews and websites, higher than Empire Earth.
After Empires, Goodman helped in the creation of another game: Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile
which was published by Myelin Media
in US and SEGA
in Europe. It was 1st released on November 2004.
Goodman's last game was real time strategy game Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War
published and partially developed by Midway Games
and was released on July 12, 2006.
Goodman is currently a board member of 8D World, which built a virtual world where Chinese children learn English.
closed abruptly and laid off all employees. According to one interview, Goodman blamed the shutdown of his company on Midway. In that interview, the details quotes studio founder Rick Goodman as blaming Rise & Fall publisher Midway Games for the developer's fiscal insolvency. He reportedly told Gamestar that after the PC strategy game's release was pushed from October to early 2006, Midway cut off advances to Stainless Steel, which in turn had to lay off its staff due to lack of funding. Midway had stated in a report that it will continue to work on the game and released it in June 2006.
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...
and the founder and owner of the now-defunct Stainless Steel Studios
Stainless Steel Studios
Stainless Steel Studios was a computer game development company, started in 1997 by Rick Goodman and Dara-Lynn Pelechatz. The company was based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and focused on the development of real-time strategy software titles.-History:...
. He is best known for the RTS games he created, such as Age of Empires and Empire Earth
Empire Earth
Empire Earth, also known as EE, is a real-time strategy computer game developed by Stainless Steel Studios and released on November 23, 2001. It is the first game in the Empire Earth series...
.
Career
In 1995 Goodman co-founded Ensemble StudiosEnsemble Studios
Ensemble Studios was a video game developer initially established in 1995 as an independent company, but was owned by Microsoft from 2001 to 2009, when it was officially disbanded. Ensemble developed many real-time strategy games, including the Age of Empires game series, Age of Mythology, and Halo...
together with his brother, Tony Goodman, Bruce Shelley
Bruce Shelley
Bruce Campbell Shelley is a computer game designer who helped design Sid Meier's Civilization and Railroad Tycoon with MicroProse and the 1997 hit real-time strategy game Age of Empires with Ensemble Studios. He is currently working with Zynga, best known for Farmville, and had helped develop...
, and Brian Sullivan
Brian Sullivan
Brian Sullivan may refer to:* Brian Sullivan , presenter of programs on CNBC* Brian Sullivan , politician from Snohomish County, Washington...
. Their first project was Age of Empires (AoE), in which Goodman worked as Lead Designer. After the game's release, it became an overnight sensation and Goodman became one of the most recognized game developers in the world. Because of the success of the game, some said that Goodman had invented in AoE "the most well recognized game interface for RTS games", because, in many games like it afterward began to use the AoE game interface: a mini map, unit and building controls, the name of your civilization and the age which you are currently in on top of the screen and others.
After Age of Empires, Goodman left Ensemble to form his own studio with Dara-Lynn Pelechatz: Stainless Steel Studios
Stainless Steel Studios
Stainless Steel Studios was a computer game development company, started in 1997 by Rick Goodman and Dara-Lynn Pelechatz. The company was based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and focused on the development of real-time strategy software titles.-History:...
in 1998. Pelechatz told GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
that Goodman couldn't decide what name to give for his studio, so he opened a catalog with the plan to baptise the studio with the very first thing he encountered.
In 2001, Stainless Steel, under Goodman, created Empire Earth
Empire Earth
Empire Earth, also known as EE, is a real-time strategy computer game developed by Stainless Steel Studios and released on November 23, 2001. It is the first game in the Empire Earth series...
. The game, which was published by Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
, offered many new features, including a 3D view of the world, impressive zoom-in and zoom-out features, and a timeline that spanned from pre-history to the twenty-second century (over 500,000 years). The game won the GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
PC "Game-of-the-Year 2001" Award. According to some, Empire Earth was the version of the 1st AoE game Goodman wanted to be. 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...
said in an article about Empire Earth that it feels like it's the gold edition of the entire AoE-series (which is all the AoE games, including the future games such as AoE IV and V).
Goodman would soon break up with Sierra and start working on a new game Empires: Dawn of the Modern World
Empires: Dawn of the Modern World
Empires: Dawn of the Modern World is a history-based real-time strategy computer game developed by Stainless Steel Studios and released on October 21, 2003...
. The game is very similar to Goodman's previous successes, except the game spans only a millennium of entire history of humanity, from 950 to 1950, which is said to be the most pivotal years in human history. The game was released in 2003 and published by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
. Ironically, although it wasn't much of hit, the game was rated, in some reviews and websites, higher than Empire Earth.
After Empires, Goodman helped in the creation of another game: Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile
Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile
Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile is a city-building game set in ancient Egypt, developed by Tilted Mill Entertainment. The game was released November 2004 in the United States and February 2005 in Europe.-Enhanced Edition:...
which was published by Myelin Media
Myelin Media
Myelin Media is a privately held video game publisher owned by the hedge fund Icahn Associates Corporation located in New York, NY. Myelin specializes in working with independent video game developers to promote creative titles...
in US and SEGA
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
in Europe. It was 1st released on November 2004.
Goodman's last game was real time strategy game Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War
Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War
Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War is a real-time strategy game developed by both Stainless Steel Studios and Midway Games; it was released on June 12, 2006. The game incorporates segments of both third-person and first-person shooter gameplay, by allowing the player to temporarily control a "hero"...
published and partially developed by Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
and was released on July 12, 2006.
Goodman is currently a board member of 8D World, which built a virtual world where Chinese children learn English.
The fall of Stainless Steel Studios
But at the end of November 2005, with only weeks to go before release of the game, Stainless Steel StudiosStainless Steel Studios
Stainless Steel Studios was a computer game development company, started in 1997 by Rick Goodman and Dara-Lynn Pelechatz. The company was based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and focused on the development of real-time strategy software titles.-History:...
closed abruptly and laid off all employees. According to one interview, Goodman blamed the shutdown of his company on Midway. In that interview, the details quotes studio founder Rick Goodman as blaming Rise & Fall publisher Midway Games for the developer's fiscal insolvency. He reportedly told Gamestar that after the PC strategy game's release was pushed from October to early 2006, Midway cut off advances to Stainless Steel, which in turn had to lay off its staff due to lack of funding. Midway had stated in a report that it will continue to work on the game and released it in June 2006.
Portfolio
Rick Goodman has taken part in developing many games:| Year Released | Game Title | Developers | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Age of Empires | Ensemble Studios Ensemble Studios Ensemble Studios was a video game developer initially established in 1995 as an independent company, but was owned by Microsoft from 2001 to 2009, when it was officially disbanded. Ensemble developed many real-time strategy games, including the Age of Empires game series, Age of Mythology, and Halo... |
Microsoft Game Studios Microsoft Game Studios Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before... |
| 1998 | Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Age of Empires: The Rise of Rome Expansion is a history-based real-time strategy game in the Age of Empires series. It is based on the rise of the Roman Empire, and adds the Roman Empire and three other playable civilizations to Age of Empires.... |
Ensemble Studios Ensemble Studios Ensemble Studios was a video game developer initially established in 1995 as an independent company, but was owned by Microsoft from 2001 to 2009, when it was officially disbanded. Ensemble developed many real-time strategy games, including the Age of Empires game series, Age of Mythology, and Halo... |
Microsoft Game Studios Microsoft Game Studios Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before... |
| 2001 | Empire Earth Empire Earth Empire Earth, also known as EE, is a real-time strategy computer game developed by Stainless Steel Studios and released on November 23, 2001. It is the first game in the Empire Earth series... |
Stainless Steel Studios Stainless Steel Studios Stainless Steel Studios was a computer game development company, started in 1997 by Rick Goodman and Dara-Lynn Pelechatz. The company was based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and focused on the development of real-time strategy software titles.-History:... |
Sierra Entertainment Sierra Entertainment Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams... |
| 2003 | Empires: Dawn of the Modern World Empires: Dawn of the Modern World Empires: Dawn of the Modern World is a history-based real-time strategy computer game developed by Stainless Steel Studios and released on October 21, 2003... |
Stainless Steel Studios Stainless Steel Studios Stainless Steel Studios was a computer game development company, started in 1997 by Rick Goodman and Dara-Lynn Pelechatz. The company was based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and focused on the development of real-time strategy software titles.-History:... |
Activision Activision Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles... |
| 2004 | Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile is a city-building game set in ancient Egypt, developed by Tilted Mill Entertainment. The game was released November 2004 in the United States and February 2005 in Europe.-Enhanced Edition:... |
Tilted Mill Entertainment Tilted Mill Entertainment Tilted Mill Entertainment is a video game developer located in Framingham, Massachusetts. It was founded in 2001 by former Impressions Games lead designer and general manager Chris Beatrice, business manager Peter Haffenreffer, and designer Jeff Fiske.... |
 Myelin Media Myelin Media is a privately held video game publisher owned by the hedge fund Icahn Associates Corporation located in New York, NY. Myelin specializes in working with independent video game developers to promote creative titles... (US United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... )  Sega , usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world... (Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... ) |
| 2006 | Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War is a real-time strategy game developed by both Stainless Steel Studios and Midway Games; it was released on June 12, 2006. The game incorporates segments of both third-person and first-person shooter gameplay, by allowing the player to temporarily control a "hero"... |
Stainless Steel Studios Stainless Steel Studios Stainless Steel Studios was a computer game development company, started in 1997 by Rick Goodman and Dara-Lynn Pelechatz. The company was based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and focused on the development of real-time strategy software titles.-History:... |
Midway Games Midway Games Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the... |
| 2006 | Caesar IV Caesar IV Caesar IV is a city-building game set in ancient Rome, developed by Tilted Mill Entertainment. The game was released on September 26, 2006 in North America. The game features a three-dimensional game engine and individual modeling of game character behaviors.Like its original release Caesar in... |
Tilted Mill Entertainment Tilted Mill Entertainment Tilted Mill Entertainment is a video game developer located in Framingham, Massachusetts. It was founded in 2001 by former Impressions Games lead designer and general manager Chris Beatrice, business manager Peter Haffenreffer, and designer Jeff Fiske.... |
Sierra Entertainment Sierra Entertainment Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams... |