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Jon Alenson - Game Designer
Jon Alenson
Jon Alenson, a former native of Chicago, has been a gamer since he first got stuck in the Peppermint Forest in Candyland. It took many years of study, management, experience and attention to detail, however, before he could develop the skill set Rick Goodman needed for a top-notch game designer at Stainless Steel Studios.
Running photo labs gave Jon the opportunity to work with a number of different commercial clients. The attention to detail he acquired from playing games helped him in outlining photographic strategies. It was while working at the labs that Jon first met Rick Goodman. Drawn together by a mutual gaming obsession, the two played together socially for years, often discussing subtle nuances of strategy and game design until the wee hours. Gradually, Jon became Rick's "sounding board," always ready with questions and astute observations on strategy, units and game balance, eager to work with Rick to develop his game-play designs. Finally, after nine years of running his own business, he decided that he needed a new challenge in life. Rick Goodman invited him to bring his analytical mind, eye for detail and encyclopedic knowledge of gaming reference material to the service of Stainless Steel Studios as Game Designer. Jon's primary responsibilities include preliminary development work on future Stainless Steel Studios titles and helping Rick refine the Empire Earth game-play. He's married with three children, loves Boston and says he's looking forward to the success of Empire Earth, many, many accolades and his eventual ascent to Planetary Overlord (however he says he'll settle for the first two). 5 Questions - 5 Answers:
Richard "The RTS Prodigy" Bishop
Richard continued his domination with the release of AoE II: The Age of Kings, taking first place in the 1999 Age of Kings Showcase, officially sponsored by the MSN Gaming Zone, and maintaining a Top-5 ranking on Case's Single-Player Ladder. He also co-authored the well-known AoE II: The Age of Kings - Prima's Unauthorized Strategy Guide. When Rick Goodman, Lead Designer of the original Age of Empires, started work on his next RTS game, Empire Earth, he put together a strike team of RTS experts to provide him with design feedback. Rick contacted Richard and asked him to join the team. After about a year on the strike team, Richard was hired as a full-time designer responsible for play-balancing all aspects of the game and other design issues such as random maps, UI, wonders and religion. 4 Questions - 4 Answers
Chris Theriault
Chris is now working on the scenario editor and campaigns for Empire Earth. 5 Questions - 5 Answers:
Stefan "Shag" Arnold
Stefan enjoyed math and science in high school, so he went to Worcester Polytechnic Institute to study Electrical Engineering. While there, he acquired the nickname "Shaggy" due to his inability to grow convincing facial hair and his consequent resemblance to the character from Scooby-Doo. To this day, even with short hair and a luxuriant goatee, there are people out there who know Stefan only as "Shag."
With a degree that qualified him for employment at only the best gas stations and finest fast food joints, Stefan endeavored to scam his way into something a bit more substantive. He eventually landed a technical writing job at a small company in Marlborough, MA. After 15 months, however, his interest in creative writing - and lack of interest in CAD software add-ons - prompted him to quit his job to work on a science fiction novel. Three years and a dozen temporary positions later, the novel was done. But its length and overestimation of the intelligence of the reading public (to paraphrase one agent) made it hard to sell to bottom-line-conscious publishers. Stefan was forced to look for real work again.
Currently, Stefan is writing the game manual and creating the foldout tech tree for Empire Earth. He will also take on other writing and editing responsibilities at the company. One day, he hopes to write a sellable novel. Stefan is also an accomplished bass player whose work can be heard on several recordings. 5 Questions - 5 Answers:
Scott Haraldsen
Scott attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he received a BA in Music Technology in 1998. His interest in sound and music fueled his search for a job at a game company during his senior year. Instead, he landed a job at Homicide Records as an Audio Engineer, recording and producing music for some of Boston's finest rappers. His search for a game-related job was put on hold. To supplement his income and expand his work experience, he took on a second job at Cakewalk Music Software, which became his main job after he left the recording studio in 1999. But more than a year as a Technical Support Specialist made him feel like, well… 'nuff said. Then, in early 2000, Scott spotted a job ad for a sound designer at SSSI. He instantly applied for the position and was nearly as instantly hired. Today, Scott is responsible for the sound design and audio editing for Empire Earth, as well as script writing, finding and reviewing vocal and musical talent, various database work and putting up with the incessant arrogance of Methos. In his spare time, Scott enjoys golf, laying down da funky funk, crushing Patella at Fantasy Football and hunting down Methos in Counterstrike. 5 Questions - 5 Answers:
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Jon graduated from Boston University in 1986 with a major in Biology. However, upon realizing that all of the career paths open to him involved working with sick people, Jon decided to move onto a more entrepreneurial career track that would let him develop his mental flexibility and his attention to detail. Capitalizing on a summer job in a photo-processing lab, Jon eventually became general manager of a small chain of stores and then the owner of two labs.
Favorite Musician/ Band?
I am good at computer games. = [
Richard, the self-described "God's Gift to Gaming," was a natural at AoE and quickly moved to the top of the online tournament and ladder rankings. (Among Richard's accomplishments: Captain of an AoE team that held first place on Case's Ladder for six straight months, finalist in Microsoft's official Rumble for Rome Tournament, and previous first-place rankings for both AoE and Rise of Rome on the MSN Gaming Zone.) He also designed and maintained several strategy-oriented Web sites, including the Shai'tan Age of Empires Page. It wasn't long before his Web experience and reputation as one of the best AoE players in the world led to a job offer from GX Media. Richard became a contributing author and the Strategy Genre Editor for the Gamers Extreme Web site in 1998.
Favorite video game(s) of all time?
Born near the galactic center, Chris came to our tiny planet when he was but a lad in the mid-17th Century. He hopped around the globe, filling various roles from wig maker to court chef to military strong man. One day, computer games were invented and Chris joined Stainless Steel Studios, Inc., as a Scenario Designer.
Favorite video game(s) of all time?
Stefan took a roundabout route to Stainless Steel Studios, Inc. His love of computer games began when his family acquired an Atari 2600 and, soon thereafter, an Apple II. But getting a job in the gaming industry didn't happen for many years.
After a few years, Stefan realized that engineering was not as stimulating as he had anticipated. He transferred to Hampshire College in Amherst, MA, to study Creative Writing. Finding the department overcrowded, he was sidetracked into Philosophy, which had been his minor at WPI. He earned his BA in 1992.
He followed his future wife, Anne Martino, to the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she was entering the graduate program in History. In his search for an interesting company, Stefan came across Raven Software. He was soon hired as a Project Administrator to write and maintain game design documents. Stefan had found his calling. Unfortunately, Raven downsized six months later and Stefan was laid off just as Soldier of Fortune was getting underway. After several temp jobs, he was hired by Artesyn Technologies as a Technical Writer - but the gaming industry beckoned. When Stefan and his wife decided to move back to Massachusetts, he looked for another game company. He found Stainless Steel's Web site and knew instantly where he wanted to work.
Favorite video game(s) of all time?
In many ways, Scott Haraldsen has never left the 70s. He loves funk music, enjoys reruns of All in the Family, The Jeffersons and Sanford and Son (the theme from which he frequently whistles), and first became interested in gaming during that decade's explosion of video arcades. (However, it should be noted that he considers polyester leisure suits to be the trappings of the devil.)
Favorite video game(s) of all time?
