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Chris Taylor (game designer)
Encyclopedia
Chris Taylor is a computer game designer and entrepreneur
most famous for developing Total Annihilation
and the Dungeon Siege
series and for founding Gas Powered Games
. In 2002, GameSpy
named him the 30th most influential person in gaming.
and started in the video game industry in the late 1980s at Distinctive Software in Burnaby. His first game was Hardball II
released in 1989.
Taylor moved to Seattle, Washington in January 1996 when he joined Cavedog Entertainment
as the designer and project leader for the real-time strategy
computer game Total Annihilation
and its first expansion, Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency
.
He founded Gas Powered Games
in May 1998 and designed the action
-role-playing game Dungeon Siege
. Its sequel, Dungeon Siege II
, was released in 2005.
In the August 2005 edition of PC Gamer
, it was announced that Gas Powered Games was developing Supreme Commander
, Chris's first RTS game since 1997. It is described as the spiritual successor to Total Annihilation, but was not able to be named as such because Atari
(formerly Infogrames
) owns the rights to the Total Annihilation name. Although Atari has shown no interest in reviving the TA franchise, the company has nonetheless held on to it.
He also helped create the game's standalone expansion Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
most famous for developing Total Annihilation
Total Annihilation
Total Annihilation is a real-time strategy video game created by Cavedog Entertainment, a sub-division of Humongous Entertainment, and released on September 30, 1997 by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It was the first RTS game to feature 3D units and terrain...
and the Dungeon Siege
Dungeon Siege
Dungeon Siege is a computer role-playing game developed by Gas Powered Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Chris Taylor showed Dungeon Siege years in production for the first time at E3 2000...
series and for founding Gas Powered Games
Gas Powered Games
Gas Powered Games is a video game developer located in Redmond, Washington. The development studio was started in May 1998 by Chris Taylor, creator of Total Annihilation, and several other ex-Cavedog Entertainment employees....
. In 2002, 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...
named him the 30th most influential person in gaming.
Game designer
Chris Taylor was born in British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and started in the video game industry in the late 1980s at Distinctive Software in Burnaby. His first game was Hardball II
Hardball II
Hardball II is a baseball video game developed by Distinctive Software and published by Accolade for the Amiga, DOS and Macintosh computers in 1989/1990.-Summary:...
released in 1989.
Taylor moved to Seattle, Washington in January 1996 when he joined Cavedog Entertainment
Cavedog Entertainment
Cavedog Entertainment, or Cavedog, was a video game developer based in Bothell, Washington. Cavedog gained the attention of gamers and the gaming press alike with the 1997 release of Total Annihilation , winning many accolades such as multiple Game of the Year honors or being one of The Greatest...
as the designer and project leader for the real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
computer game Total Annihilation
Total Annihilation
Total Annihilation is a real-time strategy video game created by Cavedog Entertainment, a sub-division of Humongous Entertainment, and released on September 30, 1997 by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It was the first RTS game to feature 3D units and terrain...
and its first expansion, Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency
Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency
The Core Contingency is a 1998 expansion to the popular 1997 real-time strategy computer game Total Annihilation. It contains extra units and maps, as well as a campaign of 25 missions and a long-awaited official map editor.-Story:The Core Contingency picks up where the original game finishes...
.
He founded Gas Powered Games
Gas Powered Games
Gas Powered Games is a video game developer located in Redmond, Washington. The development studio was started in May 1998 by Chris Taylor, creator of Total Annihilation, and several other ex-Cavedog Entertainment employees....
in May 1998 and designed the action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
-role-playing game Dungeon Siege
Dungeon Siege
Dungeon Siege is a computer role-playing game developed by Gas Powered Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Chris Taylor showed Dungeon Siege years in production for the first time at E3 2000...
. Its sequel, Dungeon Siege II
Dungeon Siege II
Dungeon Siege II is a computer role-playing game and is the sequel to 2002's popular Dungeon Siege. It was developed by Gas Powered Games and released on August 16, 2005, one year delayed from original projections. The story is a continuation of the Dungeon Siege storyline...
, was released in 2005.
In the August 2005 edition of 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...
, it was announced that Gas Powered Games was developing Supreme Commander
Supreme Commander (video game)
Supreme Commander is a real-time strategy computer game designed by Chris Taylor and developed by his company, Gas Powered Games. The game is considered to be a spiritual successor to Taylor's 1997 game Total Annihilation,, alongside the Spring remake...
, Chris's first RTS game since 1997. It is described as the spiritual successor to Total Annihilation, but was not able to be named as such because Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
(formerly Infogrames
Infogrames
Infogrames Entertainment SA was an international French holding company headquartered in Paris, France. It was the owner of Atari, Inc., headquartered in New York City, U.S. and Atari Europe. It was founded in 1983 by Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet using the proceeds from an introductory...
) owns the rights to the Total Annihilation name. Although Atari has shown no interest in reviving the TA franchise, the company has nonetheless held on to it.
He also helped create the game's standalone expansion Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance is a standalone real-time strategy computer game expansion to Supreme Commander, and was released in November 2007, developed by Gas Powered Games and published by THQ, and the second title in the franchise...
.
Awards
Supreme Commander released 2007 has been dubbed "best RTS of E3 2006", the GameCritics Best Strategy Game Award and achieving high ratings from major game websites and magazines.Games credited
- HardBall IIHardball IIHardball II is a baseball video game developed by Distinctive Software and published by Accolade for the Amiga, DOS and Macintosh computers in 1989/1990.-Summary:...
(1989) - The Duel: Test Drive II (1989)
- 4-D Boxing (1991)
- Triple Play 96 (1995)
- Dungeon Siege IIDungeon Siege IIDungeon Siege II is a computer role-playing game and is the sequel to 2002's popular Dungeon Siege. It was developed by Gas Powered Games and released on August 16, 2005, one year delayed from original projections. The story is a continuation of the Dungeon Siege storyline...
(2005) - Supreme Commander: Forged AllianceSupreme Commander: Forged AllianceSupreme Commander: Forged Alliance is a standalone real-time strategy computer game expansion to Supreme Commander, and was released in November 2007, developed by Gas Powered Games and published by THQ, and the second title in the franchise...
(2007) - DemigodDemigod (video game)Demigod is a Dota based game developed by Gas Powered Games for the PC platform. The game was significantly influenced by the popular Warcraft III custom map Defense of the Ancients and is widely considered as the first stand-alone game title in the "DotA subgenre". The game's title refers to the...
(2009)
As designer
- Total AnnihilationTotal AnnihilationTotal Annihilation is a real-time strategy video game created by Cavedog Entertainment, a sub-division of Humongous Entertainment, and released on September 30, 1997 by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It was the first RTS game to feature 3D units and terrain...
(1997) - Total Annihilation: The Core ContingencyTotal Annihilation: The Core ContingencyThe Core Contingency is a 1998 expansion to the popular 1997 real-time strategy computer game Total Annihilation. It contains extra units and maps, as well as a campaign of 25 missions and a long-awaited official map editor.-Story:The Core Contingency picks up where the original game finishes...
(1998) - Total Annihilation: KingdomsTotal Annihilation: KingdomsTotal Annihilation: Kingdoms or TA:K is a medieval fantasy real time strategy game created and released by Cavedog Entertainment on June 25, 1999...
(1999) - Dungeon SiegeDungeon SiegeDungeon Siege is a computer role-playing game developed by Gas Powered Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Chris Taylor showed Dungeon Siege years in production for the first time at E3 2000...
(2002) - Dungeon Siege: Legends of ArannaDungeon Siege: Legends of ArannaDungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna is a computer role-playing game developed by Gas Powered Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios.Released in April 2002 by Gas Powered Games and Mad Doc Software, it is as an official standalone expansion pack for the game Dungeon Siege...
(2003) - Dungeon Siege: Throne of AgonyDungeon Siege: Throne of AgonyDungeon Siege: Throne of Agony is a real time computer role-playing game for PlayStation Portable developed by SuperVillain Studios, published by 2K Games and was released in October 2006.-Plot:...
(2006) - Dungeon Siege II: Broken WorldDungeon Siege II: Broken WorldDungeon Siege II: Broken World is the expansion pack for the computer role-playing game Dungeon Siege II and continues the unfinished plot of the previous game. It was developed by Gas Powered Games and published by 2K Games on August 22 2006.-Story:...
(2006) - Supreme Commander (2007)
- Space Siege (2008)
- Supreme Commander 2Supreme Commander 2Supreme Commander 2 is a real-time strategy video game developed by Gas Powered Games and published by Square Enix. It is a sequel to Supreme Commander...
(2010) - Dungeon Siege IIIDungeon Siege IIIDungeon Siege III is an action role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Chris Taylor, the original creator of Dungeon Siege, served as an advisor during the development of the game...
(2011) - Kings and Castles (TBA)
External links
- Chris Taylor entry at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...