Ken Rolston
Encyclopedia
Ken Rolston is an American
computer game and board game
designer best known for his work with West End Games
and the hit computer game series The Elder Scrolls
. In February 2007, instead of retiring after 25 years in the game design industry, he elected to join the staff of computer games company Big Huge Games
to create a new role-playing game.
Ken has a Masters Degree from NYU, and is a member of the Science Fiction Writers Association. He has been a professional games designer since 1982.
, RuneQuest
, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
, AD&D
, D&D.
Ken also was winner of the H. G. Wells Award for Best Role-playing Game, Paranoia, 1985, and served as role-playing director for West End Games
, Games Workshop
, and Avalon Hill
Game Company.
, its expansions, and was also lead designer for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
.
Ken Rolston designs computer role-playing and adventure games. He was lead designer for two Big Huge Games
projects, both which were canceled in 2009.
Ken is now lead creative visionary for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
, a single player RPG being designed by Big Huge Games
, a Baltimore subsidiary of 38 Studios. The game is being created for the Xbox 360
, PS3 and PC platforms and is set in the world of Copernicus, which is the code name for the Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing game being designed in the Boston studio of 38 Studios. Both games are set in the same game world and 38 Studios plans to have inter connectivity between the products as well as an eco-system of products surrounding them.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
computer game and board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
designer best known for his work with 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...
and the hit computer game series The Elder Scrolls
The Elder Scrolls
The Elder Scrolls is a role-playing video game series developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.-History:...
. In February 2007, instead of retiring after 25 years in the game design industry, he elected to join the staff of computer games company Big Huge Games
Big Huge Games
Big Huge Games is a video game developer located in Timonium, Maryland. The company was founded in February 2000 by four veteran game industry developers: Tim Train, David Inscore, Jason Coleman and Brian Reynolds...
to create a new role-playing game.
Ken has a Masters Degree from NYU, and is a member of the Science Fiction Writers Association. He has been a professional games designer since 1982.
Paper-and-Pencil RPG
Before entering the computer game field, for twelve years Ken was an award-winning designer of paper-and-pencil role-playing games. His credits include games and supplements for ParanoiaParanoia (role-playing game)
Paranoia is a dystopian science-fiction tabletop role-playing game originally designed and written by Greg Costikyan, Dan Gelber, and Eric Goldberg, and first published in 1984 by West End Games. Since 2004 the game has been published under licence by Mongoose Publishing...
, RuneQuest
RuneQuest
RuneQuest is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 1978 by Chaosium, created by Steve Perrin and set in Greg Stafford's mythical world of Glorantha. RuneQuest was notable for its original gaming system and for its verisimilitude in adhering to an original fantasy world...
, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay is a role-playing game set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. Over the years, it has been through a number of phases and different publishers, most of which were related in some way to Games Workshop...
, AD&D
AD&D
AD&D may refer to:* Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, a role-playing game* Insurance covering Accidental Death and Dismemberment...
, D&D.
Ken also was winner of the H. G. Wells Award for Best Role-playing Game, Paranoia, 1985, and served as role-playing director for 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...
, Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
, and Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
Game Company.
Videogame industry
Rolston was the lead designer for Bethesda's role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls III: MorrowindThe Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, often simply referred to as Morrowind, is a single-player computer role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and published by Bethesda Softworks and Ubisoft. It is the third installment in The Elder Scrolls series of games, following The Elder Scrolls...
, its expansions, and was also lead designer for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is a single-player action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks and the Take-Two Interactive subsidiary 2K Games...
.
Ken Rolston designs computer role-playing and adventure games. He was lead designer for two Big Huge Games
Big Huge Games
Big Huge Games is a video game developer located in Timonium, Maryland. The company was founded in February 2000 by four veteran game industry developers: Tim Train, David Inscore, Jason Coleman and Brian Reynolds...
projects, both which were canceled in 2009.
Ken is now lead creative visionary for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an upcoming single-player role-playing video game for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Ken Rolston, the lead designer of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, acts as the game's executive designer. Additionally, noted...
, a single player RPG being designed by Big Huge Games
Big Huge Games
Big Huge Games is a video game developer located in Timonium, Maryland. The company was founded in February 2000 by four veteran game industry developers: Tim Train, David Inscore, Jason Coleman and Brian Reynolds...
, a Baltimore subsidiary of 38 Studios. The game is being created for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PS3 and PC platforms and is set in the world of Copernicus, which is the code name for the Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing game being designed in the Boston studio of 38 Studios. Both games are set in the same game world and 38 Studios plans to have inter connectivity between the products as well as an eco-system of products surrounding them.
Works
- Kingdoms of Amalur: ReckoningKingdoms of Amalur: ReckoningKingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an upcoming single-player role-playing video game for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Ken Rolston, the lead designer of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, acts as the game's executive designer. Additionally, noted...
- Something Rotten in Kislev for Warhammer Fantasy RoleplayWarhammer Fantasy RoleplayWarhammer Fantasy Roleplay is a role-playing game set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. Over the years, it has been through a number of phases and different publishers, most of which were related in some way to Games Workshop...
- Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Shot
- Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
- Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
- ParanoiaParanoia (role-playing game)Paranoia is a dystopian science-fiction tabletop role-playing game originally designed and written by Greg Costikyan, Dan Gelber, and Eric Goldberg, and first published in 1984 by West End Games. Since 2004 the game has been published under licence by Mongoose Publishing...