Stainless Steel Studios
Encyclopedia
Stainless Steel Studios (SSSI) 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.
The name "Stainless Steel" was thought up by Rick Goodman on a returning flight from California
. Dara-Lynn Pelechatz the Director of Operations said in an interview with Gamespy
:
The logo was designed by Stainless Steel with Jam Design, it is a Silver ball with a Salamander
on top of it.
On November 25, 2005, Gamasutra
reported that Stainless Steel Studios quietly ceased operations and laid off its employees. The content of the official website was removed on November. Former SSSI employees Bob Scott and Daniel Higgins confirmed rumors appearing on the HeavenGames Rise & Fall fan site forum
.
Higgins wrote in reply to questions about the credibility of the rumors:
The game was later completed by Midway Games
and release on 12 June 2006.
Shortly after, it was learned that the reason why Stainless Steel closed shop was because of cuts in funding from its most important client: publisher Midway Games
.
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...
, started in 1997
1997 in video gaming
-Events:*October 4 — Gunpei Yokoi dies after a double car accident.*November – Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association launched.*3rd annual E3...
by Rick Goodman
Rick Goodman
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.-Career:...
and Dara-Lynn Pelechatz. The company was based in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, and focused on the development of 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....
software titles.
History
Stainless Steel was started in October 1997 by Rick Goodman and Dara-Lynn Pelechatz (Director of Operations).The name "Stainless Steel" was thought up by Rick Goodman on a returning flight from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Dara-Lynn Pelechatz the Director of Operations said in an interview with 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...
:
While returning on a flight from CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Rick saw the Sky MallSky MallSky Mall is a specialty publishing firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. SkyMall produces a quarterly in-flight publication, SkyMall, with an annual circulation of approximately 20 million copies distributed in airplane seat pockets...
catalog. Well he decided he was going to open the book and put his finger on the first item he saw, hence that would be the name of his new company. The item Rick located was a stainless steelStainless steelIn metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
Shower headShowerA shower is an area in which one bathes underneath a spray of water.- History :...
.
The logo was designed by Stainless Steel with Jam Design, it is a Silver ball with a Salamander
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
on top of it.
On November 25, 2005, Gamasutra
Gamasutra
Gamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
reported that Stainless Steel Studios quietly ceased operations and laid off its employees. The content of the official website was removed on November. Former SSSI employees Bob Scott and Daniel Higgins confirmed rumors appearing on the HeavenGames Rise & Fall fan site forum
Bulletin board
A bulletin board is a surface intended for the posting of public messages, for example, to advertise things to buy or sell, announce events, or provide information...
.
Higgins wrote in reply to questions about the credibility of the rumors:
This is true, SSSI is no more. I can't give details as to why, but I can tell you the product is in excellent shape, the team was in high morale and plowing ahead at full steam, and we were just weeks from gold disk.
The game was later completed 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 release on 12 June 2006.
Shortly after, it was learned that the reason why Stainless Steel closed shop was because of cuts in funding from its most important client: publisher 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...
.
Portfolio
| Year Released | Game Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| 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... |
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... |
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... |
| 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"... |
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... |
See also
- Rick GoodmanRick GoodmanRick 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.-Career:...
- Ensemble StudiosEnsemble StudiosEnsemble 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 StudiosMicrosoft Game StudiosMicrosoft 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...
- Sierra EntertainmentSierra EntertainmentSierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
External links
- StainlessSteelStudios.com Official Site, now closed
- Stainless Steel Studios profile on 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...
- Stainless Steel Studios profile on IGNIGNIGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
- Stainless Steel Studios profile on GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...