Stefano Gualeni
Encyclopedia
Trained as an architect, Stefano Gualeni is an Italian game designer who is best known for creating the games Tony Tough and the Night of Roasted Moths
and Tony Tough 2: A Rake's Progress
.
Among his most popular works are the internationally licensed series of basketball simulation games Fronte del Basket (alternatively known as International Basketball or ACB Total).
Stefano is currently the lecturer of Game Design
and Game Architecture at NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences
in The Netherlands.
When time allows, he works as columnist and Game Design
consultant.
, Italy
in 1978, he graduated in 2004 in architecture
at the Politecnico di Milano with a theoretical thesis on the possible application of reverse archaeoastronomy
as a design model for postmodern architecture
. His final thesis was developed in Mexico
supported by ITESM (Tec de Monterrey, Campus Ciudad de Mexico). A significant portion of his undergraduate career was spent at QUT in Brisbane
, Australia
.
Stefano obtained his Master of Arts
in 2008 at the Utrecht School of the Arts
. In his thesis, he proposed an analytical model for digital aesthetics and game studies
based on Martin Heidegger
's work in the fields of aesthetics
and metaphysics
. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D in the field of Philosophy
at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Tony Tough and the Night of Roasted Moths
Tony Tough and the Night of Roasted Moths is a PC adventure game designed by Stefano Gualeni, developed by Prograph Research, released in Italy in 1997 and published in the U.S...
and Tony Tough 2: A Rake's Progress
Tony Tough 2: A Rake's Progress
Tony Tough 2: A Rake’s Progress is a 2006 PC adventure game designed by Stefano Gualeni and published by Dtp-entertainment. -Gameplay:A prequel to Tony Tough and the Night of Roasted Moths, A Rake’s Progress was designed following the structure and the organization of two existing works with the...
.
Among his most popular works are the internationally licensed series of basketball simulation games Fronte del Basket (alternatively known as International Basketball or ACB Total).
Stefano is currently the lecturer of Game Design
Game design
Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
and Game Architecture at NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences
NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences
thumb|300px|NHTV campus as seen from the air.NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences is a vocational university in Breda, Netherlands. It was founded in 1987 with the merger of two educational institutions. Since, the university has increased in the number of staff, students and programmes...
in The Netherlands.
When time allows, he works as columnist and Game Design
Game design
Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
consultant.
Background
Born in LovereLovere
Lovere is a town and comune in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy, Italy, at the north-west end of Lake Iseo.The houses in the city have overhanging wooden roofs, typical of Switzerland, united with the heavy stone arcades of Italy; it faces a lake and has a semicircle of mountains behind...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1978, he graduated in 2004 in architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
at the Politecnico di Milano with a theoretical thesis on the possible application of reverse archaeoastronomy
Archaeoastronomy
Archaeoastronomy is the study of how people in the past "have understood the phenomena in the sky how they used phenomena in the sky and what role the sky played in their cultures." Clive Ruggles argues it is misleading to consider archaeoastronomy to be the study of ancient astronomy, as modern...
as a design model for postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture
Postmodern architecture began as an international style the first examples of which are generally cited as being from the 1950s, but did not become a movement until the late 1970s and continues to influence present-day architecture...
. His final thesis was developed in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
supported by ITESM (Tec de Monterrey, Campus Ciudad de Mexico). A significant portion of his undergraduate career was spent at QUT in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Stefano obtained his Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 2008 at the Utrecht School of the Arts
Utrecht School of the Arts
The Utrecht School of the Arts is a performing arts and visual arts educational institution in Utrecht, Netherlands. The institution has 570 teachers and staff members...
. In his thesis, he proposed an analytical model for digital aesthetics and game studies
Game studies
Game studies or the new modern term "gaming theory" is the discipline of studying games, their design, players, and their role in society and culture more broadly...
based on Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher known for his existential and phenomenological explorations of the "question of Being."...
's work in the fields of aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
and metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D in the field of Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Titles released as game designer
- Fronte del Basket 2007-2008 (2008) (PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
) - Prezzemolo in una Giornata da Incubo (2007) (DVD TV gameDVD TV gameA DVD TV game is a standalone game that can be played on a set-top DVD player. The game takes advantage of technology built into the DVD format to create an interactive gaming environment compatible with most DVD players without requiring additional hardware...
) - Fronte del Basket 2 (2007) (PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
) - Tony Tough 2: A Rake's ProgressTony Tough 2: A Rake's ProgressTony Tough 2: A Rake’s Progress is a 2006 PC adventure game designed by Stefano Gualeni and published by Dtp-entertainment. -Gameplay:A prequel to Tony Tough and the Night of Roasted Moths, A Rake’s Progress was designed following the structure and the organization of two existing works with the...
(2006) (PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
) - Midway Classics 2 (2006) (GBA)
- Midway Classics 1 (2006) (GBA)
- Dangerous Heaven (2005) (DVD TV gameDVD TV gameA DVD TV game is a standalone game that can be played on a set-top DVD player. The game takes advantage of technology built into the DVD format to create an interactive gaming environment compatible with most DVD players without requiring additional hardware...
) - Prezzemolo in una Giornata da Incubo (2003) (PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
) - Tony Tough and the Night of Roasted MothsTony Tough and the Night of Roasted MothsTony Tough and the Night of Roasted Moths is a PC adventure game designed by Stefano Gualeni, developed by Prograph Research, released in Italy in 1997 and published in the U.S...
(1997) (PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
) - Mikro Mortal Tennis (1996) (AmigaAmigaThe Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
)
Other industry credits
- Stefano appears in the credits of Playlogic EntertainmentPlaylogic Entertainment-Current:Playlogic Entertainment NV was established in 2010. The company is active in mobile gambling and console publishing.Playlogic Entertainment NV completed the acquisition of Mobile gambling company Wannagaming at the beginning of 2011...
's 2009 Fairytale FightsFairytale FightsFairytale Fights is a hack and slash action-adventure game developed and published by Playlogic Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows....
for having helped with quality assurance recruiting and training.
- Stefano is thanked in the credits of the videogame ‘EXP’ for having helped with the structuring of the game concept and having supervised its development. ‘EXP’ received honorable mention in the 2011 Independent Games FestivalIndependent Games FestivalThe Independent Games Festival is an annual festival at the Game Developers Conference, the largest annual gathering of the indie video game industry. It was founded in 1998 to assist and inspire innovation in video game development and to recognize the best independent video game developers...
Student Showcase .
- Stefano is in the 'special thanks' section of the credits of the videogame 'Chewy!' for having provided game designGame designGame design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
guidance. 'Chewy!' was honored with the 'Best Design' award ($ 25,000) at the 2011 Independent Propeller Awards at the South by SouthwestSouth by SouthwestSouth by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in AustinAustinAustin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
. 'Chewy!' also won the '2011 Diamond Award' at the Netherlands Festival of Games and the 'Superhero - Best Game of the Year' (€ 500) at the Brave New Game competition at the 2011 Gamecon in NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy.
External links
- Available in all colours!, Stefano's webpage
- MobyGames Developer's Bio
- Stefano's NHTV Game-Design Document Template
- ART-hritis (essay published on Control Magazine n.06, May 2008)
- NOTES FROM THE OTHERGROUND (Column for Control Magazine, April 2010) 1 - The Lottery in Babylon
- NOTES FROM THE OTHERGROUND (Column for Control Magazine, May 2010) 2 - A WINNER IS YOU
- NOTES FROM THE OTHERGROUND (Column for Control Magazine, June 2010) 3 - The Cat in the Age of its Digital Reproduction
- Which came first, the chicken or the egg? - (philosophy lecture at the IGAD Never Ending Conference n.3 - June 2010)
- NOTES FROM THE OTHERGROUND (Column for Control Magazine, January 2011) 4 - The Voices of Current Somnambulism
- What is it Like to Be a (Digital) Bat? - (academic paper presented at the 2011 'Philosophy of Computer Games' conference in Athens, Greece)