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About Rainier

PC gamer, WorthPlaying EIC, globe-trotting couch potato, patriot, '80s headbanger, movie watcher, music lover, foodie and man in black -- squirrel!

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Steel Wool Games Formed By Pixar Animators, Developing 'Flyhunter'

by Rainier on March 19, 2013 @ 8:33 a.m. PDT

What do 5 Pixar artists decide to do in their after hours from work? They form a gaming studio.  Steel Wool Games to be exact.

Sleep is for the weak! Are they over achievers? Perhaps. Masochists? Quite possibly. Clinically insane? Highly likely. But they love what they do and wouldn’t have it any other way. Thankfully, nobody has been maimed. YET. 

Steel Wool Games consists of Co-Founders Sequoia Blankenship, Andrew Dayton, Jonathan Hoffman, Joshua Qualtieri and Jason Topolski. Important Disclaimer since we love our day jobs: Pixar Animation is in no way affiliated nor endorses Steel Wool Games.

Steel Wool Games is working on their first title. What’s it called you say? Calm down sparky, we will get to that down the road, just you wait. Somehow Steel Wool Games had convinced publisher extraordinaire, Ripstone to fund their little adventure. How? We have no idea. Hypnosis, possibly.A genius move on their part, in our humble opinion.

Andrew Dayton offers an insight into their development style: “We have an internal phrase that we use to describe our style: "Grimsical". It's our fundamental principle as a company. We create worlds that are funny and whimsical but dipped in gritty tones.”

Josh - In addition to his role as a Technical Artist during the day, is Co-Director of our first title. He also owns Zombiesmith which is an award winning tabletop gaming company. Clearly Josh owes the mob lots of money because one side company isn’t enough. His need to diversify revenue streams worries our lawyers. 

Jason - Production Management by day, hardcore gamer by night, actor on the weekend. He is the resident thespian and repository for all arcane and esoteric game knowledge. He is our Tome of Gaming Obscura. 9 times out of 10 if he says “Have you ever played X”... you haven’t. Jason has 3 volume settings 0 - 10 - Crazy. 

Sequoia - Our animation leader. He can make inanimate things move. How? We don’t know. Not sure if he knows either. Animators are special, unique, beautiful little snowflakes. He is no exception. He may not know how to actually turn a computer on but once it is on, hold on baby! Stuff is gonna happen. 

Jonathan - Cool, calm, collected. Designer, Creator, Co-Director of our first title. His talent, eagerness, kindness, and passion is clearly annoying at first but it grows on you like a fungus until you are covered in happiness moss. If he wasn’t married, you would let him date your daughter. 

Andrew - What is there to say that hasn’t been said? What hasn’t been said is that everything that  has been said cannot be proven in the court of law. Technical Artist by trade, somehow weaseled his way to exec producer at Steel Wool Games. We suspect some form of extortion. 

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