Archives by Day

April 2024
SuMTuWThFSa
123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
282930

About Rainier

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

Advertising

As an Amazon Associate, we earn commission from qualifying purchases.





Ex-Human Head CEO Forms Big Rooster

by Rainier on June 6, 2007 @ 1:31 a.m. PDT

Former Human Head CEO Timothy Gerritsen, Animation Director Jeff Dewitt, Art Director Rowan Atalla and former Midway Technical Director Jason Blochowiak have formed a new development studio. Big Rooster's plan is to unite behind a common goal in order to create games that delight, inspire, enlighten and entertain.

Founded by former Human Head Studios' Chairman and CEO Timothy Gerritsen, Animation Director Jeff Dewitt, Art Director Rowan Atalla and former Midway Technical Director Jason Blochowiak, the goal is nothing short of building a new kind of game company. Big Rooster will focus on the development of both original titles and license-based games, with an emphasis on combining depth of design with top quality visual and audio game content.

"The opportunities for independent developers are better than they've been at any time in the industry," comments Gerritsen. "New markets and new technologies mean new leaders need to emerge. We intend to be a driving force in shaping the new face of game development."

"We want to create a studio where professionalism and craft work together," says Atalla. "A pragmatic approach where we look at the industry, look at what is working and make reasoned decisions based on our experience. We want Big Rooster to be the kind of work environment where people love to be. We have high standards - we want to attract top notch developers, and we want to create a studio environment that allows them to succeed."

"It's time for the next evolution in development, where fun, innovation and creativity can and should meld with a real world business approach that also allows the best quality of life for our employees," Gerritsen states. "We believe that we can combine good design and stunning imagery to create games players will come back to again and again without burning out our staff to do so."

"Indeed," adds Dewitt "this is what drove the four of us to form the company. We are committed to making sure that we don't just make pretty games that are forgettable. We want to make games that you buy because they look great, but once you start playing you realize the depth of design involved."

"The marketplace is changing," adds Blochowiak. "Digital Distribution and worldwide sales now are significant parts of the equation and finding new and exciting ways to interact with our fans will be an ongoing and rewarding challenge. As a group we have the necessary experience to understand and lead this evolutionary step in game design and studio development." With a combined experience totaling 51 years of games development between the four founding members, Big Rooster seeks to leverage their veteran stature while maintaining a commitment to innovation.

The principals, Gerritsen, Dewitt, Atalla, and Blochowiak have already started assembling their team. "Madison Wisconsin has a great talent pool due to the unique nature of the area. There's an eclectic blend of creative arts and high tech development in the community that makes it a terrific location for games development," says Gerritsen. "Our goal is to build a company where big ideas are encouraged and allowed to grow."

Big Rooster LLC is already hard at work on their first title scheduled for release during the upcoming holiday season?

blog comments powered by Disqus