Board of Directors

Since its inception in 1996, the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has relied on the leadership and direction of its board of directors. These men and women, all leaders of the interactive software industry, have volunteered their time and resources to help the Academy advance its mission of promoting awareness of the art and science of interactive games and entertainment. Each director has lent his or her talent and prestige to the common concerns of the interactive entertainment industry.

The Academy's Board of Directors is composed of the following industry leaders representing Sony, EA, Nintendo, Microsoft, Atari, and Ubisoft as well as the independent development community:

• Jay Cohen, Ubisoft Entertainment
• Don L. Daglow, Stormfront Studios, Inc.
• Rich Hilleman, Electronic Arts
• Don James, Nintendo of America
• Tim Langdell, EDGE
• Lorne Lanning, Oddworld Inhabitants, Vice Chair
• Douglas Lowenstein, The ESA
• Ray Muzyka, Bioware Corp.
• Joseph Olin, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
• Ted Price, Insomniac Games, Chair
• Josh Resnick, Pandemic Studios, LLC
• Don Ryan, Microsoft Games Studio, General Manager
• Bruce C. Shelley, Microsoft  /  Ensemble Studios
• Denny Thorley, Day 1 Studios, Secretary
• Shuhei Yoshida, Sony Computer Entertainment of America

Jay Cohen is Vice-president of U.S. Publishing and has been with Ubisoft since 1999. Jay’s responsibilities include business planning for North America, building relations with console manufacturers, overseeing non-retail sales, product release planning, content and brand acquisition and general management. His team works to drive Ubisoft’s industry leadership as the most recognized as the most professional and innovative company in the industry. Before joining Ubisoft in 1999, Cohen held positions in retail sales and marketing at G.T. Global Investment Bank and served as international sales and marketing manager at Accolade Inc. Fluent in Spanish, Cohen earned a bachelor of arts in behavioral science and law at the University of Wisconsin, and an MBA from the Fisher Graduate School of International Business at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He lives in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife and child.

Don L. Daglow has served as president and CEO of Stormfront Studios since founding the company in 1988. Stormfront's most recent title is The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (PS2, Xbox) for EA and New Line Cinema, based on the film by Peter Jackson. Don's work has earned recognition in publications ranging from Computer Gaming World to Inc., Upside, The Red Herring and the San Francisco Business Times. Electronic Games called him "one of the best-known and respected producers in the history of the field." Prior to founding Stormfront, Don served as director of Intellivision game development for Mattel, as a producer at Electronic Arts, and as head of the Entertainment and Education division at Broderbund. He designed and programmed the first-ever computer baseball game in 1971 (now recorded in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown), the first mainframe computer role-playing game (1976), the first sim game (Intellivision Utopia, 1982) and the first original play-by-email game (Quantum Space for AOL, 1989). Don co-designed Computer Game Hall of Fame title Earl Weaver Baseball (1987) and the first massively multiplayer online graphic adventure, Neverwinter Nights for AOL (1991-97). He holds a BA in Creative Writing from Pomona College and a M.Ed. from Claremont Graduate University.

In more than 20 years in the video game industry, Richard Hilleman has touched nearly every category and job in the business.  From writing copy protection utilities and soldering cables to designing and building hundreds of Racetracks to settling Labor Actions on movie sets, he has tried nearly everything. Probably best known for his early design and production work on the EA Sports staples such as John Madden Football and NHL Hockey, he has also made twenty fantasy role-playing, military, and action games.

Currently, he works in the internal University at Electronic Arts on specialized education for Producers and Development Directors.  Best of all, Christopher and Rachel’s dad still has his teeth after 35 years of ice hockey.

Don James joined Nintendo of America, Inc. in August 1981. In his 20 years with the company he has been responsible for manufacturing, product development, and design in both coin operated and consumer products. In his current position, he is responsible for product design including localization of the packaging, manual, and all print launch materials. He is also responsible for all of Nintendo's Trade Shows and sits on the IDSA E_ advisory committee. He participated in organizing and creating the IDSA and sat on the IDSA Board from April 1994 to February 1996. He also helped to create the ESRB rating system and currently sits on the Advisory Committee for the ESRB. He actively supports the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, Starlight Children's Foundation, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, and the NW Chapter of the Boys and Girls Club charities.

Tim is an early founding member of the games industry having formed one of the first companies, EDGE Games, which at one time was effectively Electronic Arts Europe and Sega Europe as well as being a top five European game publisher. In the mid-90s he co-founded AIAS and was instrumental in creating the first televised games awards show that AIAS aired on TBS in 1995. With more than 180 games to his credit, Tim is not only passionate about games, but also a highly experienced member of non-profit boards having served on the Board of Directors of the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA/LA), been Chairman of The Guild of Software Houses, a director of the Federation Against Software Theft and Vice Chair of the Steering Committee of the Writers Guild of America Interactive Caucus. He is highly motivated to take AIAS to the next level. In addition to being the Chairman of EDGE, Tim also instigated games curriculum at the University of Southern California where he launched the first game classes in the USC Film School in 1992. He still has some teaching involvement at USC, now in Engineering/Computer Science, where more than 400 students have attended his game classes in the past 2 years. Tim is also invited from time to time by the National Academies to attend meetings in Washington D.C. where he assists in presenting games and the game industry to government representatives. Tim earned his joint BS in Physics and Psychology at Leicester University England, his MA at Nottingham University and his PhD at University College London.

Lorne Lanning has 15 years experience in computer graphics and digital media and is the co-founder and president of video game development company, Oddworld Inhabitants. Lorne is on the board of directors for The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and also on the "advisory board to the president" for the San Francisco Academy of Art College. He has a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts and was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the San Francisco Academy of Art College.

Lorne's professional training and career began in the early 1980's at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. Here he studied photo-realism and commercial illustration but ultimately felt his visions were being constrained by the limitations of the still image. Lorne helped to support himself through school by working as studio manager and assistant painter to international fine artist, Jack Goldstein. The intellectual depth of Goldstein's paintings and philosophy sparked Lorne to further pursue his interests in technology, film, visual effects, storytelling, and traditional and computer animation, by attending the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia CA.

Lorne's fascination with high technology and its implications to future mass media applications led him to pursue work with the TRW Visualization Center in Redondo Beach, California. Here he worked as technical director of computer animation on projects that visualized aerospace concepts and applications such as the SDI (Star Wars) program.

Forever fascinated by the trail of high-end militaristic technology as it trickled into the commercial entertainment sector, Lorne pursued his interest by taking a position with Rhythm & Hues Studios in Hollywood, CA. Lorne chose Rhythm & Hues because of the cutting edge computer animated work they were doing in commercials, films, station ID's, and with aerospace simulators for motion based ride attractions. While at Rhythm & Hues he worked through several career moves, which included roles of technical director, lead technical director, art director, creative director, and visual effects supervisor. Projects included network Station ID's and feature films, as well as award winning commercials and motion based attractions for Euro-Disney, MCA/Universal, the Worlds Fair, Universal-Japan, Mazda, and Reebok.

In 1994 he convinced long time computer graphics veteran Sherry McKenna (winner of over 40 Clio awards and numerous international film and television awards) to be the cofounder of a new video game development company; Oddworld Inhabitants. Inspired by the nature of property universes created by the likes of Tolkien, George Lucas, Jim Henson and Walt Disney... Oddworld has since been dedicated to creating the next generation of digital content by marrying traditional storytelling and animation sensibilities within its uniquely odd interactive universe.

Their facility in San Luis Obispo, California has attracted top video game and computer animation talent from around the world. Oddworld is a consistent developer of hit games that have garnered over 4 million units sold and over 80 industry awards including honors from illustration fantasy annuals, international film festivals, and the music industry. Oddworld has also co-produced two music video singles; both based upon the Oddworld universe. The first single went on to attain platinum record sales in Europe, while the second will be releasing in 2002. Oddworld's current publishing partner is Microsoft.

Douglas Lowenstein became the first President of the Entertainment Software Association in June 1994. The ESA is the trade association of the interactive entertainment industry, serving the business and public affairs needs of its members. Under Doug's direction, the ESA has been an effective voice in Washington, D.C. on such industry issues as ratings, piracy, and copyright issues. He has also overseen the highly acclaimed E3 trade show owned by the ESA. Prior to joining the staff of the ESA, Lowenstein was an Executive Vice President in the Washington, D.C. and New York strategic communications firm Robinson Lake Sawyer Miller, Inc. From 1986 to 1991, Lowenstein was a principal in National Strategies, Inc., a Washington, D.C. public policy consulting firm. In 1982, he began a five year-stint in the office of U.S. Sen. Howard Metzenbaum (D-Ohio), including two as Legislative Director. From 1976 to 1982, Lowenstein was a Washington, D.C. correspondent in the Cox Newspapers Washington bureau. Lowenstein is also the author of "Lowenstein: Acts of Courage and Belief" about his late uncle, political and civil rights activist and former Congressman Allard Lowenstein.

Dr. Ray Muzyka is Joint CEO and Co-Executive Producer for BioWare Corp. With no prior experience in the game industry, Ray and Dr. Greg Zeschuk grew BioWare from a tiny basement operation to a 100 person company working on some of the most exciting games in the industry. Their formal training was as Medical Doctors. After releasing Shattered Steel in 1996, Baldur's Gate in 1998, and a Baldur's Gate mission pack in 1999, BioWare set out to top their efforts with Baldur's Gate 2 and Neverwinter Nights. BioWare is also working with LucasArts, developing the first Star Wars-based computer role-playing game.

Joseph Olin is President of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Olin has been with AIAS since July 2004. Olin has been instrumental in raising consumer awareness of well-known videogame publishers and properties from Nintendo to Sega Genesis. As Vice President, Marketing & Business Development at U.S. GOLD, INC. / EIDOS Interactive, he directed all sales, marketing and new business development activities, and played a key role in the launch of Tomb Raider & Lara Croft game franchises. Additionally, Olin’s extensive career entails a wide variety of senior level held positions at Elliot Portwood Studios, Voiceweb Corporation, Kovel/Fuller, Inc., Della Femina McNamee, Panda Management Company and Microprose/Hasbro Interactive. Olin is a graduate of the University of Southern California.

Ted Price is the President and CEO of Insomniac Games, Inc. - an independent game developer based in Burbank, California. He founded the company in 1994. The company has since grown to over 150 people. Insomniac's first game, Disruptor - released for the PlayStation in 1996 was a critical success, winning several industry awards for Best First Person Shooter. But it wasn't until the release of Insomniac's second game, Spyro the Dragon(1998), that Insomniac garnered worldwide attention. Insomniac continued the Spyro series with two more installments on the Playstation. Insomniac then created Ratchet and Clank for the PS2 in 2002. The series has grown to include two sequels in 2003 and 2004. The three titles have garnered over 15 genre awards, 8 Game of the Year awards, and numerous technical achievement awards. To date Insomniac has sold over 19 million copies of its seven games. Price's responsibilities at Insomniac include directing the company's day-to-day business as well as overseeing its projects and contributing to their design. Price is also the Chairman of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. He holds a degree in English from Princeton University.

Josh is president and co-founder of Pandemic Studios, LLC. Over the past 7 years, Josh and his partner, Andrew Goldman, have built Pandemic into a company of 200 highly skilled programmers, designers, and artists working on a wide variety of high-profile titles for consoles and PCs at their offices in California and Australia. Josh’s creativity, strong business background and professional approach have formed the foundation for what has become one of the largest and most successful independent developers in America.

Before founding Pandemic, Josh spent four years at Activision, Inc., serving as Producer on the 1995 mega-hit Mechwarrior 2 and later as Director of Production for the Strategy Division of Activision’s internal studio. Josh earned his M.B.A. from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1993, and his B.A. from Pomona College in 1989.

Don Ryan, General Manager of Microsoft Games Studios, has been with Microsoft for over 20 years. Don began his job at Microsoft developing Windows network technology. In 2000 Don began working in Microsoft Games Studios with such titles as: Asheron’s Call 2, Age of Mythology, and Mechwarrior 4. He has been very active in the development of Xbox Live Arcade services, MSN Games Channel, and Messenger Games Channel, and continues to work on simulation games as well. Don holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and is completing his Executive MBA from the Kellog School of Management at Northwestern University.

Ted Stanley got the chance to interview Don Ryan about his passion for games.

AIAS Monthly: How many different jobs have you held in the video game industry, and how has that affected how you do your job today?
Don Ryan: I started out in the games industry as a development manager then worked my way up to studio manager and now I am a general manager responsible for multiple game studios. Having a technical background has allowed me to stay grounded in reality when developing business and product strategy. I understand what it means to make huge personal sacrifices to get products out of the door. Running a game studio gave me an appreciation for the special challenges of leading creative teams as well as the difficulties of growing profits in a hits-driven business. All of these experiences have been invaluable as I help my team scale our businesses.

AM:What genre of game do you enjoy most, and why?
DR:I love all types of games – console games, PC games, web downloadable games, online games, mobile games, as well as offline card and board games. On the console, I tend to be drawn toward more action-oriented genres like FPS, survival horror, and action RPG. There is something about epic adventures on a big screen TV that is really compelling. On the PC, I tend to play more RTS and simulation games. The mouse and keyboard are powerful allies when trying to command large armies or negotiate complicated situations. On the web, it is all about the action puzzle category for me. I love a fast and furious puzzle game that challenges your mind as well as your reflexes. The immersive worlds of MMORPGs are always a lot of fun for me but they can be almost too addictive so I have to moderate my usage. I enjoy the social aspects of online game play just as much as the competitive aspects which is why I am just as likely to be playing Hearts on the Internet as competing for placement on the Xbox Live leader boards. This social element is the reason I love playing offline games. There is something special about good food, good company, and an evening of card and board games. I especially enjoy classics like Scrabble and Mah Jong, German board games like Settlers of Catan and Carcassone, as well as traditional party games like Cranium and Trivial Pursuit.

AM:What's your favorite old-school game to pick up and play again? What is it about that game that makes you keep coming back to it?
DR:The old-school classic that I spend the most time playing is probably Tetris. I had the privilege of working with Alexey Pajitnov, the inventor of Tetris, for a number of years and the genius of that game still amazes me. The game play is so accessible yet so incredibly addictive. It definitely falls into the category of “simple to learn, difficult to master”. Trying to top my high score is motivation enough for me to pick up that title again and again.
Pokemon Puzzle Challenge is my other favorite handheld classic that I play quite often, especially on long trips. This is an extremely addictive action puzzle game. The game play is super simple to learn but the action is fast-paced and can be quite challenging. There are also a number of clever modes to keep things interesting.

AM:Technological advances have drastically changed the way we make games, causing teams to grow from a few people to a few dozen people. Is this progress? What is the industry gaining and losing because of this, and in the end, is it providing a better experience for the gamer?
DR:Larger teams do not necessarily make better games and we have seen time and again that games built using incredible technology are not necessary incredible games. For me, it is all about the game play. Last year, I replayed the original Silent Hill to get in the mood for the latest release. As pixilated as the graphics were and as basic as the environment was, the game still was able to evoke an incredible sense of impending doom and I was scared out of my seat several times. Looking at the next-generation titles in development today, the level of realism possible is quite mind blowing. We are able to place a huge number of independent characters on the screen at one time and the detail in any one character is simply stunning. This means absolutely nothing if the game is not fun to play or is only fun to play for a short period of time before it becomes repetitive. The challenge is engaging players in a meaningful way using the tools available. Gamers’ expectations will continue to rise so it is inevitable that the level of sophistication of the technology and the teams applying that technology need to also increase to meet these demands. If the application of this advanced technology leads to innovations in gameplay and new compelling experiences that were not possible before, then I would consider that progress.

AM:One of the newer trends in video game design is prototyping. What experience have you had with prototyping? Do you think it's a valuable part of the preproduction process, and is it here to stay?
DR:Having worked on several ill-defined projects in my life, I have come to really believe in the importance of “measure twice, cut once”. Having a small team develop a prototype during preproduction is valuable as you try to scope the challenges that lie ahead and prove to yourself and others that there is a real game there. I definitely think prototyping is here to stay.

AM:What do you think Microsoft will do to tap into the ever-growing handheld market? How do you think the expanding culture of powerful cell phones and PDA's will change the current video game market?
DR:Advancement in the handheld category creates new and exciting opportunities for the games industry as a whole.

AM:Could you give an example of how both competition and collaboration with a rival developer has helped you to create a better product? How do you usually interact with industry people outside of your own studio?
DR:The games industry is fairly small and extremely competitive. Events like the DICE Summit foster open discussion of new ideas and lead to fresh ways to implement new technologies. Friendly competition is the norm.

AM:Why do you believe the AIAS is important to the video game industry? How do organizations like the Academy facilitate interaction with other professionals in the industry, and what can other developers and publishers do to keep these important exchanges ongoing?
DR:As the video game industry matures, it is critical to have an organization like the AIAS that sets the bar for greatness in games and recognizes companies that make great games. Most mass-market consumers enjoy playing games of one form or another but their impression of the video game industry is mixed. The Academy recognizes outstanding achievement in the gaming community and builds awareness of high quality interactive entertainment software. This is critical to expanding the industry beyond our core consumer.

Bruce has been a professional game developer since 1980. He began working with paper and board games and switched to computer games in 1987. He has helped start or worked for five game companies. Prior to the start of Ensemble Studios in 1995, Bruce is best know for assisting Sid Meier on the design of the original editions of Railroad Tycoon and Civilization when they were colleagues at Microprose. He is a designer at Ensemble Studios, where he helped start the company, evolve its development methodology, acts often as a spokesman for the company and its games, and serves on the company management team. He contributed to the design of both Age of Empires and Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings. He has served since 2000 on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.

An industry veteran with more than 17 years experience, Denny Thorley is currently the President of independent game developer, Day 1 Studios. At Day 1, Thorley is credited with securing a first-party development relationship with Microsoft and with recruiting quality, experienced managers and developers to successfully enhance Day 1's staff.

MechAssault, Day 1's first title, shipped for the Xbox in Q4, 2002. The fast action 'Mech game quickly became the darling of Xbox "Live" and helped Microsoft launch its strategic, on-line initiative for the Xbox. MechAssault's numerous awards, including best action game and best on-line game for the Xbox, also generated notoriety for Day 1 when the studio was nominated as Rookie Studio of the Year at the 2003 Game Developers Conference.

Prior to joining Day 1 Studios, Thorley was the CEO and co-founder of FASA Interactive Technologies where he executive produced MechCommander for the PC and assisted in the development of Alien Invasion, a location-based, multi-person game experience for Walt Disney's DisneyQuest facility. Through a 1999 acquisition, FASA Interactive joined Microsoft Game Studios, becoming FASA Studio.

Shuhei Yoshida, a 14-year Sony veteran and renowned software developer, has been with the PlayStation group since the project's inception more than seven years ago. Through his tenure with Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. in Japan, he held various high-profile positions in both the third party relations and product development arenas. In April 2000, Mr. Yoshida was appointed Vice President, Product Development, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. and is responsible for all product development activities for Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. and the 989 Sports brand.