View source for Steve Cartwright

{{Short description|American video game designer}}
{{For|the football player|Steve Cartwright (footballer)}}
{{BLP sources|date=May 2017}}
[[File:StevenCartwright2011.jpg|thumb|Steve Cartwright in 2011]]

'''Steve Cartwright''' is an American [[video game designer]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Classic Gaming Expo Distinguished Guest:STEVE CARTWRIGHT|url=http://www.cgexpo.com/bios/scartwright.htm}}</ref> He is best known as one of the original [[Activision]] game designers, credited with such games as ''[[Barnstorming (video game)|Barnstorming]]'', ''[[Megamania]]'', ''[[Seaquest (video game)|Seaquest]]'' and ''[[Hacker (computer game)|Hacker]]''.<ref name="steveswebsite">{{cite web |url=http://www.stevecartwright.com/ |title = steve cartwright design}}</ref>

==Activision==
Prior to working at the company, Cartwright had gone to college with [[David Crane (programmer)|David Crane]] at the [[DeVry University|DeVry Institute of Technology]] in Phoenix.{{sfn|Cohen|1982|pp=104-105}}{{sfn|Hickey, Jr.|2021|p=47}} When Crane and [[Alan Miller (game designer)|Alan Miller]] created their own company [[Activision]], they quickly found success in the video game business, leading them to hire new employees, which included Crane's friend Cartwright.{{sfn|Hickey, Jr.|2021|p=48}}

At Activision, Cartwright designed games for the Atari 2600. These included ''[[Barnstorming (video game)|Barnstorming]]'' (1982), ''[[Megamania]]'' (1982), ''[[Seaquest (video game)|Seaquest]]'' (1983),  and  ''[[Frostbite (video game)|Frostbite]]'' (1983).{{sfn|Computer Entertainer|1988|p=2|ref=JoinAcc}} In their book ''[[Racing the Beam]]'', [[Ian Bogost]] and [[Nick Montfort]] stated that Cartwright's game design philosophy focused on iteration and refinement.{{sfn|Montfort|Bogost|2009|pp=104-105}}  The authors described this style as This sort of technique would later come to be known as skinning. which they noted had negative connotations, "suggesting commercial exploitation without fundamental innovation."{{sfn|Montfort|Bogost|2009|p=105}} while also stating that the design style "was not without its positive qualities. It involved the slow refinement of basic ideas toward perfection."{{sfn|Montfort|Bogost|2009|p=105}}

He later developed games for the [[Commodore 64]] with ''[[Hacker (video game)|Hacker]]'' (1985), ''[[Hacker II: The Doomsday Papers|Hacker II]]'' (1986), ''[[Aliens: The Computer Game (US Version)|Aliens]]'' (1986), and ''[[Gee Bee Air Rally]]'' (1987).{{sfn|Computer Entertainer|1988|p=2|ref=JoinAcc}}

==Accolade==
Cartwright joined [[Accolade, Inc.|Accolade]] as their Senior Designer in 1988. He was in charge of developing new concepts in game design and organizing teams of designers and coordinating the creation and development of new games.
{{sfn|Computer Entertainer|1988|p=2|ref=JoinAcc}}

Among his products were the [[Sierra On-line|Sierra]]-style [[graphic adventure]]s ''[[Les Manley in: Search for the King]]'' and ''[[Les Manley in: Lost in L.A.]]''&mdash;the first game to use live actors captured in front of a blue screen.{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}

==Electronic Arts==
In 1993, Cartwright joined Electronic Arts.<ref>{{cite web|title=Steve Cartwright|url=http://www.nndb.com/people/262/000136851/}}</ref> He soon took over [[game producer|producer]] responsibility on the fledgling PGA Tour line and helped redesign the ''[[NBA Live]]'' product line. Among the many innovations to the golf line were the first use<ref name="steveswebsite" /> of digitized golfers, the first EA golf product with 3D terrain, and the first use of a targeting arc and putting guides in a golf product.

In 1999, Cartwright designed and produced ''[[Tiger Woods '99]]''. Additionally, Cartwright designed the product to include 1-button access to a game [[Server (computing)|server]] and match server—making this EA's first online multiplayer sports game. Later, with the addition of the "Play Against The Pros" feature, Cartwright was awarded co-[[patent]] holder rights to the technology that eventually became the basis of the PGA Tour Shotlink technology.{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}
* ''[[PGA Tour 486]]''
* ''[[NBA Live 95]]''
* ''[[PGA Tour 96]]''
* ''[[PGA Tour Pro]]''
* ''[[Tiger Woods 99]]''
* ''[[Tiger Woods 2000]]''

==Glu Mobile==
In 2002, Cartwright joined [[Scott Orr]] as an internal developer at [[Glu Mobile]], originally known as [[Sorrent]]. After a 10-year hiatus from [[game programming|programming]], Cartwright developed six of Sorrent's first eight products. During the 2004 presidential election, Cartwright took his previous product ''[[FOX Sports Boxing]]'' and turned it into ''[[Bush vs. Kerry Boxing]]''. He was later named Director of Production where products he designed, produced, or otherwise developed accounted for up to 70% of Glu Mobile revenue.{{citation needed|date=February 2015}}

* ''[[FOX Sports Football]]''
* ''[[FOX Sports Basketball]]''
* ''[[FOX Sports Boxing]]''
* ''[[FOX Sports Track & Field]]''
* ''[[Yao Ming Basketball]]''
* ''[[Atari's DRIV3R]]''
* ''Deerhunter''
* ''[[Bush vs. Kerry Boxing]]''
* ''[[ZUMA]]''
* ''[[Kingdom of Heaven (video game)|Kingdom of Heaven]]''
* ''[[Robots (2005 video game)|Robots]]''
* ''[[Diner Dash]]''
* ''[[DRIVER: Vegas]]''

==Later career==
In 2006, Cartwright joined TV Head—later known as [[TAG Networks]]—as [[game producer|Executive Producer]]. TAG was a games-on-demand television network.

In 2008, Cartwright spent several months developing and pursuing VC funding for a Kid's MMO in the vein of Club Penguin. This endeavor was abandoned when he joined Slipgate Ironworks The company later became Gazillion Entertainment.

In 2009, Cartwright joined former colleagues [[Adam Bellin]] and [[Sam Nelson]] in project design to make sports statistics fun and entertaining. The first project, Streakwise Draft Tracker 2011, reached #2 on the [[App Store (iOS)|App Store]].

In 2010, Cartwright joined RockYou as GM of the Redwood City Games Studio. In his first few weeks, he recruited John Yoo, lead designer on Zynga's ''[[CityVille]]'', and helped RockYou establish a relationship with [[John Romero]] and his new company, [[Loot Drop]]. After managing through a difficult transition period following the layoff of nearly 1/3 of the company, Cartwright became Sr. Director of Design. He then worked closely with Executive Producer [[Jennifer Gee]] on the launch of RockYou's ''Zoo World 2'' [[Facebook]] project.<ref>{{cite web|title=RockYou CEO and Founder Lance Tokuda stepping down|url=http://www.fatfoogoo.com/2010/11/rockyou-ceo-and-founder-lance-tokuda-stepping-down/}}</ref>

More recently, Cartwright lead the design of Bluescape's real-time cloud-based collaboration system. The Bluescape "wall" is currently being used by [[Lucasfilm]] to plan and storyboard future [[Star Wars]] films.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book|title=Video Games|last=Cohen|first=Daniel|publisher=Pocket Books|year=1982|ISBN=0-671-45872-8}}
* {{cite book|title=The Minds Behind Shooter Games: Interviews with Cult and Classic Video Game Developers|last=Hickey, Jr.|first=Patrick|isbn=978-1-4766-8273-0|year=2021|publisher=[[McFarland & Company, Inc.]]}}
* {{cite book|last1=Montfort|first1=Nick|last2=Bogost|first2=Ian|title=Racing the Beam|publisher=[[MIT Press]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-262-01257-7|title-link=Racing the Beam|author-link2=Ian Bogost|author-link1=Nick Montfort}}
* {{cite magazine|magazine=[[Computer Entertainer]]|date=February 1988|volume=6|issue=11|title=Top Designer Joins Accolade|ref=JoinAcc}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.stevecartwright.com Cartwright's personal website]
*[http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,365/ Cartwright's profile on MobyGames]

{{Atari 2600}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cartwright, Steve}}
[[Category:American video game designers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]