Jarek Kolář
Encyclopedia
Jarek Kolář is a Czech videogame designer
.
In the early 1990s he enjoyed playing LucasArts adventure games
, especially Indy III
and Monkey Island I
. While studying at the secondary school Gymnázium Slovanské náměstí in Brno
, he met programmer Petr Vlček and they together created a parody of Monkey Island where Guybrush
(transcribed
as Gájbraš) had to escape from and island inhabited by donkey
s. His opponent was LeGek, a brother of LeChuck
(with reference to book Chuk and Gek by Arkady Gaidar
about adventures of brothers Chuk and Gek in "the great and happy country named Soviet Union
", a compulsory reading for schoolchildren in communist Czechoslovakia
).
Petr Vlček at the time only had an 8-bit Atari 800
and therefore developed the game editor and engine at school. Jarek drawn the locations and wrote the plot. While on a school trip to Polička
, Jarek decided to skip a lunch with his classmates and instead went to find the panelák
where entrepreneur Petr Vochozka lived at the time. Two weeks later Vochozka seen their demo and agreed to produce and distribute the game. The Secret of Donkey Island, released after two years of development in June 1994, is considered the first Czech commercially successful point-and-click
graphical adventure. The sales were supported by an enthusiastic review written by Petr Vochozka for Czech game magazine Excalibur. In the following months Petr Vlček and Jarek Kolář created an adventure Seven days and seven nights, based on a story about a womanizer
written by Petr Vochozka for a semi-developed Amiga
game.
After working for a while for German game development companies, Jarek Kolář and programmer Michal Janáček founded a company PTERODON, s.r.o.
in October 1997. In May 1998 they started development of a new 3D game, released in 2000 as Flying Heroes
. Thanks to Petr Vochozka, who in 1997 founded with Jan Kudera Illusion Softworks
and in 1999 succeeded with videogame Hidden & Dangerous
, Flying Heroes was distributed by Take-Two Interactive
.
Pterodon closely cooperared with Illusion Softworks, their teams shared one open space
in an administrative building in Brno. Jarek was lead designer of tactical
first-person shooter Vietcong, released by Pterodon/IS in 2003. One of the last released games Jarek contributed to is Mafia II
(senior gameplay producer).
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...
.
In the early 1990s he enjoyed playing LucasArts adventure games
LucasArts adventure games
From the late 1980s to the early 2000s, LucasArts was well known for their point-and-click graphic adventure games, nearly all of which received high scoring reviews at the time of their release. Their style tended towards the humorous, often irreverent or slapstick humour, with a few exceptions...
, especially Indy III
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure is a graphical adventure game, originally released in 1989 , published by Lucasfilm Games . It was the third game to use the SCUMM engine.-Plot:The plot closely follows, and expands upon, the film of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade...
and Monkey Island I
The Secret of Monkey Island
The Secret of Monkey Island is a graphic adventure game developed by Lucasfilm Games and published by the same company after its name was changed to LucasArts. The game spawned a number of sequels, collectively known as the Monkey Island series...
. While studying at the secondary school Gymnázium Slovanské náměstí in Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
, he met programmer Petr Vlček and they together created a parody of Monkey Island where Guybrush
Guybrush Threepwood
Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood is the main character of the Monkey Island series of computer adventure games by LucasArts. The voice of Guybrush is actor Dominic Armato in the third, fourth and fifth games, as well as the enhanced remakes of The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's...
(transcribed
Transcription (linguistics)
Transcription in the linguistic sense is the systematic representation of language in written form. The source can either be utterances or preexisting text in another writing system, although some linguists only consider the former as transcription.Transcription should not be confused with...
as Gájbraš) had to escape from and island inhabited by donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
s. His opponent was LeGek, a brother of LeChuck
LeChuck
LeChuck is a fictional character in the Monkey Island series of graphic adventure games. Created by Ron Gilbert for LucasArts, LeChuck was introduced in The Secret of Monkey Island and is the chief antagonist of the series. Gilbert drew on aspects of the characters in the 1988 novel On Stranger...
(with reference to book Chuk and Gek by Arkady Gaidar
Arkady Gaidar
Arkady Petrovich Golikov Gaidar was born in the town of Lgov in Imperial Russia, now in Kursk Oblast, Russia, to a family of teachers. Gaidar spent his childhood in Arzamas. In August 1918, Gaidar became a member of the Bolsheviks, volunteering for the Red Army in December of that year, still aged...
about adventures of brothers Chuk and Gek in "the great and happy country named Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
", a compulsory reading for schoolchildren in communist Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
).
Petr Vlček at the time only had an 8-bit Atari 800
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
and therefore developed the game editor and engine at school. Jarek drawn the locations and wrote the plot. While on a school trip to Polička
Policka
Polička is a town on Bohemia-Moravia borderline in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has cca 10,000 inhabitants. It is about 17 km west of Svitavy.- History :Polička was founded in the year 1265 by Bohemian king Přemysl Otakar II...
, Jarek decided to skip a lunch with his classmates and instead went to find the panelák
Panelák
is a colloquial term in Czech and Slovak for a panel building constructed of pre-fabricated, pre-stressed concrete, such as those extant in Czech Republic and elsewhere in the former Soviet bloc...
where entrepreneur Petr Vochozka lived at the time. Two weeks later Vochozka seen their demo and agreed to produce and distribute the game. The Secret of Donkey Island, released after two years of development in June 1994, is considered the first Czech commercially successful point-and-click
Point-and-click
Point-and-click is the action of a computer user moving a cursor to a certain location on a screen and then pressing a mouse button, usually the left button , or other pointing device...
graphical adventure. The sales were supported by an enthusiastic review written by Petr Vochozka for Czech game magazine Excalibur. In the following months Petr Vlček and Jarek Kolář created an adventure Seven days and seven nights, based on a story about a womanizer
Promiscuity
In humans, promiscuity refers to less discriminating casual sex with many sexual partners. The term carries a moral or religious judgement and is viewed in the context of the mainstream social ideal for sexual activity to take place within exclusive committed relationships...
written by Petr Vochozka for a semi-developed Amiga
Amiga
The 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...
game.
After working for a while for German game development companies, Jarek Kolář and programmer Michal Janáček founded a company PTERODON, s.r.o.
Pterodon
Pterodon is a game developer located in the Czech Republic. In the year of 2006 they joined Illusion Softworks. Pterodon was founded in 1997 by Jarek Kolář and Michal Janáček.The logo of this company is a pterosaur, presumably a Pteranodon...
in October 1997. In May 1998 they started development of a new 3D game, released in 2000 as Flying Heroes
Flying Heroes
Flying Heroes is a fantasy action game produced by Take 2 Interactive, Illusion Softworks, and Pterodon.- Gameplay :Flying Heroes is an arena based shooter game that takes place on various flying creatures. There are four clans to choose from, with varying creatures or machines for players. The...
. Thanks to Petr Vochozka, who in 1997 founded with Jan Kudera Illusion Softworks
Illusion Softworks
2K Czech is a game development company located in Brno and Prague, Czech Republic. The company focuses mostly on first-person and third-person shooter games. Since the foundation in 1997, till the sale to Kush Games ten years later, its owners and key managers were founders Petr Vochozka and Jan...
and in 1999 succeeded with videogame Hidden & Dangerous
Hidden & Dangerous
Hidden & Dangerous is a WWII 1999 computer and video game developed by Illusion Softworks and published by Take-Two Interactive and TalonSoft for Windows, the Dreamcast, and the PlayStation. The PlayStation port of the game was developed by Tarantula Studios...
, Flying Heroes was distributed by Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...
.
Pterodon closely cooperared with Illusion Softworks, their teams shared one open space
Open plan
Open plan is the generic term used in architectural and interior design for any floor plan which makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms such as private offices...
in an administrative building in Brno. Jarek was lead designer of tactical
Tactical shooter
A tactical shooter is a subgenre of shooter game that includes both first-person shooters and third-person shooters. These games typically simulate realistic combat, thus making tactics and caution more important than quick reflexes in other action games...
first-person shooter Vietcong, released by Pterodon/IS in 2003. One of the last released games Jarek contributed to is Mafia II
Mafia II
Mafia II is a third-person action-adventure video game, the sequel to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. It is developed by 2K Czech, previously known as Illusion Softworks, and is published by 2K Games...
(senior gameplay producer).