Jeff Braun
Encyclopedia
Jeff Braun is an American
computer game producer
and co-founder of the video game developer
Maxis
.
Braun had successfully published font
packs for the Amiga
personal computer
when he met Will Wright at a pizza party hosted by Chris Doner in 1987. Wright had been unsuccessful in finding a game publisher for his city-building game
SimCity
. Braun already had a wire frame
jet fighter simulation game he hoped to publish, and when he saw SimCity he told Wright that the two games would give them critical mass to start a new games publisher of their own. They named the company Maxis.
Wright had been an employee of Brøderbund
when he first developed the concept, so Braun and he had to return there to clear the rights to SimCity. Brøderbund had just set up a new distribution office to counter the Electronic Arts
(EA) Affiliated Label program. Brøderbund executives Gary Carlston and Don Daglow
saw SimCity, recognized its potential and urged Braun to sign a distribution deal with Brøderbund for the game. Braun wanted the jet fighter game included in the deal, and Brøderbund agreed.
The first five years of Maxis' history saw them remaining with Brøderbund, before Braun added a dedicated sales force to Maxis in preparation to taking the company public. The company's IPO took place in 1995. In 1997, after setbacks on a series of secondary titles, Braun and Wright sold Maxis to Electronic Arts for US
$120 million in stock. The deal made Braun the largest shareholder in EA at the time.
Since 1997 Braun has continued to make investments in a wide range of software and technology companies in the United States and in Israel
. In the late 1990s he suffered a broken hip in an accident riding his unicycle
, but recovered fully.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
computer game producer
Game producer
A video game producer is the person in charge of overseeing development of a video game.The earliest documented use of the term producer in games was by Trip Hawkins, who established the position when he founded Electronic Arts in 1982...
and co-founder of the video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
Maxis
Maxis
Maxis is an American company founded as an independent video game developer in 1987. It is currently a subsidiary of Electronic Arts . Maxis is the creator of one of the best-selling computer games of all time, The Sims and its first sequel, The Sims 2...
.
Braun had successfully published font
Font
In typography, a font is traditionally defined as a quantity of sorts composing a complete character set of a single size and style of a particular typeface...
packs for the 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...
personal computer
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
when he met Will Wright at a pizza party hosted by Chris Doner in 1987. Wright had been unsuccessful in finding a game publisher for his city-building game
City-building game
City-building games are a genre of strategy computer game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management...
SimCity
SimCity
SimCity is a critically acclaimed city-building simulation video game, first released in 1989, and designed by Will Wright. SimCity was Maxis' first product, which has since been ported into various personal computers and game consoles, and spawned several sequels including SimCity 2000 in 1994,...
. Braun already had a wire frame
Wire frame model
A wire frame model is a visual presentation of a three dimensional or physical object used in 3D computer graphics. It is created by specifying each edge of the physical object where two mathematically continuous smooth surfaces meet, or by connecting an object's constituent vertices using straight...
jet fighter simulation game he hoped to publish, and when he saw SimCity he told Wright that the two games would give them critical mass to start a new games publisher of their own. They named the company Maxis.
Wright had been an employee of Brøderbund
Brøderbund
Brøderbund Software, Inc. was an American maker of computer games, educational software and The Print Shop productivity tools. It was best known as the original creator and publisher of the popular Carmen Sandiego games. The company was founded in Eugene, Oregon, but moved to San Rafael,...
when he first developed the concept, so Braun and he had to return there to clear the rights to SimCity. Brøderbund had just set up a new distribution office to counter the Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
(EA) Affiliated Label program. Brøderbund executives Gary Carlston and Don Daglow
Don Daglow
Don Daglow is an American computer game and video game designer, programmer and producer. He is best known for designing a series of pioneering simulation games and role-playing games, as well as the first computer baseball game and the first graphical MMORPG, all between 1971 and 1995...
saw SimCity, recognized its potential and urged Braun to sign a distribution deal with Brøderbund for the game. Braun wanted the jet fighter game included in the deal, and Brøderbund agreed.
The first five years of Maxis' history saw them remaining with Brøderbund, before Braun added a dedicated sales force to Maxis in preparation to taking the company public. The company's IPO took place in 1995. In 1997, after setbacks on a series of secondary titles, Braun and Wright sold Maxis to Electronic Arts for US
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
$120 million in stock. The deal made Braun the largest shareholder in EA at the time.
Since 1997 Braun has continued to make investments in a wide range of software and technology companies in the United States and in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. In the late 1990s he suffered a broken hip in an accident riding his unicycle
Unicycle
A unicycle is a human-powered, single-track vehicle with one wheel. Unicycles resemble bicycles, but are less complex.-History:One theory of the advent of the unicycle stems from the popularity of the penny-farthing during the late 19th century...
, but recovered fully.