Joel Billings is an American computer game designer. He is the founder of the game company SSI. He was also the company's president.

Career

Billings started SSI in 1979 just after finishing college, with a $1000 initial investment. The first product was Computer Bismarck

Computer Bismarck

Computer Bismarck is a computer wargame developed and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. in 1980. The game is based on the last battle of the battleship Bismarck, in which British Armed Forces pursue the German Bismarck in 1941...

, which he co-wrote. Designed for the TRS-80

TRS-80

TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation's desktop microcomputer model line, sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first units, ordered unseen, were delivered in November 1977, and rolled out to the stores the third week of December. The line won popularity with...

 and Apple II

Apple II series

The Apple II series is a set of 8-bit home computers, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977 with the original Apple II...

 home computers, it is viewed as the first computer war game ever published. It sold 7000 copies, considered reasonably successful for its time. The company was an industry leader for years in war games

Wargaming

A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...

 and role-playing games.

In 1987 Billings acquired the rights to the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

s from TSR

TSR, Inc.

Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....

, which led to the creation of the Gold Box

Gold Box

Gold Box is the name for a series of computer role-playing games produced by SSI. The company won a license to produce games based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game from TSR, Inc...

 D&D game series, one of the best selling computer game franchises of the 1980s and 1990s.

After two years of losses tied to delays in the new Dark Sun

Dark Sun

Dark Sun is a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting featuring the fictional desert world of Athas. The original Dark Sun Boxed Set campaign setting was released in 1991....

 game engine, Billings sold the company to Mindscape

Mindscape

Mindscape is an international software publishing company, previously part of The Learning Company. They are now affiliated with EA . As of 2004, the group has offices in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. It has an annual turnover of €38 million and employs 150 people. Mindscape...

 in 1994.

In 2001 Billings started a game development company called 2 By 3 Games with former SSI game programmer

Game programmer

A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...

s Gary Grigsby

Gary Grigsby

Gary Grigsby is a computer wargame designer and programmer.-Career:Grigsby's games were published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. from his first game design in 1982 until 1997. During that time he created several titles that are considered classics of the wargame genre, including Kampfgruppe,...

and Keith Brors.