Michael Stout
Encyclopedia
Michael Stout is an American
video game designer. He is most known for his work on Resistance: Fall of Man
, as the Lead Multiplayer Designer. Resistance: Fall of Man received significant critical praise; much of which focused on its multiplayer content.
From November 2007 to July 2009, he was the Creative Director at Bionic Games working on Spyborgs
, an action game
for the Nintendo
Wii
.
According to a post on his blog on November 13, 2009, he is currently employed by Activision
in their Central Design group.
in 1998 . He went on to Holy Names University
in Oakland, California, where he earned a BA
in English, with a minor in Computer Science in 2001.
as a QA Tester on Ratchet & Clank
. During that project he was promoted to Junior Designer. He continued to work on the Ratchet & Clank (series)
for three years, rising to Designer and Senior Designer in the process. After his fourth Ratchet & Clank game, Stout was moved to the new Resistance project, as the Lead Multiplayer Designer. Two years later, Resistance: Fall of Man became his last title at Insomniac Games.
In March 2007 Stout accepted the Lead Level Design position at Obsidian Entertainment
for Aliens RPG. There he worked with Chris Avellone
and several other industry veterans. Before shipping a game, however, he left to become the Creative Director
of Bionic Games. Creative Director is the highest position within the field of video game design, and thus presented an important opportunity. Almost four months after Bionic Games imploded in 2009, Mike accepted a position at Activision
as a Design Specialist in their Central Design group.
On Uselessopinions, Stout wrote under the pseudonym, "Dodger". He has continued to use "Dodger" as an alias in his career at Insomniac Games and on various websites.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
video game designer. He is most known for his work on Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3. It was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The game is set in an alternate history 1951, and follows Sgt...
, as the Lead Multiplayer Designer. Resistance: Fall of Man received significant critical praise; much of which focused on its multiplayer content.
From November 2007 to July 2009, he was the Creative Director at Bionic Games working on Spyborgs
Spyborgs
Spyborgs is a beat 'em up video game for the Wii developed by Bionic Games and published by Capcom. It was released in North America on September 22, 2009.-Gameplay:...
, an action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
for the Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
.
According to a post on his blog on November 13, 2009, he is currently employed by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
in their Central Design group.
Education
Stout graduated from Loyola High School of Los AngelesLoyola High School (Los Angeles)
Loyola High School of Los Angeles is a Jesuit preparatory school for young men. It is the oldest high school in Southern California, and one of the oldest in California...
in 1998 . He went on to Holy Names University
Holy Names University
Holy Names University is a private, coeducational university located in Oakland, California. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and is administered by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.-History:...
in Oakland, California, where he earned a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English, with a minor in Computer Science in 2001.
Career
Stout got his start in the video game industry at Insomniac GamesInsomniac Games
Insomniac Games, Inc. is an American video game developer headquartered in Burbank, California. Founded in 1994, Insomniac has released titles for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. It created Disruptor, the first three Spyro the Dragon games, and the Ratchet &...
as a QA Tester on Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank
Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platformer/shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2002, it is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series....
. During that project he was promoted to Junior Designer. He continued to work on the Ratchet & Clank (series)
Ratchet & Clank (series)
Ratchet & Clank is a series of platform video games. The franchise was created and developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PS2 and PS3 consoles, with the exclusion of Size Matters and Secret Agent Clank, which were developed by High Impact Games for the PSP...
for three years, rising to Designer and Senior Designer in the process. After his fourth Ratchet & Clank game, Stout was moved to the new Resistance project, as the Lead Multiplayer Designer. Two years later, Resistance: Fall of Man became his last title at Insomniac Games.
In March 2007 Stout accepted the Lead Level Design position at Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment is an American video game developer founded in 2003 after the disestablishment of Interplay Productions' Black Isle Studios, for PC and console systems...
for Aliens RPG. There he worked with Chris Avellone
Chris Avellone
Chris Avellone is an American video game designer and comic book writer who worked for Interplay and currently works in Obsidian Entertainment.-Early life and education:...
and several other industry veterans. Before shipping a game, however, he left to become the Creative Director
Creative Director
A creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
of Bionic Games. Creative Director is the highest position within the field of video game design, and thus presented an important opportunity. Almost four months after Bionic Games imploded in 2009, Mike accepted a position at Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
as a Design Specialist in their Central Design group.
Uselessopinions
The humor site "Uselessopinions.com" was co-created by Michael Stout and Anthony Garcia in 2002. The site focuses on joke articles and maintains a juvenile tone. The format mimics a piece of homework, with author, teacher's name, and date at the top. The teacher's name is always "Mr. Lew", a reference to Michael Lew, Stout and Garcia's high school Computer Science teacher. Later Uselessopinions grew to include a forum community and Stout's blog ("On Game Design"), but the humor articles became infrequent and as of August 14, 2007 the site is undergoing a redesign.On Uselessopinions, Stout wrote under the pseudonym, "Dodger". He has continued to use "Dodger" as an alias in his career at Insomniac Games and on various websites.
Credits
- Ratchet & ClankRatchet & ClankRatchet & Clank is a 3D platformer/shooter video game for the PlayStation 2, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Released in 2002, it is the first game in the Ratchet & Clank series....
(2002) - QA Lead / Junior Designer - Ratchet & Clank: Going CommandoRatchet & Clank: Going CommandoRatchet & Clank: Going Commando is a 3D platformer/shooter developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony...
(2003) - Junior Designer - Ratchet & Clank: Up Your ArsenalRatchet & Clank: Up Your ArsenalRatchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. It is the third installment in the Ratchet & Clank series and was released in North America on November 3, 2004...
(2004) - Designer - Ratchet: DeadlockedRatchet: DeadlockedRatchet: Deadlocked is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony. Released for the PlayStation 2 in 2005...
(2005) - Senior Designer - Resistance: Fall of ManResistance: Fall of ManResistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter video game for the PlayStation 3. It was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The game is set in an alternate history 1951, and follows Sgt...
(2006) - Lead Multiplayer Designer - SpyborgsSpyborgsSpyborgs is a beat 'em up video game for the Wii developed by Bionic Games and published by Capcom. It was released in North America on September 22, 2009.-Gameplay:...
(2009) - Creative Director
External links
- "On Game Design" - Michael Stout's Blog
- Uselessopinions.com - Michael Stout's humor site
- Michael Stout profile at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Interview with All Games Interactive