Steve Jackson (US)
Encyclopedia
Steve Jackson is an American
game designer. After working for many years at Metagaming Concepts
designing such games as Ogre
and The Fantasy Trip
, he left to found Steve Jackson Games
(SJ Games) in the early 1980s. He designed many of the game
s published by SJ Games, such as Car Wars
, GURPS
, Munchkin
and many others.
The company won a case against the US Secret Service after a raid of their offices in 1990 (see: Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service
). The Electronic Frontier Foundation
was created at that time to address this and similar cases.
Jackson is a 1974 graduate
of Rice University
, where he was a resident of Baker College before moving to Sid Richardson College when it opened in 1971.
He is often mistaken for a different Steve Jackson, a British
gamebook
and video game writer
who co-founded Games Workshop
. The confusion is exacerbated by the fact that while the UK Jackson was co-creator of the Fighting Fantasy
gamebook series, the US Jackson also wrote three books in this series (Scorpion Swamp, Demons of the Deep, and Robot Commando), and the books did not acknowledge that this was a different Steve Jackson.
Jackson is also an avid collector of pirate
-themed Lego
sets. He has written a miniatures game that uses Pirate sets, Evil Stevie's Pirate Game, and has run it at several conventions.
Recently Jackson has exhibited his elaborate Chaos Machine
at several science fiction
or wargaming
conventions, including the 2006 Worldcon
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
game designer. After working for many years at Metagaming Concepts
Metagaming Concepts
Metagaming Concepts was a publisher of board games from 1975 to 1983 owned by Howard Thompson. Metagaming created and popularized the microgame format. It specialized in science fiction wargames; titles included Ogre, G.E.V., Godsfire, Stellar Conquest and WarpWar...
designing such games as Ogre
Ogre (game)
Ogre is a board wargame first released in 1977 as the first Metagaming Concepts Microgame, designed by Steve Jackson.Its basic premise is that it is an asymmetric-forces gameset in the late 21st century....
and The Fantasy Trip
The Fantasy Trip
The Fantasy Trip is a role-playing game that was designed by Steve Jackson and was published by Metagaming Concepts.It was developed from Metagaming's Melee and Wizard MicroGames, also designed by Steve Jackson, which provided the basic combat and magic rules...
, he left to found Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
(SJ Games) in the early 1980s. He designed many of the game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
s published by SJ Games, such as Car Wars
Car Wars
Car Wars is a vehicle combat simulation game developed by Steve Jackson Games. It was first published in late 1980 .-Game play:In Car Wars, players assume control of one or more automobiles, which may include any powered vehicle, from motorcycles to semi trucks. Optional rules include piloting...
, GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
, Munchkin
Munchkin (card game)
Munchkin is a card game by Steve Jackson Games, written by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Kovalic, that has a humorous take on role-playing games, based on the concept of munchkins ....
and many others.
The company won a case against the US Secret Service after a raid of their offices in 1990 (see: Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service
Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service
Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service, 816 F.Supp. 432 , is a legal case that resulted from a raid by the United States Secret Service on the Austin headquarters of Steve Jackson Games in 1990...
). The Electronic Frontier Foundation
Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is an international non-profit digital rights advocacy and legal organization based in the United States...
was created at that time to address this and similar cases.
Jackson is a 1974 graduate
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
, where he was a resident of Baker College before moving to Sid Richardson College when it opened in 1971.
He is often mistaken for a different Steve Jackson, a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
gamebook
Gamebook
A gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
and video game writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
who co-founded Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
. The confusion is exacerbated by the fact that while the UK Jackson was co-creator of the Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
gamebook series, the US Jackson also wrote three books in this series (Scorpion Swamp, Demons of the Deep, and Robot Commando), and the books did not acknowledge that this was a different Steve Jackson.
Jackson is also an avid collector of pirate
Lego Pirates
Pirates is a Lego theme launched in 1989 featuring pirates, soldiers, islanders and sailing ships. The theme has been seen in minifigure scale, Duplo and the 4+ theme....
-themed Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
sets. He has written a miniatures game that uses Pirate sets, Evil Stevie's Pirate Game, and has run it at several conventions.
Recently Jackson has exhibited his elaborate Chaos Machine
Chaos Machine
The Chaos Machine is an ever-evolving collection of Chaos Toy sets gathered together by Steve Jackson, founder of Steve Jackson Games ....
at several science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
or wargaming
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...
conventions, including the 2006 Worldcon
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...
.