Tim Skelly
Encyclopedia
Tim Skelly is an arcade
game designer and programmer
who worked for Cinematronics
from 1978 until 1981. He designed a series of pure action games using black and white vector graphics
. One of his early games, Rip-Off
, was the first arcade game with two-player cooperative play.
After leaving Cinematronics, he worked briefly for Gremlin
before becoming an independent contractor with Gottlieb
. His first game for Gottlieb was the esoteric Reactor
, and he had it written into his contract that he would get a credit on the title screen for designing the game. Previously, programmers had occasionally sneaked their names into their games as easter eggs
, but Reactor was the first coin-op to have the designer's name appear with the manufacturer's blessing. Skelly also designed two other games for Gottlieb, Insector and Screw Loose, which were never released. Later on he worked for Incredible Technologies
, then Microsoft
.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
game designer and 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"...
who worked for Cinematronics
Cinematronics
Cinematronics Incorporated was a pioneering arcade game developer that had its heyday in the era of vector display games. While other companies released games based on raster displays, early in their history, Cinematronics and Atari released vector-display games, which offered a distinctive look...
from 1978 until 1981. He designed a series of pure action games using black and white vector graphics
Vector graphics
Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon, which are all based on mathematical expressions, to represent images in computer graphics...
. One of his early games, Rip-Off
Rip-Off
Rip-Off is a top-down vector shoot 'em up arcade game released by Cinematronics in 1980. It is the first shoot 'em up arcade game to feature cooperative gameplay and to exhibit flocking behavior.-Gameplay:...
, was the first arcade game with two-player cooperative play.
After leaving Cinematronics, he worked briefly for Gremlin
Gremlin Industries
Gremlin Industries was arcade game manufacturer active from the 1970s to early 1980s, and based San Diego, California, USA .Gremlin was founded in 1973 as a manufacturer of coin-operated wall games. Gremlin's first wall game, Play Ball, was fairly successful.- History :Gremlin joined the video game...
before becoming an independent contractor with Gottlieb
Gottlieb
Gottlieb was an arcade game corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was established by David Gottlieb in 1927, initially producing pinball machines while later expanding into various other games including pitch-and-bats, bowling games, and eventually video arcade games .Like other...
. His first game for Gottlieb was the esoteric Reactor
Reactor (arcade game)
Reactor is a raster video arcade game released in 1982 by Gottlieb. The object of the game is to cool down the reactor core without being hurled by magnetism and repulsion by enemy swarms of nuclear particles...
, and he had it written into his contract that he would get a credit on the title screen for designing the game. Previously, programmers had occasionally sneaked their names into their games as easter eggs
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
, but Reactor was the first coin-op to have the designer's name appear with the manufacturer's blessing. Skelly also designed two other games for Gottlieb, Insector and Screw Loose, which were never released. Later on he worked for Incredible Technologies
Incredible Technologies
Incredible Technologies , based in Arlington Heights, Illinois is a US-based designer and manufacturer of coin-operated video games. Some of their games include Silver Strike Bowling, Power Putt, Target Toss Pro: Bags/Lawn Darts, and Golden Tee Golf...
, then Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
.
Games
- Star Hawk
- SundanceSundance (arcade game)Sundance is a puzzle arcade game using vector graphics released by Cinematronics in 1979. The game consists of two grids floating in a pseudo-3D space with small suns bouncing between them. The player scored points by capturing the suns as they made contact with the grids...
- WarriorWarrior (arcade game)Warrior is a 1979 arcade game and is one of the pioneers in the fighting game genre. It has been regarded as the first fighting game, however it was predated by Sega's Heavyweight Champ, released in 1976....
- Rip-OffRip-OffRip-Off is a top-down vector shoot 'em up arcade game released by Cinematronics in 1980. It is the first shoot 'em up arcade game to feature cooperative gameplay and to exhibit flocking behavior.-Gameplay:...
- Armor AttackArmor AttackArmor Attack is a top-down vector shoot 'em up arcade game released by Cinematronics in 1980, licensed to Sega in Japan. The game was originally released as a coin-operated arcade cabinet. It was also licensed for conversion to the Vectrex video game console....
- Star CastleStar CastleStar Castle is a 1980 vector arcade game by Cinematronics. The game involves obliterating a series of defenses orbiting a stationary turret in the center of the screen. The game was designed by Tim Skelly and programmed by Scott Boden. Tim Skelly also created a number of other Cinematronics...
(designer) - War of the WorldsWar of the Worlds (arcade game)War of the Worlds was a monochrome vector arcade game created by Tim Skelly of Cinematronics in 1982.The game was basically a shooting game where the player controls a tank object at the bottom of the screen and shoots towards the top of the screen at descending Tripods robots in a first person...
- ReactorReactor (arcade game)Reactor is a raster video arcade game released in 1982 by Gottlieb. The object of the game is to cool down the reactor core without being hurled by magnetism and repulsion by enemy swarms of nuclear particles...
- Insector
- Screw Loose
Other projects
- Tailgunner (producer, cabinet art)
- BattleTechBattleTechBattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
(software and hardware design for the original game center in Chicago, designer of several clan omnimechs) - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (design advisor, art director)
- Slick Shot (graphic designer)
- Golden Tee Golf II (artwork)
- Golden Par Golf (artwork)