Robert Woodhead
Born1958 or 1959 (age 64–65)[1]
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur
Software engineer
Game programmer (formerly)
Known forWizardry
AnimEigo

Robert J. Woodhead is an entrepreneur, software engineer and former game programmer. He is the co-creator of the Wizardry franchise, and the co-founder of both the video game publishing company Sir-Tech and anime licensing company AnimEigo. He claims that a common thread in his career is "doing weird things with computers".

Career

In 1979 he co-founded Sirotech (later known as Sir-Tech) with Norman Sirotek and Robert Sirotek. Along with Andrew C. Greenberg, he created the Apple II game Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, one of the first role-playing video games written for a personal computer, as well as several of its sequels.[2][3][4] Woodhead designed the 1982 Apple II arcade game Star Maze, which was programmed by Gordon Eastman and sold through Sir-Tech.[5] He told TODAY magazine in 1983, "I have loads of arcade game ideas, but lack the patience to do the actual coding. I'm sort of a big project person; I like the challenge of a program like Wizardry."[5]

Later, he authored Interferon and Virex,[6] two of the earliest anti-virus applications for the Macintosh, and co-founded AnimEigo, one of the first US anime releasing companies. As a result of this venture, while living in Japan, he married his translator and interpreter, Natsumi Ueki, together with whom he has two children.[7] He also ran a search engine promotion website called SelfPromotion.com.

As a hobby, he builds combat robots, and his children, James Ueki and Alex Ueki, are the 2004 and 2005 Robot Fighting League National Champions in the 30 lb Featherweight class.

Woodhead made a cameo appearance in the 1982 video game Ultima II as an NPC; when the player talked to him he would scream "Copy Protect!", a sarcastic reference to the extensive copy protection methods used in video games of the time. He also has a screen credit in the film Real Genius as their "Hacking Consultant".

Woodhead has created two successful Kickstarter projects, "Bubblegum Crisis Ultimate Edition Blu-Ray Set" ($153,964 pledged on a $75,000 goal),[8] and "BackerSupport" ($326 pledged on a $100 goal).[9]

Woodhead has also served on the Eve Online Council of Stellar Management with an in-game avatar name of Trebor Daehdoow. He was re-elected for 4 terms, serving in his last term as Chairman.

References

  1. ↑ Parish, Jeremy. "The Mad Overlord speaks on episode 162". Retronauts. Retrieved September 20, 2018. I'm 59 now
  2. ↑ DeMaria, Rusel; Wilson, Johnny L. (December 18, 2003). High score!: the illustrated history of electronic games. McGraw-Hill Professional. pp. 154–155. ISBN 978-0-07-223172-4. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
  3. ↑ Buckler, Grant (March 9, 1985). "Small firms find big-time markets". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Small U.S. game maker caters to global audience". Eugene Register-Guard. September 24, 1995. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
  5. 1 2 Salmons, Jim (August 1982). "Exec Sir-Tech: Wizzing to the Top". SoftTalk. 2 (12): 36.
  6. ↑ Kates, William (February 13, 1989). "MacIntosh computers' virus cured". The Evening News. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
  7. ↑ Robert Woodhead at MobyGames
  8. ↑ "Bubblegum Crisis Ultimate Edition Blu-Ray Set". Kickstarter. October 25, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  9. ↑ "BackerSupport - The KickStarter Management & Logistics App". Kickstarter. July 16, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
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