User:GrandeJon

International Game Developers Association

[edit] Bio for Jon Grande (Jon_Grande <at> Hotmail <dot> com)

2006-present President and Studio Manager, Etherplay Inc.

• Co-founded new game studio to build multi-player games for digital distribution supported by micro-transactions as well as advertising and sponsorship.

• Directing all aspects of the game and its development – including definition of the high concept, game design, and development process.

• Responsible for studio operations including project management, staffing and hiring, licensing and development strategy, and the overall business strategy.

• Negotiated license and partnership with top industry personality for use within the game and throughout its promotion.

• Managing relationships with potential platform partners including Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony.

2005-2006 Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs, Sigil Games Online

• Managed strategic planning and owned the P&L for the studio as it grew from 60 people to 100 people and planned out growth model to go to 150+.

• Directed strategic planning for the studio including franchise development, product development strategy, and drove interaction with marketing and public relations.

• Negotiated exit from a Microsoft publishing relationship and engineered a new distribution and co-publishing deal with Sony Online Entertainment.

• Developed management control and decision making processes (forecasting, quality of service measurement, etc) for Customer Service and Live Operations.

• Worked with management in development of new concepts and managed “the pitch process” with several major publishers.

• Initiated relationships with a variety of partners in Asia for local market licensing.

1992-2005 Lead Product Planner/Executive Producer, Microsoft Game Studios

• Executive Producer on Microsoft’s first five Massively Multiplayer Online games and four “Game of the Year” winners for Xbox and Windows, including Asheron's Call, Dungeon Siege, Jade Empire - and soon to be "Mass Effect". <<No jinx ... trust me ... ; )>>

• Directed strategic planning and portfolio decision making processes for a publishing studio with a $35M+ annual development & operations budget,

• Led a team of product planners responsible for driving development of a portfolio first party products for Windows, Xbox, and Xbox360.

• Negotiated and managed relationships with several of Microsoft’s top external development partners and IP owners in the industry including Marvel Enterprises, BioWare Corporation, and Gas Powered Games.

• Started the MSN Gaming Zone (now MSN Games) and drove definition of the core business strategy, platform strategy, and content strategy.

• Participated in the working group that developed the framework for both XboxLive:Marketplace and LiveAnywhere.