Fearless Studios is born

by: Nathan - posted: 10/19/2010 4:04:00 AM

Taking a look back at some of the events that have happened this year, I say that the birth of Fearless Studios is not a surprise. Co-presidents Haden Blackman and Cedrick Collomb were once prominent players at LucasArts. They have brought together a group of individuals with the goal of creating not just great games, but memorable ones that reach the broader culture. There has been no announcements about what project the studio will tackle first, everything from hardcore horror to iPhone games have been hinted at, but I wish these guys the best of luck in their endeavors. For more details about this new studio you can check out one of the many interviews they've had so far.
By the way, they're hiring.

 
Former LucasArts Execs Announce Formation of Fearless Studios
Independent Developer Co-founded by Haden Blackman and Cedrick Collomb will Combine Creative and Technology Leadership to Create Impactful Story-Driven Games
 
MARIN, CA – October 14, 2010 – Fearless Studios,an independent developer, today announced its formation, executive team, and financial partner. The Marin, California based developer has been co-founded by award-winning writer and game director Haden Blackman, creator and Senior Executive Producer of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and noted technology leader and strategist Cedrick Collomb, formerly Director of Engineering at LucasArts.
 
“At Fearless Studios, we believe great videogames should leave a lasting impression, an indelible mark on players, our industry, and even the wider culture,” said Haden Blackman, Co-President and Chief Creative Officer of Fearless Studios. “By taking bold creative risks and tackling new challenges, Fearless Studios will fuse the best of story and gameplay to immerse, engage, and affect players just as deeply as our favorite films and novels.”
 
“Fearless Studios will marry compelling content with the most advanced game technologies and software, crafted and customized specifically for the experiences we want to create,” said Cedrick Collomb, Co-President and Chief Technology Officer of Fearless Studios. “We’re not building technology for its own sake; we want everything we do to show up onscreen to entertain the player—that’s all that matters to us.”
 
The senior management team of Fearless Studios is comprised of the following members:
 
Co-President and CCO Haden Blackman
An award-winning writer and game director with a proven track record for creating compelling stories, memorable characters, and accessible gameplay, Haden Blackman has developed blockbuster games including Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, directed and managed multiple game franchises, penned iconic comics such as Batwoman, and authored books for Random House and Del Rey. As an Executive Producer, he has assembled and rallied teams to ship successful games on a wide range of budgets and schedules. Along with several years of studio executive experience, Blackman has worked across the entertainment industries, giving him the experience and fearlessness to co-found a next-generation development studio geared toward creating interactive hits that provide deep emotional impact.
 
Co-President and CTO Cedrick Collomb
A technology leader and strategist, Cedrick Collomb has consistently implemented new technologies, methodologies, and engineering practices in service of innovative, high-quality games that ship on time to excellent commercial and player reception. His major accomplishments include developing and implementing the technological backbone of LucasArts’ most successful internally developed games, and harmonizing Lucas’s game and film/ILM technologies into a formidable pipeline. Collomb has extensive experience integrating best-of-breed licensed technologies from the video game and digital effects realms, and is uniquely equipped to take Fearless Studios’ game-making capabilities and toolsets to the highest standard in the most efficient manner.
 
Acting CFO Marc Jackson
Seahorn Capital Group founder Marc Jackson has 20 years entertainment industry experience in senior management roles in theme park development, new media and interactive entertainment, including five years as CEO of videogame companies.  Jackson has worked as a strategic advisor for clients such as Warner Bros Interactive, Film Finances Inc., and THQ Inc. Since 2005, Jackson has advised on $100M in production financing of video game projects, including Batman: Arkham Asylum developer Rocksteady’s first console title and several other titles for Eidos Interactive. He is a pioneer of film-style production finance and risk management techniques applied to video game development, and founded Seahorn in 2008 as a full-service boutique advisory and brokerage to promote early-stage capital formation for the benefit of game industry entrepreneurs and innovators.
 
Seahorn Capital Group serves as financial advisor and business development partner of Fearless Studios.
 
About Fearless Studios
Fearless Studios is an independent developer dedicated to fearless development of story-driven games designed to leave an impact on players and the industry. Based in Marin, California, Fearless Studios was co-founded by award-winning writer/director/producer Haden Blackman, creator and Senior Executive Producer of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and noted technology leader and strategist Cedrick Collomb, formerly Director of Engineering at LucasArts. Built around a culture of creative risk mitigated through smart technology decisions, Fearless Studios began operations in 2010. For more information, visit www.FearlessStudios.com.
 
About Seahorn Capital Group
Seahorn Capital Group is a financial advisory and boutique investment banking firm focused on interactive software, video games and digital media. Seahorn selectively provides management, fundraising and business development support to game industry visionaries and entrepreneurs in the origination of new ventures. For more information or to contact Seahorn: www.Seahorn.net.