Jeffrey Tunnell is a
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
producer,
programmer
A computer programmer, sometimes referred to as a software developer, a software engineer, a programmer or a coder, is a person who creates computer programs — often for larger computer software.
A programmer is someone who writes/creates ...
and
designer
A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans.
In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exp ...
.
In 1984 he founded
Dynamix
Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of video games from 1984 to 2001, best known for the flight simulator ''Red Baron'', the puzzle game '' The Incredible Machine'', the '' Front Page Sports'' series, ''Betrayal at Krondor,'' and the online ...
with
Damon Slye Damon Slye (born June 15, 1962) is a computer game game designer, designer, director, and game programmer, programmer. In 1984 he founded Dynamix with Jeff Tunnell in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene, Oregon. He is best known for creating the historic flight ...
in
Eugene,
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
.
In 1990, Tunnell left
Dynamix
Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of video games from 1984 to 2001, best known for the flight simulator ''Red Baron'', the puzzle game '' The Incredible Machine'', the '' Front Page Sports'' series, ''Betrayal at Krondor,'' and the online ...
to start
Jeff Tunnell Productions
Jeffrey Tunnell is a video game game producer, producer, game programmer, programmer and game designer, designer.
In 1984 he founded Dynamix with Damon Slye in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.
In 1990, Tunnell left Dynamix to start Jeff Tunnell P ...
. Tunnell would go on to create famous brands such as ''
The Incredible Machine'', ''
Trophy Bass'', and the ''
3-D Ultra Pinball
3-D Ultra Pinball is a series of pinball computer games developed by Sierra Entertainment's Dynamix.
The games try to escape from the traditional, arcade game, arcade pinball and feature animation, more than one table at once,
and "temporary tar ...
'' series while at
Jeff Tunnell Productions
Jeffrey Tunnell is a video game game producer, producer, game programmer, programmer and game designer, designer.
In 1984 he founded Dynamix with Damon Slye in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene, Oregon.
In 1990, Tunnell left Dynamix to start Jeff Tunnell P ...
. These products were some of the most successful retail products to be published by
Dynamix
Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of video games from 1984 to 2001, best known for the flight simulator ''Red Baron'', the puzzle game '' The Incredible Machine'', the '' Front Page Sports'' series, ''Betrayal at Krondor,'' and the online ...
.
In 1993, ''
Sid & Al's Incredible Toons
''Sid & Al's Incredible Toons'' is a puzzle video game developed by Dynamix and released by Sierra On-Line in 1993.
Summary
This video game is designed with the same style as that of '' The Incredible Machine'', except that the game takes place ...
'' earned Tunnell and Chris Cole a
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...
for the game's concepts.
In 1995, Tunnell returned to
Dynamix
Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of video games from 1984 to 2001, best known for the flight simulator ''Red Baron'', the puzzle game '' The Incredible Machine'', the '' Front Page Sports'' series, ''Betrayal at Krondor,'' and the online ...
in a leadership role.
In 2001, after Dynamix was disbanded, Tunnell co-founded
GarageGames
GarageGames was a game technology and software developer. GarageGames was the parent company of GG Interactive, developers of educational technology in the areas of computer science, video game development and programming. In addition, the compa ...
, an
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that have been developed either internally by the publisher or externally by a video game developer.
They often finance the development, sometimes by paying a video game developer ( ...
, which is also the developer of the
Torque Game Engine
Torque Game Engine, or TGE, is an open-source cross-platform 3D computer game engine, developed by GarageGames and actively maintained under the current versions Torque 3D as well as Torque 2D. It was originally developed by Dynamix for the 2001 ...
.
In 2007,
GarageGames
GarageGames was a game technology and software developer. GarageGames was the parent company of GG Interactive, developers of educational technology in the areas of computer science, video game development and programming. In addition, the compa ...
was acquired by
InterActiveCorp
IAC Inc. is an American holding company that owns brands across 100 countries, mostly in media and Internet. The company is incorporated under Delaware General Corporation Law and headquartered in New York City. Joey Levin, who previously led t ...
, the media conglomerate founded by
Barry Diller
Barry Charles Diller (born February 2, 1942) is an American businessman. He is Chairman and Senior Executive of IAC and Expedia Group and founded the Fox Broadcasting Company and USA Broadcasting. Diller was inducted into the Television Hall of ...
. Tunnell remained on as Chief Creative Officer of
GarageGames
GarageGames was a game technology and software developer. GarageGames was the parent company of GG Interactive, developers of educational technology in the areas of computer science, video game development and programming. In addition, the compa ...
. Tunnell was a contributor behind the vision of the original
InstantAction
InstantAction was a web gaming site and digital distributor featuring 3D, browser-based games.
The site was created by GarageGames after being acquired by IAC/InterActive Corp in 2007 and released a year later. InstantAction's goal was to allow ...
distribution platform.
In 2008, Tunnell left
GarageGames
GarageGames was a game technology and software developer. GarageGames was the parent company of GG Interactive, developers of educational technology in the areas of computer science, video game development and programming. In addition, the compa ...
to pursue other interests.
In 2009, Tunnell founded PushButton Labs along with former partners and employees from
GarageGames
GarageGames was a game technology and software developer. GarageGames was the parent company of GG Interactive, developers of educational technology in the areas of computer science, video game development and programming. In addition, the compa ...
and
Dynamix
Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of video games from 1984 to 2001, best known for the flight simulator ''Red Baron'', the puzzle game '' The Incredible Machine'', the '' Front Page Sports'' series, ''Betrayal at Krondor,'' and the online ...
. PushButton Labs led development on one of the most successful games of 2010, Playdom's ''Social City'', which reached more than 10M
monthly active users
Active users is a measurement metric that is commonly used to measure the level of engagement for a particular product or object, by quantifying the number of active interactions from visitors within a relevant range of time (daily, weekly and m ...
. PushButton Labs IP was acquired by Disney in 2011 and they subsequently wound down operations.
In 2012, Tunnell founded Spotkin along with former partners of PushButton Labs,
GarageGames
GarageGames was a game technology and software developer. GarageGames was the parent company of GG Interactive, developers of educational technology in the areas of computer science, video game development and programming. In addition, the compa ...
, and
Dynamix
Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of video games from 1984 to 2001, best known for the flight simulator ''Red Baron'', the puzzle game '' The Incredible Machine'', the '' Front Page Sports'' series, ''Betrayal at Krondor,'' and the online ...
.
On March 22, 2017, Tunnell announced his retirement from game development, citing market saturation as a deciding factor.
On June 13, 2020, Tunnell declared his return to gaming development by announcing the creation of Monster Ideas, a company that plans to produce “community economy” games that use crypto technology on the backend.
Games
* ''
Arcticfox'' (
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
), Dynamix
* ''
Skyfox II: The Cygnus Conflict'' (
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
), Electronic Arts
* ''
Project Firestart
''Project Firestart'' is a cinematic survival horror game for the Commodore 64 computer system. It was designed by Jeff Tunnell and Damon Slye and published by Electronic Arts in 1989. Taking place in the 21st century, the game follows a gover ...
'' (1989), Electronic Arts
* ''
Motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
'' (1989),
Gamestar
''GameStar'' is a monthly-released PC gaming magazine in Germany. It is the best-selling German-language magazine focused on PC gaming and it also hosts the largest video gaming-related portal in the German-speaking internet.
Content
The pri ...
* ''
Ghostbusters II
''GhostbustersII'' is a 1989 American Supernatural fiction, supernatural comedy film directed and produced by Ivan Reitman, and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Ramis, Rick Moranis ...
'' (1989), Activision
* ''
Deathtrack
''DeathTrack'' is a first-person, futuristic racing game developed for MS-DOS by Dynamix and published by Activision in 1989.
Gameplay
There are two ways to win a race: be the first to finish the race, or be the only one to finish the race. Bas ...
'' (1989),
Activision
Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...
* ''
David Wolf: Secret Agent'' (1989), Dynamix
* ''
Caveman Ugh-Lympics'' (1989),
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the d ...
* ''
A-10 Tank Killer
''A-10 Tank Killer'' is a 1989 combat flight simulation video game for DOS developed and published by Dynamix. An Amiga version was released in 1990. The game features an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft. Following the success of ''Red Baron' ...
'' (
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
), Dynamix
* ''
Stellar 7
''Stellar 7'' is a first-person shooter tank simulation video game based on the arcade game '' Battlezone'' in which the player assumes the role of a futuristic tank pilot. The game was originally created by Damon Slye for the Apple II and Commodo ...
'' (1990),
Dynamix
Dynamix, Inc. was an American developer of video games from 1984 to 2001, best known for the flight simulator ''Red Baron'', the puzzle game '' The Incredible Machine'', the '' Front Page Sports'' series, ''Betrayal at Krondor,'' and the online ...
* ''
Rise of the Dragon
''Rise of the Dragon'' is a graphic adventure game released in 1990 for DOS and Macintosh, and later remade for the Sega CD (1993) as well as the Amiga. It was one of the few adventure game titles developed by Dynamix, a company that was better ...
'' (1990), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Red Baron
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...
'' (
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Heart of China
''Heart of China'' is a 1991 adventure game developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra On-Line. The game follows the exploits of pilot Jake "Lucky" Masters as he tries to rescue nurse Kate Lomax from a ruthless Chinese warlord.
Plot
In 1930s Ho ...
'' (1991), Sierra On-Line
* ''
The Adventures of Willy Beamish
''The Adventures of Willy Beamish'' is a graphic adventure game developed by Dynamix and published in 1991 by Sierra On-Line. The player takes on the role of nine-year-old Willy Beamish in a game that somewhat parodies the adventure genre. The g ...
'' (
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Quarky & Quaysoo's Turbo Science'' (1992), Sierra On-Line
* ''Mega Math'' (
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Sid & Al's Incredible Toons
''Sid & Al's Incredible Toons'' is a puzzle video game developed by Dynamix and released by Sierra On-Line in 1993.
Summary
This video game is designed with the same style as that of '' The Incredible Machine'', except that the game takes place ...
'' (1993), Sierra On-Line
* ''
The Incredible Machine'' (1993), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Betrayal at Krondor
''Betrayal at Krondor'' is an MS-DOS-based role-playing video game developed by Dynamix and released by Sierra Entertainment, Sierra On-Line in the summer of 1993 in video gaming, 1993. ''Betrayal at Krondor'' takes place largely in Midkemia, the ...
'' (1993), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Alien Legacy
''Alien Legacy'' is a sci-fi strategy game developed by Joe Ybarra, Ybarra Productions and published by Sierra Entertainment, Sierra On-Line in 1994 for MS-DOS.
Gameplay
The game includes elements of city construction, research, resource manage ...
'' (
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Lode Runner: The Legend Returns'' (1994), Sierra On-Line
* ''
The Incredible Toon Machine
''The Incredible Toon Machine'' is a game from Sierra On-Line, and is the sequel to ''Sid & Al's Incredible Toons'', also from Sierra. The game is a Windows port of ''Sid & Al's Incredible Toons'' with added multimedia features such as animated cu ...
'' (1994), Sierra On-Line
* ''
The Incredible Machine 2'' (1994), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Bouncers
A bouncer (also known as a doorman or door supervisor) is a type of security guard, employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs, cabaret clubs, stripclubs, casinos, hotels, billiard halls, restaurants, sporting events, schools, concerts, ...
'' (
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
),
SEGA Entertainment
* ''
Lode Runner Online: The Mad Monks' Revenge'' (
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Hunter Hunted'' (1996), Sierra On-Line
* ''
3-D Ultra Pinball: Creep Night'' (
1996
File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
'' (
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Starsiege: Tribes'' (1998), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Starsiege
''Starsiege'' is a mecha-style vehicle simulation game developed by Dynamix and released in 1999. ''Starsiege'' is set in the Metaltech/ Earthsiege universe, which contains its predecessors '' Earthsiege'' (1994), '' Battledrome'' (1994), and ' ...
'' (1998), Sierra On-Line
* ''3-D Ultra Minigolf'' (
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Return of the Incredible Machine: Contraptions'' (2000), Sierra On-Line
* ''
3-D Ultra Lionel Train Town Deluxe'' (
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
),
Sierra On-Line
Sierra Entertainment, Inc. (formerly On-Line Systems and Sierra On-Line, Inc.) was an American video game developer and publisher founded in 1979 by Ken and Roberta Williams. The company is known for pioneering the graphic adventure game genre, ...
* ''
Tribes 2
''Tribes 2'' is a first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra On-Line in 2001 as a sequel to '' Starsiege: Tribes''.
Setting
Set in the year 3941 of the fictional Earthsiege universe, ''Tribes 2'' ...
'' (2001), Sierra On-Line
* ''
Marble Blast Gold
''Marble Blast Gold'' is a 2002 3D platform game. It was pre-installed on some Apple Inc. computers like the iMac, iBook, and Mac mini. It is also available for Windows operating systems as well as various Linux distributions.
The game was ori ...
'' (
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
),
GarageGames
GarageGames was a game technology and software developer. GarageGames was the parent company of GG Interactive, developers of educational technology in the areas of computer science, video game development and programming. In addition, the compa ...
* ''Chain Reaction'' (
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
), Monster Studios
* ''
Marble Blast Ultra
''Marble Blast Ultra'' is a 3D puzzle action game involving a marble developed by GarageGames. It was released on January 25, 2006 for the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. It is the sequel to ''Marble Blast Gold''. It features 60 levels, enhanced ...
'' (
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
),
GarageGames
GarageGames was a game technology and software developer. GarageGames was the parent company of GG Interactive, developers of educational technology in the areas of computer science, video game development and programming. In addition, the compa ...
* ''Rack 'Em Up Roadtrip'' (
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
),
Oberon Media
Oberon Media was a multi-platform casual games company, delivering casual games across online, social, mobile/Smartphone, interactive TV and retail categories. Oberon games were adopted by global digital and media companies, such as Acer, Micros ...
* ''Puzzle Poker'' (
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
),
GarageGames
GarageGames was a game technology and software developer. GarageGames was the parent company of GG Interactive, developers of educational technology in the areas of computer science, video game development and programming. In addition, the compa ...
* ''Grunts: Skirmish'' (
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
), PushButton Labs
* ''
Social City
''Social City'' was a real-time city-building simulation game developed in association with American studio PushButton Labs and published by Playdom. ''Social City'' was released as an application for Facebook and the iPhone. The iPhone version ...
'' (
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
), PushButton Labs,
Playdom
Playdom was an online social network game developer popular on Facebook, Google+ and Myspace. The company was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area by University of California, Berkeley graduates Ling Xiao and Chris Wang and Swarthmore College grad ...
* ''
The Incredible Machine: Mobile'' (
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
), PushButton Labs,
Playdom
Playdom was an online social network game developer popular on Facebook, Google+ and Myspace. The company was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area by University of California, Berkeley graduates Ling Xiao and Chris Wang and Swarthmore College grad ...
* ''Quick Shooter'' (
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
), Spotkin
* ''Double Doodle'' (
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
), Spotkin
* ''
Contraption Maker
''The Incredible Machine'' (''TIM'') is a series of video games in which players create a series of Rube Goldberg devices. They were originally designed and coded by Kevin Ryan and produced by Jeff Tunnell, the now-defunct Jeff Tunnell Productio ...
'' (
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
), Spotkin
References
External links
Jeff Tunnell's websiteSpotkinJeff Tunnell
at MobyGames
MobyGames is a commercial website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes nearly 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms. The site is supported by banner ads and a small ...
Jeff Tunnell game library at MakeItBigInGamesMakeItBigInGames Jeff Tunnell's development blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tunnell, Jeff
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Video game programmers
Video game designers