Richard Hilleman is an American
computer game and
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 best known for his work creating the original
Madden Football game for
video game consoles for
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 ...
. Apart from ''Madden'', Hilleman was a key figure in building the massive
EA Sports
EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to imitate real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network ...
brand and has spent over 20 years working in product development at EA. He has directly or indirectly influenced a wide range of games and
game designer
Game design is the art of applying design and aesthetics to create a game for entertainment or for educational, exercise, or experimental purposes. Increasingly, elements and principles of game design are also applied to other interactions, in ...
s.
Hilleman joined Electronic Arts in 1982, and was employee number 39. After several years working with producers and teams in a variety of roles (including
Ray Tobey
Ray Tobey (born c. 1965) is an American video game programmer best known for writing the combat flight simulation game '' Skyfox'' for the Apple II, published by Electronic Arts in 1984. He was later hired by EA and wrote the fighting game '' ...
and Stewart Bonn on the early combat
flight simulator
A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and the environment in which it flies, for pilot training, design, or other purposes. It includes replicating the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they rea ...
''
Skyfox''), he began producing his own titles in the late 1980s. His first credited title as producer was
Indianapolis 500: The Simulation on
PC in 1989.
In 1990, he was the producer of
John Madden Football for the fast-growing
Sega Genesis, a game developed by
Troy Lyndon and
Michael Knox of
Park Place Productions
Park Place Productions was a corporation founded in 1989 by Michael Knox, Troy Lyndon and Stephen Quinn.
History
In 1990, contracted by Electronic Arts, the company produced '' John Madden Football'' for the Genesis video game console, descri ...
, and co-designed by
Scott Orr, the game that we still recognize today as Madden Football, the best-selling title in the history of games in North America.
A team member of the Madden team,
Scott Orr joined Hilleman later at EA full-time in 1991 where both Hilleman and Orr were promoted to senior management roles in EA product development over the following few years. Hilleman was later named Vice President in charge of
Production for the company. An avid hockey player during his youth in
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, Hilleman was Executive Producer or Producer for other successful EA Sports titles in the 1990s as well, including
NHL Hockey
''NHL Hockey'' (titled ''EA Hockey'' outside North America) is an ice hockey video game by EA Sports. Released in 1991 for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, it is the first game in the ''NHL'' series.
Cover
Glenn Healy who was then a goaltender fo ...
,
NHLPA Hockey,
PGA Tour Golf and
Tiger Woods Golf.
Rich Hilleman worked for Electronic Arts as Chief Creative Officer until May, 2016.
He also serves on the board of directors of the
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
References
External links
Hilleman's rap sheet at MobyGames; note that it is number 8 in the serial Moby system*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilleman, Richard
American video game designers
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)