Editing Chris Roberts (video game developer)

{{Short description|American game designer and filmmaker (born 1968)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| image              = Chris Roberts GDC 2012 (cropped).jpg
| image_size         = 
| name               = Chris Roberts
| caption            = Chris Roberts at [[Game Developers Conference|GDC Online 2012]]
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1968|5|27}}
| birth_place        = [[Redwood City, California]], U.S.
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| title              = Founder & CEO of [[Cloud Imperium Games]]
| occupation         = [[Business executive]], [[game designer]], [[filmmaker]]
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
*{{marriage|Sandi Roberts|2009}} }}<ref name="forbes2019"/>
| partner            = Madison Peterson (–2005)<ref name="forbes2019"/>
| children           = 2
| years_active       = 1987–present
| known_for          = ''[[Wing Commander (franchise)|Wing Commander]]''<br />''[[Freelancer (video game)|Freelancer]]''<br />''[[Star Citizen]]''
}}

'''Chris Roberts''' (born May 27, 1968)<ref name="strat">{{cite book |last=Harrison |first=Mike |title=Wing Commander I & II: The Ultimate Strategy Guide |year=1992 |url=https://archive.org/details/Wing_Commander_III_Strategy_Guide |location=Rocklin, California |publisher=Prima |page=223 |isbn=1-559-58-129-8}}</ref> is a British-American video game [[game designer|designer]], [[game programmer|programmer]], film producer and film director. He created the ''[[Wing Commander (franchise)|Wing Commander]]'' series while at [[Origin Systems]] and has been working on the [[crowdfunded]] space simulator ''[[Star Citizen]]'' since 2010.

== Early life ==
Roberts was born in [[Redwood City, California]] to a British father and an American mother, and grew up in [[Manchester]], England.<ref name="strat" /><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Eddy |first=Andy |date=October 1990 |title=The Making of Origin Systems' Wing Commander |url=https://archive.org/details/video-games-computer-entertainment-october-1990/page/132/ |magazine=[[VideoGames & Computer Entertainment]] |page=133}}</ref> He attended [[Parrs Wood High School]], the same school as computer music composer [[Martin Galway]]. As a teenager, he created several video games for the [[BBC Micro]], including ''[[Stryker's Run]]'', ''[[Wizadore]]'', and ''King Kong''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/12694-Blast-From-The-Past-King-Kong|title=Blast from the Past: King Kong
|publisher=Cloud Imperium Games|access-date=August 23, 2015}}</ref>

== Career ==

=== Origin ===
Roberts returned to the United States in 1986 to visit his parents, who had settled in [[Austin, Texas]].<ref name="strat"/> Chris Roberts joined Origin Systems in 1987. There he created ''[[Times of Lore]]'' which was published in 1988. The game's interface had a strong influence on other Origin products such as the popular ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'' series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/12671-Blast-From-The-Past-Times-Of-Lore|title=Blast from the Past: Times of Lore|publisher=Cloud Imperium Games|access-date=August 23, 2015}}</ref> A similar game system was used in Roberts's next release for Origin, ''[[Bad Blood (video game)|Bad Blood]]'' (1990).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/12719-Blast-From-The-Past-Bad-Blood/|title=Blast from the Past: Bad Blood|publisher=Cloud Imperium Games|access-date=August 23, 2015}}</ref>

''[[Wing Commander (video game)|Wing Commander]]'' was published later in 1990 and was highly acclaimed. ''Wing Commander'' (and the franchise it spawned) soon became Origin's most successful product. Roberts wasn't as heavily involved in the sequel ''[[Wing Commander II]]'', which he only produced. He instead concentrated on ''[[Strike Commander]]''. First shown to the public at Summer [[Consumer Electronics Show|CES]] 1991, the project suffered from numerous delays and was not released until 1993. He returned to ''Wing Commander'' soon after, devising the original concept for the spin-off ''[[Wing Commander: Privateer]]'' (which his brother, Erin Roberts, produced) and being more deeply involved in ''[[Wing Commander III]]'' and ''[[Wing Commander IV]]''. For these sequels, Roberts directed the live-action cinematic scenes. Roberts's major role in developing the ''Wing Commander'' games led ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' to name him one of their "75 Most Important People in the Games Industry of 1995".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=75 Power Players: Mr. Big Shot|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=11 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=November 1995|page=53}}</ref>

Following the traditions of Origin Systems, Chris Roberts's residence at the outskirts of [[Austin, Texas]] was named "Commander's Ranch", a reference to the ''Wing Commander'' series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_54/323-Wing-Leader.2/|title=Wing Leader|publisher=The Escapist|access-date=August 23, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150628164149/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_54/323-Wing-Leader.2|archive-date=June 28, 2015}}</ref>

=== Digital Anvil ===
Roberts left Origin in 1996 and founded [[Digital Anvil]] with Tony Zurovec and his brother Erin Roberts.<ref name=NGen34>{{cite magazine|title=The Great Escape |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=34|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=October 1997|page=44}}</ref><ref name="Wing Leader" /> He cited disillusionment with working with large development teams and Origin parent company [[Electronic Arts]]' unwillingness to give substantial funding to games that weren't sequels.<ref name=NGen34 /> The fledgling studio set up shop in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] and for several years worked quietly, inking a publishing deal with [[Microsoft]] in 1997.<ref name="Wing Leader">{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_54/323-Wing-Leader.3/|title=Wing Leader|publisher=The Escapist|access-date=August 23, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707032500/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_54/323-Wing-Leader.3|archive-date=July 7, 2015}}</ref>

Roberts had stated that he desired to produce films as well as games with Digital Anvil. The 1999 feature film release of ''[[Wing Commander (film)|Wing Commander]]'' directed by Roberts himself, starring [[Freddie Prinze Jr.]] and featuring [[visual effects]] from Digital Anvil, failed to attract either critical praise or financial success.

Digital Anvil's first finished game was ''[[Starlancer]]'', released to a generally favorable critical reception in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/starlancer/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|title=StarLancer|website=Metacritic|access-date=August 23, 2015}}</ref> Developed jointly between Warthog and Digital Anvil, the game was produced by the Roberts brothers, and Eric Peterson. The company was acquired by Microsoft soon after, who sold two of Digital Anvil's projects, ''[[Conquest: Frontier Wars]]'' led by Eric Peterson, and ''Loose Cannon'' led by Tony Zurovec to [[Ubisoft]]. Roberts left the company after the acquisition, abandoning the director position of his ambitious project ''[[Freelancer (video game)|Freelancer]]'', although he remained with the game in a consulting role for a while. The game was commonly regarded as [[vaporware]] due to its promised release date of 2001; however, it was eventually released in 2003 with a markedly different feature set than the initial plans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://au.ign.com/articles/2003/01/07/freely-lancing|title=Freely Lancing|website=IGN|date=January 7, 2003 |access-date=August 23, 2015}}</ref><ref name="fspre">{{cite web|title=Freelancer Preview|url=http://www.firingsquad.com/games/freelancer_preview/|last=Wojnarowicz|first=Jakub|date=January 14, 2003|work=FiringSquad|publisher=GX Media|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130110214628/http://www.firingsquad.com/games/freelancer_preview/|archive-date=January 10, 2013|access-date=June 13, 2007}}</ref>

=== Point of No Return Entertainment/Ascendant Pictures ===
After leaving Digital Anvil, Roberts founded Point of No Return Entertainment, planning to produce films, television and games. However, no projects materialized from Point of No Return. Roberts founded Ascendant Pictures in 2002 and served as a producer for a number of Hollywood productions including ''[[Edison (film)|Edison]]'', ''[[Timber Falls]]'', ''[[Outlander (film)|Outlander]]'', ''[[Who's Your Caddy?]]'', ''[[The Big White]]'', ''[[Ask the Dust (film)|Ask the Dust]]'', ''[[Lucky Number Slevin]]'' and ''[[Lord of War]]'', which were almost entirely financed by a loophole in the German tax laws that was finally closed in 2006. Roberts' activities as a film producer ended with the depletion of the funds raised by this controversial financing scheme.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/search/title/?companies=co0094902 |title=With Ascendant Pictures (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)|website=IMDb}}</ref><ref name="forbes2019"/> In 2005, actor [[Kevin Costner]] sued Ascendant Pictures for breach of contract on an unreleased film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-11-30-costner-lawsuit_x.htm|title=USATODAY.com – Kevin Costner sues Ascendant Pictures |website=usatoday30.usatoday.com}}</ref> The company was acquired by [[Bigfoot Entertainment]] in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bigfoot.com/up-press-releases-172.php|title=Bigfoot &#124; Updates &#124; Press Releases|website=www.bigfoot.com}}</ref>

=== Cloud Imperium Games ===
{{Main|Cloud Imperium Games}}

In 2011, Chris Roberts founded [[Cloud Imperium Games]] with his wife Sandi Roberts, as well as business partner and long-time international media attorney [[Ortwin Freyermuth]].<ref name="forbes2019"/> In October 2012, Cloud Imperium Games launched a [[crowdfunding]] campaign on their website to develop a space simulation game, ''[[Star Citizen]]'', and later added a [[Kickstarter]] campaign in conjunction. By November 2012, they had earned US$6,238,563, surpassing all stretch goals set for the campaigns, and breaking video game industry crowdfunding records.<ref name=recordbreak /> Chris Roberts had stated that if at least $23 million could be raised over the course of the crowdfunding campaign, no outside investors' or developers' funding would be required. This goal was reached October 18, 2013.<ref name="self-sufficiency-goal" />

As of June 11, 2024, Cloud Imperium Games has raised over US$700 million in crowdfunding and over $63.25 million in external investments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walker |first=Alex |date=2020-03-31 |title=Star Citizen Has Now Raised Over $550 Million |url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/03/star-citizen-has-now-raised-over-550-million/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330010050/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/03/star-citizen-has-now-raised-over-550-million/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 30, 2020 |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Kotaku Australia |language=en-AU}}</ref> Cloud Imperium Games' other title in development, ''Squadron 42'', a single-player campaign set in the ''Star Citizen'' universe, is still in development with an estimated release date of 2026, having been feature-complete and in the polish phase since 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Squadron 42: I Held the Line - Roberts Space Industries {{!}} Follow the development of Star Citizen and Squadron 42 |url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/19453-Squadron-42-I-Held-The-Line |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Squadron 42: I Held the Line - Roberts Space Industries {{!}} Follow the development of Star Citizen and Squadron 42 |language=en}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Roberts had a long on-and-off relationship with his common-law wife Madison Peterson.<ref name="forbes2019"/> Roberts and Peterson had a home in [[San Diego]].<ref name="forbes2019"/> He has 1 daughter with Peterson.<ref name="forbes2019"/> The first marriage of Chris Roberts with actress Sandi Gardiner (born 24 May 1980 in Adelaide, Australia) was annulled in 2005.<ref name="forbes2019"/> He remarried Gardiner in 2009.<ref name="forbes2019">{{Cite web |title=Exclusive: The Saga Of 'Star Citizen,' A Video Game That Raised $300 Million—But May Never Be Ready To Play |date=1 May 2019 |website=Forbes |author=Matt Perez, Nathan Vard |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2019/05/01/exclusive-the-saga-of-star-citizen-a-video-game-that-raised-300-millionbut-may-never-be-ready-to-play/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319042736/https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2019/05/01/exclusive-the-saga-of-star-citizen-a-video-game-that-raised-300-millionbut-may-never-be-ready-to-play/ |archive-date=19 March 2025}}</ref> Roberts sold his [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] house in 2007.<ref name="forbes2019"/> Afterward he was unsure whether he'd stay in Los Angeles so he rented homes for 10 years.<ref name="forbes2019"/> In September 2018 he purchased a house for $4.7 million via the Roberts Family Trust in the [[Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles|Pacific Palisades]] neighborhood of Los Angeles.<ref name="forbes2019"/> He also has a daughter Skye Roberts with Gardiner.<ref name="forbes2019"/> Skye is an actress who was born in [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]].<ref name="rivalmagazinela">{{Cite web |title=An Interview with Doom Patrol's Skye Roberts |website=Rival Magazine |url=https://www.rivalmagazinela.com/rival-online/an-interview-with-doom-patrols-skye-roberts |date=29 October 2021 |author=Samuel Aponte |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250513044700/https://www.rivalmagazinela.com/rival-online/an-interview-with-doom-patrols-skye-roberts |archive-date=13 May 2025}}</ref>

== Works ==
;Video games<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,6555/|title=Chris Roberts Video Game Credits and Biography|website=MobyGames}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/12665-Meet-Chris-Roberts|title=Meet Chris Roberts – Roberts Space Industries &#124; Follow the development of Star Citizen and Squadron 42|website=Meet Chris Roberts – Roberts Space Industries &#124; Follow the development of Star Citizen and Squadron 42}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
|-
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Credited With
! scope="col" | Publisher
|-
| ''King Kong'' || 1983 || designer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/12694-Blast-From-The-Past-King-Kong|title=Blast from the Past: King Kong – Roberts Space Industries &#124; Follow the development of Star Citizen and Squadron 42|website=Blast from the Past: King Kong – Roberts Space Industries &#124; Follow the development of Star Citizen and Squadron 42}}</ref> || [[BBC Micro User]]
|-
| ''[[Match Day (video game)|Match Day]]'' || 1985 || designer (BBC Micro port)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/chris-roberts-star-citizen-profile|title=The Stars His Destination: Chris Roberts from Origin to Star Citizen|first=ian|last=dransfield|date=September 13, 2014}}</ref> || [[Ocean Software]]
|-
| ''[[Wizadore]]'' || 1985 || designer || [[Imagine Software]]
|-
| ''[[Stryker's Run]]'' || 1986 || designer, programmer, artist || [[Superior Software]]
|-
| ''[[Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny]]'' || 1988 || designer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/ultima-v-warriors-of-destiny/credits|title=Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny (1988) DOS credits|website=MobyGames}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wcnews.com/news/update/11157|title=Chris Roberts In and Around Ultima V – Wing Commander CIC|website=www.wcnews.com|date=September 8, 2011 }}</ref> || [[Origin Systems]]
|-
| ''[[Times of Lore]]'' || 1988 || director, designer, writer, programmer, tester || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Bad Blood (video game)|Bad Blood]]'' || 1990 || director, designer, programmer || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Wing Commander (video game)|Wing Commander]]'' || 1990 || director, lead designer, producer, programmer || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Wing Commander: The Secret Missions]]'' || 1990 || producer, programmer || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Wing Commander: The Secret Missions 2: Crusade]]'' || 1991 || producer, programmer || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi]]'' || 1991 || producer || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Wing Commander II]]: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: Special Operations 1'' || 1991 || creative director || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Wing Commander II]]: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: Special Operations 2'' || 1992 || creative director || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Strike Commander]]'' || 1993 || director, producer, artist, programmer || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Strike Commander]]: Tactical Operations'' || 1993 || producer || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Wing Commander: Privateer]]'' || 1993 || executive producer || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Wing Commander: Armada]]'' || 1994 || producer || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger]]'' || 1994 || director, producer, writer, actor || Origin Systems
|-
| ''[[Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom]]'' || 1996 || director, executive producer || [[Electronic Arts]]
|-
| ''[[Starlancer]]'' || 2000 || executive producer || [[Microsoft]]
|-
| ''[[Conquest: Frontier Wars]]'' || 2001 || producer, writer || [[Ubisoft]]
|-
| ''[[Freelancer (video game)|Freelancer]]'' || 2003 || original concept || [[Microsoft Game Studios]]
|-
| ''[[Star Citizen]]'' || TBA || director || [[Cloud Imperium Games]]
|-
| ''[[Squadron 42]]'' || TBA || director || [[Cloud Imperium Games]]
|}
;Films
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1"
|-
! scope="col" | Name
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Credited With
! scope="col" | Distributor
|-
| ''[[Wing Commander (film)|Wing Commander]]'' || 1999 || director, actor || [[20th Century Fox]]
|-
| ''[[The Punisher (2004 film)|The Punisher]]'' || 2004 || executive producer || [[Lions Gate Entertainment]]
|-
| ''[[The Jacket]]'' || 2005 || executive producer || [[Warner Independent Pictures]]
|-
| ''[[The Big White]]'' || 2005 || producer || [[Momentum Pictures]]
|-
| ''[[Lord of War]]'' || 2005 || producer || [[Lionsgate Films]]
|-
| ''[[Ask the Dust (film)|Ask the Dust]]'' || 2006 || executive producer || [[Paramount Classics]]
|-
| ''[[Lucky Number Slevin]]'' || 2006 || producer || [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
|-
| ''[[Who's Your Caddy?]]'' || 2007 || executive producer || [[The Weinstein Company]]
|-
| ''[[Outlander (film)|Outlander]]'' || 2008 || producer || [[The Weinstein Company]]
|-
| ''[[Black Water Transit]]'' || 2009 || executive producer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Black-Water-Transit-Lawsuit-Settled-We-Still-May-Never-See-It-16392.html|title=Black Water Transit Lawsuit Settled, But We Still May Never See It|date=January 5, 2010|website=CINEMABLEND}}</ref> || [[Capitol Films]]
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=recordbreak>{{cite web|last=Ryan|first=Vincent|title=Star Citizen Smashes Game Crowdfunding Record|url=http://themittani.com/news/star-citizen-smashes-game-crowdfunding-record/|publisher=THE MITTANI DOT COM|access-date=December 11, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204073607/http://themittani.com/news/star-citizen-smashes-game-crowdfunding-record/|archive-date=February 4, 2013}}</ref>
<ref name="self-sufficiency-goal">{{cite web|last=Makuch|first=Eddie|title=Star Citizen funding passes $23 million|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-funding-passes-23-million/1100-6415665/|website=GameSpot|access-date=November 29, 2013}}</ref>
}}

== External links ==
*{{moby developer|id=6555|name=Chris Roberts}}
*{{IMDb name|0730932}}

{{Origin Systems}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Chris}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:American video game designers]]
[[Category:American video game directors]]
[[Category:American video game programmers]]
[[Category:American video game writers]]
[[Category:American people of British descent]]
[[Category:British video game designers]]
[[Category:British video game directors]]
[[Category:British video game programmers]]
[[Category:British video game writers]]
[[Category:British people of American descent]]
[[Category:Film directors from California]]
[[Category:Film producers from California]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Origin Systems people]]
[[Category:Mass media people from Manchester]]
[[Category:People educated at Parrs Wood High School]]
[[Category:People from Redwood City, California]]
[[Category:Wing Commander (franchise)]]