Big Rooster rises from the ashes of Human Head Studios.
A team of ex-Human Head developers announced the opening of Big Rooster LLC, a new game studio for both original and licensed properties on all modern consoles. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, the team includes Chairman and CEO Timothy Gerritsen, Animation Director Jeff Dewitt, Art Director Rowan Atalla and former Midway Technical Director Jason Blochowiak.
Chief Executive Officer Timothy Gerristen commented, “The opportunities for independent developers are better than they’ve been at any time in the industry. New markets and new technologies mean new leaders need to emerge. We intend to be a driving force in shaping the new face of game development. … It’s time for the next evolution in development, where fun, innovation and creativity can and should meld with a real world business approach that also allows the best quality of life for our employees. We believe that we can combine good design and stunning imagery to create games players will come back to again and again without burning out our staff to do so.”
“We want to create a studio where professionalism and craft work together. A pragmatic approach where we look at the industry, look at what is working and make reasoned decisions based on our experience. We want Big Rooster to be the kind of work environment where people love to be. We have high standards – we want to attract top notch developers, and we want to create a studio environment that allows them to succeed,” added Art Director Rowan Atalla.
Dewitt stated, “Indeed, this is what drove the four of us to form the company. We are committed to making sure that we don’t just make pretty games that are forgettable. We want to make games that you buy because they look great, but once you start playing you realize the depth of design involved.”
Blochowiak discussed the changing economics of the industry. “The marketplace is changing. Digital Distribution and worldwide sales now are significant parts of the equation and finding new and exciting ways to interact with our fans will be an ongoing and rewarding challenge. As a group we have the necessary experience to understand and lead this evolutionary step in game design and studio development.”
Gerristen talked about the talent pool growing within Wisconsin. “Madison Wisconsin has a great talent pool due to the unique nature of the area. There’s an eclectic blend of creative arts and high tech development in the community that makes it a terrific location for games development. Our goal is to build a company where big ideas are encouraged and allowed to grow.”
