Jason Jones (programmer): Difference between revisions

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{{shortShort description|American video game developer and programmer}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Jason Jones

| image = Jason Jones-bungie.png

| caption = Jason Jones at the [[E3|Electronic Entertainment Expo]] in May 2006

| image_size = 200px

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|6|1}}

| caption = Jason Jones at the [[E3|Electronic Entertainment Expo]] in May 2006

| birth_place = United States

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|6|1}}

| alma_mater = [[University of Chicago]]

| birth_place = United States

| occupation = [[ChiefVideo creativegame officer|CCOdeveloper]] of, [[Bungievideo game programmer|programmer]]

| known_for = Co-Founderfounder of [[Bungie]], Coco-creator of ''[[Marathon (video game)|Marathon]]'', ''[[Myth: The Fallen Lords|Myth]]'', ''[[Halo (franchise)|Halo]]'', and ''[[Destiny (video game)|Destiny]]''

| title = [[Chief creative officer|CCO]] of [[Bungie]]

}}

'''Jason Jones''' (born June 1, 1971)<ref>{{cite web|author=Errera, Claude|date=2001-06-02|url=http://halo.bungie.org/news.html?item=2923|title=Happy Birthday, Jason and Peter!|publisher=[[Halo.Bungie.Org]]|access-date=2010-02-22}}</ref> is an American [[video game developer]] and [[video game programmer|programmer]] who co-founded the video game studio [[Bungie]] with [[Alex Seropian]] in 1991. Jones began programming on [[Apple Inc.|Apple computers]] in high school, assembling a multiplayer game called ''[[Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete]]''. While attending the [[University of Chicago]], Jones met Seropian and the two formed a partnership to publish ''Minotaur''.

'''Jason Jones''' (born June 1, 1971)<ref>{{cite web|author=Errera, Claude|date=2001-06-02|url=http://halo.bungie.org/news.html?item=2923 |title=Happy Birthday, Jason and Peter! |last=Errera |first=Claude |date=June 2, 2001 |publisherwebsite=[[Halo.Bungie.Org]] |access-date=February 22, 2010 |url-02status=live |archive-22url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418130048/http://halo.bungie.org/news.html?item=2923 |archive-date=April 18, 2010}}</ref> is an American [[video game developer]] and [[video game programmer|programmer]] who co-founded the video game studio [[Bungie]] with [[Alex Seropian]] in 1991. Jones began programming on [[Apple Inc.|Apple computers]] in high school, assembling a multiplayer game called ''[[Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete]]''. While attending the [[University of Chicago]], Jones met Seropian and the two formed a partnership to publish ''Minotaur''.

Following the modest success of ''Minotaur'', Jones programmed Bungie's next game, ''[[Pathways into Darkness]]'', and worked on code, level design and story development for Bungie's ''[[Marathon Trilogy|Marathon]]'' and ''[[Myth (video game series)|Myth]]'' series. For Bungie's next projects, ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' and ''[[Halo 2]]'', Jones took on a more managerial role as project lead. He served as director on the 2014 video game ''[[Destiny (video game)|Destiny]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Inanimado 001|title=Destiny 2 Reveal - Interview with Jason Jones Co Founder Bungie|date=May 18, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TCpaocln8M&t=15 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/6TCpaocln8M |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Following the modest success of ''Minotaur'', Jones programmed Bungie's next game, ''[[Pathways into Darkness]]'', and worked on code, level design and story development for Bungie's ''[[Marathon Trilogy|Marathon]]'' and ''[[Myth (video game series)|Myth]]'' series. For Bungie's next projects, ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' and ''[[Halo 2]]'', Jones took on a more managerial role as project lead. He served as director on the 2014 video game ''[[Destiny (video game)|Destiny]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Inanimado 001 |title=Destiny 2 Reveal - Interview with Jason Jones Co Founder Bungie |datewebsite=May[[YouTube]] 18, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TCpaocln8M&t=15 |date=May 18, 2017 |access-date=October 27, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/6TCpaocln8M |archive-date=2021-12-22December |url-status=live|access-date=October 2722, 20182021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Early life==

Jones became interested in programming in high school, and learned [[Applesoft BASIC]] and [[Assembly language|6502 Assembly]] on an [[Apple II series]] computer. When Apple released its [[Macintosh]] line, Jones's family purchased a [[Macintosh 128K]], but Jones never programmed much for it. After high school Jones got a job programming for a [[computer-aided design]] company on PCs, before going to college the next year. In his off time Jones said that all he ever did on the Apple II was write games, "and it seemed logical to continue that on the Mac," he said. "The first thing I did on the Mac was to port a modem game I'd written called ''Minotaur'' from 6502 Assembly on the Apple II into MPW C on the Mac. I was still finishing that when I came to college. By that time, I knew I wanted to write games."<ref name="img-93 interview">{{cite magazine |last=Rouse |first=Richard III|last=Rouse |date=October 1993 |title=IMG Interview: Bungie's Jason Jones|magazine=[[Inside Mac Games]]|url=http://pid.bungie.org/IMGjasoninterviewOct93.html |magazine=[[Inside Mac Games]] |access-date=February 22, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224172644/http://pid.bungie.org/IMGjasoninterviewOct93.html |archive-date=February 24, 2016|access-date=February 22, 2010}}</ref>

==Career==

Jones met [[Alex Seropian]] in his second year at the [[University of Chicago]]. In 1991 Seropian had founded [[Bungie]] and published his own game, ''[[Operation: Desert Storm (video game)|Operation: Desert Storm]]''.<ref name="gamesradar-history of halo">{{cite web |author=Xbox World 360 |date=October 8, 2007-10-08 |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-history-of-halo/a-2007100812649684036 |title=The History of Halo; How two students went from Pong clones to the biggest game of all time |publisherwebsite=[[GamesRadar]] |pages=1–4 |access-date=October 9, 2009-10-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123041945/http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-history-of-halo/a-2007100812649684036 |archive-date=November 23, 2008 }}</ref> Seropian was looking for another game to publish, and they decided to work together to finish ''Minotaur''. While Seropian did design and marketing, Jones finished the programming. ''[[Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete]]'' shipped in April 1992;<ref name="img-93 interview" /> while the game sold only around 2,500 copies (it required a then-rare modem for network play),<ref name="gamesradar-history of halo" /> it developed a devoted following. After publishing ''Minotaur'', Jones and Seropian formed a partnership; "What I liked about him was that he never wasted any money", Jones said of his partner.<ref name="bungie-primordial soup gnop">{{cite web |url=http://www.bungie.net/inside/history.aspx?link=HistoryOfBungie_p1 |title=Bungie History: Primordial Soup—Gnop! |publisherwebsite=[[Bungie]] |access-date=October 1, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080426200327/http://www.bungie.net/inside/history.aspx?link=HistoryOfBungie_p1 |archive-date=April 26, 2008 }}</ref>

Bungie focused on the Mac platform due to familiarity with the platform and ease of use. "The PC market was really cutthroat, but the Mac market was all friendly and lame. So it was easier to compete," Jones said.<ref name="bungie-primordial soup gnop" /> After ''Minotaur'', Bungie began work on a 3D graphics version of the game, but realized that the game's format was not suited to a 3D environment. Instead, Jones and Seropian wrote a brand-new story for what became ''[[Pathways Into Darkness]]''. Since Bungie had no money and Jones was the only one with the available time, he single-handedly coded the game on a [[Macintosh IIfx]], passing art chores to his friend Colin Brent.<ref name="img-93 interview" /><ref name="bungie-primordial soup pathways">{{cite web |author=Staff |url=http://www.bungie.net/inside/history.aspx?link=pathways |title=Bungie History: Primordial Soup—Pathways! |publisherwebsite=[[Bungie]] |access-date=December 21, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080426200338/http://www.bungie.net/inside/history.aspx?link=pathways |archive-date=April 26, 2008 }}</ref> ''Pathways'' was successful enough that Bungie moved from a one-bedroom apartment to an actual office.<ref name="bungie-primordial soup pathways" />

Bungie's next project started as an update of ''Pathways'' but evolved into a science fiction shooter game, [[Marathon (video game)|''Marathon'']]. The game included state-of-the-art graphics, network multiplayer, and voice support, and won a number of awards on release in 1994.<ref name="gamesradar-history of halo" /> Jones recalled that he was surprised anyone ever completed the game and sought to atone for some of its shortcomings with its sequel, ''[[Marathon 2: Durandal]]'',<ref name="bungie-jones interviewed by you">{{cite web|first=Brian |last=Jarrard |first=Brian |date=December 18, 2001 |url=http://www.bungie.net/news/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=6 |title=Jason Jones Interviewed By You |publisherwebsite=[[Bungie]] |access-date=February 24, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013011106/http://www.bungie.net/news/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=6 |archive-date=October 13, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> which was also released for [[Microsoft Windows]]. The ''Marathon'' series was followed by a series of [[real-time strategytactics]] games, starting with ''[[Myth: The Fallen Lords]]'' in 1996.<ref name="gamesradar-history of halo" />

Bungie continued to expand, and in 1997 work began on a new project, codenamed ''Blam!''<ref name="gamesradar-history of halo" /> (Jones had changed the name from ''Monkey Nuts'' because he could not bring himself to tell his mother about the new game under that title.)<ref>{{cite book |last= Trautmann |first=Eric |year=2004 |title=The Art of Halo |year___location=New York City 2004|publisher= [[Del Ray Publishing]] |___locationpage=New York Cityix |isbn=0-345-47586-0|page=ix}}</ref> ''Blam!'' evolved from a real-time strategy game to a third-person shooter to a [[first-person shooter]] called ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''. Jones role in development was unlike ''Marathon'' and ''Myth'', where Jones was involved in developing more than half the levels and much to most of the story. Instead, he was the project lead<ref name="interview">{{cite web|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/hot-100-game-developers-2006|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115042648/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/hot-100-game-developers-2006|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 15, 2013|title=The Hot 100 Game Developers of 2006|work=Next Generation Magazine|date=March 18, 2006|access-date=March 1, 2008}}</ref> and a manager, barely providing any code to the game. He would read war journals by authors such as [[John Kinkead]] and [[Winston Churchill]].<ref name="bungie-jones interviewed by you" />

In 2000, [[Microsoft]] acquired Bungie, moving the team from Chicago to Washington State. Jones recalled that the buyout was a "blur [...] We'd been talking to people for years and years—before we even published ''Marathon'', [[Activision]] made a serious offer [to buy us]. But the chance to work on [the Microsoft [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] console]—the chance to work with a company that took the games seriously. Before that we worried that we'd get bought by someone who just wanted Mac ports or didn't have a clue."<ref name="history of bungie billion dollar donut">{{cite web |url=http://www.bungie.net/inside/history.aspx?link=oni |title=Billion Dollar Donut: Halo CE |publisherwebsite=[[Bungie]] |access-date=October 8, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080426200333/http://www.bungie.net/inside/history.aspx?link=oni |archive-date=April 26, 2008 }}</ref> Around the same time, a glitch in versions of ''Myth II'' was found to entirely erase a player's [[hard disk drive|hard drive]]; this led to a massive recall of the games right before they shipped, costing Bungie nearly one million dollars.<ref name="history of bungie billion dollar donut" /><ref name="game icons">{{cite video |people=Bungie |date=October 12, 2004 |title=Icons: Bungie |url=http://www.wraith-ops.com/hbomirror/Bungie_Icons.mov |format=[[.MOV|MOV]] |publisher=[[G4 (U.S. TV channel)|G4TV]] |format=[[.MOV|MOV]] |access-date=March 14, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411182932/http://www.wraith-ops.com/hbomirror/Bungie_Icons.mov |archive-date=April 11, 2008 }}</ref> Composer [[Martin O'Donnell]] said that this recall created financial uncertainty in the studio, though accepting the offer was not something "Bungie had to do."<ref name="bungie podcast- odonnell">{{cite web |authorlast1=O'Connor, |first1=Frank |author2last2=Smith, |first2=Luke | author-link2=Luke Smith (writer) |date=December 12, 2007 |title=Official Bungie Podcast 12/12/2007: With Martin O'Donnell |url=http://www.bungie.net/Inside/content.aspx?link=bungiepodcasttime |publisherwebsite=[[Bungie]] |access-date=February 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331164029/http://www.bungie.net/Inside/content.aspx?link=bungiepodcasttime |archive-date=March 31, 2008 }}</ref> Jones and Seropian refused to accept Microsoft's offer until the entire studio agreed to the buyout.<ref name="game icons" />

''Combat Evolved'' was highly successful, selling more than a million units in its first six months and driving Xbox sales.<ref name="foxnews-halo 3">{{cite news|first=Quibian |last=Moreno-Salazar |first=Quibian |date=October 9, 2007 |title=Microsoft Bets Big on Halo 3 |url=httphttps://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,300511,00.html |title=Microsoft Bets Big microsoft-bets-big-on Halo -halo-3 |work=[[Fox News]] |access-date=February 25, 2010 |url-status=deadlive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726045259/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C300511%2C00.html |archive-date=July 26, 2008 }}</ref> Jones led the development team that created its sequel, ''[[Halo 2]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Grossman |first=Lev |date=April 15, 2005 |title=The Halo Trinity |url=http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/2005/time100/artists/100halo.html |work=[[Time Magazine]] |access-date=March 1, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070112120408/http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/2005/time100/artists/100halo.html|url-status=dead |archive-date=January 12, 2007|title=The Halo Trinity|work=[[Time Magazine]]|date=April 15, 2005|access-date=March 1, 2008|first=Lev|last=Grossman}}</ref> and served as director on a new video game series, ''[[Destiny (video game)|Destiny]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Destiny/Credits |title=Destiny Credits |publisher=Bungie|workwebsite=Bungie |access-date=February 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|firsturl-status=Ryan|last=McCaffrey|date=Junelive 7, 2014|archive-url=httphttps://wwwweb.ignarchive.comorg/articlesweb/201320150128225752/07https:/07/www.bungie-co-founder-halo-and-destiny-creator-jason-jones-breaks-11-year-silenc.net/en/Destiny/Credits |archive-urldate=https://archive.today/20141222202231January 28, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/07/07/bungie-co-founder-halo-and-destiny-creator-jason-jones-breaks-11-year-silenc|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 22, 2014|title=Bungie Cofounder Halo and Destiny Creator Jason Jones Breaks 11-Year Silence |worklast=McCaffrey |first=Ryan |date=June 7, 2014 |website=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[j2 Global]] |___location=Los Angeles, California |access-date=December 22, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141222202231/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/07/07/bungie-co-founder-halo-and-destiny-creator-jason-jones-breaks-11-year-silenc |archive-date=December 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|first=Tom |last=Pakinkis |first=Tom |date=April 29, 2010 |title=Marathon boss heads Bungie's new IP |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=244819 |title=Marathon boss heads Bungie's new IP |magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]] |access-date=May 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501163949/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=244819 |archive-date=May 1, 2010 }}</ref> He was listed in ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]''{{'}}s top 100 Developers in 2006 and 2007.<ref name="interview" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/hot-100-game-developers-2007 |title=The Hot 100 Game Developers of 2007 |work=Next Generation Magazine |date=March 3, 2007 |website=Next Generation Magazine |access-date=March 1, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120820032431/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/hot-100-game-developers-2007 |archive-date=August 20, 2012 }}</ref>

After the release of Halo 2, Jones took a sabbatical from Bungie, not knowing whether he wanted to continue making games.<ref name=":0">{{Citecite web news|url=https://waypointwww.vice.com/en_usen/article/xwqjg3/the-complete-untold-history-of-halo-an-oral-history/ |title=The Complete, Untold History of Halo |last=Haske |first=Steve |date=May 30, 2017 |workwebsite=Waypoint |access-date=October 27, 20182017 |languageurl-status=enlive |archive-usurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015035138/https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/xwqjg3/the-complete-untold-history-of-halo-an-oral-history |archive-date=October 15, 2017}}</ref> As Jones returned, his involvement with Halo began to diminish,<ref name=":0" /> as Jones tended to 'dislike' sequels.<ref>{{Citecite web |url=http://pid.bungie.org/IMGjasoninterviewOct93.html |title=IMG Interview: Bungie's Jason Jones |last=Rouse III |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Rouse III |website=pid.bungie.org |access-date=October 27, 20182017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907140327/http://pid.bungie.org/IMGjasoninterviewOct93.html |archive-date=September 7, 2017}}</ref> He desired to build a new intellectual property.<ref name=":1">{{Citecite book |last=Schreier |first=Jason |year=2017 |title=Blood, Sweat, and Pixels |last___location=Schreier|first=JasonNew York City |publisher=[[Harper Paperbacks]] |___locationpages=New176–200 York City|year=2017|isbn=9780062651235|pages=176–200}}</ref> Jones worked closely with colleague [[Jaimie Griesemer]] who was working on his own internal project named "Dragon's Tavern" which Griesemer described to be a "third person fantasy game"<ref name=":1" /> In the end however, Jones had the most power at Bungie, despite not being the President he was the majority share-holder and his vision of the studio was his alone to decide.<ref name=":1" /> In the endUltimately, Jason got his way with the studio's next project and worked with Griesemer to combine his ideas of "Dragon's Tavern" with what would be ''[[Destiny (video game)|Destiny]]''.<ref name=":1" /> As development continued, and with Griesemer gone, the writing team led by [[Joseph Staten]] had created a "Super-Cut" which was essentially a summary of the game's story-line. The super-cut was poorly received by Jones and the rest of the studio.<ref name=":1" /> Shortly after, Jones decided to scrap the writing team's work and effectively re-write the story very late into production with [[Martin O'Donnell|Marty O'Donnell]], believing it was not feasible and almost impossible to complete.<ref name=":1" /> Knowing the game was in peril with his proposed reboot of the story, Jones formed a group called the "Iron Bar" composed of art director Christopher Barrett, designer [[Luke Smith (writer)|Luke Smith]] and writer Eric Raab, an experienced book editor.<ref name=":1" /> Jones and the rest of Bungie carried on to release ''Destiny'' on September 9, 2014, to mostly positive reception.<ref name=":1" />

==References==

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==External links==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20210121152701/http://halo.bungie.net/Inside/MeetTheTeam.aspx?person=jones Jason Jones profile] at [[Bungie]]

{{Bungie}}

{{Destiny series}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Jason}}

[[Category:1971 births]]

[[Category:VideoAmerican video game programmers]]

[[Category:Bungie]]

[[Category:Video game programmers]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:1971 births]]

[[Category:University of Chicago alumni]]