| Christopher Weaver | |
|---|---|
| Role(s) | Entrepreneur, Technologist, Executive Producer |
| Bethsoft Tenure | 1986–Summer 2002[1][2] |
Christopher Weaver was the Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Media Technology, Bethesda Softworks, and XL Translab; which he entirely self funded. While Weaver was not directly involved in any hands on labor for any of the games his company produced, he greenlit designs and administered the production of all internal projects in cooperation with his Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Constance Gachowski; including feasibility assessment, technology assessment, staffing, financing, and team coaching. In 1999, Media Technology, Bethesda Softworks, and XL Translab were reacquired by a new conglomerate founded by Weaver himself and his new business partner Robert Altman, called ZeniMax Media, wherein Weaver became Chief Technology Officer of ZeniMax; Weaver had wanted to break out of the seasonal revenue model which had proved to lead to a feast or famine circumstance at the end of each release cycle, which ultimately allowed him to focus on his passion for technology and innovation, rather than business administration, which outside investment offered.[1][2] At this same time Vir2L Studios was founded with a focus on web development tools, which had been the main business interest in creating ZeniMax, rather than the games creations' business of Bethesda Softworks.[3] In 2002, Weaver was expelled from the company, which later led to a legal battle between himself and his former employers that was ultimately settled out of court.[4]
Weaver has since retired from games creation, and is currently attached to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Wesleyan University, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in various roles as a Professor, Lecturer, Research Scholar, and Research Scientist.[1]
CreditsEdit
- The Elder Scrolls: Arena — Executive Producer
- The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall — Executive Producer
- An Elder Scrolls Legend: Battlespire — Executive Producer
- The Elder Scrolls Adventures: Redguard — Administration / President
- The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind — Special Thanks
InterviewsEdit
- Nov 1993: Gamebytes Issue #15
- Mar 1994: Putting future in play: Games as door to new worlds Virtual reality 1s Newton in a box' to founder of software firm
- Aug 2005: Out of the Dark and Into the Spotlight
- Feb 2007: The Escapist: Bethesda: The Right Direction
- Jan 2012: Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play
- Oct 2013: Exclusive interview with Christopher Weaver, Founder Bethesda Softworks
- Jun 2014: Meet the Mind Behind Madden and Open World Gaming - That Was Me
- Jul 2016: Keynote - Amplius Ludo, Beyond the Horizon, with Christopher Weaver
- Dec 2017: Bethesda Founder Christopher Weaver on the Past, Present and Future of Video Games
- Sep 2019: Game changer: How Christopher Weaver transformed video games and game studies at MIT
- Sep 2019: Christopher Weaver: "Amplius Ludo, Beyond the Horizon"
- Sep 2020: Bethesda founder on Xbox exclusivity, 'Elder Scrolls 6,' and more
- Sep 2020: The Future of Computational Media
- Apr 2022: Before Skyrim: the Elder Scrolls games that nearly broke Bethesda
- Sep 2023: Bethesda Founder Christopher Weaver Is Racing to Protect Video Game History
External LinksEdit
NotesEdit
- Weaver wrote a letter that was shipped with all boxed copies of Battlespire.
- The character David Levinson from Independence Day, played by Jeff Goldblum, was based on Weaver.[5]
GalleryEdit
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Christopher Weaver in 1996
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Christopher Weaver
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Christopher Weaver in 1994
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b c Christopher Weaver: LinkedIn Profile
- ^ a b Gamers at Work: Stories Behind the Games People Play
- ^ Skyrim's Lead Designer On Starfield's Origins And Bethesda's Evolution - MinnMax Interview
- ^ Out of the Dark and Into the Spotlight
- ^ AT BETHESDA SOFTWORKS, AN EMPHASIS ON COOL - The Washington Post