Jackson Bell With film studios and dozens...
Jackson Bell
With film studios and dozens of production companies headquartered
within city limits, Burbank touts itself as the media capital of the
world.
Even Burbank City Manager Bud Ovrom has said the city is “the real
Hollywood.”
So it’s no wonder Ted Price, the founder and president of
Insomniac Games, known for its best-seller, “Spyro the Dragon,”
decided to move his company to “the media city.” “Spyro the Dragon”
is a character-action game in which the title character has to save
his world from the villain, Gnasty.
Price’s story begins in 1974 when he received an Atari 2600 for
Christmas and was hooked on video games. When the Apple II was
introduced a few years later, he made a deal that if his father
bought the personal computer, Price would one day design a game and
become a millionaire.
He didn’t break his promise. Price is worth every cent he said he
would be as the owner of a 37-employee company.
It all started when Price, a Princeton University graduate who
first worked as a controller at a San Diego-based medical company,
quit his job to pursue his dream by founding Insomniac Games in 1994.
The self-taught video-game designer recruited friends in the early
years. As the company grew, he hired more employees, eventually
moving into an office at Universal Interactive.
“I moved to Los Angeles because I couldn’t find enough people who
were willing to move to San Diego,” he said.
Three successful games later, the company relocated to Burbank in
October. Price also lives in Burbank, about five minutes from his
office.
Insomniac Games hopes to follow up on the success of the “Spyro
the Dragon” series, which sold 8 million copies, with its new
release, “Ratchet & Clank.” Price describes it as a genre-bending
character- action game.
“This game has so much stuff in it that no two players can play it
the same way,” he said.