This is untimely, irrelevant, and has no bearing whatsoever on any current topic of conversation.
I found this article in a ten year old Fortune magazine and found it rather amusing.
Since I live for my own amusement, bear with me:
Fortune Magazine
July 7, 1997
"Cool Companies"
Ion Storm
Computer Games
At Lucky Cheng's, a New York City restaurant known for its cross-dressing wait staff, Ion Storm President Todd Porter, 36, is slurping down a fruity drink and reminiscing about the days when he worked as an exotic dancer ("Preacher Boy") to pay his way through seminary in Iowa. Porter, who is visiting New York on a press tour, stands up and demonstrates, gyrating.
Welcome to the world of Ion Storm. Aside from Porter, who came from a game company called 7th Level, and a couple of others, the key members of the work force are refugees from id Software, the legendary outfit that that (sic) brought the world Doom. That shoot-'em-up computer gorefest was a technological marvel, with lush 3-D graphics and superfast action, and was played by some 15 million people. The boys of Ion can probably thank that success for their play money: a $13 million advance from their distributor, Eidos Interactive.
Like disgruntled rock band members, the founders say they left id because of artistic differences. At Ion Storm, Porter, company chairman John Romero, 29, and vice president Tom Hall, 32, get to act as producer-directors with complete creative control, each leading a team of about 15 people.
Ion's first game, Daikatana, should be on store shelves by Christmas. Described as a fast-action 3-D adventure (surprise!), Daikatana spans spans four worlds and features role-playing, time travel, 64 monsters, and 32 weapons. Two more games will follow in 1998: Anachronox, a sci-fi roleplaying game, and Dopelganger, a game of strategy. Lots of licensing is also in the plan. Ion Storm may license everything from "music soundtracks to pocketbooks to little pewter collectibles," says CEO Mike Wilson, 26, adding portentously, "This is our vision, and we know how we want to exploit it."
Right now Ion Stormers are champing (sic) at the bit to move into their new headquarters, a 22,000-square-foot "ultimate game world." Says Wilson: "We're building the Willy Wonka chocolate factory!" Slated to be ready this fall, the office will occupy the penthouse of the 55-story Texas Commerce Tower, heretofore home to oil magnates and white-shoe law firms. Dallas, get ready for some brash new cowboys.
- Eryn Brown
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
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