Eugene Jarvis

Profession: Video Game Designer

Biography: Eugene Jarvis is best known for producing pinball machines and video games at Williams Electronics and Atari respectively.

Jarvis grew up in California and developed an interest in games and computers during his youth. He went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley, earning a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 1976.

After a brief stint at Hewlett-Packard, Jarvis subsequently joined Atari to work on pinball games. He later moved to Williams Electronics, where he created "Defender" (1980), a groundbreaking side-scrolling shooter game.

In 1981, Jarvis co-founded Vid Kidz with Larry DeMar. They produced "Stargate" (1981) and "Robotron: 2084" (1982), further cementing Jarvis's reputation in the arcade game world.

Following the video game industry crash of 1983, Jarvis pursued an MBA at Stanford University. He returned to game development in the late 1980s, contributing to titles like "Narc" (1989) and "Smash TV" (1990).

Jarvis founded Raw Thrills Inc. in 2001, focusing on arcade games. The company adapted to the changing market by releasing titles such as "Target: Terror" (2004) and "The Fast and the Furious" (2004).

He was named DePaul University's first Game Designer in Residence in 2008 and received the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Pioneer Award in 2013. Additionally, in 2022, Jarvis and his wife made a significant donation to DePaul University, resulting in the renaming of its College of Computing and Digital Media.

Born: January 27, 1955
Birthplace: Palo Alto, California, USA
Age: 69 years old

Generation: Baby Boomer
Chinese Zodiac: Goat/Sheep
Star Sign: Aquarius