Stardock
announces a changing of the guard, as Derek Paxton has been promoted to vice
president and will be overseeing all future games development and production at
the studio. This is a role previously held by Stardock founder Brad Wardell, who
clarifies for us: "I'm not retiring or anything. We're just in the process of
expanding in a big way." Here's part of the announcement, which says we should
expect new game revelations next month:
A modder-turned-studio-leader,
Paxton was most recognized for his work on the Fall from Heaven mod for the
popular Civilizations IV strategy game prior to joining Stardock as lead
designer in 2010. Derek joined Stardock after a decade-long career working with
Fortune 500 company Novell in the technology sector. Since joining Stardock in
2010, Paxton successfully brought to market the last two titles in the Elemental
franchise – both of which earned positive critical receptions from top
international games media and fans.
"Derek has really transformed the game studio," said Brad Wardell, President &
CEO of Stardock. "His experience at managing multiple projects combined with his
amazing design skills has resulted in not just better games but a better working
environment for our teams."
As part of the company’s 20th anniversary this October, Paxton and Stardock
Entertainment will announce a series of new projects from the studio which will
include new titles and more.
"I'm looking forward to the incredible opportunity to lead a studio with a
legacy of creating award-winning strategy games," said Paxton. "Games are a
passion for everyone who works at Stardock Entertainment and it's an honor to be
able to work with such talented developers, artists and designers. I look
forward to continuing the tradition of creating incredible games with the
amazing team at Stardock."