Jeffrey Steefel

Infobox_Person
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name = Jeffrey Steefel


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birth_date = Birth date and age|1961|6|1
birth_place = San Francisco, California, USA
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Video game developer (Turbine)
spouse = Carissa Channing-Steefel
children =
salary =
networth =
religion =
website =

Jeffrey Steefel is an American producer of video games and a former actor. He attended University of California, Davis [ [http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/80/973 Jeffrey's public listing at LinkedIn] log in to view Education] where he earned a degree in drama. [ [http://www.mmogamer.com/04/10/2008/interview-turbines-jeffrey-steefel-part-two/2 MMO Gamer interview, Part Two, page 2] by Steven Crews] Since 2004, he has served as executive producer of "The Lord of the Rings Online" at Turbine, Inc.

Acting career

As a young adult in the 1980s, Jeffrey Steefel left his native California for New York City to pursue an acting career. He performed and sang off-Broadway, most notably at the Lamb's Theatre in the role of Jesus in the 1989 revival of "Godspell", having shared the stage with young actors Trini Alvarado and Harold Perrineau, Jr. The production, directed by Don Scardino, caught the attention of The New York Times writer Sonia Taitz, who wrote a 2-page article about the director and the cast. [ [http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=115100387 Godspell Speaks to a New Generation: The vaudevillian version of the Gospel that charmed 70's audiences is back with the same message updated for a different era.] by Sonia Taitz (1988, June 12). "New York Times" (1857-Current file), pp H5 and H25. Retrieved August 11, 2008, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2005) database. (Document ID: 114889378)] In the article, cast members describe how Steefel was selected for the lead role by the director after the ensemble spent a week playing theater games. New York Times critic Stephen Holden gave the play and Steefel's performance a somewhat lukewarm review. [ [http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=115100387 Children Awaiting the Pied Piper. Review of Godspell.] By Stephen Holden (1988, June 13). "New York Times" (1857-Current file), p. C16. Retrieved August 11, 2008, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2005) database. (Document ID: 115100387).]

Prior to Godspell, Steefel had helped found the Project III Ensemble Theater [ [http://www.colonytheatre.org/bios/steefeJeffrey.html Colony Theatre Company website] 1995 actor bio] where he served as production manager for the 1986 production of "Flood" by Gunter Grass, and appeared onstage in Molière's "The Imaginary Invalid" and the world premiere of "Bliss" by Mikhail Bulgakov. [ [http://www.colonytheatre.org/bios/steefeJeffrey.html ibid.] ] After several years in New York, he headed back to the West Coast and became an ensemble member of the Colony Theater Company in Burbank, California. [ [http://www.colonytheatre.org/bios/steefeJeffrey.html ibid.] ] While at the Colony, he performed in the plays "Rags" [ [http://www.colonytheatre.org/shows/Rags.html "Rags" page at the Colony Theatre Company website] ] and "Working" [ [http://www.colonytheatre.org/shows/Working.html "Working" page at the Colony Theatre Company website] ] . According to his 1995 biography at The Colony Theatre Company website, he also had appeared in soap operas on television.

Computer games career

Jeffrey Steefel's early experience in game development include his time as Vice President of Production at 7th Level, an interactive entertainment company. There he helped develop and maintain the company’s strategic partnerships with such companies as IBM and Disney, and oversaw the creation of many games, including "Tamagotchi", "Monty Python’s Meaning of Life", "Ace Ventura Pet Detective" (for which his wife provided the voices of characters "Oosik" and "Vanilla Sundae"), "Fun on Imagination Island", and "Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games". [ [http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,5071/ Developer Bio at MobyGames.com] ]

Steefel then moved to Sony Online Entertainment as the Vice President of Programming & Production, where he headed their digital studios in Los Angeles and New York and supervised a large production staff. He oversaw the launches of franchises such as "JEOPARDY! Online", "Wheel of Fortune Online", and "Trivial Pursuit Online", among others. At Sony, Steefel also developed strategic relationships with Columbia Tri-Star Television, MTV, RealNetworks, VH1, ESPN, Hasbro, and LucasArts. [ [http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,5071/ ibid.] ]

After leaving Sony, Steefel moved to There, Inc. and served as Vice President of Programming and Member Services. While at There, Steefel helped create an online virtual 3D environment tailored for mainstream consumers. Jeffrey headed customer service, community development, programming teams, and managed Member Services and content programming for a large-scale public Beta community, and oversaw its transition to a multi-player pay service.

In early 2004, Jeffrey joined Turbine, Inc. as Executive Producer of "The Lord of the Rings Online", stating in an interview that he had long been a fan of the Tolkien classic and made the move to Turbine specifically to work on this project. [ [http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=74749 Eurogamer.net interview] by Rob Fahey] Turbine's "The Lord of The Rings Online" launched in 2007 and proved to be wildly popular among gamers and fans of Tolkien's book, as Steefel and his team strove to keep the environment of the game as faithful to the author's original writings as possible. [ [http://www.mmogamer.com/04/08/2008/interview-turbines-jeffrey-steefel-part-one The MMO Gamer Interview, Part One] by Steven Crews] [ [http://www.mmogamer.com/04/10/2008/interview-turbines-jeffrey-steefel-part-two The MMO Gamer Interview, Part Two] by Steven Crews] [ [http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/45/feature/2007 MMORPG interview] by Jon Wood] [ [http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=74749 Eurogamer.net interview] by Rob Fahey] [ [http://play.tm/story/16877 Play.tm interview] by Luke Guttridge]

Games created by Jeffrey Steefel

*"Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time" (1994), 7th Level
*"Battle Beast" (1995), 7th Level, BMG Interactive Entertainment
*"Ace Ventura" (1996), Bomico Entertainment Software
*"Monty Python's The Meaning of Life" (1997), Panasonic Interactive Media
*"Raymond E. Feist's Return to Krondor" (1998), Sierra On-Line
*"There" (2003), There, Inc.
*"" (2007), Midway Games

Personal life

Jeffrey Steefel is married and a father of twins. He and his wife, former actress Carissa Channing-Steefel, reside in Milton, Massachusetts. [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1116675893.html?categoryid=26&cs=1 Birth announcement at Variety magazine online] September 2, 1997] [ [http://www.miltonjuniorwomansclub.com/12-OCT-06_MJWC_Trunk_Show.htm Milton Times Online] October 12, 2006]

References

External links

* [http://www.lotro.com/ The Lord of the Rings Online official website]
* [http://www.turbine.com/contact.html Turbine, Inc. corporate website]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1695094/ Jeffrey Steefel at IMDB]

Persondata
NAME=Steefel, Jeffrey
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=video game designer
DATE OF BIRTH=June 1, 1961
PLACE OF BIRTH=San Francisco, California, San Francisco
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=