Raphael Colantonio An French game designer, founder of Arkane Studios and its president Date of Birth: 01.01.1971 Country: France

1. Raphael Colantonio: French Video Game Pioneer
2. Early Life and EA Years
3. Arkane Studios Origins
4. Leaving Arkane Studios
5. WolfEye Studios
6. Musical Ventures
7. The House of the Dev

Raphael Colantonio: French Video Game Pioneer

Raphael Colantonio is a renowned French video game designer, the founder and former president of Arkane Studios. He has served as the creative director for numerous Arkane games, including the co-creation of the Dishonored series.

Early Life and EA Years

At the age of 18, Colantonio entered an Electronic Arts (EA) contest showcasing his knowledge of the Ultima game series. Unknowingly, the contest was a recruitment drive for EA's new French studio. Colantonio's impressive performance led to his employment at EA, where he aided in establishing the company's French customer support department.

Arkane Studios Origins

With the advent of home gaming consoles, EA shifted towards more sports-oriented titles, a genre that held little appeal for Colantonio. He departed from the company, briefly joining Infogrames before deciding to establish his own studio. In 1999, with financial support from his uncle, he co-founded Arkane Studios in Lyon with three friends.

Leaving Arkane Studios

In June 2017, Colantonio left Arkane Studios. He remained with Arkane's Lyon branch to facilitate the transition to new leadership while Dishonored co-creator Harvey Smith oversaw the Austin studio. Colantonio expressed a desire to spend more time with his son and reassess his future goals. Citing "creative restlessness" with the "triple-A" development process, he also sought a pause to focus on other pursuits.

WolfEye Studios

In November 2019, Colantonio and former Arkane producer Julien Roby announced the formation of WolfEye Studios, a 20-person remote-based team. They unveiled their first game, Weird West, at The Game Awards 2019, published by Devolver Digital.

Musical Ventures

Colantonio is also a co-founder of the band Weird Wolves, where he writes and performs alongside Ava Lee Gore, the singer-songwriter daughter of Depeche Mode guitarist Martin Gore. Colantonio contributes vocals, guitar, and bass to the group. Their song Ghost Voices serves as the main theme of Weird West. Colantonio's music has occasionally been featured in his games, such as Mind Game and Semi-Sacred Geometry in Prey.

The House of the Dev

In 2021, Colantonio and Russian journalist Petr Salnikov launched The House of the Dev, a podcast dedicated to game development for novice and mid-level developers. Each episode delves into a particular aspect of video game creation, featuring guests like Warren Spector, Ken Levine, and Harvey Smith. The podcast's second season premiered on July 18, 2022, with John Romero as the opening guest.