Sid Meier (Partner and Director of Creative Development, Firaxis Games) began his legendary career in game making in the early 1980s, as a founding partner at one of the industry's first successful game companies: Microprose Software. Recognized around the world as the "Father of Computer Gaming", Sid and his games have been honored with virtually every major award in the gaming industry. In 1999, Sid was the second person ever to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Science's "Hall of Fame", and in 2002, he was honored with an induction into the Computer Museum of America's Hall of Fame. Sid put computer gaming on the map with such hallmark games as Civilization, Railroad Tycoon® and Pirates®, all of which are still revered as the greatest games ever made.

Just a glance at his career reveals a series of "firsts". In 1982, Sid created one of the very first combat flight simulators, F-15 Strike Eagle®, a title that sold well over one million units worldwide. After F-15, he continued to create thought-provoking, innovative titles such as Silent Service, a submarine simulation and the breakthrough Pirates!, a unique blend of historical simulation, arcade action, strategy and role-playing. By introducing strategy into flight simulation with F-19 Stealth Fighter®, he created one of the most popular flight sims ever. And with addictive strategy games like Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon® and Sid Meier's Civilization®, he ushered a new genre of "God Games" into computer gaming. Civilization®, one of the best known series in the industry with worldwide sales of over 5 million units, was recently honored as the number one best game of all-time by Computer Gaming World magazine.

As Director of Creative Development at FIRAXIS, Sid continues to deliver the most heralded gameplay on the planet and is still recognized by industry experts such as PC Gamer, Computer Gaming World, Gamespot and Gamespy as one of the industry's "Game Gods", taking game development to new heights. Through Sid's tutelage, FIRAXIS continues to carry forth the long and enduring tradition of creating incredibly fun, compelling hits such as Gettysburg!, Alpha Centauri, Civilization III, SimGolf and Pirates! In October 2005, FIRAXIS and Sid will delight gaming fans around the globe with a new version of his magnum opus, Sid Meier's Civilization IV!

John Carmack (Founder/Owner/Lead Programmer) The technological patriarch and co-founder of id Software, John Carmack is responsible for some of the most compelling and successful PC game titles of all time. Largely self-taught, Carmack cranks out the most in-demand and technically mind-boggling 3D graphics engines in existence. These engines, which are licensed by leading game development companies, are found at the heart of all id Software titles – from the revolutionary Wolfenstein 3D and blockbuster Doom to the successful Quake and the newest smash hit Return to Castle Wolfenstein.

A "technology purist," Carmack's devotion to pushing the limits of hardware and software to their bleeding edge and beyond fuels id's development team to create games that exceed even their wildest expectations. Almost single handedly responsible for the advent of the first-person adventure/shooter genre of gaming, Carmack and the id Software team have proven themselves to be ahead of the curve in almost every respect. With games like the Quake series and Doom (the second best-selling computer game of the 90's) to his credit, it is clear that Carmack is more than a technological visionary, but also a cultural trendsetter.

Before co-founding id Software in 1991, Carmack worked at Softdisk Publishing.

In his spare time, Carmack oversees the design, construction and launch of guided rockets through his other venture Armadillo Aerospace.

He also enjoys theoretical math and physics research.

StarCraft It is a time of crisis. Three of the most powerful forces in the universe are headed on a collision course for galactic domination. Whether you command the nomadic Terran, mysterious Protoss, or voracious Zerg, you must devise unique strategies to survive the acid-drenched, fire-scorched battles of the future. As the military leader for your species, you must gather the resources you need to train and expand your forces and lead them to victory. 30 unique missions will challenge you across three different campaigns as you control the fate of the galaxy in Blizzard Entertainment's® epic Real Time Strategy game, StarCraft®.

Since its debut in 1998, the #1-selling StarCraft series has won industry acclaim and has shattered sales records worldwide with over nine million copies sold. Blizzard continued the series with the critically acclaimed StarCraft: Brood War™, which won multiple Expansion Pack of the Year awards and is still considered by many critics to be one of the best add-on products to date.

Lara Croft Developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive, TOMB RAIDER was introduced in 1996. The title was an amazing achievement at the time from a technology standpoint and revolutionized 3D gaming as we knew it. The game also introduced the world to Lara Croft – a new and exciting adventuring heroine who quickly won the hearts of gamers. The success of the original game led to a number of sequels over the years and worldwide the game has sold over 30 million copies. Two feature films have been made based on the character and in the process Lara Croft has become a pop culture icon. Lara's latest adventure is being developed by Crystal Dynamics and the gaming press got a first look at the new title during the 2005 E3 show in Los Angeles. LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND ships in Spring 2006.

Final Fantasy has been called a series that seeks perfection in all aspects of game design. The series was established by the game's ability to weave astounding visuals, dramatic musical scores and a moving story while retaining a high-quality of gameplay in one product. The desire to create games that risk to innovate rather than recycle the popular aspects of the role-playing genre is what has kept the franchise fresh and gamers coming back for more. FINAL FANTASY is one of the best-selling video game franchises in the world, with more than 63 million units sold worldwide.

The first FINAL FANTASY was released in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. What began as an evolutionary 8-bit game popularized the role-playing genre on the next generation systems with the landmark titles FINAL FANTASY VII for the PlayStation® game console and FINAL FANTASY X for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. The FINAL FANTASY titles have been credited as important contributors to the success of these systems. FINAL FANTASY can also be enjoyed on handhelds, mobile, online via the personal computer and PlayStation2 and in other forms such as anime, art books, soundtracks, a variety of toys and an upcoming DVD feature named FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN.

EverQuest was the first 3D fantasy MMORPG to feature a persistent online world with its own dynamic political and economic systems. Set in the world of Norrath, EQ allows players to take on the roles of a noble knight, an elven thief, or a bewitching sorceress as they adventure with literally thousands of other players from around the world. EverQuest developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment, launched on March 16, 1999, and since then, more than 3.5 million have played!