Ste PickfordDeveloper BIO
Ste was born in Stockport, near Manchester, UK, in 1969, and drew the graphics for his first game (
Ghosts 'n' Goblins on the Amstrad CPC) whilst still at High School, aged 15. Ste became Art Directory at proto developer
Binary Design just a year later, working on dozens of hit computer games including
Glider Rider,
180,
Zub, and
Feud.
Forming
Zippo Games with his brother
John Pickford in the late 1980s, Ste helped create NES classics such as
Solar Jetman and
Ironsword for
Rare and
Nintendo, before selling up and turning the studio into Rare Manchester.
Ste joined
Software Creations in the early 1990s, becoming Art Director and designing SNES classics such as
Equinox,
Plok and
Maximum Carnage, before leaving to form the studio
Zed Two in 1996, where he co-created
Wetrix,
Aqua Aqua and
Future Tactics.
In October 2006, he founded
The Pickford Brothers along with his brother John. The company is more like a laboratory than a studio, and they create original game concepts and new video game IP. Their first self-funded indie video game is
Naked War. They also work with established developers on new game concepts based on existing IP. At the same time, the two founded the licensing and publishing venture,
Zee-3, a virtual company to exclusively publish and distribute all new Pickford Brothers games over the internet, as well as license their IP for other video game platforms and other media.
Websites
Games CreditedNobody Shooter (2008),
Future Tactics: The Uprising (2004), Crave Entertainment, Inc.
Taz Express (2000), Infogrames Europe SA
Wetrix (1998), Ocean Software Ltd.
Cutthroat Island (1996), Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Foreman for Real (1995), Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Spider-Man & Venom: Separation Anxiety (1995), Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994), Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Equinox (1993), Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), Inc.
Plok (1993), Tradewest, Inc.
Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship (1990), Tradewest, Inc.
IronSword: Wizards & Warriors II (1988), Acclaim Entertainment, Inc.
Amaurote (1987), Mastertronic Group Ltd.
Feud (1987), Mastertronic Ltd.
Motos (1987), Mastertronic Group Ltd.
Ghosts 'N Goblins (1986), Elite Systems Ltd.
Glider Rider (1986), Quicksilva Ltd.
Pub Darts (1986), Mastertronic Ltd.
Xeno (1986), A&F Software