James M. Ward

James M. Ward was born an May 23, 1951. He started out reading Hardy Boys and Tom Swift books and has since become a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy.

Gaming industry guru Jim Ward is an icon in the field of role-playing. He has been successful author and game designer since 1974. He created the first science fiction role playing game in Metamorphosis Alpha. He's written for Marvel, DC Comics, Random House, Del Rey, Bantam, and Western Publishing. In 1989 he was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame.

Ward is a 20-year veteran of TSR and was formerly in charge of all product development. He has also done work with Freelance and SSI, among others. Ward, who was the former licensing director and world builder for TSR, is also co-author of The Paladins and The Heroes of Phlan trilogy in Forgotten Realms. He has just recently added the design of the Dragonball Z collectible card game to his long list of accomplishments.

Jim got his start in role-playing with the design of Metamorphosis Alpha, the first science-fiction role-playing game. He has been designing games and helping others to design them ever since. Jim Ward wrote the first post-apocalyptic roleplaying game: the award-winning Gamma World. After Gary Gygax left TSR in the '90s, Jim filled his shoes as the director of creative development, steering the company's game designs for over a decade. When Wizards of the Coast bought TSR, Jim opted to remain in Wisconsin and work as a consultant in the gaming industry.

In 2002 James Ward became President of Fast Forward Entertainment, a position he still holds in 2005.