David Jaffe

{{About|the video game designer|the composer of contemporary classical music|David A. Jaffe}}

{{Infobox person

| name = David Jaffe

| image = David_Jaffe.jpg

| caption = Jaffe in 2005

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|4|13|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.

| occupation =

| known_for = Twisted Metal series
God of War series

| website = {{url|criminalcrackdown.blogspot.com}}

}}

David Scott Jaffe (born April 13, 1971) is an American video game designer best known for directing the Twisted Metal and God of War series.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/games/2302842/twisted-metal-studio-hit-with-massive-layoffs|title=Twisted Metal Studio Hit With Massive Layoffs|date=January 27, 2018|work=CINEMABLEND|access-date=May 11, 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/features/385987-spider-man-ps4-golden-age-licensed-games|title=Spider-Man PS4 and Why We're in a Golden Age of Licensed Games - GameRevolution|date=May 2, 2018|work=GameRevolution|access-date=May 11, 2018|language=en-US}} In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/top/game-creators/71.html |title=IGN - 71. David Jaffe |website=IGN |language=en |access-date=November 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140420081441/http://www.ign.com/top/game-creators/71.html |archive-date=April 20, 2014}}

Biography

Jaffe is originally from Birmingham, Alabama and currently resides in San Diego, California."David Jaffe Opens Up," GamePro 235 (April 2008): 23. He was born to a Jewish family. Jaffe graduated from Alabama's Mountain Brook High School, located in Mountain Brook, AL, a suburb of Birmingham. Jaffe then attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.{{Cite news |author=Staff Writer |date=December 4, 2022 |title=Who Is David Jaffe, Creator of God of War? |url=https://www.sportsmanor.com/gaming-news-who-is-david-jaffe-creator-of-god-of-war/ |access-date=April 12, 2023 |website=Sportsmanor |language=en-US}}

Jaffe is known for directing the Twisted Metal series and God of War. Jaffe's Twisted Metal: Black and God of War have both ranked into IGN's "Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time", with Twisted Metal: Black in ninth place and God of War winning first place as IGN's best PS2 game of all time.{{cite web | author=IGN PlayStation Team | date=March 16, 2007 | url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/772/772296p1.html | title=The Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time | website=IGN.com | access-date=April 1, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070605142021/http://ps2.ign.com/articles/772/772296p1.html | archive-date=June 5, 2007 | url-status=dead }} In 2007, Jaffe left SCEA to found Eat Sleep Play. The studio signed a multi-year deal with Sony to create games exclusively for PlayStation platforms. He left Eat Sleep Play in February 2012 due to creative differences.{{cite web|last1=Sliwinski|first1=Alexander|title=David Jaffe leaves Eat Sleep Play, layoffs hit developer [Update]|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/07/report-jaffe-leaves-eat-sleep-play-layoffs-hit-developer/|website=Joystiq|access-date=February 4, 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Jaffe|first1=David|title=Why I Left Eat Sleep Play|url=http://criminalcrackdown.blogspot.com/2012/06/why-i-left-eat-sleep-play.html|website=DavidJaffe.biz|date=June 8, 2012 |access-date=February 4, 2015}}

In 2014, Jaffe announced his first project on his new studio The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency called Drawn to Death as a PlayStation 4 exclusive.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-12-06-david-jaffe-reveals-arena-shooter-drawn-to-death|title=David Jaffe reveals arena shooter Drawn to Death|last=Matulef|first=Jeffrey|date=December 6, 2014|website=Eurogamer|language=en|access-date=January 10, 2020}} The game received mixed reviews, and due to the cancellation of an unannounced title, his newfound company shut down a year later. Jaffe expressed disdain for the mixed critical reception and insisted the reception from players who played the game was more positive.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-02-28-david-jaffes-the-bartlet-jones-supernatural-detective-agency-closes-down|title=David Jaffe's The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency closes down|website=GamesIndustry.biz|date=February 28, 2018 |language=en|access-date=January 10, 2020}}

Jaffe has served as a creative consultant for Polish developer Movie Games.{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Robert N. |date=May 4, 2021 |title=God of War Creator David Jaffe Joining Movie Games |url=https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/god-of-war-creator-david-jaffe-joining-movie-games |access-date=April 12, 2023 |website=TechRaptor |language=en}}

Works

class="wikitable"

|+Games

!Year

!Game

!Console(s)

!Credited as

1993

|Cliffhanger

|NES, Super NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Mega CD/Sega CD

|Tester

1993

|Skyblazer

|Super NES

|Tester

1994

|Mickey Mania

|Super NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Mega CD/Sega CD

|Game designer [http://www.davidjaffe.biz/ Jaffe's Blog with Project Listing] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609175116/http://davidjaffe.biz/|date=June 9, 2010}}

1995

|Twisted Metal

|PC/PlayStation

|Game designer {{Cite web |title=David Jaffe |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1558495/ |access-date=April 12, 2023 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}

1996

|Twisted Metal 2

|PC/PlayStation

|Game director, producer, and designer

2001

|Twisted Metal: Black

|PS2

|Game director, lead designer

2001

|Kinetica

|PS2

|Game designer

2005

|God of War

|PS2

|Game director, lead designer

2005

|Twisted Metal: Head On

|PSP

|Game director, designer

2007

|God of War II

|PS2

|Creative director

2007

|Calling All Cars!

|PS3

|Game director

2008

|Twisted Metal Head On: Extra Twisted Edition

|PS2

|Game director, designer {{Cite web |title=David Jaffe |url=https://www.mobygames.com/person/97748/david-jaffe/ |access-date=July 30, 2023 |website=MobyGames |language=en}}

2012

|Twisted Metal

|PS3

|Game director

2017

|Drawn to Death

|PS4

|Game director