Raphaël Colantonio
{{Short description|French video game designer (born 1971)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Raphaël Colantonio
| image = Raphaël Colantonio, Gamelab 2017 (35497057481).jpg
| caption = Colantonio in 2017
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1971}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = French
| other_names =
| known_for = {{ubl|Arx Fatalis|Dark Messiah of Might and Magic|Dishonored|Prey}}
| occupation = Video game designer
}}
Raphaël Colantonio (born 1971) is a French video game designer, and was the founder and for 18 years president of Arkane Studios. He has served as creative director on several of Arkane's titles, including co-creator with Harvey Smith for the Dishonored series.
Career
File:Raphaël Colantonio, Prey Q&A, ACMI Melbourne 2017.jpg
When Colantonio was about 18 years old, at the verge of having to perform mandatory military service that France had at the time, he participated in a contest held by Electronic Arts (EA) on knowledge about the Ultima series, which he had been a fan of. He was unaware that the contest was meant for EA to find qualified applicants for a new studio they were setting up in France, and through the contest, Colantonio was hired into EA, helping with establishing their customer support services in France.
=Arkane Studios=
With the introduction of home video game consoles, Colantonio saw a shift in EA to more sports-oriented games, an area he was not interested in, and left, taking a position at Infogrames for a short time. He decided around 1999 that he wanted to start his own studio, and with funding support from his uncle, he and three of his friends founded Arkane Studios in Lyon, France.{{cite web | url = http://www.polygon.com/2012/9/28/3425300/the-mirror-men-of-arkane | title= The Mirror Men of Arkane | first = Russ | last= Pitts | date = June 27, 2012 | access-date = April 17, 2017 | work = Polygon }}{{cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/291429/Feels_like_a_different_life_Arkanes_Colantonio_on_going_from_Arx_Fatalis_to_Prey.php | title = 'Feels like a different life': Arkane's Colantonio on going from Arx Fatalis to Prey | first = Alex | last = Wawro | date = February 15, 2017 | access-date = May 8, 2017 | work = Gamasutra }}{{cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/130179/the_passion_of_raphael_colantonio_.php | title= The Passion of Raphael Colantonio: Arkane Studios' Transatlantic Touch | first = Matthew | last = Kumar | date = December 11, 2006 | access-date = May 8, 2017 | work = Gamasutra }}{{cite web | url = http://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2006-10-27/414023/ | title = The Game Is All | first = N. Evan | last = Van Zelfded | date = October 27, 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161204025339/http://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2006-10-27/414023/ | archive-date = December 4, 2016 | access-date = May 8, 2017 | work = Austin Chronicle }}
In June 2017, he departed Arkane, though he stayed with the Lyon branch of Arkane to help with transition to new management, while Harvey Smith oversaw the Austin studio. Colantonio stated that he wanted to spend more time with his son and re-evaluate his goals for the future.{{cite web | url = https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/06/27/preys-creative-director-and-founder-of-arkane-studios-raphael-colantonio-steps-down/ | title = Prey's creative director and founder of Arkane Studios, Raphael Colantonio, steps down | first = Brendan | last = Caldwell | date = 27 June 2017 | access-date = 27 June 2017 | work = Rock Paper Shotgun }} In a 2020 interview, he said that part of his reason for leaving was "creative anxiety" around delivering a triple A quality game where it felt like more like making a product instead, as well as wanting to take a break to focus on other matters.{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/former-arkane-boss-on-why-he-left-triple-a-youre-not-making-a-game-anymore-youre-making-a-product/ | title = Former Arkane boss on why he left triple-A: 'You're not making a game anymore, you're making a product' | first = Andy | last= Chalk | date = August 11, 2020 | access-date = August 15, 2020 | work = PC Gamer }}
=WolfEye Studios=
Colantonio and Julien Roby, a former producer at Arkane, announced in November 2019 they had earlier formed a new studio, WolfEye Studios, a twenty-person studio working distributively.{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-11-20-arkane-veterans-launch-wolfeye-a-small-studio-making-big-games | title = Arkane veterans launch WolfEye: a small studio making big games | first = Rebekah | last = Valentine | date = November 20, 2019 | access-date = November 20, 2019 | work = GamesIndustry.biz }} They announced their first game, Weird West, at The Game Awards 2019, to be published by Devolver Digital. Weird West, which released on 31 March 2022, is a top-down action role-playing game with elements of the immersive sim genre in which the player takes the role of heroes in the American frontier which encounters supernatural elements, with randomized elements through each play through.{{cite web | url = https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-12-13-weird-west-is-a-gun-slinging-fantasy-action-rpg-from-former-dishonored-prey-devs | title = Weird West is a gun-slinging fantasy action-RPG from former Dishonored, Prey devs | first = Matt | last= Wales | date = December 13, 2019 | access-date = December 15, 2019 | work = Eurogamer }} Colantonio stated in March 2025 that WolfEye was working on a new, unnamed first person immersive sim title.{{cite web | url = https://youtube.com/watch?v=9pXIFqrXW3k&lc=UgxFRBAVP5rQ1GDWcKV4AaABAg&si=cvk8kmIo1lp8nmh6 | title = Youtube comment by Colantonio | date = March 4, 2025 | access-date = March 8, 2025 }}
Music
Colantonio is a musician and performs guitar, bass guitar, and vocals as one half of the Rock/Electro Goth band Weird Wolves.{{Cite web |last=Nikoofar |first=Hamidreza |date=2020-06-01 |title=Weird Wolves: Raphaël Colantonio & Ava Gore (Weird West, Dishonored) |url=https://www.nikoofarmusic.com/post/weird-wolves-raphaël-colantonio-ava-gore-weird-west-dishonored |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=Nikoofar Music |language=en}} His music has been featured on the soundtracks of several of his video games including Dishonored 2 and Prey. After collaborating with Ava Gore on the song Realization for the Prey: Mooncrash soundtrack, the two formed Weird Wolves.{{Cite web |title=About Weird Wolves |url=https://www.weirdwolves.com/about |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=Weird Wolves |language=en-US}} The band went on to produce several tracks for the Weird West soundtrack.
References
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{{Portal bar|biography|France|video games}}
{{Arkane Studios}}
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Category:French video game designers
Category:Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)