And Then There Were Two: The Making of Rebel Galaxy – Chapter 1
Navigating a series of professional peaks and valleys, Erich Schaefer and Travis Baldree consider leaving Runic Games to form a new development studio. Their team: just the two of them.
And Then There Were Two
Chapter 1: Downsizing
From the Rubble
A dirt path cuts through the heart of Tristram’s town square and leads into the mouth of the cathedral, lolling out of the entryway like a profane tongue. The path is well-trodden, frequented by millions of gamers offline and on Blizzard’s free Battle.net server. Back and forth they walk, receiving convalescence from the healer, implements of steel from the blacksmith, and information as old and mystical as the town elder who disseminates it. Then they follow the path back to the cathedral, stepping into the blood-red light that pours from its maw, letting it swallow them whole.
Erich Schaefer knows that path better than anyone. He should. He paved it.
In 1993, Erich and his brother Max cofounded Condor, Inc., with David Brevik, a mutual friend they met while working at a clipart company called FM Waves. They ran Condor on a shoestring budget, hiring programmers and artists to plug away at meager contracts for console games such Justice League Task Force on Sega Genesis and a few football games for Nintendo’s Game Boy.
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