John R. Taylor III


John R. TaylorIII is an American computer game designer, serial entrepreneur and massively multiplayer online game pioneer. He is a co-founder of the game company Kesmai, which they founded in 1981. In 2011, Taylor was awarded the Online Game Legend Award by the Computer Game Developers Association.

Game development and career history

Early career

In the late 1970s Taylor co-founded the Charlottesville, VA-based company Amber Electronics to design and build high end audio equipment for the consumer audiophile market. The business was sold and as of 2012, Amber Electronics operates in Australia.
After Amber Electronics, Taylor spent five years at General Electric’s Industrial Electronics Development Lab, where he developed test systems for Computer Numerical Controls and motion control systems for advanced robotics.

Founding of Kesmai

In 1981, along with Dr. Kelton Flinn, Taylor founded Kesmai, the oldest US online multiplayer game company.
The name Kesmai was generated from an auto-name generation program, while they were trying to name the island featured in Kesmai’s first online role playing game. In 1982, the company was incorporated
and Taylor and Flinn decided to name the company Kesmai as well. Taylor and Dr. Flinn's efforts demonstrated the commercial viability of the online game industry.
Taylor was instrumental in pioneering the design of text-based MUDs and role-playing games as well as the first multiplayer flight simulation game with a graphical interface - Air Warrior.
He, along with Dr. Flinn also designed and developed a massively online gaming enabling technology called ARIES.
Taylor expanded the business into the publishing of third party online games via distribution agreements with U.S., Japanese and European online providers.
Kesmai’s major titles include:

News Corporation and Electronic Arts

In 1994, Taylor negotiated the sale of Kesmai Corporation to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation.
Taylor remained at News Corporation for six years and was instrumental in developing Kesmai’s GameStorm, a pay-for-play web based gaming service.
News Corporation sold its online game business to Electronic Arts
where Taylor was General Manager of EA Virginia and also Chief Production Officer for EA.com.

Castle Hill Studios and Video Gaming Technologies, Inc.

In 2001, Taylor co-founded Castle Hill Studios in 2001, a game development and technology company. Castle Hill worked with Microsoft, Electronic Arts and others to develop online gaming concepts and designs based on top-rated television, movie and gaming properties. In 2003, Taylor joined Video Gaming Technologies, a Class II casino gaming company, as Vice President of Engineering. He returned to Castle Hill in 2010 and now develops and manages intellectual properties for gaming systems.

Personal life

Taylor graduated from the University of Virginia in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with Distinction and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with Distinction. He received a master's in Computer Science from the university in 1985.
In October 2011, Taylor was awarded the by the Computer Game Developers Association.
Taylor is active in his community and has been involved in the Boy Scouts of America since 1998. He was awarded the Silver Beaver Award by the Stonewall Jackson Council.