Rawson Stovall
Stovall in 1985, aged thirteen[1]
Born
Rawson Law Stovall

1972 (age 51–52)
Abilene, Texas
NationalityAmerican
Alma materSouthern Methodist University
Occupations
  • Former video game columnist
  • Video game producer and developer
Years active1982–present
Known forBecoming the first nationally syndicated gaming journalist in the U.S.
Notable workThe Vid Kid's Book of Home Video Games (1984)

Rawson Law Stovall (born 1972)[a] is the first nationally syndicated video game journalist in the United States at age eleven.[4] Stovall's first column appeared in the Abilene Reporter-News, his local newspaper, in 1982. He began being distributed by the Universal Press Syndicate in April 1983 and by 1984 his column, 'The Vid Kid', appeared in over two dozen newspapers. After being reported on by The New York Times, he was featured on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, was on Discovery Channel's The New Tech Times and helped introduce the Nintendo Entertainment System at its North American launch.

He retired from video game journalism in 1990 to attend college at the Southern Methodist University, and later went on to work various roles at companies such as Sony, Activision, Electronic Arts, MGM Interactive, and currently Concrete Software. At EA, he produced video games from the franchises The Sims and Medals of Honor.

Biography

Early life and education

Rawson Law Stovall[5][6] was born in 1972,[a] to Ronald L. Stovall, a former teacher and Boy Scouts executive[3] and a regional manager for the Texas State Health Department, and Kay Law Stovall.[7] He has a younger sister, Jennifer.[2] As a child, Stovall had severe asthma and visited Hendrick Medical Center over a dozen times, although it has since grown milder with age.[8] He also spent three months at the National Jewish Hospital. A large hospital, it had an onsite kindergarten and field trips. Stovall first visited an arcade on one such field trip and played Night Driver (1976).[9] He lived in Abilene, Texas, where he attended Alta Vista Elementary School and Cooper High School.[6][8]

Stovall first became interested in arcade video games in 1978.[7] However, his father saw them as a waste of time and refused to buy him an Atari 2600 when he was six.[6] In 1981 Stovall prepared and packaged pecan nuts from the three trees in his backyard and sold them door-to-door by himself, earning enough to buy an Atari.[3][9][b] The owner of the Abilene Video Library let Stovall try video games before buying them, and he would often play two hours a day.[3]

1982: Beginnings as a columnist

Stovall realized that his local newspaper, the Abilene Reporter-News, was filled with movie reviews that were cheaper to see than buying a video game. However, there were no game reviews. Back then, games did not have screenshots on their packaging, and Stovall said that buying one was akin to a "gamble."[4][9]

In fourth grade, Stovall cohosted a mock television show about video games for class.[10] At the end of the school year increased pollen triggered his asthma, and he was stuck inside and unable to afford more games.[3] His mother suggested he write an article for the local weekly Wiley Journal, but Stovall considered the Journal too small and that an article could not hold all information. His mother then suggested he write a column for the Reporter-News.[7][10] He initially wanted to raise enough money to buy an advanced home computer to design games on.[11] He contacted editor Dick Tarpley, presenting him with several sample columns and three letters of recommendation from his teachers and a local video game repairman.[2]

In 1982 Stovall's first column appeared in the Reporter-News at age ten, titled 'Video Beat'.[8] The Reporter-News paid him $5 a column. After being brushed off over the phone while trying to publish his column in other papers, Stovall entered the offices of the Odessa American with a three-piece business suit, a briefcase, and a business card. The amused receptionist directed Stovall to one of the editor's staff, Tom Nickell. Although Nickell was skeptical that their readership would show interest in video games, Stovall presented surveys and statistics to the contrary. He also presented his teachers' letters of recommendation and a straight-A report card. Convinced, editor Jim Welsh agreed to a six-month try on the condition that Stovall would not sell his column to their rival newspaper.[3] Stovall recalled many rejections. He was often dismissed because of his age, and the guard at the San Francisco Chronicle would not let him in.[7][11]

1983–1990: Universal Press Syndicate and 'The Vid Kid'

In January 1983 the column appeared in five newspapers,[6] including the El Paso Times and Young Person Magazine.[12] His mother was his secretary and proofread his work. He was the youngest person to receive the Texas Governor's Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. Stovall was invited to Imagic's headquarters in Silicon Valley and would go on a promotional nationwide tour with their vice president Dennis Koble.[6] The San Jose Mercury News picked up the column and dubbed it 'The Vid Kid.'[7] The Mercury News' editor contacted Universal Press Syndicate, suggesting his column be syndicated.[10] At a time when his column was in ten papers, Universal Press Syndicate began distributing him in April 1983.[7] Stovall became the first nationally syndicated video game journalist in the United States at age eleven.[4] His workshop contained over six hundred video games and five computers.[2] His mother credited his success to his affinity with adults and Stovall spoke of the difficulties of balancing school, his career and health-related issues.[8]

In 1983 Stovall attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, Illinois, with special permission as a minor. After being solicited his opinion, he was able to interview Nolan Bushnell and David Crane, and soon after was reported on in The New York Times.[4][7] This led him to be invited by producers to appear on television shows such as CBS Morning News, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News and That's Incredible!.[8][13] He attended CES the following years, where he was consulted by many industry professionals and companies, such as Activison president James Levy.[2] He was featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal.[8]

His family visited Los Angeles for two weeks for his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.[8] In 1984 he spoke at Bits & Bytes, the first computer show for children, and wrote The Vid Kid's Book of Home Video Games, a collection of eighty of his game reviews[4] published by Doubleday. The Library Journal said that although Stovall's age and writing style made the book unusual, it was average overall.[14] He appeared on a regular segment of The New Tech Times airing on the Discovery Channel, which paid him $850 each season,[3][12] reviewing teenage-oriented software and games. Executive producer Jeff Clark said that Stovall had the "business ability and vocabulary of a 40-year-old, but the mind-set of a thirteen-year-old."[15] By 1984 his columns appeared in over two dozen newspapers, and he charged $10 per column.[10][3] In 1985 Stovall helped to introduce the Nintendo Entertainment System at its North American launch.[4][9]

Later career

Stovall retired from journalism in 1990 to attend college at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas.[9] He graduated with a degree in cinema due to the lack of game-related degrees. After college, he moved to Los Angeles and worked at Sony, Activision, Electronic Arts, and MGM Interactive in various roles.[4][8] He was an game developer at Activision in the 1990s and an industry producer.[8][16] At EA, he produced The Godfather (2006) and video games from franchises Medal of Honor and The Sims.[8] Since being hired in 2014,[5] he currently works on mobile games as a senior designer for Concrete Software.[4]

Personal life

Stovall lives in the area of Minneapolis–Saint Paul.[17] He previously lived in Redwood City, California.[18] Stovall is married to Jenn, who teaches art history at the University of Minnesota.[8]

Bibliography

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Stovall was thirteen in June 1985[2] and fourteen in January 1987,[3] placing his birth in 1972.
  2. ^ As noted by the Abilene Reporter-News, sources disagree on the amount Stovall earned. While estimates range around $175 to $200, Stovall said in 2011 it was around $160.[8] Most recently, PC Gamer said he earned $220 in 2022.[4]
  1. ^ "Rawson Stovall —A Success At Only 13". Brøderbund Newsletter. August 1985. p. 4 – via Internet Archive.
  2. ^ a b c d e Miller, M.W. (June 18, 1985). "Rawson Stovall, 13, Has a Giant Industry Seeking His Wisdom". The Wall Street Journal. Vol. 205, no. 118. Dow Jones & Company, Inc. p. 1. ISSN 0099-9660.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Monroe, Keith (January 1987). "He Turned Computer Games To Gold". Boys' Life. Vol. 77, no. 1. Boy Scouts of America. pp. 14–15. ISSN 0006-8608 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ong, Alexis (August 2, 2022). "The world's first syndicated game journalist was an 11-year-old kid". PC Gamer. Future plc. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Concrete Software Hires Veteran Game Designer – Rawson Stovall". Concrete Software. September 5, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e Adamo, Sue (January 1983). Bloom, Steve (ed.). "Who'll Stop Rawson Stovall?". Video Games. Vol. 1, no. 4. Pumpkin Press. pp. 14, 19 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Youth's Column Makes Him Popular With the Top Minds in Video Games". The New York Times. June 8, 1983. p. 14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Bethel, Brian (October 3, 2009). "The Vid Kid: Stovall was game review trailblazer". Abilene Reporter-News. Gannett Media Corp. p. 1. ISSN 0199-3267. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009.
  9. ^ a b c d e Patterson, Patrick Scott (April 17, 2015). "Icons: Rawson Stovall is the original video game critic". Syfy Games. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d Stoler, Peter (1984). The Computer Generation. New York, New York: Facts on File Publications. pp. 111–112. ISBN 9780871968319 – via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ a b Kastor, Elizabeth (August 13, 1983). "Calling the Plays". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Poulos, Cynthia; Hoffer, William (November 1985). "The business whiz kids". Nation's Business. Vol. 73. U.S. Chamber of Commerce. p. 25. ISSN 0028-047X.
  13. ^ Conley, Jim (September 15, 1985). Schoch, Philip (ed.). "At 13, Rawson Stovall is a businessman, author and celebrity". Texas Weekly Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 2. TWM, Inc., Harte-Hanks Magazines. pp. 8, 9.
  14. ^ Oakley, Jack (November 1, 1984). "Stovall, Rawson. The VID Kid's Book of Home Video Games.". Library Journal. Vol. 109, no. 18. p. 2076. ISSN 0363-0277.
  15. ^ "News in Brief". PCMag. Vol. 4, no. 6. Ziff Davis. March 19, 1985. p. 42. ISSN 0888-8507 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ Colker, David (January 10, 1995). "Vintage Video Games: The Latest Blip : Computer Game Producers Look Back to the Past for New Hits at Electronics Show". Los Angeles Times. Vol. 114. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  17. ^ Stovall, Rawson. "@rawsonstovall". Twitter. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  18. ^ "94" (PDF). SMU Magazine. Fall/Winter 2008. Southern Methodist University. 2008. p. 44. Rawson Stovall is a producer at Electronic Arts, a video game publisher in California. He lives in Redwood City.((cite magazine)): CS1 maint: others (link)

External links

The Sims
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