Neversoft and Daniel Amen: Difference between pages

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{{Advert|date=August 2008}}
{{Infobox_Company
'''Daniel G. Amen''', [[MD]] is a child and adult [[psychiatrist]], self-help guru, bestselling author and medical director of the [[Amen Clinic]].<ref name=Engber>{{cite web
|company_name = Neversoft Entertainment
|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2179392/
|company_logo = [[Image:Neversoft_Logo.gif|250px]]
|title=Return of the Neuropundits! Should presidential candidates have their brains scanned?
|company_type = Subsidiary
|first=Daniel
|company_slogan =
|last=Engber
|foundation = [[1994 in video gaming|1994]]
|publisher=Slate
|location = [[Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California|Woodland Hills, California]]
|date=2007-12-07}}</ref>.
|key_people = [[Joel Jewett]]
|num_employees =
|industry = [[Computer and video game industry|Computer and video games]]
|revenue =
|homepage = [http://www.neversoft.com Neversoft Homepage]
|products = [[Tony Hawk's (series)|''Tony Hawk<nowiki>'</nowiki>s'' series]]<br /> ''[[Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock]]''
|parent = [[Activision]]
|owner = [[Activision Blizzard]]
}}


==Professional Credential==
'''Neversoft''' or '''Neversoft Entertainment''' is a [[United States|American]] [[video game developer]], founded in [[1994]] by Joel Jewett, Mick West and Chris Ward. Neversoft is best recognized for their line of [[Tony Hawk]] [[skateboarding]] games, known as the [[Tony Hawk's (series)|''Tony Hawk<nowiki>'</nowiki>s'' series]]. The company was acquired by [[Activision]] in [[1999]].
Amen is a Distinguished Fellow of the [[American Psychiatric Association]]. He is the [[CEO]] and medical director of The Amen Clinics, Inc. in [[Newport Beach, California]] and [[Fairfield, California]], [[Tacoma, Washington]] and [[Reston, Virginia]].


Amen is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the [[University of California, Irvine School of Medicine]], an untenured volunteer position. Amen received his undergraduate degree from [[Southern California College]] (now Vanguard University) and his MD degree from the now-closed program at [[Oral Roberts University]].<ref name=Salon>{{cite web
==Early history==
|url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/mind_reader/2008/05/12/daniel_amen/
Neversoft was founded in [[1994]] by three employees of Malibu Interactive, (previously Acme Interactive) a division of [[Malibu Comics]] based in [[Westlake Village]], [[California]]. At that time the primary platforms were the [[History of video games (16-bit era)|16-bit]] [[Video game console|consoles]], the [[Sega Mega Drive|Mega Drive/Genesis]] and the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]. Games for these systems could be developed by very small teams, anywhere from two to ten developers. As a result it was much easier than at present to set up a [[Video game developer|game development company]], and several groups of people had already left Malibu to strike out on their own. [[Left Field Productions]] and [[Paradox Development]] being two extant companies that were founded in such a way, with others such as [[Clockwork Tortoise]] no longer in existence.
|title=Brain Scam: Why is PBS airing Dr. Daniel Amen's self-produced infomercial for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease?
|first=Robert
|last=Burton
|publisher=Salon
|date=2008-05-12
|accessdate=2008-05-12}}</ref>


==Publications==
Joel Jewett, a native of [[Montana]] and a [[CPA]], was at the time head of development at the rapidly shrinking Malibu Interactive. He teamed up with Mick West, a [[game programmer]] who had just completed working on "Battletech - A Game of Armored Combat" for the Mega Drive/Genesis, and Chris Ward, an [[game artist|Artist]]. Both Chris and Mick were from [[Yorkshire]] in [[England]], although they first met when they moved to California in 1993 to work at Malibu Interactive.
Amen is the author of 22 books and a number of audio and video programs. Amen, together with The United Paramount Network and [[Leeza Gibbons]], produced a show called ''The Truth About Drinking'', on alcohol education for teenagers, which won an [[Emmy Award]] for the Best Educational Television Show. In 1999, [[Random House]] published Dr. Amen’s book, ''Change Your Brain, Change Your Life'', which has been on the [[New York Times bestseller list]] and is translated into 13 languages. He is also the author of ''Healing ADD'', ''Healing The Hardware of the Soul'', ''Making A Good Brain Great'' and the co-author of ''Healing Anxiety and Depression and Preventing Alzheimer’s''. The [[audiobook]] for ''Making A Good Brain Great'' received Audiofile Magazine’s Earphone Award, the audiobook industry equivalent to the [[Grammy Awards]]. In January 2007, Harmony Books published Dr. Amen’s latest book, ''Sex On The Brain''.


The ''Amen classification'' is a new guideline for classifying psychiatric patients into particular groups of [[Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder|ADHD]] created by Amen.
In July 1994 Neversoft was formed. They initially found work for [[Playmates Interactive Entertainment]] a then division of [[Playmates Toys]], who were about to release a line of toys called Skeleton Warriors and wanted a game to go along with the toys and the cartoon series. Neversoft began work on the game design, and moved into offices in [[Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California|Woodland Hills, California]].


== Description ==
Neversoft worked on the Sega version for five months, over that time they hired another artist and a level designer. In December 1994 Playmates cancelled the game. They were not unhappy with the progress, but had decided that they needed to get on the [[History of video games (32-bit / 64-bit era)|32-Bit]] bandwagon and develop the game for the new [[Sega Saturn]].
The Amen classification system defines six different subtypes of ADHD.<ref>Functional neuroimaging in clinical practice (co-author with Joseph C. Wu and H. Stefan Bracha) in The Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry Edited by Kaplan and Sadock 2000</ref>
<ref>Brain SPECT Imaging and ADD in Understanding, Diagnosing, and Treating AD/HD in Children and Adolescents: An Integrative Approach. Eds Incorvaia, JA, Mark-Goldstein BS, and Tessmer D. Jason Aronson, Inc, Northvale, New Jersey, 1999, 183-196.</ref>
<ref>Brain SPECT Imaging: Encyclopedia entry. Encyclopedia of Special Education edited by Cecil Reynolds and Elaine Fletcher-Janzen to be published by Wiley in the winter of 2006. </ref>


These subtypes were created using [[Single photon emission computed tomography|SPECT]] imaging on patients who were known to have ADHD. Amen argues that differences seen in the imaging for sufferers of ADHD correspond to the new classification system he has created. A patient can have a range from none to all subtypes of ADHD under the Amen system.
[[1995]] was spent developing ''Skeleton Warriors'' for the Sega Saturn. Over the course of this year Neversoft grew rapidly, hiring three programmers, five artists, a level designer, a tester and an office administrator. ''Skeleton Warriors'' was finished in time for the 1995 holiday season, and Neversoft began looking for other work while they ported Skeleton Warriors to the [[Sony PlayStation]].


In [[1996]] Neversoft continued to expand, swelling to over twenty employees. They worked for six months on a game based on [[Ghost Rider (comics)|Ghost Rider]] for [[Crystal Dynamics]] which was cancelled due to financial problems with the publisher. They got connected to the internet (previously all communications were done with phone and fax). With some excess capacity Neversoft started to develop a game of their own design, initially called ''Big Guns''. The technology developed there was used in their next project, a conversion of the PC game ''[[MDK (game)|MDK]]''. Toward the end of 1996 Neversoft sold the idea for ''Big Guns'' to [[Sony Computer Entertainment]] and they began development.


The Amen classification consists of the following ADHD subtypes:
[[1997]] was a tumultuous year for Neversoft. The ''MDK'' conversion took far longer than expected, and the ''Big Guns'' game (renamed ''Exodus'') went through numerous design changes at the behest of Sony, and was eventually cancelled in November 1997. The company shrunk back to just twelve employees. Neversoft then spent the next few months shopping around their technology, meeting with numerous companies and looking for work.


* Type I - Classic ADD (ADHD)
[[Image:1998 Neversoft 960.jpg|300px|thumb|right|1998 Employees of Neversoft]]
* Type II - Inattentive ADD
* Type III - Over-Focused ADD
* Type IV - Temporal Lobe ADD
* Type V - Limbic ADD
* Type VI - "Ring of fire" ADD
However, "SPECT scans are not sufficiently sensitive or specific to be useful in the diagnosis of AlzheimerDisease", say neurologist Michael Greicius , who runs the Stanford University memory clinic, and has a special interest in the use of functional brain imaging in the diagnosis of Alzheimer Disease.


==See also==
In January [[1998]], just as Neversoft was about to run out of money, they had a fortunate meeting with [[Activision]] who were looking for someone to re-develop ''[[Apocalypse (video game)|Apocalypse]]'', a failed internal project featuring the voice of [[Bruce Willis]]. The technology developed for ''Big Guns'' turned out to be ideal for the project, Activision were impressed and Neversoft began work on Apocalypse.
* [[SPECT]]

In May 1998, Apocalypse was going very well, and Activision signed up Neversoft to develop a prototype for a [[skateboarding]] game. This proceeded slowly as they could not spare many people from Apocalypse. The initial prototypes resembled the arcade game ''[[Top Skater]]''. ''Apocalypse'' wrapped up in October of 1998 and development began in earnest on ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater]]'' (aka THPS) for the PlayStation and N64. At this time Neversoft comprised 15 people: six programmers, five artists, three level designers and Joel, the President.

==Ongoing success==
[[1999]] saw the development of the first ''Tony Hawk's Pro Skater'' game, the start of a series of wildly successful games that have defined the extreme sports genre ever since. The original game was released on the PlayStation in October 1999, and development immediately began on the sequel.

[[1999]] saw the start of development of the game ''[[Spider-Man (2000 video game)|Spider-Man]]'', also for Activision. Like ''THPS'' the technology for this game was also based on the ''Apocalypse'' engine, which was in turn based on the ''Big Guns'' engine. Neversoft was now developing two major games in parallel, and expanded appropriately, growing into two large teams.

Activision acquired Neversoft in the summer of 1999 in a stock swap deal. The founders of Neversoft and several key employees signed four year employment agreements.

The year [[2000]] saw the development of THPS2, and also the release of ''Spider-Man''. During 2000 Neversoft began work on ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3]]'' specifically for the [[PlayStation 2]]. As both teams finished their project they were merged into one large team. ''THPS3'' was developed using the [[RenderWare]] game engine.

''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3]]'' was released in [[2001]], followed by ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4]]'' in [[2002]]. In [[2003]] Neversoft reworked the game with a more story-oriented approach in ''[[Tony Hawk's Underground]]'', followed by a sequel in ''[[Tony Hawk's Underground 2]]'' in 2004. In 2004 Neversoft again split into two teams as they began work on a new internally developed IP called [[GUN]] and the seventh version of the [[Tony Hawk's (series)|''Tony Hawk<nowiki>'</nowiki>s'' series]] called ''[[Tony Hawk's American Wasteland]]''.

''[[Tony Hawk's Project 8]]'' was developed and released in [[2006]]. This was the first title under Neversoft that was truly developed as a next-gen title for the [[Xbox 360]] and the [[PlayStation 3]].

''[[Tony Hawk's Proving Ground]]'' was released in [[2007]]. It is the second next-gen title in the ''Tony Hawk<nowiki>'</nowiki>s'' series with newer features.

After Activision acquired [[RedOctane]] and the [[Guitar Hero (series)|''Guitar Hero'' series]], [[Harmonix Music Systems|Harmonix]] developed their last ''Guitar Hero'' game, ''[[Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s]]'', before they were acquired by [[MTV]]. Neversoft continued the ''Guitar Hero'' series by developing the next installment, ''[[Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock]]'', with their in-house game engine made from scratch rather than using Harmonix's engine. Released in [[2007]], Neversoft developed the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 versions.

== Current projects ==
It is currently unknown what Neversoft is developing because there are no announcements from Activision. However, they are currently working on downloadable content for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 release of ''[[Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock]]''. Recent reports hint that expansions for game consoles would happen.

The company's namesake will also be used as the title of the lead villain for ''[[Austin Powers 4]]'', speculated to be video game fan Scott Evil's new identity.

=== Video games ===
{| class="wikitable" width="80%"
|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
! width="36" align="center"|Year
! Game
! Platform
! Notes
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="1"|[[1996]] || ''[[Skeleton Warriors]]'' || [[PlayStation]], [[Sega Saturn]] ||
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="1"|[[1998]] || ''[[Apocalypse (video game)|Apocalypse]]'' || PlayStation ||
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="1"|[[1999]] || ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater]]'' || PlayStation ||
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="2"|[[2000]] || ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2]]'' || PlayStation ||
|-
| ''[[Spider-Man (2000 video game)|Spider-Man]]'' || PlayStation ||
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="1"|[[2001]] || ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3]]'' || [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]], [[PlayStation 2]] || PS2 Greatest Hits version released in 2002
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="2"|[[2002]] || ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3]]'' || [[Xbox]] ||
|-
| ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4]]'' || GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox ||
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="2"|[[2003]] || ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4]]'' || Hybrid Windows/Mac ||
|-
| ''[[Tony Hawk's Underground]]'' || GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox ||
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="1"|[[2004]] || ''[[Tony Hawk's Underground 2]]'' ||GameCube, [[Personal computer|PC]], PlayStation 2, Xbox ||
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="2"|[[2005]] || ''[[Tony Hawk's American Wasteland]]'' || GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, [[Xbox 360]]|| Greatest Hits version for PS2 released in 2006
|-
| ''[[GUN]]'' || GameCube, PlayStation 2, PC, Xbox, Xbox 360||
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="1"|[[2006]] || ''[[Tony Hawk's Project 8]]'' || [[PlayStation 3]], Xbox 360 ||
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="3"|[[2007]] || ''[[Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock]]'' || PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, [[Wii]] || New acquisition from [[Harmonix Music Systems|Harmonix]]
|-
| ''[[Tony Hawk's Proving Ground]]'' || PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
|-
| ''[[Hot Wheels: Beat That!]]'' || [[Nintendo DS]], [[Personal computer|PC]], PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, [[PlayStation Portable]], Wii, || First Game Made directly for PC<br />Neversoft Uncredited
|-
| width="36" align="center" rowspan="3"|[[2008]] || ''[[Tony Hawk's Down Hill Jam]]'' || PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 || Official title unknown
|-
| ''[[Guitar Hero: Aerosmith]]'' || PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii ||
|-
| ''[[Guitar Hero World Tour]]'' || PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii ||
|}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
<div class="references-small">
<references/>
</div>


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.neversoft.com/ Neversoft website]
* [http://www.amenclinics.com/ Amen Clinics]
*[http://www.activision.com/ Activision website]
* [http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/spect-scan/CA00084 SPECT imaging at Mayo Clinic]
* [http://www.quackwatch.com/06ResearchProjects/amen.html A Skeptical View of SPECT Scans and Dr. Daniel Amen]
* [http://www.salon.com/mwt/mind_reader/2008/05/12/daniel_amen/ Critical news piece about brain scans]



{{Lifetime|MISSING|LIVING|Amen, Daniel G.}}
[[Category:Activision]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1994]]
[[Category:United States video game companies]]
[[Category:Video game developers]]


[[Category:American health and wellness writers]]
[[de:Neversoft]]
[[Category:American medical writers]]
[[es:Neversoft]]
[[Category:American psychiatrists]]
[[fr:Neversoft]]
[[Category:American self-help writers]]
[[nl:NeverSoft]]
[[Category:Attention disorders]]
[[pl:Neversoft]]
[[Category:Arab Americans]]
[[fi:Neversoft]]
[[Category:Lebanese Americans]]
[[sv:Neversoft]]

Revision as of 05:25, 11 October 2008

Daniel G. Amen, MD is a child and adult psychiatrist, self-help guru, bestselling author and medical director of the Amen Clinic.[1].

Professional Credential

Amen is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is the CEO and medical director of The Amen Clinics, Inc. in Newport Beach, California and Fairfield, California, Tacoma, Washington and Reston, Virginia.

Amen is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, an untenured volunteer position. Amen received his undergraduate degree from Southern California College (now Vanguard University) and his MD degree from the now-closed program at Oral Roberts University.[2]

Publications

Amen is the author of 22 books and a number of audio and video programs. Amen, together with The United Paramount Network and Leeza Gibbons, produced a show called The Truth About Drinking, on alcohol education for teenagers, which won an Emmy Award for the Best Educational Television Show. In 1999, Random House published Dr. Amen’s book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, which has been on the New York Times bestseller list and is translated into 13 languages. He is also the author of Healing ADD, Healing The Hardware of the Soul, Making A Good Brain Great and the co-author of Healing Anxiety and Depression and Preventing Alzheimer’s. The audiobook for Making A Good Brain Great received Audiofile Magazine’s Earphone Award, the audiobook industry equivalent to the Grammy Awards. In January 2007, Harmony Books published Dr. Amen’s latest book, Sex On The Brain.

The Amen classification is a new guideline for classifying psychiatric patients into particular groups of ADHD created by Amen.

Description

The Amen classification system defines six different subtypes of ADHD.[3] [4] [5]

These subtypes were created using SPECT imaging on patients who were known to have ADHD. Amen argues that differences seen in the imaging for sufferers of ADHD correspond to the new classification system he has created. A patient can have a range from none to all subtypes of ADHD under the Amen system.


The Amen classification consists of the following ADHD subtypes:

  • Type I - Classic ADD (ADHD)
  • Type II - Inattentive ADD
  • Type III - Over-Focused ADD
  • Type IV - Temporal Lobe ADD
  • Type V - Limbic ADD
  • Type VI - "Ring of fire" ADD

However, "SPECT scans are not sufficiently sensitive or specific to be useful in the diagnosis of AlzheimerDisease", say neurologist Michael Greicius , who runs the Stanford University memory clinic, and has a special interest in the use of functional brain imaging in the diagnosis of Alzheimer Disease.

See also

References

  1. ^ Engber, Daniel (2007-12-07). "Return of the Neuropundits! Should presidential candidates have their brains scanned?". Slate.
  2. ^ Burton, Robert (2008-05-12). "Brain Scam: Why is PBS airing Dr. Daniel Amen's self-produced infomercial for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease?". Salon. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
  3. ^ Functional neuroimaging in clinical practice (co-author with Joseph C. Wu and H. Stefan Bracha) in The Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry Edited by Kaplan and Sadock 2000
  4. ^ Brain SPECT Imaging and ADD in Understanding, Diagnosing, and Treating AD/HD in Children and Adolescents: An Integrative Approach. Eds Incorvaia, JA, Mark-Goldstein BS, and Tessmer D. Jason Aronson, Inc, Northvale, New Jersey, 1999, 183-196.
  5. ^ Brain SPECT Imaging: Encyclopedia entry. Encyclopedia of Special Education edited by Cecil Reynolds and Elaine Fletcher-Janzen to be published by Wiley in the winter of 2006.

External links


{{subst:#if:Amen, Daniel G.|}} [[Category:{{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:MISSING}} 

|| UNKNOWN | MISSING = Year of birth missing {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:LIVING}}||LIVING=(living people)}}
| #default = MISSING births

}}]] {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:LIVING}} 

|| LIVING  = 
| MISSING  = 
| UNKNOWN  = 
| #default =

}}

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