When the OS/2 market collapsed, he shifted Stardock to
Windows, heading development of PC game Entrepreneur (now The Corporate Machine) while coordinating the creation of WindowBlinds and other Object Desktop components.
Wardell is co-founder and webmaster of
WinCustomize, a site specializing in the distribution of
skins and
themes for computer software. Wardell was a designer of OS customization programs such as
WindowBlinds,[11]Fences (software), and
Object Desktop.[12][13] He was a regular on the PowerUser.TVpodcast,[14] run by WinCustomize and Neowin,[15] and organized the GUI Olympics (later GUI Championships), a semi-annual skinning competition starting in 2002.[16]
Video games
Wardell has programmed, designed or executive produced a substantial number of video games and is regularly interviewed by game industry sites regarding his views on technology, game publishing and trends.[17][18][19][20][21] His particular expertise has focused on
parallel computing, AI, graphics APIs and strategy games[22].[23][24][25][26][27] He has also presented at the Game Developer's Conference several times on topics ranging from code optimization to disasters in publishing[28][29].[30]
Wardell takes an approach to game development allowing users to view and influence the process of making games.[31][32] Wardell is credited with multiple game projects either as a game designer or as an executive producer.[33] Wardell is also an advocate for consumer rights for software and game customers and published the
Gamer's Bill of Rights.[34][35][36]
Wardell was an early pioneer of digital distribution of games and software, despite the potential for
software piracy.[37] While recognizing copyright infringement as an issue, he felt that efforts to prevent it ended up making software more frustrating for legitimate customers.[38] To this end, Wardell created a "Gamers Bill of Rights," released at
PAX 2008.[39][40][41]Gas Powered Games'
Chris Taylor – who was working with Stardock on Demigod at the time – called the bill "an awesome framework for the industry to aspire to."[42] Later, his digital distribution platform, Impulse, was sold to GameStop in 2011[43][44].[45]
Co-Founder work
In mid 2013, Stardock announced that it had promoted Derek Paxton to succeed Wardell in the running of Stardock Entertainment in order for Wardell to have more time for other projects.[46] These other projects included co-founding new game studios [47] including
Oxide Games and
Mohawk Games with
Soren Johnson.[48] Wardell's goal was to encourage innovation and empower a new generation of
4X game developers.[49] As part of this endeavor, Wardell founded the Stardock Staffing Company to allow developers and artists to work on projects between a coalition of game studios to provide better job security.[50][51][52]
Author
Wardell wrote the fantasy novel Elemental: Destiny's Embers, published by
Del Rey to accompany Elemental: War of Magic. The book is set a thousand years after the Cataclysm, after the time of the game itself,[53] and involves the quest of a former messenger to save mankind from the Fallen.[54] The book came with a coupon to
download an exclusive
campaign for the game.[55]
Gamergate campaign
Wardell has voiced support for the criticisms raised by the
Gamergate campaign, stating that "anyone reading the gaming sites has seen the trend over the past few years of activist journalism creeping in".[56] In response to
Ashes of the Singularity receiving a 69 rating on
Metacritic, Wardell accused gaming journalists of having "some bone to pick with #gamergate", insisting that they "don't take it out on my game's metacritic score".[57][58]Political commentator
Milo Yiannopoulos voiced his support for Wardell, describing the media's unfair treatment towards Wardell that eventually led up to GamerGate.[59]
Awards
Wardell was a member of
Crain's Detroit's 40 under 40 in 2003,[60] and has been a finalist for
Ernst & Young's Michigan Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002-4 and 2007.[61]