Mike Wilson (executive)

Mike Wilson (also Michael S. Wilson as a filmmaker), is a video game executive and co-founder of Devolver Digital. Starting at DWANGO as VP of Development before being hired to handle marketing efforts at id Software in 1996, Wilson has had a hand in founding G.O.D., Gamecock Media Group, and Devolver Digital. Wilson was also the CEO of Ion Storm.

Joining id Software in 1996 to help with the marketing of company's gaming catalogue, Wilson oversaw the launches of several notable games in id's line-up, including sequels and add-ons to games in the Doom and Heretic/Hexen series. Mike also oversaw the launch the retail shareware version of Quake through use of encrypted CD-ROMs and later DVDs, making the titles readily available to all major retailers and even 7-11 stores nationwide.

Leaving id Software at the end of 1996, Wilson went on to join John Romero and Tom Hall to launch the game development company, Ion Storm. Wilson was CEO from Dec 1996 to Dec 1997 and helped grow the company from 8 to 88 employees before exiting due to a highly volatile and public conflict with the third developer partner in the company, Todd Porter, who became CEO after Wilson's departure. Before he left to found Gathering of Developers, Wilson was instrumental in bringing Warren Spector into the Ion fold, who created the Deus Ex franchise out of the Austin office.

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