Dominic McDowall-Thomas
Dominic McDowall-Thomas is a game designer and publisher who has worked primarily on role-playing games and card games.
Dominic McDowall-Thomas | |
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Nationality | British |
Occupation | Game designer |
Career
Dominic McDowall-Thomas is a leadership and communications consultant.[1]:427 McDowall-Thomas began his relationship with Cubicle 7 on January 1, 2004.[1]:427 McDowall-Thomas and Angus Abranson were friends who regularly gamed and clubbed together, and he agreed to help edit the SLA Industries books for Abranson, starting with Hunter Sheets Issue One.[1]:427 In late 2006, Abranson and McDowall-Thomas properly formed Cubicle 7 Entertainment Limited, with the two of them as partners.[1]:427 Abranson and McDowall-Thomas handed the creation of Victoriana to Ian Sturrock and Andrew Peregrine, as they remained focus on the business side of things.[1]:428 When McDowall-Thomas was busy with a consultancy contract, Gareth-Michael Skarka stepped in to edit Starblazer Adventures (2008).[1]:428 After acquiring the Doctor Who license, Abranson and McDowall-Thomas needed investment by the end of 2008, and went to Matthew Sprange of Mongoose Publishing who introduced them to the Rebellion Group.[1]:429 Abranson and McDowall-Thomas were then able to go full-time for the first time in March 2009.[1]:429 When Cubicle 7 secured the license to Lord of the Rings, McDowall-Thomas and Robert Hyde of Sophisticted Games led the project, with lead designer Francesco Nepitello.[1]:432
In November 2011 Abranson left Cubicle 7 after the reported failure of the print partnerships he oversaw.[2]:355 With McDowall-Thomas in sole charge of the company it went from financial crisis to turn over a million dollars within two years.[2]:357
In 2012 the Mcdowall-penned "Words of the Wise" won the Silver ENnie award for best free product.[3]
Under Mcdowall's CEOship, Cubicle 7 expanded beyond its original roleplaying games remit, into card games,[2]:357 and dice games.[4]
In December 2014, Cubicle 7 announced that it had left the Rebellion Developments group of companies, following a successful management buy out led by CEO Dominic McDowall.[5]
In July 2016, still under Mcdowall's sole leadership, Cubicle 7 announced "Adventures in Middle-earth" an OGL setting guide for Middle-earth, bringing Tolkien's work to the Dungeons & Dragons ruleset for the first time.[6]
References
- Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. ISBN 978-1-907702- 58-7.
- Shannon Appelcline (2014). Designers & Dragons The 00s. Evil Hat Productions. ISBN 978-1-61317-087-8.
- "Congratulations to the 2012 ENnie Award winners!". 18 August 2012.
- "Dalek Dice - Cubicle 7". cubicle7.co.uk.
- "cubicle 7 leaves rebellion group - Cubicle 7". www.cubicle7.co.uk.
- "Geek Dream Realized! A D&D Game Set in Middle Earth - Geek and Sundry". 29 July 2016.