Studio Artist Exploration: Lance Priebe

Lance Priebe is an interactive flash game designer from Kelowna, Canada. I have the privilege of knowing Lance. Although, we have not yet met in person, Lance has been a mentor to me as I am learning about children’s virtual worlds.

Lance is an inventor who utilized the flash platform as a springboard to create one of the most popular virtual world’s for children to this date. He is one of three co-founders of Club Penguin. Since Club Penguin’s inception, Lance led the creative direction and managed the development of technology. Using flash animated cartoons, children can create their own penguin avatar and enter into a world where they can safely play and chat with other children from all over the world. 

In 2007 the Disney Company purchased Club Penguin. Many people hear the Club Penguin success story about how they started in 2005 and sold to Disney in 2007. But not many people hear the back-story.

Lance began his own studio, “Rocket Snail Games” in 1999 as a hobby to create online games and web-toys for several companies. This is where the development for Club Penguin as a safe social world for children began. There was a time when Lance ran out of money and had to take a break for a whole year, but he stayed at it. Finally in 2005, an entire team was put together, and not long afterward their efforts were hugely successful.

Lance’s talent and achievements impress me, but I am also by impressed by his character. The fact that he persevered at his goal is inspiring to me. Lance and his partners care about the children and families they develop their products for. They consider their work as a way to serve others, and I find that very refreshing.

Lance left Disney a couple of years ago. He has returned to Rocketsnail and is currently a partner at Hyper Hippo Games.