Distributed Game Development features interviews with eleven industry leaders with specialties ranging from studio management, to technology architecture, to production methodology. These informal interviews with luminaries from Electronic Arts, Blue Castle Games, Sony Online, Firebrand Games, Disney Interactive, The Art Institute, and other top game developers and publishers help explore and reinforce the lessons covered in the text.
“This book contains a number of interviews conducted and presented in Q&A format, designed to offer advice from experienced development directors, producers, lead programmers, art directors, motion graphics experts, and the like. They share their hard-earned wisdom and war stories with us, each dealing with some element of distributed games development. These are some of the top names in the field, whose products collectively have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars during the past decade. Their experiences are generously shared with us so that we might learn from them and continue to produce our own great products.”
Contributors
Bill Byrne, Professor, Art Institute of Austin- “Setting Project Tone Through Visuals.”Bill Byrne is a multimedia digital artist and a freelance editor and motion graphics specialist. He is also a professor of Digital Media Design with the Art Institute of Austin. He has worked in television, film, and advertising for clients ranging from Electronic Arts to NBC and Panasonic.
Everett Lee, Production Director, Sony Online Entertainment - “Production Methods for Game Development”Everett Lee is a ten year veteran of the games industry. He has worked on MMO titles, shooters, racing games, and action arcade games, and been credited as an animator, producer, and designer. He currently works for Sony Online Entertainment. Previously, Everett has built games for Microsoft’s Turn 10 Studios, as well as Wolfpack, Digital Anvil and Acclaim.
Frank Klier, Senior Development Manager, Microsoft Games Studio - “Coordinating Technical Solutions Across Cultural Boundaries.”Frank Klier is a veteran software engineer with more than fourteen years experience creating tools, pipelines, and 3D graphics engine. Frank’s titles include Esoteria, Brute Force, Project Gotham Racing 3, Jade Empire, Gears of War, and Forza Motorsport. Frank is currently a senior development manager for Microsft Games Studios in Redmond, Washington.
David Wiens, Project Manager at Disney Online -“How Development Teams Can Work Well With QA”David Wiens has been making games better since 2001. He has worked in localization and as a QA Lead for Electronic Arts on numerous AAA franchises including NHL, FIFA, James Bond, SSX, and Need for Speed. He is currently a project manager for Club Penguin at Disney Online Studios in Kelowna, BC. David holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Manitoba.
Luke Wasserman, Senior Producer, 2K Sports- “Forming and Maintaining External Partnerships”Luke Wasserman is a Senior Producer at 2K Sports in Marin, California, where he finds and manages teams that create top performing sports games. Luke has served as a Franchise Development Director at Electronic Arts where he was involved in the creation of several versions of the top selling Need for Speed franchise. He has also worked in production at PDI/Dreamworks and Columbia Tri Star.
Mark Greenshields, CEO of Firebrand Games - “How to Effectively Run a Distributed Game Development Studio”Mark Greenshields has been making games professionally for more than 20 years. He is the founder and CEO of Firebrand Games, a game studio located in Glasgow, Scotland and Merritt Island, Florida. Firebrand is best known for their work on racing titles, including the IGN DS Racing game of the year 2007 and 2008, Race Driver: Create and Race and Grid. Previously, Mark worked as the CEO of DC Studios, and as a Development Director at Canal Media TV in France. Mark is credited on over 50 shipped titles.
Phil Wattenbarger, Director of Product Development, Certain Affinity - “How to Run Co-Developed Projects So They Don’t Kill Your Team”Phil Wattenbarger is the Director of Production for Certain Affinity, a small games studio in Austin, Texas, which focuses on multiplayer FPS and RPG games. He has been making games professionally since 1992 and has held roles from Lead Designer to Executive Producer. His studio experience includes Origin Systems, Digital Anvil, Microsoft, Midway and Certain Affinity. He has been credited on Wing Commander, Freelancer, Call of Duty, and Age of Booty.
Rhett Bennatt, Art Director, Aspyr Games - “International Content Collaborations”Rhett Bennatt has been making games and movies for more than ten years. Rhett holds a MFA in Digital Media from Texas A&M University. He currently works as an Art Director for Aspyr Media in Austin, Texas. Rhett has been involved in creating art and managing teams on Starlancer, Freelancer, Brute Force, Perfect Dark, The Sims, and Guitar Hero.
Robyn Wallace, General Manager, Blue Castle Games - “How Leaders Motivate Teams to Do Great Things”Robyn Wallace is the General Manager of Blue Castle Games in Vancouver, BC. She currently leads the team creating Dead Rising 2 for Capcom. Robyn has led teams for more than fifteen years on several SSX titles, NBA Street, and Need for Speed, among other franchises. Robyn worked as a Senior Project Manager and Director of Project Development before taking over the reins at Blue Castle.
Sergio Rosas, President and Founder of CGBot - “On Running the First Art Outsourcing Company in Mexico”Sergio Rosas is the president and founder of CGBot, a high quality boutique art outsourcing company located in Monterrey, Mexico. He has more than fourteen years experience as a games artist and art director. He began making games at Origin Systems, and has since worked at Human Code, Digital Anvil, Ion Storm and Midway. Sergio served as art director on the critically acclaimed Thief: Deadly Shadows and Deus EX, as well as Area 51: Blacksite.
Fay David Griffin is a Development Director in charge of vendor outsourcing at Electronic Arts. She previously worked in the Art Department at Lucasfilm, JAK Films, and at Skywalker Ranch. She appeared in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith, and worked on visual effects for Episodes I and II.