Experience

Maxis Studios - EA

• United States
• Computer Games
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Design Director

  • Jan 2021 - Present

  Design Director overseeing Expansion Packs and Game Packs on The Sims 4Develop and execute on the vision of the brand specifically across The Sims 4 Game Packs and Expansion Packs. Update Design Documentation and Design Processes and develop a team of designers that focus on the stories our players want to tell with our product. Develop upcoming team talent and mentor them to take on more responsibility. Work with Creative Director to integrate topline objectives and key results into our day-to-day operations. Show less

• Senior Designer

  • Jan 2016 - Jan 2021

  The Sims 4 - Expansion Packs and Game Packs - Creative DirectorManaged the design team during transitions between Creative Directors, ultimately developing a new Design Director Position to be intermediary between the product Creative Director and the design team.The Sims 4 - Eco Lifestyle Expansion Pack - Design Lead Managed and directed the design team on this expansion pack.The Sims Mobile - Design Lead - Content ReleasesManaged and directed a live content design team to develop live service content for the products first year. Designed & Implemented approximately 23 content releases for the first year. Streamlined asset request pipeline to better track art requests. Implemented community facing walkthroughs of live events. Authored dozens of scripts to automate hook up and tuning tasks.The Sims Mobile - Senior Designer - iOS, AndroidI was on the product from initial conception through soft launch, and completely through the first year.Authored simulation systems and mechanics from autonomy to goal structures and core object and interaction systems, as well as the base systems for build and buy mode, and live event systems. Show less



Mythic Entertainment (An EA Company)

• Computer Games
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Designer

  • Feb 2011 - Jan 2016

  Overall Sims Franchise- Managed EASL design team during production including task tracking, trends and reports, bug assignment, and am responsible for putting out the fires inherit to daily game development. The Sims 3 Into the Future - PC, Mac- Responsible for the following features: Living in the Future, Descendants, Time Travel, Gallery Shops including Mannequin Pedestal displays, Dream Pod.The Sims 3 University Life - PC, Mac- Responsible for the following features University Academics system, Dorms and Roommates, Opportunities, Job Board updates, Travel world tech advancements, new Venues and Rabbitholes.The Sims 3 Supernatural - PC, Mac- responsible for core system designs and implementations as well as overall game tuning. Supernatural Create-A-Sim, transformations, and the underlying system for alchemy and their associated rewards.The Sims 3 Showtime - PC, Mac- Responsible for the world, lots and venues, show stages, new active career systems, singer, and various other world objects. Show less

• Lead Level Designer

  • Feb 2010 - Feb 2011

  Wildlife: Forest Survival, PSN/XBLA- Created Whiteboxing in a Timebox Level Design Process: designers create a full level over the period of 8 hours from concept to playable. Allowed the team to try dozens of different levels and iterations before hand picking the best 8 of the bunch well before production started.- Created scripting and metrics tool designs so level designers could better understand play patterns in levels and react to feedback quickly.- Managed and Lead the level design team towards deliverables. Set expectations, quality levels and standards. Wore multiple hats to support the small team mentallity.- Created 2 of the 8 maps. (1 4-6 player, 1 8-12 player)- Managed art assets and pipelines, optimized art and collision assets, implemented new art and generally acted as content manager for the team. Designed and Created high quality, cheap (non-billboard) foliage assets with multiple near-seemless LOD levels.- Acted as Build and Submissions engineer. Show less

• Designer II

  • Mar 2009 - Feb 2010

  - (2009) Nerf N-Strike Elite, WiiArrived at EASL late into the cycle of Nerf N-Strike Elite which is a on-rails shooter 2 player experience design for kids and their dads. Took ownership over Enemy Designs including their state machines, attack patterns, hit reactions, pattern sequencing and overall flow of the game from start to finish. I was responsible for balancing and tuning the entire experience so that it played well for "4-year-olds" but still provided a challenged for the 40-something dad.Over saw the level design process and spent a lot of time working individually with each designer on individual enemy encounters, and how the game progressed from level to level.Scripted a variety of encounters across all levels to support other designers when required.- (2009 - 2010) Prototyping GroupWork on a variety of prototypes using Unity 3D, and a little bit of Unreal. Became one of two central contact points among the team for Unity3D Support and knowledge. The prototyping group successfully carried two projects within a relatively small window of time into full production. Worked both as the leader of a prototype team, managing the design and people working on the design and an implementor. Using C#, implemented whole systems, created 3d models, sound, particle fx, levels, textures and anything else that was required for a specific prototype. Show less



Electronic Arts (EA)

• United States
• Entertainment Providers
• 700 & Above Employee

• Tileset & Level Designer

  • May 2005 - Apr 2009

  (2009)Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (Nintendo DS)- Design, developed and painted 15 traditional 2D tilesets for platformer / puzzle to be used across the games 40 or so levels.- Designed 15 levels integrating a robust set of player movement, combat and puzzle mechanics.- Helped design Gesso, the proprietary in house tool used to build everything from levels, actors and scripted sequences.

• Designer II

  • May 2005 - Apr 2009

  - Prototyping Initiative.work with various engines and tools (cryengine, unreal, in house tools) to prototype features and concepts for future products- Superman Returns, PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360focused on the First Hour of gameplay, which were scripted linear levels. Used Lua Script, finite state machines and a custom action/event system to build level content and actor behaviors.



2015 Inc

• Level Designer

  • Jun 2003 - Feb 2005

  Worked closely with 6 other designers to produce, design and develop over 65 unique levels for Men of Valor on both Xbox and PC platforms. Mastered the custom scripting tools and acted as general knowledge base of Unreal and our proprietary scripting system training new designers on how to use the tools. Worked closely with 6 other designers to produce, design and develop over 65 unique levels for Men of Valor on both Xbox and PC platforms. Mastered the custom scripting tools and acted as general knowledge base of Unreal and our proprietary scripting system training new designers on how to use the tools.



Sunstorm Interactive

• Level Designer

  • May 2002 - Feb 2003

  Starting with the Serious Sam Engine and its tools, built a large variety of environments (14) and gameplay scenarios. Each environment was roughly 16 square kilometers used for the successful Hunting Franchises, Deer Hunter and Bird Hunter. After completing 2 projects We began working with Unreal to develop a cops/robbers product pitch/demo of which I was responsible for all Level Design and Scripting tasks. Also created art schedules to flesh out the design being developed. Starting with the Serious Sam Engine and its tools, built a large variety of environments (14) and gameplay scenarios. Each environment was roughly 16 square kilometers used for the successful Hunting Franchises, Deer Hunter and Bird Hunter. After completing 2 projects We began working with Unreal to develop a cops/robbers product pitch/demo of which I was responsible for all Level Design and Scripting tasks. Also created art schedules to flesh out the design being developed.



Meltdown Productions

• 2D / 3D Artist

  • Nov 1999 - May 2001

  Started off with Metldown as an Intern while attending the Art Institute of Seattle. Worked with a variety of technologies eventually ending with Unreal developing various product pitches and demos. Learned Unreal Script language and created a large majority of the environment textures and various object and character models. Eventually served as acting Art Director to help unify all facets of the product's various visual elements from character and environment models and textures down to the concept sketches used to construct the product. Show less