Vidya Gamer is a start-up focused on transforming the games and learning space into a meaningful, impactful, commercial sector. Initially my focus is consulting for various commercial and not-for-profit enterprises on their games and learning strategy, product development and related services. In addition, I have various product and business ideas in development.
Executive Producer, Kodu (www.kodugamelab.com) and an unannounced title as part of our Playful Learning initiative. Established a business rationale and strategy to justify continued and incremental funding in Microsoft KODU. Doubled unique users in 12 months while establishing strategic partnerships with best in class organizations to deliver against our goals to further the science and credibility of games and learning. Delivered Studio K through our first announced partnership with the Educational Research Group at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison; a robust game-based curriculum, teacher toolkit and research platform with a focus on automated assessment around Computational Thinking, Common Core STEM, and digital media literacy. Lead various project incubation and partnership explorations including being the creative lead on an unannounced IP aimed at the kids active space. Executive Producer, RYSE (aka Codename Kingdoms) overseeing the project and partnership with Crytek, a leading independent video game developer.
Executive Producer, Kodu (www.kodugamelab.com) and the academic strategy for Project Spark. Established a business rationale and strategy to justify continued and incremental funding in Microsoft KODU. Doubled unique users in 12 months while establishing strategic partnerships with best in class organizations to deliver against our goals to further the science and credibility of games and learning. Delivered Studio K through our first announced partnership with the Educational Research Group at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison; a robust game-based curriculum, teacher toolkit and research platform with a focus on automated assessment around Computational Thinking, Common Core STEM, and digital media literacy. Lead various project incubation and partnership explorations including being the creative lead on an unannounced IP aimed at the kids active space. --- Executive Producer, Ryse: Son of Rome. Overseeing the project and partnership with Crytek, a leading independent video game developer; establish the strategic direction for franchise and XBOX One launch title.
Established and lead Nintendo Group. Strategy was to build a world class Nintendo Group for the EA Games Label, leveraging EA IP though the remainder of this cycle and to be prepared with a mix of new & existing IP for Wii2. Built and Executive Produced three teams (two Wii, one DS) of over 80 development staff. Identifying, recruiting, coaching and developing each teamâs leadership encouraging each team to take ownership of its team structure and development methodology. Tracking and monitoring each title`s vision, quality, scope, schedule, budget, and resource performance, identifying and removing roadblocks. Sponsored the creation of âIP-Labâ a partnership between my group and the studioâs concept team to create multiple new IP pitches and study the broader family gaming market. Initiative included designers âadopting a familyâ and commissioning sociological studies. Partnered with studio and marketing execs to define portfolio and franchise strategy for group. With the recession, adapted SKU plan away from high COGS music titles and delayed new IP in favour of high profile license. Announced Titles: - Need For Speed NITRO - Nintendo Wii, November 2009 (Winner IGN Best of E3 2009 Best Racing Game for Wii & DS) - Boogie SuperStar â Nintendo Wii, October 2008
Established and lead Nintendo Group. Strategy was to build a world class Nintendo Group for the EA Games Label, leveraging EA IP though the remainder of this cycle and to be prepared with a mix of new & existing IP for Wii2. Built and Executive Produced three teams (two Wii, one DS) of over 80 development staff. Identifying, recruiting, coaching and developing each team's leadership encouraging each team to take ownership of its team structure and development methodology. Tracking and monitoring each title`s vision, quality, scope, schedule, budget, and resource performance, identifying and removing roadblocks. Sponsored the creation of 'IP-Lab' a partnership between my group and the studio's concept team to create multiple new IP pitches and study the broader family gaming market. Initiative included designers 'adopting a family' and commissioning sociological studies. Partnered with studio and marketing execs to define portfolio and franchise strategy for group. With the recession, adapted SKU plan away from high COGS music titles and delayed new IP in favour of high profile license. Announced Titles: - Need For Speed NITRO - Nintendo Wii, November 2009 (Winner IGN Best of E3 2009 Best Racing Game for Wii & DS) - Boogie SuperStar - Nintendo Wii, October 2008
Lead two complete cycles of FIFA from conception through to Final. Responsible for vision, creative & business success and accountable for scope, schedule, budget and resource planning. Line managing teams of 40-60 people partnering with complex set of centralised groups (art, UI, data collection, various online groups, QA, localization, quality testing, legal, and multiple marketing, PR, and sales groups). Achievements include bringing FIFA to PS3 for the first time, FIFA 08 became the first FIFA to review better than Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer (via metacritic.com), making operational optimizations such as shaving weeks off the annual final time, cutting kit production cost by over 70% and improving the predictability of kit reference data collection. Established FIFA as the number one online sports title. Initiatives included creating and leading a cross soccer team group to leverage features from each title resulting in Online Team Play, Live Seasons, Be A Pro. Utilized multiple production methodologies using waterfall for features with complex dependencies and agile for certain high risk / high impact gameplay features. Partnered with marketing, PR and sales groups to establish go-to-market strategy. Including, partnering with Wieden+Kennedy for the marketing campaign and defining the comms plan to counter internal and external âFIFA fatigueâ via detailed exposure to gameplay design method, creating long term 11v11 online virtual world cup objective, and various community programs including dev team sponsored pod casts. Contributed to studio initiatives such as fixing central art group methodology, lead the creation of a Designer Job Family, and contributed to the creation of three year feature plans across all sports titles. Titles: FIFA 08 âPS3, Xbox 360, September 2007 FIFA 07 âPS2, Xbox, PC, GC, September 2006 Nominated for multiple AIAS & BAFTA awards.
Lead two complete cycles of FIFA from conception through to Final. Responsible for vision, creative & business success and accountable for scope, schedule, budget and resource planning. Line managing teams of 40-60 people partnering with complex set of centralised groups (art, UI, data collection, various online groups, QA, localization, quality testing, legal, and multiple marketing, PR, and sales groups). Achievements include bringing FIFA to PS3 for the first time, FIFA 08 became the first FIFA to review better than Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer (via metacritic.com), making operational optimizations such as shaving weeks off the annual final time, cutting kit production cost by over 70% and improving the predictability of kit reference data collection. Established FIFA as the number one online sports title. Initiatives included creating and leading a cross soccer team group to leverage features from each title resulting in Online Team Play, Live Seasons, Be A Pro. Utilized multiple production methodologies using waterfall for features with complex dependencies and agile for certain high risk / high impact gameplay features. Partnered with marketing, PR and sales groups to establish go-to-market strategy. Including, partnering with Wieden+Kennedy for the marketing campaign and defining the comms plan to counter internal and external 'FIFA fatigue' via detailed exposure to gameplay design method, creating long term 11v11 online virtual world cup objective, and various community programs including dev team sponsored pod casts. Contributed to studio initiatives such as fixing central art group methodology, lead the creation of a Designer Job Family, and contributed to the creation of three year feature plans across all sports titles. Titles: FIFA 08 -PS3, Xbox 360, September 2007 FIFA 07 -PS2, Xbox, PC, GC, September 2006 Nominated for multiple AIAS & BAFTA awards.
Lead online creative direction for Ghost Recon 2 and creative direction & production for the online segment of a new IP. Accountable to manage the vision, content, quality testing, and be the spokesperson for the title. Participated in adapting âGame Scriptâ (internal process for âscriptingâ the emotional design of titlesâ) for online including writing internal white papers used on projects such as Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. Titles: ⢠Ghost Recon 2 â PS2, Nov, 2004 ⢠Unannounced New IP â Xbox 360
Lead online creative direction for Ghost Recon 2 and creative direction & production for the online segment of a new IP. Accountable to manage the vision, content, quality testing, and be the spokesperson for the title. Participated in adapting 'Game Script' (internal process for 'scripting' the emotional design of titles') for online including writing internal white papers used on projects such as Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. Titles: o Ghost Recon 2 - PS2, Nov, 2004 o Unannounced New IP - Xbox 360
⢠Built from scratch European product development business unit. Departments included internal studio, producer group to manage 3rd party developers, product acquisition, quality assurance & submissions group, licensor management, and hardware vendor management. ⢠Delivered 22 titles (25 skuâs) over a 2 year period, selling 4,500,000 units. Titles include: ⢠Wallace and Gromit (PS2, Xbox, GC) Sound of Thunder (AGB), Reign of Fire (PS2, Xbox, GC, AGB), Driven (PS2, AGB, GC), Ecks vs Sever 1&2 (AGB) ⢠Powerpuff Girls (PSone, N64, 2 x PC, PS2), Dexterâs Lab (AGB, PC, PSone), Samurai Jack (AGB). ⢠Broken Sword (AGB), Hot Potato (AGB), Star X (AGB), Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver (Xbox)
o Built from scratch European product development business unit. Departments included internal studio, producer group to manage 3rd party developers, product acquisition, quality assurance & submissions group, licensor management, and hardware vendor management. o Delivered 22 titles (25 sku's) over a 2 year period, selling 4,500,000 units. Titles include: o Wallace and Gromit (PS2, Xbox, GC) Sound of Thunder (AGB), Reign of Fire (PS2, Xbox, GC, AGB), Driven (PS2, AGB, GC), Ecks vs Sever 1&2 (AGB) o Powerpuff Girls (PSone, N64, 2 x PC, PS2), Dexter's Lab (AGB, PC, PSone), Samurai Jack (AGB). o Broken Sword (AGB), Hot Potato (AGB), Star X (AGB), Chase: Hollywood Stunt Driver (Xbox)
o FISH (UK) Ltd. was a small developer privately owned and run by myself. o Established a development studio to focus on ports and technology works for publishers such as Hasbro, Microprose and Telstar. Titles include: o Rollercoaster Tycoon (PC) o Transport Tycoon Deluxe (PC)
⢠FISH (UK) Ltd. was a small developer privately owned and run by myself. ⢠Established a development studio to focus on ports and technology works for publishers such as Hasbro, Microprose and Telstar. Titles include: ⢠Rollercoaster Tycoon (PC) ⢠Transport Tycoon Deluxe (PC)
⢠Worked as a freelance programmer for various developers and publishers including Argonaut, Ocean, Sunsoft and Acclaim, focusing mainly on platform licensed games : Titles include: ⢠Scooby Doo (Super NES), Porky Pig (Super NES), Adams Family 2 (NES).
o Worked as a freelance programmer for various developers and publishers including Argonaut, Ocean, Sunsoft and Acclaim, focusing mainly on platform licensed games : Titles include: o Scooby Doo (Super NES), Porky Pig (Super NES), Adams Family 2 (NES).
o Worked for various small developers, programming and project leading my first games on the Commodore 64 home computer.
⢠Worked for various small developers, programming and project leading my first games on the Commodore 64 home computer.
Oversee all aspects of Crowded Fiction... As a social venture, Crowded Fiction's mission is to inspire the next generation of kids to be as passionate about reading and fiction as this generation is about video games. The US Department of Education reports that two thirds of 4th and 8th graders cannot read at their grade level. Nielsen recently reported an 8% drop in kids reading compared to just one year a go. Crowded Fiction is an interactive eBook platform for iPad / iPhone aimed at older kids (9+). It's interactive, social and competitive. Readers swipe the screen to throw punches, rotate the device to steer in car chases, and make key choices that effect the plot of future books. See http://crowdedFiction.com for more details -- Vidya Gamer also provides consulting services on strategy, game & app design, and gamification. Clients include The Gates Foundation, Achieve 3000, the Pearson Foundation, and OutThink Inc.
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