A passionate Game Designer since the age of 12!
It all started in the Summer of 1996, a day, a demo, that would forever change my life!
It started with a 12 year old me looking at which console to ask for that Christmas. The three console choices were simply daunting.
We had walked into our local Toy’s R US and behold the demo for Mario 64 was up and running.
It was an instant connection, I knew right there that designing games is what I wanted to do with my life.
It wasn’t the fact that Mario was in 3D for the first time. I saw something that can only simply be described as the future. I would be able to create full 3D worlds and bring my creations to life in ways that just are unimaginable.
I mean its weird for a 12 year old to be more excited about the possibilities of the technology than the game right?
First Game
My First professional endeavor was a surprisingly great teaching experience. My friend and I had formed an LLC in 2008 called Dreadfully Digital.
Our first game title was to be an Xbox Live Arcade title. The game was designed to meet the three criteria that were given to us at the time.
-Less than 100 MB
-Achievement Heavy
-Different/Standout
Thus Blightstone was Born
We made it through two of the three processes of the original Xbox Live Arcade to get an investment to begin development. But alas we ended up not being picked up.
While this may seem like a defeat it lead to the creation of my first published title.
Concept art of main character, concept logo, and concept company logo
Change
Originality
After the final meeting with the Xbox Live Arcade Team, we looked at this opportunity to become a phoenix. While we loved Blightstone without good connections in the 3D model space we had to re-approach our first titles strategy.
Use the best of our skills
Each member of the team excelled in one way or another. I was given the task to write all of the games music, game mechanics, game balancing, and game narrative. I also was to provide some voice work as well. This was the phoenix project we were looking for and we were ready to unleash it on the world.
Something Wicked… Funny
Blockie Horror was born. A puzzle game that used humor to progress a ridiculous story on how Monsters were going to take over the world with puzzles.
It was a crowning achievement on four accounts.
-We made it with a three man team
-Due to budget constraints we made the game completely in objective C. No external game engine was used.
-We were able to squeeze and compress the game down to 45 MB. This seems silly, but you were not allowed to download any app on mobile (not connected to Wi-Fi) if it was over 50 MB back in 2012.
-Last but not least, it was fun
Trying to find the right school
After the release of Blockie, I had my first published title under my belt and was in the clouds, however I felt that I still needed to have a Game Design Degree.
While there were few options early in my life and most were so expensive that it would empty the U.S treasury just to attended a modding class. I chose Gwinnett Technical College to achieve my Associates Degree in Game Development.
In addition to teaching designing, programming, team mechanics, GTC had a great connection to the the Georgia Game Developers Association, a fantastic group that is still helping devs throughout the State.
It was a great program that taught me some crucial pieces that I felt may had been missing from my craft, I was now ready to take on the game world.
Everything is a learning experience
While working on games in 2010 I became deeply invested in working at Regal Entertainment Group.
I rose through the ranks and became a General Manager of my own theatre. While it was hard at times it was a very rewarding career. A few highlights of my career were.
-Managed two buildings that did over 500,000 patrons a year
-I won the Rising Star Award in 2014 which was given to one manager per district per quarter (Was and I am still extremely proud of this award).
- No other job can prepare you, quite the same way this career path did. Everyday was a different challenge from Issues of the following varieties: HR, Film, Food, Customer, Electrical/Projection, etc.
It was a great career but sometimes a different path comes about that you must take.
To the great and the scary unknown
2020 changed the world for everyone. That statement cannot be understated. For my family it became a very scary time. The theatres shut down and my son was born pre-maturely, in the height of Covid. The assessment with Regal was that it was no longer safe for my immune compromised wife and son for me to be working there.
We made the decision that I would step away from my career and raise my son while Covid was ragging. When the time came for me to begin searching for a new career path, I was sent to the hospital and found out I have disease called Nephrotic syndrome. I spent eight days in the hospital and lost a total of 65 pounds in that time. While the disease is highly treatable, the first treatment stripped me of my immune system and now I was immune compromised.
I have just now started the new treatment and it seems to be going well, but I am ready to get out there and fulfill my original dream of not only being a game designer. But making games that will be remembered for decades.
Update Since November 2022
Nothing is worse than getting more surprises. I had beat Nephrotic syndrome and was moving on with life when I was hit with a sudden new pain. Tongue cancer, came out of nowhere, in fact the doctors were happy that I noticed it when I did due to it’s aggressive nature.
After planning and a ten hour surgery, part of left arm muscle was taken to reconstruct my tongue and my part of my left leg was skin grafted to repair the arm.
Two things came out of this, I had to trade in my beloved Jetta, because I could no longer drive a manually without pain. But I have a new chance on life and all I can say is science is amazing!
I am now currently receiving a six hour chemo treatment once a week and a 30 minute radiation 5 days a week until February 20th 2023. I cannot thank my family enough for helping us through out this whole ordeal.
Even with my ability to speak down to 70% I know it will get better and I can do any task that is set before me. So for all those recruiters out there. I AM READY! Ready to get out there and make the most memorable experiences for players everywhere.
Thank you all for taking the time to read my story and may 2023 bring everyone a good year.
Update Since February 2023
I am now an EA employee and I couldn’t be happier. While I am currently a temporary full time. I have had my contract extended from 6 months to a year and hoping for another extension to come soon.
It truly is insane to go from being told you have cancer, to you got your dream job! I really cannot thank my doctors or EA enough for what is going on right now.
Thank you everyone this really has been great.
Update since March 2024
My contract with EA has come to a close, I truly cannot speak anymore highly of this company and how they helped me through a very rough time.
I still need to put food on the table so I am currently applying for every job that I can do, while also trying to get my own studio off the ground. I have been spending the last 8 months, designing, prototyping, budgeting, applying. It has been tough. I have a second meeting with a group for an investment coming up, and hopefully I can open up those positions I need at Gnomes of Georgia LLC.
Stay Tuned!