XGC Brittany
New member
What role did you play in the Gears project?
My position is Lead Designer.
Give the readers an idea about your day-to-day tasks.
Brainstorm. Play the game. Harverst, filter, and mediate team member ideas. Write documentation. Engage in many, many meeting. Sell my ideas to the other developers, the leads on the project, the press, management, and ultimately gamers.
What was your favorite aspect of the project?
I'm very happy with many aspects of the game but, in particular, I'm most excited about what Active Reload does for the shooter genre. i can't play another shooter now without wanting to reload faster. I still mess up on my occasional AR, which results in a horrid gum jamming for which i blame myself for trying!
After the complete the game, what so you expect (or hope) players will say?
Nothing. i hope they'll take a nap because the game is a beautiful, exhausting experience. So maybe they'll snore a bit.
What was the trickiest task assigned to you and how did you solve it?
Making it fun and useful to employ cover in combat. We used a combination of things, from making the initial decision to slam cover (with proper audio and effects) to the context-sensitve A Button system.
What did the Unreal Engine 3 allow you to achieve in gears that you couldn't have accomplished without it?
Rapid prototyping and anazing visuals are the two main thing that come to mind.
Despite the advances XBOX 360 hardware, were there any gameplay elements that just weren't feasible whith today's current state of technology?
I'm not certain there's any gameplay element that a determined designer and programmer team could not pull off given enough time and resources. We set out to make a great cinematic cover shooter, and the XBOX 360 happened to be a perfect match for the vision.
What are you most proud of concerning the game?
I'm not proud of the interesting universe we've crafted and the crisp gameplay contained within. For me, the game just "feels" right, and that feel is one of the hardest things to achieve as a designer.
What originally attracted you to the video game industry, and how did you get your start?
I knew the moment I played my first game at the age of 6 that this was the future of entertainment. How could one not find this compelling and want to wark in theis secotr of the entertainment industry?
What keeps you in the game industry?
A desire to see this medium reach it's full potential as a commercial and artistic product.
What titles have you worked on?
The videogame series that I've worked on include Jazz Jackrabbit, Unreal, Unreal Tournament, and now Gears.
What can we look forward to in the future with the Gears franchise?
We not committing at this point to follow-up products. If we consider it, I'd imagine more great combat, visuals and characterization.
Do you have a pet tactics or any tips you'd like to share with the readers?
Practice with grenades, headshots, and blindfiring. They'll save your life more oftern than you'll think.
Favorite movie?
The Big Lebowski
Favorite food to snack on while gaming?
White Rabbit.
Current gaming obsession (aside from Gears)?
Xbox Live Arcade
Favorite All-Time game?
Tetris
Stranded-on-a-desert-island CD?
Shiny Toy Guns
Favorite magazine?
Ranger Rick
Favorite Book?
Choke
Hobby?
Beer and travel, In either order!
Secret?
This is not my real hair color!
My position is Lead Designer.
Give the readers an idea about your day-to-day tasks.
Brainstorm. Play the game. Harverst, filter, and mediate team member ideas. Write documentation. Engage in many, many meeting. Sell my ideas to the other developers, the leads on the project, the press, management, and ultimately gamers.
What was your favorite aspect of the project?
I'm very happy with many aspects of the game but, in particular, I'm most excited about what Active Reload does for the shooter genre. i can't play another shooter now without wanting to reload faster. I still mess up on my occasional AR, which results in a horrid gum jamming for which i blame myself for trying!
After the complete the game, what so you expect (or hope) players will say?
Nothing. i hope they'll take a nap because the game is a beautiful, exhausting experience. So maybe they'll snore a bit.
What was the trickiest task assigned to you and how did you solve it?
Making it fun and useful to employ cover in combat. We used a combination of things, from making the initial decision to slam cover (with proper audio and effects) to the context-sensitve A Button system.
What did the Unreal Engine 3 allow you to achieve in gears that you couldn't have accomplished without it?
Rapid prototyping and anazing visuals are the two main thing that come to mind.
Despite the advances XBOX 360 hardware, were there any gameplay elements that just weren't feasible whith today's current state of technology?
I'm not certain there's any gameplay element that a determined designer and programmer team could not pull off given enough time and resources. We set out to make a great cinematic cover shooter, and the XBOX 360 happened to be a perfect match for the vision.
What are you most proud of concerning the game?
I'm not proud of the interesting universe we've crafted and the crisp gameplay contained within. For me, the game just "feels" right, and that feel is one of the hardest things to achieve as a designer.
What originally attracted you to the video game industry, and how did you get your start?
I knew the moment I played my first game at the age of 6 that this was the future of entertainment. How could one not find this compelling and want to wark in theis secotr of the entertainment industry?
What keeps you in the game industry?
A desire to see this medium reach it's full potential as a commercial and artistic product.
What titles have you worked on?
The videogame series that I've worked on include Jazz Jackrabbit, Unreal, Unreal Tournament, and now Gears.
What can we look forward to in the future with the Gears franchise?
We not committing at this point to follow-up products. If we consider it, I'd imagine more great combat, visuals and characterization.
Do you have a pet tactics or any tips you'd like to share with the readers?
Practice with grenades, headshots, and blindfiring. They'll save your life more oftern than you'll think.
Favorite movie?
The Big Lebowski
Favorite food to snack on while gaming?
White Rabbit.
Current gaming obsession (aside from Gears)?
Xbox Live Arcade
Favorite All-Time game?
Tetris
Stranded-on-a-desert-island CD?
Shiny Toy Guns
Favorite magazine?
Ranger Rick
Favorite Book?
Choke
Hobby?
Beer and travel, In either order!
Secret?
This is not my real hair color!