30 UNDER 30 |
Zoe Sams (24) Tools Programmer, Rockstar North Zoe has been at one of the world’s most celebrated developers, Rockstar North, for two years. After graduating from Bournemouth University in 2015, she stepped in to a junior tools programmer role and earned a promotion within a year of starting. Outside of her work, Zoe has also been voted on the board of directors for the Scottish IGDA and has worked with university students and schools to help others join the games industry through STEM. She may be busy, but Zoe always finds time for her friends and colleagues and has quickly become a “passionate and fantastic” role model for aspiring and experienced developers alike.
Douglas Watson (29) Lead Audio Designer, Playground Games Douglas joined Playground Games in 2011 after graduating from the University of the West of Scotland with a First Class degree in Music Technology. His first title was the original Forza Horizon on Xbox 360 before working on Forza Horizon 2, where he was instrumental in developing new audio systems and processes. His first leadership role was on the bestselling Forza Horizon 3 and its award-winning Blizzard Mountain DLC expansion. Five years and three games since joining Playground, Douglas is now the lead audio designer and his passion and attention to detail for game sound is an inspiration to the team at Playground Games.
Melissa Knox (29) Producer, Blazing Griffin We received several nominations for Melissa in this year’s 30 Under 30 list. One credited her impact upon joining Blazing Griffin as a producer, helping the production process of the studio. Another lauded the impact she has had on their own personal development. What is clear is that Melissa’s work has won the respect and admiration of her peers. With four games as well as a BAFTA award on the shelf, Melissa’s skills are also benefiting the growth of the industry. She is also an ambassador for UKIE, and the STEM ambassador program, as well as contributing her experience to Glasgow Caledonian University and being a part of BAFTA’s Games Crew team.
Brian Cox (28) Console UI Programmer, Creative Assembly Brian is a UI & Gameplay Programmer and has already worked at some of the world’s top game development studios such as Rare and Creative Assembly. He has worked on and shipped games such as Kinect Sports Rivals, Rare Replay, Sea of Thieves and Halo Wars 2. On top of his office job he is also developing an indie game project called GlitchD. Brian likes to experiment with new technologies such as brain-controlled games and developing games to allow people with disabilities to play games. While at Rare he has created a game called JetPac Reborn for SpecialEffect, which you can play with only your eyes using eyetracking technology.
Naomi Kotler (25) Games Designer, Supermassive Games Over the past few months you may have seen features from us on recruitment, including advice from studios about getting in to the industry. Naomi is one such example of someone who has excelled at just that. From working as an intern for Supermassive Games, she quickly impressed and is now a games designer at the studio. Naomi graduated from the National Film and Television School where she honed her talents at 3D modelling. Over the course Naomi developed a VR game called Into The Black, which received great acclaim from show floors and websites, as well as a nomination for a Unity Award. Naomi has already come far in a short amount of time.
Thomas Miller (29) Senior Build Engineer, Creative Assembly Thomas Miller joined Creative Assembly as a QA Engineer, and has been a vital part of the console team’s release structure. He became senior build engineer after the success of Alien: Isolation, and is now a key part of shipping all the high-quality demos and releases of Halo Wars 2 that the public have been able to enjoy. When not merging and managing the team’s ocean of data you can find him brushing up on his own coding/ implementation skills to help tackle the team’s technical hurdles, while managing a growing force of build engineers. We hear he is also a dab hand at Magic the Gathering, and competes worldwide.
MARCH 2017
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06/03/2017 14:07