Archive for the ‘Meet the Team’ Category

Global Agenda’s Sr. System Architect, John Dew talks with us how he helps keep the game going, his first video game experience and his excitement for Global Agenda.

John, tell us a little about what you do at Hi-Rez Studios.

My main focus is the design and implementation of the platform services that run on our servers.  This includes everything from handling the initial handshake from the client running on your computer, placing the player in the correct world space, connecting the player to the chat and voice, all of the coordination that goes on until the client disconnects.  In general things that are not part of the actual in game play / combat.  I guess you could call me the unofficial Sr. System Architect.

How did you get into the gaming industry? How did you get to Hi-Rez Studios?

I have been a professional game developer for about 5 years.  I worked for the company that Erez owned prior to starting Hi-rez Studios.  I heard some talk that Erez was wanting to start a game company so I ‘volunteered’ to be a part of that endeavor.  We started out playing with game concepts and learning the ropes.  A few months later, Erez made it official and formed Hi-Rez Studios, Inc.

Describe your video game experience; when did you start playing/making games?

I played my first video game at the local hamburger joint, so many quarters ago.  Later came the Odyssey, Atari, and the Apple computers.  It was when I learned about programming on the Apple that I became more interested in how to make a game and AI’s verses just playing a game.  I later got into  playing the RTS games and started thinking about how one could design a game where a lot of people could play against each other in a persistent environment instead of a hand full of players going through rounds or levels that started over.  Of course I was paying the bill writing point of sale / restaurant software so the game programming remained in notebooks and little test apps.

What is your favorite class/character to play in Global Agenda?

I used to play the medic class a lot, then switched to the robotics, but I think I’m going to go back to the medic.  So until I change my mind - again, it’s the medic.

What are you most excited for in Global Agenda?

There’s the gameplay itself which is very fun and I’m excited to play it once its released.  I am also excited  for the big puzzle of networking, multiple servers and game logic to come together as a world — the world of Global Agenda.

What experiences do you draw from when creating content for the game?

Most of past work experience has been related to platform level, networking, and high through put code so performance and writing tight code comes in handy when implementing services that will handle all of the players that are online.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into gaming?

Really, I do not have anything new and enlightening to add to what so many others have said before.

The standard stuff: work on projects to be familiar with the technology; keep an eye out for opportunities in the industry.

Favorite game(s)?

The game that I have invested the most time in is World of Warcraft.  WoW is good for just going out solo and grinding when you want and has the social aspect when you want to play with friends.

A classic I fall back to is Transport Deluxe.  Occasionally I just feel like doing some micro management and construction.  I know there are some new RTS games out that have my name on them, but I really do not need another time-sink.

What do you do in your free time?

Play with my kids, play WoW, work here and thereon a project in the wood shop…

What is on your iPod/MP3player?

Maybe one day I’ll get one and then I’ll let you know.  In general I have a very eclectic taste in music.

Global Agenda’s Senior Game Designer, Scott Zier talks with us how he got started with Hirez Studios and his excitement for the campaign portion of the game.

Scott, tell us a little about what you do at Hi-Rez Studios.

I’m a Senior Game Designer at the studio, and also head up the Level Design team. I’m responsible for writing design documents, fleshing out features for programmers and artists, and also for placing a good bit of content into the game through world building, NPC creation, and assisting with device balancing.

How did you get into the gaming industry? How did you get to Hi-Rez Studios?

Well, I was very lucky; I found an independent studio hiring designers for it’s first major title, which happened to be only an hour away from my home! At the time, there wasn’t but a handful of game studios around Atlanta, so the timing was very fortunate.

I’ve been with Hi-Rez Studios for well over three years now. Global Agenda is the largest game I’ve worked on, having previously done a number of small projects and a great deal of mod development. I graduated from Mercer University with a degree in Computer Science and minor in Art, but working on Mod projects is certainly how I got my industry start.

Describe your video game experience; when did you start playing/making games?

I remember back in 2nd Grade, there was only one monochrome Apple IIE for a class of 25 students. Anyone could use it during free time, but it was pretty much first-come first-serve for getting to the keyboard. Let’s just say, when the bell rang, I threw more than a few elbows to make sure I got my game time in! Sure, it was just number-munchers, but I was hooked. My first PC came soon after, (meant for my father, but I laid claim to it as quickly as I could) and I’ve been upgrading ever since.

I’ve always tinkered with and modded my games, making new levels and adjusting game play for friends to try out. I nearly failed calculus in high school, writing an RPG for my TI-82 calculator during class. I think I DID cause a few people to fail out of college, wiring up our hall with a network (there wasn’t one built in), and running all-night Quake/TF matches. As long as I can remember I’ve wanted to work in the game industry.
It hasn’t all been PC games, I play a good bit on console systems as well, but my love has always been for the PC.

What is your favorite class/character to play in Global Agenda?

I love them all equally! I know that sounds like a cop out, but I do enjoy elements of every class.

I prefer to build as a tank when I play the Assault Class, soaking up damage and attracting attention. I focus totally on healing as a Medic. I’ve seen some very successful poison medics builds, but I get more enjoyment coming up to a battle where a teammate thinks they are about to die, and blowing all of my healing cool downs to save the day. I favor infiltration and bombs as a Recon, and as a Robotics I love turrets, pets, and force fields.

What are you most excited for in Global Agenda?

The persistent campaign!

I think one of the most exciting parts has always been the combination of intense combat, on a scale where individual actions and teamwork really matter, with a larger campaign that makes the outcome of your mission potentially effect thousands of players at the strategic level.

We’re letting the players write the history of Global Agenda, with Alliances forming, claiming territory, building empires, backstabbing each other, and declaring wars… but all of it boils down to intense missions where individual players and groups of players can really make a name for themselves.

What experiences do you draw from when creating content for the game?

Naturally, I draw from games that I’ve really enjoyed playing in the past. Just about every genre and every game has something to offer, with lessons to learn from.
Because I did a lot of mod work early on, and studied both CS and Art, I like to think I have a very broad knowledge base for how games are put together.

That knowledge helps a lot when interacting with other departments at the studio, which design has to do on a daily basis. It’s especially helpful when asking for features and tools to have an understanding of what’s been done in other engines and toolsets.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into gaming?

Start making games right now! Joining a mod team or starting your own little project is free, and the tools developers provide are often very similar to the ones they use. You’ll have to commit some free time, but the more experience and self motivation you can show, the better. If you want to be a level designer, start making community maps. If you want to be a game designer, start making your own game types. Plus, while working on a mod, you can really get a feel for if working in gaming is something you’ll enjoy.

Favorite game(s)?

If I was forced (and I think I am) to pick my favorite games of all time, it might look something like this:

X-Com (original), Battlefield series, Baldur’s Gate II, Company of Heroes, Total War series  …and just about anything from Valve or Bioware.

What do you do in your free time?

Fortunately, I have a wife who enjoys playing video games with me, (we may have actually fell in love while playing Baldur’s Gate II together - thank you Bioware!) and she doesn’t mind me spending most of my nights playing online with friends!

Recently, I’ve also been on a kick of designing board games, and I enjoy working on the pieces and art for the prototypes.

What is on your iPod/MP3player?

Audio Books of the Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell. Curse you Andy for hooking me on Audio books! I was perfectly content to read before.

Global Agenda’s Character Rigger, Bret Kroll talks with us about realistic articulation and his bias toward the Robotics class in this weeks meet the team

Bret, tell us a little about what you do at Hi-Rez Studios.

Senior Character Technical Director (TD).  I create the underlying skeletons or "rigs" that allow Global Agenda characters to have realistic articulation.  With the help of Bryan "Riggs" Cere, my team also creates and maintains custom MAXScripts for the studio’s proprietary artist toolset in order to streamline the creation and management of game content.

How did you get into the gaming industry? How did you get to Hi-Rez Studios?

This is my first job in the gaming industry.  I was actually contacted by McKinley( Mick )  Larkins, the Tech Art Lead at Hi-Rez, 4 years ago about a MAXScript export tool I had posted on the Internet.  After setting him straight on how the script functioned, he mentioned that Hi-Rez was looking for a Character Rigger, so I applied.

Describe your video game experience; when did you start playing/making games?

I had all the early game systems - Nintendo, Sega Genesis, etc.  Then there is a gray period of about 10 years when I didn’t play video games.  I’m not even sure video games existed during that time.  If they did, nothing must have caught my attention.  But now, it’s a great time to be part of the game industry with the timely development of more sophisticated graphics cards that can truly showcase the amazing power of the Unreal Engine 3.

What is your favorite class/character to play in Global Agenda?

Right now, my favorite class is Robotics.  I like finding strategic areas to place turrets and then watching to see how they impact the Game play.

What are you most excited for in Global Agenda?

Besides getting the chance to kill AndyA, I think Global Agenda has the best character models I have ever seen for an MMO.  I am constantly in awe of the creativity and craftsmanship displayed by every member of the character team.

What experiences do you draw from when creating content for the game?

I draw from both sides - the technical and the artistic.  At an early age I was interested in mathematics, logic and problem solving.  That continued through college where I focused on computer programming and linear algebra.  Fortunately, I was able to take many art classes as well which were led by amazing professors that always embraced the link between technology and art.  My role at Hi-Rez requires both a solid understanding of technology while still having an eye for the aesthetics, so I am lucky to have had the opportunity to have a well-rounded education.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into gaming?

Take as many math classes as you can and read as many math books that you can get your hands on.  You would not believe how often you will utilize the fundamentals of vector math over the course of a game’s development.  It seems like I am constantly being asked if it should be (b-a) or (a-b) [for those curious, it's (b-a)].

Favorite game(s)?

Sim City because it’s awesome, get used to it.

Double Dribble because it was the only game my brother would play and he always made the craziest shots right at the end to win the game.

Super Metroid because it is one of the few games I actually beat.

What do you do in your free time?

I like to run, play tennis and pronounce the movie Star Wars as "Star War".

What is on your iPod/MP3player?

I’ve been listening to a lot of low-fi music lately - Iron & Wine, Neutral Milk Hotel, Ray LaMontagne and Lucero.

A General Quote from Bret

I once proclaimed that Snakes on a Plane was a better movie than Star War.  As of this publication, I still have not retracted that statement.

Global Agenda’s character specialist, Jerry Gardiner takes some time to talk with us about how he makes the characters look fantastic in this weeks meet the team.

Jerry, tell us a little about what you do at Hi-Rez Studios.

As a Senior Character Artist,  I model and texture character suits, weapons, devices and NPCs.  I also oversee the technical aspects of weapon and device creation and keep track of those assets through the pipeline.

How did you get into the gaming industry? How did you get to Hi-Rez Studios?

Hi-Rez is my first job in the gaming industry and I’ll have been here for 4 years at the end of July.  Like most of the artists at the studio, I’ve been an avid gamer since I was young.  Somehow though, I never really considered getting into game development.  I tried studying engineering for a year and a half and hated it, so i ended up going to school and getting a BFA in Art, specializing in painting.  That, by chance, led to the Digital Production Arts program at Clemson University, though I was going there with movie animation in mind. After graduation I began applying for jobs. My friend Mick Larkins [now, lead Tech Artist on Global Agenda] had been hired at Hi-Rez soon after the studio formed and he was nice enough to help me get my foot in the door. Thanks Mick!  I can’t imagine the work environment anywhere else being as great as it is here.

Describe your video game experience; when did you start playing/making games?

Growing up I played mostly console games, starting with the Atari 2600.  I’ve had most of the major consoles since then, and of course got into computer gaming along the way.

What is your favorite class/character to play in Global Agenda?

I do best as an Assault, but really enjoy the various strategies behind the Robotics class most.

What are you most excited for in Global Agenda?

Tracking Rocket Launchers.  I love seeing someone jet packing away, trying to escape when their health is low. Let them get a little further away…a little further… they think they’re going to make it! Then I launch a missile that swerves and connects, and they fall from the sky like a rock.

What experiences do you draw from when creating content for the game?

I look at a lot of the stuff being created for the Unreal engine by various studios.  But also a get a lot of inspiration from the other character artists here, who are top-notch.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into gaming?

Find out who is the executive producer of a local gaming studio, like our own Todd Harris for instance.  Stalk them relentlessly, which is easy to do what with the internet and all.  I’m sure they will be impressed by your determination and hire you in no time.  Or you could work extremely hard. You decide.

Favorite game(s)?

I don’t know, here are some that I remember liking over the years:

Gladius

Neverwinter Nights

Bioshock

Red Dead Revolver

SSX series

Baldur’s Gate 2

Final Fantasy VII

Warcraft III

WOW

Zelda

Final Fantasy Tactics

Dune

Soul Calibur series

Portal

Galaga…

What do you do in your free time?

Play games and hang with my daughter, Paige.  Occasionally paint, play basketball and watch movies.

What is on your iPod/MP3player?

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Mark Lanegan, Clutch, Antony and the Johnsons, Richie Havens, Tool, Monster Magnet, Bjork, None More Black, Jimi Hendrix, Dropkick Murphys, Flight of the Conchords…

Some Personal Art From Jerry Gardiner

Here are a few of my paintings from when I was back in school, I havent taken the time to photograph any of my current stuff….

Global Agenda’s Art Vanguard Charles Vinson takes some time to talk with us about injecting “awesome” into everything and the Science of Bad-Ass

Chuk, tell us a little about what you do at Hi-Rez Studios.

Depends on where I’m currently needed.

My title is Art Director, but I function more in an “art trailblazing” capacity. I focus on prototyping and initial establishment of new art assets, developing initial art pieces for new game play elements and then directing their evolution into art that fulfills the game play needs and artistic aesthetic of Global Agenda. Once the process of developing that type of art asset is a known quantity, I generally move to another area. I’ve worked on special effects, player suit designs, device/weapon designs, PvE enemy design, level concept design, marketing materials, UI shaders… currently I’m working on city development.

How did you get into the gaming industry? How did you get to Hi-Rez Studios?

I’ve worked in games since I graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2000. I sent my demo reel and a book of concept art to a lot of companies until I got an interview at a small [Atlanta-based] studio called Heuristic Park. I went in overdressed in my best suit and pleaded with them to hire me, which they did. Eventually, I was the lead (and for a while the only) artist on a prototype project that we eventually pitched to a publisher called Dungeon Lords. I made all the art for the 1-level demo myself, which was an awesome experience. The development of the game itself was ill-fated, but I worked on every type of game art possible on that project and learned a massive amount about making art for games. After that project completed, I heard Hi-Rez was opening up and was more than happy to come on board.

Describe your video game experience; when did you start playing/making games?

I’ve been playing and making video games since you could play and make them. In my youth I drew dream Nintendo platformer levels on taped together stretches of office paper and imagined playing through them. I coded on MUDs, I ran D&D games, I made a Playstation game in my college game development class… any way you could make games, I was there doing that. Game development has always been in my blood.

What is your favorite class/character to play in Global Agenda?

I play everthing but Recon (don’t get me started on Recons), but TheKrushalator is generally rackin’ up kills as an assault. I looove tanking and mowing people down with the Minigun while a medic keeps me alive. Rrrrrrraaaah!

What are you most excited for in Global Agenda?

I love trying new builds RPG style and fighting tactical FPS style. Global Agenda is a shooter but it’s more about strategy and placement of your character and your shots rather than twitch accuracy — a change of pace which is very satisfying! I’m also very excited about the persistent campaigns.

What experiences do you draw from when creating content for the game?

I am most influenced by my history of prototyping gameplay through art, which I have almost always been tasked with. So foremost I develop concepts and designs that fulfill the needs of the game design itself. What is this piece of art for? Once you’ve got that, you infuse it with awesome till it can’t stand it any more. Do we fight with a knife? No, its a giant, high-tech claw. It is the science of bad-ass.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into gaming?

Don’t just play games, make games; learn to program, learn to mod. If you’re not trying to make some kind of games now, you have not even one foot on the path…

Favorite game(s)?

Guardian Heroes

Castle Crashers

Resident Evil series

Diablo II

Starcraft

Company of Heroes

Supreme Commander

What do you do in your free time?

I play games, I make art, I try to eat great food and drink great beer whenever possible.

My daughter is the most awesome being ever, and I hang with her as much as I can and try to teach her about the world.

What is on your iPod/MP3player?

I’m on a Hall & Oates’ Pandora channel kick right now.

“Yeah i’ll do anything you want me to

I’ll do almost anything that you want me to

But i can’t go for that

No can do.”

You tell me what that’s about now, eh?

Some Personal Art From Chuk Vinson

What do you do at Hi-rez Studios? ( List your title or give a few sentences about your job and duties. )

I am the Lead Technical Artist on Global Agenda. My job is to be a bridge between artists and programmers. I am responsible for programming the animation system and am a “generalist” for a lot of features (typically character related) that need programming support for a very visual result. I also create and maintain tools for artists and audio designers.

How long have you worked in Gaming, how did you hear about Hirez Studios, Inc., and describe how you got into the gaming industry?

I officially began my career in gaming at Hi-Rez in the summer of 2005. From the time I was in high school, I knew I wanted to make games but wasn’t exactly sure how to make it happen. I began teaching myself 3D art programs such as Lightwave and Maya. I got my undergraduate degree in computer science; at this point I knew I wanted to do something tech-art like, but at that time, technical artists weren’t really an official title at most places. So after graduating from college I went to get my masters degree in fine arts. I discovered Hi-Rez close to the beginning of the formation of the studio and they apparently saw potential in what I could offer! Since then I’ve been involved in quite a few side projects including co-authoring several books on Maya to help people who are like me to just bite the bullet, buy a book, and learn the necessary skills.

Describe your video game experience, when did you start playing, etc..?

I was fortunate to have wonderful parents who bought my brothers and me an Atari 2600. As a kid, I was actually more interested in the production of how a game or movie was made rather than always just playing the games. I would pretend I was demoing features of a game or envisioning how I’d make a TIE fighter move across a blue screen. I turned into a real “gamer” with DOS games such as Commander Keen, Wolfenstein, Duke Nukem, and countless others. A new golden-era of games for me occurred in the mid-nineties with the arrival of DOOM, Quake, Wipeout XL, and a slew of innovating first person shooters that delivered intense, edge of your seat action.

What is your favorite Global Agenda class/character to play?

Recon. Deception, staying hidden, and trickery are the fundamentals to playing this class. When played correctly, the Recon makes you feel like you own the map. You may not always be at the center of the barrage of bullets, but you are behind the scenes, killing people who think they are safe, destroying the infrastructure of their team, and lending a bomb or two for your teammates. If destroying in a flash a deadly patch of turrets that a Robotics has spent minutes setting up just right, then this is the class for you. They don’t get much love though — even your teammates often don’t always realize the fruits of your labor!

What part of Global Agenda are you most excited about?

The classic, intense action game play. No matter the genre, a game keeps me playing if it is intense and action packed. Many modern games have lost this concept in favor of cinematic excess or tedious grinds. Some of my fellow gaming friends have actually fallen asleep while playing a major online title. The exact same excitement that makes 3 hours seem like 15 minutes in games like Quake, Left 4 Dead, Rock Band, Wipeout is alive and shining in Global Agenda. Mix this with modern massively online game play, and you’ve got an incredible game.

Also, I’m quite thrilled we have no elven pointy-eared freaks of nature.

What in your background of experience do you draw from when creating the content that you do for the game?

It may seem like a cop out answer, but my answer is: Everything! Obviously concepts learned while in school are front-and-center (programming, math, writing skills, physics, art direction, etc.). But also there are a lot of other experiences (such as Boy Scouts; how to direct & how to take direction) that can fuel creativity. A major non-gaming, non-educational source of inspiration for me is my passion for music. A lot of what a cutting edge musician goes through is quite similar to what a game developer experiences.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into gaming?

Robert Fripp, guitarist for King Crimson, perhaps put it best to me last year in Marin County, California, the day before GDC began. These are applicable to becoming a professional in any field: Have an aim. Get instruction from someone better than you are. Get out of bed! Practice…a lot! Learn the seven levels of success Understand the differences between the reliable professional & an exceptional professional. Be reliable, repeatable and responsible. For me, the path was primarily through schooling, teaching myself things that my instructors could not, and surrounding myself with others who shared a passion for learning the craft. Remember that there are a lot of people who think they want to make games. There are few who can actually have the discipline to do it well.

Favorite game(s)

The two games that I cannot go several days without playing are currently Rock Band and Left 4 Dead. I am a drum addict in Rock Band and support the incredible breadth of music Harmonix makes available week after week. Left 4 Dead is a great way to spend time with co-workers and other friends; it’s quite satisfying to barf on Dan, Scott, and Travis! As far as the classics go, my “all time favorites” are Quake III: Arena, Wipeout XL, and the Jedi Knight series. All deliver polished game play and edge of your seat action.

What do you do in your free time?

Listen to music, watch TV or movies, play games, cook, and spend time with my wife & schnauzer.

What is on your iPod/MP3player?

Nothing, because I don’t have one! A lot of the music I enjoy was created as an album rather than a collection of songs, so I don’t mind being “limited” to whatever CDs I bring along. If I had one you’d probably find a lot of Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Yes, and other prog rock stuff. I like a fair amount of electronica as well; Underworld is great programming music! You may even find an occasional pop artist…. I would like to get a large capacity player though. I think it would be neat to rip my nearly 800 CD collection to an iPod and pick my favorite song from every album, even those crazy New Kids on the Block CDs my wife owns, to form a playlist. It would be a good lesson to find things to enjoy in everything, whether it is an old favorite or something I thought I didn’t particularly like.

What do you do at Hi-Rez Studios?

Well, I would say that I’m kind of the jack of all trades (master of none?) around the programming department. I’m officially in charge of our game configuration tools, database and interfaces. As far as game code goes, I work with the inventory and item systems. I am also deeply involved in our device and effect code and have a general working knowledge of everything else (except our networking code… eeeewwww).

To summarize I’m the unofficial programming lead.

How long have you worked in Gaming, and what did you do before Global Agenda?

Global Agenda is the first game I’ve worked on. Prior to Hi-Rez, I worked on engineering systems for General Electric and later in my career I worked for the Founder/CEO of Hi-Rez (Erez Goren) at his previous company as a programming lead for retail workforce management systems… Yes sounds boring but I found it challenging and fun. Well, testing the software I currently work on is much more fun!

Describe your video game experience, when did you start playing, etc..?

This will definitely age me, but my first computer was a Commodore 64 and it was given to me a few months after it was released. Well I will tell you that the games were scarce back then for that platform so before I even really knew what a variable was I started porting apple IIe games to the commodore (Enchanted Forest anyone?). I have always dreamed of working on games and thought it was something that would just never happen. I wasn’t willing to move to Texas or even further out west.
My favorite genre of games is definitely MMOs. I made fun of people playing Everquest that were **gasp** actually paying a monthly fee to play. Then someone got me to play DAOC and I became hopelessly addicted. Hundreds and hundreds of hours later I’m still playing (WOW atm).

What is your favorite Global Agenda character/class to play?

Well I’m attracted to the medic, I love making other people do my dirty work… although the thing unique in Global Agenda is the fact that any class can be deadly just in a different way. My second favorite class is the Robotics class.

What are your Favorite Games?

Currently - GA, TF2, L4D, and WoW

In my free time…

Well I’m married with kids so yes…
With the free time that I do have I like biking, gaming, watching reality shows, and just hanging out with the family.

What is your favorite aspect of Global Agenda?

I think the most exciting part of GA is going to be the agency vs. agency campaign. I have always dreamed of the dynamics of a board game in an exciting action orientated team based game. Getting to see the progress your agency is making evolve over a month by month basis is really going to be engaging. This, I think will be the defining feature of GA that will ultimately attract the masses.

Name three things you can’t live without?

High speed Internet, movies, and well, you know…

What is on your iPod/MP3player?

Wow mostly heavy metal… old school metallica, in flames, megadeath, some rap, some classical, some new age…

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into gaming?

Well if you want to program I would get a computer science degree, work on game mods, or write your own indie game. Participate in industry events like SIEGE, GDC, etc. Make friends with someone in the industry.

What do you do at Hi-Rez Studios?

Character Artist

How long have you worked in Gaming, and what did you do before Global Agenda?

4 years. Before Global Agenda, I did a wide set of contract work.

Describe your video game experience, when did you start playing, etc..?

I was introduced at a young age by my father. He setup a commodore 64 with a sea of games. It wasn’t until inheriting a slightly better machine that I was introduced to Autodesk Animator. AA was my first taste of game development before I was old enough to understand what it was. I guess you could say that’s what planted the seed.

What is your favorite Global Agenda character/class to play?

Whatever class is being followed by a healer

What are your Favorite Games?

Call of Duty 4 - arguably the best team based multiplayer I’ve played
Pretty much anything Blizzard Entertainment ships
Dead Space - make more plz

In my free time…

I rescue kittens from burning buildings that belong to children with terminal diseases .

What is your favorite aspect of Global Agenda?

Shipping it

Name three things you can’t live without?

Air, Food, Water

What superpower would you want, and why?

Time travel. So that I may travel back intime and prevent Foxx News from ever being broadcast.

What is on your iPod/MP3player?

A couple peices of paper and about half of my cat.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into gaming?

Ask yourself if game development is what your really passionate about first. If the answer is yes most of the work is already done. Always look for ways to improve and evolve your own pipeline. Frequent forums, watch videos, ask questions. Build a portfolio that matches the theme of the type of games you want to work on. Dont settle for the bare minimum get creative. This is fun not work.

In our continuing series of "Meet the Team" interviews, we sat down this week with Senior Environment Artist Jeff Voeltner.

What do you do at Hi-Rez Studios?

I’m a Senior Environment Artist. I design and build the areas or "sets" that the players run around in. Most of my time working on Global Agenda has been on designing and developing the social spaces for the game (cities, agency headquarters, etc.).

How long have you worked in Gaming, and what did you do before Global Agenda?

I’ve been working in the industry for about seven years now. The first game that I worked on was Call of Duty: Finest Hour. I also worked on the games Legendary and Turning Point: Fall of Liberty during the beginning stages.

Prior to working on games, I’ve had the fortunate opportunities of working within feature film, advertising, and in comic books where I began my career as a color artist with Image Comics in the 90s.

Describe your video game experience, when did you start playing, etc..?

Now I’m starting to feel old! I first started playing video games on the Atari 2600, playing Pong, Pac-Man, Frogger, Q-Bert… I’ve had my hands on all the systems since then, but definitely have some great memories playing Super Mario Bros. and Zelda in elementary school when Nintendo made their debut..still among my favorite games to this day! My video game addiction slowed down a bit though throughout my high school and college days, but I eventually came back to my senses when I started working in the industry and picked up the controls again!

I actually never really pursued becoming a video game designer when I was young. Growing up, I always knew that I would eventually become an artist or an architect and I really had my eyes set on going into feature animation. However, my path towards working in the entertainment industry took a different course when I was offered an internship with Image Comics right after graduating high school. My time with Image helped me gain some great professional experience early on in my career, as well as the opportunity to establish connections in the industry which have opened up other opportunities.

What is your favorite Global Agenda character/class to play?

Recon

What are your Favorite Games?

• Favorite games for Art Direction: Assassin’s Creed, Oddworld, Prince of Persia
• A favorite character-driven game: Super Mario Brothers 1-3
• Favorite game of all time: The Legend of Zelda

In my free time…

Draw, read, movies and games with the family.

What is your favorite aspect of Global Agenda?

The Cities!

What inspirations do you draw from when creating the art/levels/environment you do for the game?

I’m most passionate about designing custom environments that are big on personality, have character to them, and anything with unique architecture. I would say most of my inspiration comes from exploring real world places and memories from all the different places that I went to as a child. Sometimes, just imagining the places that I really wish existed! I try and gain as much knowledge as I can from other professionals and designers in entertainment design, including many of the colleagues that I’ve been blessed to work with in the past who continue to push my work further.

Name three things you can’t live without?

Books, friends/family, and my art supplies.

What superpower would you want, and why?

Flying. Flying is something most people probably dream of doing. For me, that wish begun as a child and has has never left!

What is on your iPod/MP3player?

U2 and…my entire music collection from home. Man that took a long time to get everything imported into iTunes! No more buying CDs, its all about the download now!

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into gaming?

Pursue what matters most to you and what you are most passionate about because without passion…you won’t get very far or your efforts will be short-lived! Don’t pursue a particular area of game development just because it’s the most popular or because it’s what is in demand. If you follow your heart, everything else will fall in place! I recommend developing your own original ideas as much as possible. "Brand" yourself, coming up with something which is unique to you and something which comes from your own imagination. And, for artists…round out your portfolio/demo with a variety of different subjects and mediums.When you build your demo reel and portfolio, give it a unique look and something which represents you (your "brand").

Personal Art

What do you do at Hi-Rez Studios?

I am a level designer. I assist in creating the worlds that the players interact with in the game by pulling all the facets of all departments together into a cohesive experience that, hopefully, enhances the overall gaming experience within Global Agenda. Simply put, I design the maps/levels players play in.

How long have you worked in Gaming, and what did you do before Global Agenda?

I have been doing level design work professionally for ~4 years. Prior to working at Hi-Rrez I did contract work at Secret Level designing training missions for America’s Army: Rise of a Soldier. Before (and during) that I was a systems administrator.

Describe your video game experience, when did you start playing, etc..?

I first started playing video games back in the 70s with the Atari 2600. I sure liked playing games but it was not until the latter portions of the 90s that I first cracked open the editor in Unreal 1. I really did not do much more than totally ruin my install of Unreal if you do not count getting totally hooked on the concept of making game worlds. I got into community projects with Unreal Tournament and landed a level design slot for Troopers: Dawn of Destiny after some time. It was on that project that I truly felt the passion of the design process in all it’s glory. We, Kinetic Studios, were in a community competition to make a "total conversion mod" for Unreal Tournament 2003/4. It was sometime during a deadline induced crunch while I watched the sun rise, knowing I would be calling in sick to work soon, that I realized I would love to do this for a living. I had to convince my wife and daughter that it was a good idea first. My first daughter was only 2 at the time so it was an easy sell with her. My wife, surprisingly, was totally supportive of the idea providing I could continue to … provide.

What is your favorite Global Agenda character/class to play?

Assault

What are your Favorite Games?

Ultima IV
Aliens vs. Predator 2
Racetrack Destruction Set

In my free time…

Most of time is tied up being a family man to my wife and two children. When I have spare time beyond that I work furiously to rid the world of the zombie infestation.

What is your favorite aspect of Global Agenda?

I am really excited about the locations that the game takes place.

What inspirations do you draw from when creating the art/levels/environment you do for the game?

Generally I use real locations as the basis of my designs then I spin in the flavor of espionage by creating huge facilities in those locations. An un-seeming botanical garden becomes a contention spot for battles, for example. I also use a large amount of the conceptual art for Global Agenda to derive spaces for play.

Name three things you can’t live without?

Water
Air
Chocolate

What superpower would you want, and why?

To run really, really fast. I hate having to sit in traffic.

What is on your iPod/MP3player?

Droid, Slayer, Phish, Janes Addiction, Intricate Unit, My Ruin

What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into gaming?

Get involved in community projects to find out if you really want to make games. If you can make/assist in making a successful product in the community, most likely you can assist in making a successful product in a studio.

General Info..

Zombies + anything = awesome