Brian Stewart McDonald

Game Designer

(973) 980-4950
brian@latestEvolution.com
www.about.me/bmcdonald

ABOUT ME

I excel in creating fun games on time and on budget through smart design, creative re-use, open communication, and flexibility.

PROFILE

Strong ability to extract core problems from feedback and create elegant solutions to these problems
Highly visual designer with an eye for scene composition as well as UI layout and flow
Gamer at heart - minimizing frustration and maximizing fun are paramount in every decision
Unique Computer Science background bridges the communication gap between designers and engineers

WORK EXPERIENCE

Designer at Activision / Neversoft - April 2011 to Present

I was hired by Neversoft to work on an unannounced action shooter for console and PC. Here I design single player missions and encounters with a critical eye towards creating engaging experiences through well scripted AI and high octane action moments.

Unannounced Title - Action Shooter

Designer at n-Space, Inc. - July 2008 to October 2010

Recruited for my vast knowledge of the music/rhythm genre, I soon grew into a designer who could ably design for many different genres including: action/adventure, FPS, and RPG. My knowledge of computer science, as well as my communicative and collaborative nature, soon made me the "go-to" person for design tasks that required an unusual amount of code or animation support.

Heroes of Ruin - Action RPG

Tron: Evolution - Action / Adventure

GoldenEye 007 - 1st Person Shooter

Toy Story 3 - Action / Platformer

Hannah Montana: The Movie - Music / Adventure

Assistant Programmer at Liquid Entertainment - Summer 2007

Hired as an assistant programmer, I excelled while working on interdisciplinary tasks. Taking on challenges such as level streaming, level scripting, and facial animation set creation I worked with fellow coders as well as those in design, world building, and animation.

Rise of the Argonauts - Action RPG

Skills

Personal

Collaborative

Imaginative

Outgoing

Software

MS Office

Radiant

Unreal 3 Suite

Languages

Python

Perl

C / C++

Personal Projects

Audiotron - Motion Controller Music / Shooter Hybrid

Runner Up at the 2008 Vicarious Visions Student Challenge

Mr. Flatland - Puzzle

1st Place and Most Fun at Rensselaer’s Spring 2008 Game Jam

Mogg - 2D Music / Shooter

1st Place at the 2008 Vicarious Visions Student Challenge

EDUCATION

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY - Graduated Spring 2008

Dual Major: BS of Psychology & Computer Science

Minors: Game Development & Philosophy

Academic Honors

Cumulative GPA - 3.8

Best Overall Game - Vicarious Visions Student Challenge 2007

Graduated Cum Laude – Uninterrupted Dean’s List

Rensselaer Leadership Award