Episode Details

My guest is David Fox, one of the founding members of Lucasfilm Games and a longtime game designer and programmer. This conversation is not just about game design—it's about a deeper question:

How do you build a career in a field where the path isn't clearly defined?My guest for this episode is David Fox. David was one of the founding members, first game designer and project leader at Lucas film Games / Lucas Arts in 1982, where he worked in designing and scripting many of the graphic adventures of the 1980s. From 2007-2011 he worked with Disney as an Interactive consultant.

He is currently the Lead Programmer for the game Return To Monkey Island, and adapting "Rube Works: The Official Rube Goldberg Invention Game" to XR. For those of you like me, who are not game programers, XR stands for Extended Reality, a technology that is combination of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) 

David's specialties are Producer and Game designer, iOS and Android app development with Unity 3D and Corona, iBook creation, Location Based Entertainment design, and Virtual Reality and Location Based VR.

He says the overall theme in everything he does is "Finding ways to use technology to enrich people's lives, and using humor and entertainment to empower change." 

When I reached out to David to ask him if he would be a guest, I explained I like to encourage and inspire people to do the thing they'd like to do. I know a few students dreaming of a job as a designer or programmer in the gaming industry when they graduate from college. I hope this conversation supports and inspires them. David gives guidance into the paths one might choose to focus on and what to expect as one embarks on a career in the game industry.

In this conversation we talk about:

* How he got started in the gaming business.
* Career paths 
* Technical skills crucial for a video game designer or programmer 
* Industry Insights and trends shaping the future of game industry
* What a typical day at work is like as a video game designer or programmer
* How software engineering students can gain practical experience while in school.
* Internships - how important they are and how to find and secure one.
* What projects and side activities a student should do to build their skill set and resume
* How important is it to have a portfolio and what should and should not be in it.
* Networking and job hunting - How can students effectively network before they get out of college
* What he looks for when hiring a new designer or programmer.
* The process of applying for a job.
The best companies to work for
 * His experience working with start-ups and why they may or may not be a good choice.
* Starting and running your own game company

Connect with David Fox:
(Company) https://electriceggplant.com