Ethan Kennerly

I script systems and missions in Python and create content in BigWorld and Flash

Experience

GlobeX Studios (构思科技（天津）有限公司), Tianjin, China, March 2011 - Present

Lead Level Designer (资深策划组长): 神骑世界 (Secret Kingdoms) free to play MMORPG.

Game Development, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, Netherlands, September 2010 - March 2011

Gastdocent II (Guest Lecturer II) (part-time contractor): Co-designed class "Game Design 2." Hosted workshops: level design, system design, and playtesting.

Fine Game Design, Los Angeles, Seoul, and Amsterdam, June 2009 - August 2010

Independent Designer/Programmer: Flash-Python proof of concepts to animate Go, typing, and English. Flash-Python toolkit for test-driven development of client/server.

Interactive Media, School of Cinematic Arts, USC, Los Angeles, August 2006 - May 2009

M.F.A.: Designer/programmer on language learning and procedural graphics game. Assisted semester of "Game Design Workshop." Advisors: Chris Swain, Paul DeMeo.

Incognito Entertainment (SCEA, Sony), Salt Lake City, Utah, March 2006 - August 2006

Designer/Scripter (contractor): Scripted a single-player mission and intro for Warhawk (PS3 multiplayer only). In game, scripted tool to trigger, spawn, and path vehicles. Collaborated on infantry AI. First draft scripting language reference (2 wks).

TableStar Games (board game publisher), Berkeley, California, February 2005 - February 2006

Game Developer: Co-analyzed HeroCard system. Co-art directed Cyberspace.

Interim Director of Development, May - Aug 2005: Managed five HeroCard games.

Digital Entertainment and Game Design, ITT Tech, NIIT (textbook publisher), 2004

Author (contractor): First draft & some illus. of chapter, "Game Script and Storyboard Creation" (80 pg, 2 wks). Instructor’s manual, Game Interface Design (290 pg, 4 wks).

Special Major - Computer Game Design, San Francisco State University, 2002 - 2004

B.A.: Created major of algorithms, animation, and screenwriting. Department honoree.

Nexon, Inc. (넥슨-미국 MMO developer), Santa Clara, California, 서울 (Seoul), Korea, 1997 - 2002

Game Director, 1997-2002: US employee #3. Operated US launch of The Kingdom of the Winds and Dark Ages. Designed and scripted: Dark Ages religions, legends, politics, arena, guilds, contests, events, team quests, and a few levels and bosses. Scripted with proprietary unstructured programs and finite state machines. Collaborated with programmers and artists. Wrote server reference manual (300 pg, 5 wks).

Consultant, June 2003: Advised US managing director about Mabinogi (MMORPG).

계획자 (Game Planner), Korea, 2002: Wrote some systems, UI, story (cancelled MMO).

Localization Producer, 2001: QuizQuiz (casual MMO, QPlay) US alpha in one month.

20th Century Fox, Los Angeles, California, 1997

Game Concept Designer (contractor): The X-Files Trivia Game (board game).

Highlights of Credits

Highlights of Publications and Presentations

Independent Games Festival, "Runesinger" (student honorable mention), 2010

Games for Change, Mediateca Arcadia, "Civ. IV: Quality of Life" (exhibit), 2009

Game Developers Conference, "Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics" (assistant), 2009

Dutch Game Garden, Korea Game Conference, "Prototyping Gameplay," 2009

ISAGA, INTETAIN, IEEE-GIC, TCETC, "Runesinger: gameplay = phonics," 2009

Charles River Media, "Graph Theory for Designers" (two chapters, MMO GD2), 2005

ITT Tech, "Game Script and Storyboard Creation" (chapter, some illustration), 2004

ITT Tech, Game Interface Design (instructor’s manual, some illustration), 2004

IGDA, "Persistent World Design" (co-editor of a section with Gordon Walton), 2004

Gamasutra.com, "Better Game Design through Data Mining," 2003

Education

Interactive Media, M.F.A., Cinematic Arts, University of S. California, May 2009
Computer Game Design, Special B.A., magna cum laude, San Francisco State, 2004

Software

Advanced: Game scripts. BigWorld 2.0, Python 2.6. Excel '07, PowerPoint '07, Word '07.
Intermediate: Level editors. ActionScript 3, C++, Flash CS4, gVim 7, HTML 4.
Beginner: Audacity, Blender, CEGUI, DAME, FlashDevelop, Flixel, GlovePIE (wiimote), Go (GTP, SGF), Illustrator, InDesign, InnoSetup, JSFL, Maya, MIDI, Newton Dynamics, OGRE, Photoshop, Premiere, Project, PyAMF, SketchUp, SQL, TortoiseSVN, Twisted, Unix, Visio.

References available on request. Some portfolio samples online: fine game design . com