Dev Blog

Peter first joined the Lab as part of the QA team, and his bug reports and feedback were so good, and so thorough, that we couldn’t help paying extra attention to him. That’s how he got his design ideas in front of us, and those were so good that we invited him to join the design team. It’s a classic gamer makes good story. Read on to find out how the story began! — Sanya

From Professional Gamer to Gaming Professional

by Peter Lim

It wasn’t until my junior year of college that I decided to pursue being a Game Designer. I’ve always loved playing video games (competitively, I might add!), but since my parents loathed watching me sit in front of my computer for hours, it was hard to imagine pursuing a career in the game industry. So let’s backtrack a bit.

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When I first met Josh a couple years ago, I didn’t realize he was relatively new to the company. He was such a perfect fit with our company culture – smart, thoughtful, hardworking, laid back – that I assumed he’d been part of the team all along and I’d failed to introduce myself. We wish he had been here all along. In addition to programming the tools for the art team, one of the producers tells me that he makes some of the best milestone videos behind the scenes. So don’t believe this guy when he says he’s only got one skill. Meet Josh. — Sanya

Behind the Scenes

by Josh Petrie

My name is Josh Petrie, and I’m a programmer here at Undead Labs. I’ve been programming in one form or another for most of my life. To some extent, this is because it’s the only employable skill I’ve got, but fortunately it turns out that I love doing it.

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Ian isn’t the kind of person who talks big, but he’ll do big things – and in fact, he’d do nearly anything – if it would help the team. (We love that about him.) He’s passionate about learning new things and advancing the state of the art in animation. He’s also got a fun, creative personality with a bright smile for everyone. Good animators are really hard to find, and we’ve found one of the best in Ian. — Sanya

Animated

by Ian Yonika

Hello!

I’m Ian Yonika and I’m an animator here at Undead Labs.  I’ve been doing game animation professionally for 10 years now, which I consider to be 25% of my projected career.  So far, so good!

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We had an open position for quite a long time before we found Jesse, because the person in the producer role can ruin the team if they aren’t a good fit. They’re the connection holding the entire flying circus together. It was worth the wait to find someone with her dedication, her passion for getting it right and getting it done, and her wicked sense of humor. Here’s how Jesse came to be part of the Lab team. — Sanya

Now Playing

by Jesse Dunne

The SNES

I was ten years old when Great Uncle Jim sent me an SNES for Christmas. I didn’t know anything about video games and, for a kid without cable TV, a console was a miracle. This would be the only console I owned for a long time, but the games are still with me. Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Kart, Street Fighter II, Super Metroid, A Link to the Past, and Krusty’s Fun House are all games I remember vividly. Mom and I played Super Mario World together and sometimes I would catch her playing in the morning when I woke up for school (she worked the night shift). We were both hooked. 20 years later, I still have my SNES. It still fires up; you just gotta blow out the dust.

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I first met Jordan at PAX Prime two years ago. He was quiet, friendly, helpful, and willing to turn his hand to anything. Pretty much like the rest of the company, to be honest. But then…then I saw him in the office working with Kevin. He was intense, passionate, and completely hardcore. Jekyll and Hyde, if Hyde was really nice and into sound design. Okay, fine, the analogy doesn’t work, but Jordan does, and you’re going to love what he does when you hear it. Here’s Jordan telling you about his job. – Sanya

Sounds of Decay

by Jordan Stock

A long time ago, before I ever had any business being in a video game studio, an audio engineer told me, “good sound feels good”.  It seems like a simple and even obvious statement, but it is much more than that.  It’s a mantra that has guided my conception of sound ever since.  At the time I could only relate this sentiment to music since that was what I worked on back then, but it fundamentally changed how I worked.  I stopped looking for how a musical idea might relate to the piece, and began listening to how my sonic choices made me feel.  I’d listen to my gut, and trust my instincts that what I was hearing either sounded good, or not.  A year later I’m making sounds for games and the mantra still holds true, but it has also evolved: good sound makes you feel something.

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