Whitfield Shane

Shane Whitfield

GAME DEVELOPMENT - TECHNICAL DIRECTOR / LEAD ENGINEER

Name:Whitfield Shane
Date of birth:
Address:Bellevue, Wa USA
Phone:
Email:shane@shanewhitfield.com
Website:www.shanewhitfield.com
Accomplished Technical Lead with years of successful game development and related tool development experience. Excellent communication skills; known for defining development processes and product workflows. Maintain open, fun, and autonomous atmosphere, shape group dynamics, promote creativity, facilitate technical consensus, and develop skills of team and individuals. TECHNICAL DIRECTION: Continuously assess skills of team members to develop product roadmaps that profit from technical strengths; initiate corrective actions or training to overcome expected issues or knowledge deficits.

Employment

2003-2005

1. Monolith Productions

Software Engineer (Combat, Abilities, and Client code)
  • Maintained, designed, and programmed (using LIVE-design) combat and ability system.
  • As Combat Strike Team Lead, managed combat tasks and meetings.
  • Assisted in creating an ability system foundation and ability execution pipeline using C++ and Python.
  • Designed and executed ability/item balance and validation.
  • Managed, led, and provided solo engineering support for major combat/abilities revision.
2005-2007

2. Sony Online Entertainment

Software Engineer (Skill System and Game-Play Prototyping)
  • Led, designed, and maintained skill system to ensure quick and easy content creation.
  • As Skill System Lead, managed skill group’s tasks and facilitated communication with studio executive leads.
  • Assisted in game-play prototyping using UnrealScript and the Unreal 3 Engine.
2007-2009

3. Loose Cannon Studios

Software Engineer (Tools, Runtime, Game-Play Systems, and Code Reviewer)

Software Engineer / Tools, Runtime, Game-Play Systems, “Tornado Outbreak” (Shipped, Xbox360, PS3, Wii)

Supported iterative game-play systems (Missions, Player Movement, Skills, Achievements etc.), provided tools, runtime, and content support for FX system, reviewed co-workers code, implemented runtime systems

2009-2010

4. Snowblind Studios

Gameplay Engineer (Game-Play Systems)

Gameplay Engineer / Game Play Systems, “War In the North” (PS3, Xbox360, PC)

Re-architected War in the North game systems as member of 50-person team for instance-oriented AI and player companion AI. Re-worked combat system to resolve through Lua; educated designers on this system.

  • Code Review: Took initiative and setup code review process and initiated large code cleanup.
2010-present

5. 5thCell Media

Lead / Senior Engineer, Engine Tech & Game-Play Systems

Lead / Senior Engineer (Engine Tech & Game-Play Systems, XboxOne, iOS, PC) (2012 – Present)

Lead 15-member team to develop engine and internal tools for 2 to 3 game teams. Supervise direct report group and provide key input to allocate resources and meet deadlines across production, QA, training, code base, development tools, roadmaps, strategies, personnel review system, and methodologies. Promote creative culture, and actively support individual career goals.

  • Oversee all engine development areas (graphics, tools, object model, etc.); delegate duties and contribute advice and insight as senior technical resource; personally assist with tough technical challenges.
  • Support full lifecycle product development with focus on product; manage multiple concurrent projects, orchestrate creative and technical processes and timelines, and deliver tools intended to meet product demands.

Key Accomplishments

  • Engine Team Launch: Founded and currently manage 15-member team: Identified need for formal processes (requirements gathering, code reviews, static code analysis, unit testing), gained acceptance of concept, and launched Engine Team.
  • Technology Leadership: Manage technical environment; track down surface issues to isolate fundamental technical problems; develop ideas and recommendations, initiate group action, and gain consensus of all teams for global solution.
  • Product Management: Take ownership of product issues, distill true needs / priorities from internal and external clients, establish root causes, and oversee solutions; follow through with internal and external stakeholders to ensure full resolution.
  • Productivity Enhancement: Identified and implemented many systems, including model pipeline and WPF-C++ bindable Engine properties, to significantly increase tools development speed.
  • Recruiting / Hiring: Refocused team interview process for phone and technical interviews to ensure cultural fit, strong technical skills, and willingness to learn / adapt to new technologies.

 

Senior Engineer, “Hybrid” (Xbox360, PC) (2012)

Supported 25-member team as senior technical resource. Wrote ActionScript / C++ systems to support MTX, Matchmaking, and Player Progression Unlocks and refactored Flash files to support UI needs. Implemented MTX systems and model section swapping based off purchases.

 

Senior Engineer, “unannounced title” (iOS) (2010 – 2012)

Directed technical efforts of 3-member team to implement 2D game systems and infrastructure in Unity for quick iteration on an iOS game with CEO.

 

Education

2000-2003

1. Digipen Institute of Technology

B.S. Real Time Interactive Simulation (Computer Science)

References

2007-2009

1. Matt Scott

CTO and Owner (Loose Cannon Studios)
2010-present

2. Caleb Arseneaux

Sr. Producer (5THCell)
2005-present

3. Luis Yepez

Principle Artist (5THCell, Sony Online Entertainment)
2007-2009

4. Scott Bilas

Lead Software Engineer (Loose Cannon Studios)
2003-2009

5. Terry Franguidakis

Software Engineer (Loose Cannon Studios, Sony Online Entertainment, Monolith)

Skills