Chanel Summers

Microsoft Xbox Game System

Current project:
Xbox. Because Xbox is only as good as the games developed for it, I set out to create the industry's first team of graphic artists, sound designers, composers and game designers who would just work with game developers, coaching game creators to take advantage of the capabilities presented by Xbox. The Content and Design Team's goal is to help game developers apply technology and features into their game designs in order to help usher in an era of future-generation games. Prior to that, I worked on the Xbox Team as the audio manager for the Advanced Technology Group where I worked with game developers around the world to help come up with the design for the Xbox audio subsystem.

Academic Info

College: University of Southern California
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Classical Studies

Were there any particular projects or areas of study that you pursued?
I actually started in Biomedical Engineering and worked on a number of science related projects before switching to liberal arts. These projects included:

1. USC/Belgrade Robotic Hand Project - Sensor Development and Grasp Planning: Lead programmer on KnowledgeCraft-based project designed to enable a five-fingered robotic hand to view an object and plan appropriate grasping maneuvers. The goal of the project was to enable robot-assisted neural surgery.

2. Society of Women Engineers - USC Chapter Secretary.

3. Laboratory Assistant-Molecular Biology Lab at the Ahmanson Center for Biological Research: Manufactured genetic mutations to research possible new antibiotics, analyzed gene splices, and oversaw laboratory procedures for the projects under my supervision.

Did you do any internships?
I attended Saturday and summer sessions at the California Institute of Technology while still in high school, where I developed robotic systems.

Career Info

Tell us about your first job in the industry. How did you get the job? What was it like? What were your responsibilities?
I first entered the gaming industry as a producer working for a company called The Software Toolworks (later known as Mindscape). I was hired to make the company's educational product lines more entertaining. My first projects were in the Mindscape Kids line - in particular, I was responsible for the management of the Mario educational series (one of the most visible in the company). I later worked on a number of titles (both computer and video games) such as MegaRace and Alfred Chicken.

I got the job when a friend contacted someone he knew at the company and found out that a position was available. It was a lot of fun to manage all the upfront planning for the games, including game design and concept art, as well as business aspects like product positioning, strategy formulation, and financial analysis. One of the most important things I did was to work with other people: development teams of programmers and artists. I found that in many cases I became more of a member of the development team than of my own company!

What jobs have you held in the games industry thus far? Briefly describe the career path you took to get where you are today.
I left Mindscape to work for a company called Velocity, one of the first multiplayer game developers. I worked as lead game designer and project manager on titles in a variety of genres, including strategy, action, and simulation games. I also reviewed and helped out on all game designs, particularly those deemed to be "in trouble" to make them as appealing as possible. Velocity was an interesting experience because the company was working with leading edge technologies such as real time 3D rendering engines, multiplayer game systems, and Bayesian artificial intelligence techniques to produce state-of-the-art titles.

I then went to help start Mattel Media as the group's first Executive Producer for "Boys' Properties". In this position, I managed and was responsible for all aspects of product development related to games based on Mattel product lines like Hot Wheels and Mattel's action figure lines - things like high-performance 3D vehicle simulations, action/arcade platform games, and productivity applications. One of the most exciting projects I got to work on was a mouse shaped like a big Hot Wheels car.

After that, I returned to Mindscape to design and manage the preproduction process for an unreleased 3D action game while also developing a prototype for a children's typing instruction program. In addition to designing the product and creating all design specifications, I had to manage artists in creating key interface images, and work with producers to build workable budgets and development schedules.

I joined Microsoft in 1997 as the program manager for "Fighter Ace", the first massively multiplayer game on the Microsoft Internet Gaming Zone. This required long hours and lots of organization as I worked with all the server folks at Microsoft and the game developers in Russia. After shipping "Fighter Ace," I moved over to the DirectX team as Microsoft's first Audio Technical Evangelist, where I was responsible for working with developers around the world to get them to use Microsoft's interactive audio technologies in their games. One of my biggest accomplishments was launching a technology called DirectMusic, a revolutionary method of creating and delivering interactive sound designs. During that time, I also came up with programs to get audio programmers, composers and sound designers more involved in the design of Microsoft technologies. This led to a lot of public exposure at industry meetings, trade shows, and public speaking opportunities. As a result, I became recognized as an expert in leading industry organizations and was also able to write and publish a number of articles and technical white papers before moving on to the Xbox audio team.

Advice

What fields of study, specific courses, or life experiences would you recommend to students interested in your field?
My background in philosophy and logic has served me much better than I thought it would. Other creative fields like film, music, art and creative writing would be valuable as well. But of course, there's no substitute for just getting out and doing it! Work with an art package to refine your own vision. Compose melodies with a sequencer. Write down your ideas and share them with friends to see how you can improve.

Is there anything you wish someone had told you before you got into the games industry? Is there anything you would have done differently?
I wouldn't have changed a thing!

As games increase in complexity, what are the various kinds of jobs that you foresee development companies needing in the next five years?
I think companies will need more and more creative people! It used to be that you could make a game with a couple of programmers and an artist. Today's PCs and videogame consoles have the ability to produce experiences that match or exceed what's possible in film or television. But it will take creative writers, designers, artists, musicians, and others to achieve that potential.

Do you have any other advice or recommendations to share with students who are interested in doing what you do?
Do what you're passionate about. Try to specialize as much as you can on one particular area and become known as an expert in that field - don't try to do everything. Get experience however you can! Do samples on your own, work with your friends, take a small job at a game company - anything can turn into something bigger, but you'll never get anywhere if you don't start somewhere.