John Hight 2010 Board Statement

Contact John

Director of Product Development, Sony Computer Entertainment of America

Candidate Position Statement:

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the work of the IGDA. I started my career in videogames as a programmer 20 years ago. Back then, teams were small and I wore a lot of hats. I was able to try my hand as artist, producer, and designer. I’ve been fortunate to contribute to over 40 published games - some big hits, some sleepers, and some “learning experiences.” I’ve grown up along with our industry. As the budgets and teams got bigger, I shifted over to publishing and earned an MBA to better understand the business side of game development. Now I’m back in the studio overseeing the 130 person internal team developing God of War 3 as well as the independent external developer, Lightbox Interactive.

The future of our industry depends on fostering new talent. When I first started with Sony, I spearheaded the PlayStation Network (PSN) first party publishing effort, producing much of the PSN launch content including: Warhawk, flOw, BlastFactor, Everyday Shooter, and the PixelJunk series. I was the first publishing executive to incubate a newly graduated indie team: thatgamecompany. Their successes with flOw and flower helped pave the way for a new generation of independent developers. Every year I try to pass along what I’ve learned by teaching classes at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts: Anatomy of a Game and Business of Interactive Media. I also wrote a primer for new producers entitled, Game Development Essentials: Game Project Management.

As game-makers, we have the best jobs in the world. They are also among the most demanding. We need to nurture talent by recognizing that a balance between work and home leads to happier, healthier, and ultimately more successful teams. I firmly believe that through better communication, management, and planning we can help alleviate lengthy “crunches” that are so cost-ineffective.

I’ve watched our industry grow from making games for gamers to a being a ubiquitous form of entertainment. We are in a transition where those new to games and interactive media need some guidance about content for themselves and for their children. It is our responsibility to honestly inform consumers and provide accurate ratings for our games. We need to be patient with the uninformed and persistent in preserving artist’s rights.

If elected I would lend my voice and my experience to shaping our industry and helping my fellow developers succeed.  Thank you.

Candidate Bio:

John Hight is the Director of Product Development of SCEA Santa Monica Studio. He started with Sony in 2005, in external development. He was responsible for initiating first party content development for PlayStation Network (PSN). In this role he discovered new talent, identified business opportunities, negotiated development deals, oversaw production, and brought much of the launch content to PSN. In 2008, he moved over to internal development, assuming responsibility for the first-party team developing God of War 3 as well as the independent external developer, Lightbox Interactive - the makers of Warhawk.

John has worked in the videogame industry for over 20 years, holding management and creative positions with Atari, Electronic Arts, Westwood Studios, 3DO, and Philips Interactive Media. While Executive Producer at Atari, John oversaw the Dungeons & Dragons titles: Forgotten Realms: Demonstone, Dragonshard, and Neverwinter Nights. In his role as Executive Producer and Director of Design for Electronic Arts, John led the design and creative production of Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 and its sequel Yuri's Revenge. He also co-developed the original IP game Nox.

John holds an M.B.A. from U.S.C.'s Marshall School of Business and a B.S.E. in Computer Science from the University of New Mexico. He teaches Anatomy of a Game and Business of Interactive Media at USC's School of Cinematic Arts. John is also the lead author of Game Development Essentials: Game Project Management published by Thomson Delmar Learning. He is a past board member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.

Board Interview Q and A:

1. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing game developers today?  What should the IGDA's role be in addressing that challenge?

The biggest challenge is the one facing everyone: the economy. In the past, our industry has boasted that its recession proof. Not true this time around. We have a lot of extremely talented people chasing fewer jobs. Many game developers face relocation away from friends and family to find work.

IGDA can't create more jobs but we can help entrepreneurial developers find each other. Networking with a focus on business incubation in local chapters can connect artists, designers, programmers, and producers with one another. We can assist with outreach to publishers and investors willing to help small teams get established. We can sponsor educational seminars and forums for starting a new business, pitching game concepts to investors, and sharing tips and advice. There is opportunity for small teams to be nimble and address not only consumer demand for new content but also assist bigger studios with portions of their production.

2.  How do you expect to contribute to the IGDA Board?  What qualifications or skills do you possess that will enhance your contributions?

                I plan to draw on my lengthy development experience to help IGDA establish directives.  I feel I am uniquely qualified to understand both the business and the creative side of our industry. I'm confident that I can facilitate Quality of Life efforts and hopefully move this from discussion to action. I would also like to update our educational guidelines for new developers to help prepare them for the rapidly changing business and technical challenges that they face.

 

3. How much time do you expect to volunteer to the IGDA?  How will you manage this commitment?

I expect to contribute 4 hours a week on average with the flexibility to give more when situations require it.

4. As an IGDA board member, you're often asked to get things done on a short timeframe and tight budget.  What do you think a reasonable expectation of a board member's contribution is?  How will you accomplish your goals as a board member?

I'm no stranger to tight deadlines and limited funds. My experiences as a studio director and my MBA have sharpened my scheduling and financial skills.  I'm good at time management and prioritization.

We have a lot of talent in our organization that I would tap to get things done.  I've developed a solid track-record over the years and people can trust that I won't waste their time.