Harvey Smith (game developer)

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Harvey Smith, 2007

Harvey Smith (* 1966 ) is a Texas game developer and author.

biography

Childhood and military service

Smith grew up as a child in Texas in a drug and violence environment. His mother died of an overdose when he was six years old and his father died of suicide. Smith said he was already very creative as a child, but was a poor student. He married early and accepted a position as a satellite communications technician with the US Air Force . This led him to Germany for several years, where, parallel to his service at the university, he studied literature for several years with a major and psychology as a minor. In the period between Operation Desert Storm and the start of Operation Southern Watch , Smith was stationed in Saudi Arabia, where he and his unit monitored compliance with the no-fly conditions. After six years of service, he retired from the army.

Career as a game developer

After his military service, the avid computer gamer Smith tried to gain a foothold in the game industry on the advice of a friend. He began his career as a QA tester at Origin , where he contributed to Super Wing Commander's quality assurance tester and System Shock's lead tester .

Smith became known as the lead game designer of Ion Storms Deus Ex , whose successor Deus Ex: Invisible War he was in charge of as project director. He left Ion Storm in 2004 and became the creative director of Midway Games Texas, where he worked on the first person shooter Blacksite: Area 51 until December 2007 . Smith made headlines when he publicly criticized the disastrous development conditions after the game was completed and then left the company. In 2009 he was named one of the 100 most important game developers of all time by the US online game magazine IGN .

Smith is currently employed by the French developer Arkane Studios . There he was involved as co-creative director in the development of the action title Dishonored: The Mask of Wrath .

Career as an author

In April 2013, Smith published his first novel, Big Jack Is Dead . The novel itself is fictional, but has numerous motifs that are similarly found in Smith's life.

Smith is now divorced and lives in Austin , Texas.

Ludography

  • Dishonored 2 (2016, as Creative Director)
  • Dishonored (2012, as Co-Creative Director)
  • KarmaStar (2009, as designer / producer)
  • Blacksite: Area 51 (2007, as Executive Creative Director)
  • Thief: Deadly Shadows (2004, as designer)
  • Deus Ex: Invisible War (2003, as Project Director)
  • Deus Ex (2000, as lead designer)
  • FireTeam (1998, as lead designer)
  • Technosaur (unreleased, as Project Director)
  • CyberMage (1995, as Associate Producer)
  • Ultima VIII (1996, Associate Producer of the CD re-release)
  • System Shock (1994, as lead tester)
  • Super Wing Commander (1994, as a tester)

Books

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/10/17/unmasked-dishonoreds-harvey-smith/
  2. ↑ http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/129975/the_subversion_game_an_interview_.php
  3. ↑ Patrick Klepek: Confirmed: Harvey Smith Leaves Midway ( English ) In: 1UP . November 30, 2007. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved July 10, 2011. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.1up.com
  4. ↑ 35. Harvey Smith ( English ) In: IGN . News Corp . 2009. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved June 5, 2011. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / games.ign.com
  5. ↑ Andy Robinson: Bethesda's Dishonored is official - huge talent on board ( English ) In: CVG . July 7, 2011. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved on July 10, 2011.
  6. ↑ http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-04-10-dishonoreds-harvey-smith-releases-a-novel-based-on-his-own-turbulent-life
personal data
SURNAME Smith, Harvey
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American game developer
DATE OF BIRTH 1966