As Sixers, we like to showcase our small, yet mighty team and highlight their amazing abilities. This month, we’re introducing a few of our employees who are hard at work making our dream for a virtual society happen.

How did you get started in this profession and what drew you to a career as a Narrative Designer?

I went to school for screenwriting, and received an MFA from NYU. After I graduated, I moved out to LA to focus on writing for film and TV, but eventually got a job as a Production Assistant within an R&D division of Sony that focused on making games and experiences for Playstation Home. My role grew from there, and I started getting more involved with game design. Eventually I left for my first narrative design job at a Silicon Valley startup called Galaxyz that focused on educational games. What drew me to that particular role was a combination of things - my game background, my writing background, and my education background. (I was a middle school math teacher between undergrad and grad school!)

When did you discover a passion for games?

It was in the Nintendo 64 and PS1 era. Before that, I remember playing Duck Hunt and Mario on the NES with my dad, but I wasn’t super into it. But when the 3D consoles came out there were suddenly more games that focused on story - like Final Fantasy 7 and 8 on PS1. And I just got more into games from there on out.

What was the first game you ever played?

The original Super Mario Bros for NES.

What excites you most about being a Narrative Designer?

Getting to create stories and worlds that players can interact with and be involved with. I like traditional linear storytelling, but there’s something exciting about crafting a story where you are providing options for the protagonist instead of dictating what they are going to do. In a way, narrative design is more about worldbuilding than it is about traditional storytelling.

If someone were to ask you what a Game Designer does, how would you answer in the most creative way possible?

It depends on what type of game designer. Right off the bat, I would say a traditional gameplay designer would be someone who’s invested in solving the “door problem.” i.e. - Determining rule sets about how specific aspects of the game work. So, like, the game designer is the one who decides if the door opens in, opens out, or slides to the left. They decide whether it has a knob or a handle. That sort of thing. A lot of people think game designers are just coming up with high level ideas all day. And it’s a little bit of that, but I would say it’s more about making very specific decisions than it is about pure creativity.

What things in life are still a mystery to you?

A lot - the biggest mystery to me that I spend a lot of time thinking about would be the source and nature of consciousness. It’s amazing that consciousness exists. I often wonder how and why we evolved this way. I think about whether or not consciousness is something that can be artificially created. And if it can be, if there would be ways for humans to identify that. Like, if you can get an AI to perform like a human, is there a way to know, whether or not it has the awareness we have? I don’t think there is. And that’s interesting when we think about the future of building narratives in virtual worlds.

What have you learned about yourself since becoming a Game Designer?

It goes back to that concept of specificity we talked about in the early question with the door problem. Having a cool idea in your head is much easier than learning how to communicate that idea in a way that a team can execute on it or build it in a way that a player can interact with it. Coming up with the specifics is 99% of the work. That initial idea is only 1%.

Of the many things you do, which one makes you the most excited?

When I’m writing, the thing that makes me the most excited is when two ideas that seem very disparate and disconnected come together in interesting and unexpected ways. Like if I have an idea for a character backstory that down the line becomes crucial for solving a plot hole. Or there’s something about the setting that contextualizes a gameplay mechanic in a way that makes the whole experience feel more meaningful.

How did you decide to pursue a career in your field?

When I was really young, I liked playing imaginary games. My friends and I would pretend to be vampires or superheros or whatever. So the idea of being involved in storytelling professionally was really appealing because it felt like an extension of my free time. When I was 11 or 12, I wanted to do that by becoming an actor, and I actively pursued acting throughout my teens, but found more satisfaction as a writer. I think I knew I wanted to professionally write around the age of 17.

What are you currently working on, without giving anything away?

I’m working on building a world where it’s full of interesting people that players will want to get to know. I’m also working on the ambient story that players can opt in/opt out together, and that players can participate in together. Right now my focus is on creating the depth of story you might find in a TV show, combined with the ambient, multiplayer feel you can only find in games.

What is the one thing in life that makes you happiest?

I’ll cheat and say two things. The first one is sharing a new experience with people I love, like traveling or trying a new activity I’ve never done. I really love the feeling of discovery that only comes from doing something outside my comfort zone. The other thing that makes me really happy accomplishing something big, like finishing a big project or reaching the top of a mountain.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be?

California right now, but not necessarily during this pandemic. I’d say LA and SF are the two places that are best to live in for gaming and interactive storytelling in general, and LA is a lot more affordable.