Tim Huntsman

Meet Tim Huntsman

TapStar Interactive, Smartbomb Interactive
Tim Huntsman

About Tim

About Tim

Mentor of Game Design

Tim is in his fourth decade of designing and producing video games, simulations, LBE and table-top interactive experiences. He has a number of top-selling and award-winning titles to his name, dating from the old Atari Lynx and Jaguar platforms, to the PS1/N64/Dreamcast days, to the Xbox and the mobile eras, accounting for over $500M in sales.

Tim has worked to develop games and managed teams of over 85 people in the AAA space for companies like Microsoft, Disney, and Acclaim, among others. His areas of expertise are game/systems design, IP creation, storytelling, and the 3 C's, Economies, Production Management and Designer Mentorship.

  

Tim's work

Credits include Boulder Dash 30th Anniversary Edition, Cars 2, Disney Infinity, and WWF War Zone, to name a few.

WWF War Zone
Disney Infinity
Cars 2

Q&A with Tim

Which city are you currently based in?

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

What did your pathway into the industry look like?
I was friends with the owner of at a punk/college bar and he got licensed for the Atari Lynx. Once he found out that I was a gamer and had played board games like Car Wars, he asked me to help him create a car-combat game ... that was in 1990.
What has been the best experience of your career so far?
In 2006 I was asked to become the Sr. Producer of a new Disney studio, with a new team, on a new IP, on new hardware (the 'revolution' dev kits didn't exist yet). Not only did I get the game done and to market, but I did it on time and on budget.
What’s your advice for your students?

To understand one thing, you must learn 10,000 things. Game design is about taking abstract ideas and turning them into tangible, interactive experiences. It is hard work, but the more you understand about systems, story-telling, hardware, and the psychology of 'fun,' the better and more accessible your games will become.

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Diploma of Game Development (Game Programming)

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What do you enjoy most about being a CG Spectrum mentor?
I have always loved working with newcomers to the games business. I love to share my insight and passion with people who want to create fun experiences. I also absorb the students' enthusiasm: it keeps me from getting jaded!
How do you stay creative outside of work?
For fun, I write stories about a group of kids in search of cryptids, I play and record music, try to set new high scores on area pinball machines, and take care of my family.
What excites you most about the future of game design?
More and more seeing the concept of augmented reality being worked on and integrated into things like our cell phones. I believe the future will brings some brilliant opportunities to do some really "out there" games and interactive experiences.

Learn more about Tim's experience or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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