Zipper Profile: Alan Van Slyke

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Our Developer Profile series introduces you to the many faces of Zipper Interactive. From designers to artists to programmers to audio engineers to producers, you’ll meet the creative minds that make Zipper what it is (and maybe learn a few surprises along the way).

Our profile spotlight for this week shines on Alan Van Slyke, Director of Production here at Zipper. That title means that he has to wear many hats on a daily basis, so he's got a lot to talk about.

Job Title: Director of Production

Years at Zipper: 5

Years in the Industry: 14

Favorite Zipper Game: MAG

Favorite Non-Zipper Game: All time: RBI Baseball (NES). Recent: Red Dead Redemption.

Motto: Do what you truly enjoy, and you’ll never have a regret.

What is it that you do specifically, and can you walk us through your typical day?

Specifically, I’m responsible for making sure that the games the studio develops are released on time, and at the highest quality. A typical day is loaded with problem solving. It can be very low level... such as helping an artist and designer work out a specific disagreement while constructing a level... Or it can be high level, such as helping the leads and managers get a handle on what we want to deliver for the next demo, and how we can get it done. There is lots of talking to people and discussing issues, and helping find solutions between disciplines.

How did you get into the industry?

I graduated with a computer science degree and got into biotech right out of college. I had always had a passion for games, and EA had a division across town that was hiring. I got my foot in the door there and initially worked in IT, then on the server development team for Need for Speed. This development experience introduced me to the EA.com platform team in California (EA headquarters), so I moved down there for a few years and helped with EA.com, eventually ending up as a Lead Architect in the Worldwide Technology division. This gave me exposure to a breadth of online platform components, as well as continued development experience with many online titles... and ultimately provided the opportunity to take a Producer role at Zipper with their ambitious PS3 large scale online-only shooter title: MAG.

I’ve been in the industry for about 14 years now, and wouldn’t trade it.

What are some other games or projects that you’ve worked on in the past?

The Need for Speed series, Motor City Online, Sims Online and MAG.

What’s your proudest moment?

Unveiling MAG at the E3 floor in 2009. This was really the public's first opportunity to get their hands on a title that we had put tons of effort into. Working the floor, having people be excited to play our game, and going back to Zipper and sharing the experience with the team was exciting.

Is there anything you’d like to say to the fans?

To everyone who posts on the boards, in Beta, and chats on headsets nightly: a sincere thanks. We invested an incredible amount of effort to build MAG, and absolutely continue to incorporate as much feedback as possible... prior to launch, in the 9 patches since launch, and in future patches that are currently in development.

Don't forget to click this link and leave your questions to Alan for this week's Zipline podcast!

 

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