Benjamin S. Nickson
Personal Details
Residence: San Francisco, California
Telephone:1-415-613-7753
E-mail:
Published Games:Star Wars: Uprising (Kabam: iOS / Android)
Spirit Lords (Kabam: iOS / Android)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 (LucasArts: PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts: PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360)
MotorStorm (Evolution Studios: PlayStation 3)
Personal Profile
I have been working in the games industry for a number of years. During this time I have implemented gameplay systems in many languages, using multiple development engines. My C/C++/C# skills are strong and I have a thorough understanding of 3D games programming principles and practices. I have worked on AAA titles for both console and mobile platforms, and continue to enjoy developing and playing games.
My website located at includes my showpiece demo ‘Ozcan vs Nebulus and the Towergoround’. A Super Mario style action adventure game developed using C++ and OpenGL.
Key Skills
C/C++, C#, Scala, Unity Engine, OpenGL, Visual Studio, Git, and Perforce.
Work Experience
May 2016 – Aug 2017Zynga (Mobile Games Developer)
8th Street, San Francisco, California, USA.
While at Zynga I worked on an Action Strategy MMO version of Mafia Wars. I developed client and server systems, programming in C# with Unity on the front-end, and Scala on the back-end.
Jun 2013 – Feb 2016Kabam (Mobile Games Developer)
Folsom Street, San Francisco, California, USA.
At Kabam I worked on gameplay and AI for 'Star Wars: Uprising' and 'Spirit Lords'. My main areas of focus were locomotion, path-finding, cinematics, and the in-game camera system. I was developing using C# in the Unity Engine.
Feb 2007 – Apr 2013LucasArts (Console Games Developer)
Gorgas Avenue, San Francisco, California, USA.
At LucasArts I worked on a number of projects including both iterations of 'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed', and 'Star Wars: 1313'. My main responsibilities were in the areas of gameplay and AI. On 'Star Wars: The Force Unleashed' I predominantly worked on the in-game camera system. On 'Star Wars: 1313' I mainly worked on player locomotion. These projects gave me the opportunity to develop using C++, Lua, and The Unreal Engine for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms.
Aug 2005 – Feb 2007Evolution Studios (Console Games Developer)
Manor Farm Road, Manor Park, Runcorn, United Kingdom.
Education
2003 – 2004Liverpool John Moores University MSc Computer Games Technology (2.1)
James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
1999 – 2003Sheffield Hallam University BSc (Hons) Computing (Software Engineering) (2.1)
City Campus, Howard Street, Sheffield, United Kingdom.