Life at Resolution: Fadi, Lead Programmer
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a game programmer working with mixed reality technology? Fadi, one of our lead programmers, shares his experience.
What is your favorite part of working at Resolution Games?
It has always been my dream to work in game development. Ever since I was just a few years old I would play games on the family computer and go to the library with my parents to borrow games to play at home. I never imagined that I would be here at Resolution. It's amazing working at a company where everyone is aiming for the same goal, to create memorable experiences. It is a dream come true! My favorite part is that I get to use a lot of new and exciting technology to develop games and implement features that I dreamed of as a little kid.
Tell us about some projects you've worked on, and challenges you’ve encountered
I first came to Resolution as a consultant working on the mixed reality, competitive multiplayer shooter Spatial OPS. The entire project depended on solving one, seemingly trivial, but critical problem: how to let players in the same location see the world and other players aligned correctly relative to the real world.
As the Lead Programmer, I had to figure out how to solve that problem, not only making it precise enough for a big play-space, but also easy enough that any player could understand how to use it without having to ask for help. With the help of my boss, I believe we did a pretty good job of solving it and I’m now a full-time employee. It has been really fun and a great learning experience.
How do you collaborate with your colleagues at Resolution Games?
We work very closely together in small teams on different projects. My team consists of a few core people and additional support depending on the task. We always talk openly about the issues we face and how to tackle them. It's important to mention that the culture here promotes teamwork and an environment where everyone can speak freely and give their input on things which accelerates problem-solving as well as creativity - I love it!
Can you tell us about some of the fun things happening at Resolution Games, outside the daily work routine?
Sometimes we have talks during lunchtime where a colleague has prepared a presentation about a subject that relates to the work we do at Resolution or general game development. It is always fun to learn new things and be able to discuss topics that may not be brought up otherwise. We also have some fun after-work activities, like a running D&D campaign that anyone can join and take-part in even if they don't have any prior experience.
What excites you about being in the VR/AR games space?
VR and AR are the future. There’s no question about it. It's only a matter of time until the devices get powerful enough and small enough that everyone will own one. It is like the PC and mobile revolution happening all over again, but this time it will integrate with the real-world in a way that wasn’t possible until now. Imagine the craze that happened around Pokemon Go where people had to use their phone as a window to the game in AR, but instead, people will have AR glasses in the future where they can interact with the game as if it was there in front of them. That is what makes working on Spatial OPS so rewarding because we are doing something new and exciting to make the game possible. I can only imagine what future devices will be capable of!
What do you look forward to learning at Resolution Games?
I would love to explore the ECS and DOTS systems more. These softwares are something I’ve dabbled in before but have never had the opportunity to utilize in a game. Being able to optimize certain things in a way that gives us more performance headroom for things like better graphics and more realistic AI. There is a big difference when it comes to developing for a standalone platform like the Quest 2 versus tethered headsets when you can have a powerful gaming PC running the game. Working with different platforms and their constraints always prove to be a challenge in itself, but knowing the limitations and knowing how to work around them and squeeze out every last drop of available performance, that is what I would like to do.
Working with innovative technology can be difficult, but is also very rewarding. Want to learn with us? Check out our current openings and discover for yourself why we love working with VR and AR technology.
