In my 12 years in the gaming industry, I’ve had the good fortune to work in several aspects of game creation. I enjoy the challenge that goes along with the ever-changing needs of the creative process. I love solving problems and working together with several disciplines to create truly memorable games.
I bring with me a wealth of experience, having worked in several industries. I’ve been a soldier, a car salesman and an airline supervisor just to name some of them. I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world, from Maine to Mozambique. I play the ukulele (badly.) I am conversant in Spanish. I enjoy table-top role-playing games, reading just about anything, British television and the occasional round of disc golf.
Christopher Tritt
P.O. Box 865
Pine Valley, CA 91962 US
(619) 850-4440
mail@christritt.com
B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing / Minor in English • 2010
So you are probably wondering why a game designer would want a degree in marketing. Well, I’m glad you asked… Marketing can mean a number of things, depending on whom you ask: Sales, Brand Management, Search Engine Optimization, Advertising and Communications. (Trust me, the list is enormous.) One of the things Marketing does very well, is it incorporates elements of sociology and psychology in tailoring your message to a specific group; in this case, your target audience. I apply some of these techniques in crafting stories.
A.A. in Transfer Studies • 2007
This area of education allowed me to explore all kinds of useful courses to assist in my writing, such as History, Cultural and Physical Anthropology, Geology and of course lots and lots of English and Creative Writing classes.
Certificate of Completion • 1991
I served in the U.S. Army for over 8 years, specifically as a Signals Intelligence Analyst (which, admittedly, sounds a lot cooler than it actually was.) This experience gave me first-hand knowledge of the military and how it works. I also got to throw hand grenades (which was awesome.)
What does the X button do anyway?
Sometimes the most basic questions are the most difficult to answer. The game has to be fun. The game has to be compelling. The game controls, GUI and game progression all have to be intuitive. Oh yeah, and it all has to be done on time and (hopefully) under budget. But how?
The right game design is a complex puzzle, that when completed just feels right. A designer needs to bare in mind how all of the game elements work together, not just how the game plays. A “world view” of the overall design is key to a project’s success.
Well, that and a whole lot of play testing.
Game DesignIn the context of gaming, the story serves to push the game forward and keeps the player wondering what is around the next level. As a game designer, I understand the importance of fitting the story around the game and not the other way around. Character drives story and story compels the player but all with the understanding that the story serves to enhance the game and explain the motivations of the player-character.
Having a clear understanding of the character is essential for writing dialogue.
Story and VOWhat me, an artist?
Sometimes, no matter how well you write it, it’s just that much easier to draw a picture. If you can translate those ideas to an image, you have a clear advantage in getting those around you to help understand your vision. The key is to keep it quick and concise. It’s the art team’s mission to make it beautiful.
I use a combination of pencils and markers along with a liberal application of Photoshop to put my illustrations together.
Art WorkWhat exactly does a producer do?
Whenever I would tell people I meet that I was a video game producer, invariably they would ask me what I did every day. The way I saw it, my job was to do anything and everything that didn’t fall under the category of art or programming. Get the mundane things out of the way, so programmers and artists can focus on what they need to do. In other words, there is no job too big or too small.
Game Production