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These are taken from my Linkedin profile which can be found here. “As the former VP of Creative for Vivendi Games I had the pleasure of meeting a wide array of talent around the world. During one of my trips I had the good fortune to meet and work with Oli Clarke Smith, a game designer who has both tremendous passion and the design skill necessary for making great games. He was the lead designer on an R&D project and he was very successful in bringing the project vision to life. He plays just about every title on the market, giving him an impressive knowledge base of competitive data which he then uses to craft the best gameplay experience possible. Oli was always available to discuss design and was very quick to offer new and interesting gameplay solutions. Oli isn’t afraid to take on challenges and proved to be one of the project's biggest advocates. I would highly recommend him and I look forward to the opportunity to work with him again.” January 29, 2010 Top qualities: Great Results , Personable , Creative
“Oli’s understanding of game design, game theory and the game market is unsurpassed. Seriously, I’ve never met anyone with as much dedicated to what they do in my entire professional career. He is quick to anticipate, identify and raise potential design issues and his technical understanding allows him to provide various ways around them. Oli’s grounded logic always allows him to make informed, sensible decisions on work, especially when it comes to identifying client needs and limitations. I cannot recommend Oli highly enough.” January 22, 2010 Richard McClaughry , Producer , Rebellion ( Derby ) “I am pleased to write this recommendation for Oli after working with him in several companies over the years. Oli has constantly impressed me with his passion, dedication and skill when creating and designing games. With his encyclopaedia-like knowledge of the games industry he can converse intelligently about a wide range of topics such as game mechanics, story progression and level structure which makes him as invaluable member of any team. His continuing desire and drive to make great games is a quality I admire and respect greatly and I cannot recommend him highly enough.” January 15, 2010 Fergus Duggan , Lead Environment Artist , Swordfish Studios Ltd.
“I worked both directly and indirectly with Oli on a couple of projects and it's safe to say that he is one of the most knowledgeable people I've worked with when it comes to games, game mechanics and design. Passionate about gaming and to create a great experience for the player, easy to work with and bounce ideas with, Oli is a great guy who I'd love to work with again.” January 14, 2010 Peter Asberg , Senior Environment Artist , Rebellion Derby
“During my time at Rebellion I dealt with Oli both in a professional and non-professional environment and in both cases found him to be a very well educated, well spoken and articulate individual. Easy to get along with, and great to work with. He is able to see the bigger picture, taking into account all aspects of the development process and making judgement calls others may not have the courage to make. His skills as both level and mechanic designer are rivalled only by very few; and his genuine love of the medium by even fewer. I would highly reccomend Oli as a reliable, hard working and overall rewarding employee.” January 13, 2010 Rick Underhill , Environment Artist , Rebellion Derby
“I had the pleasure of working with Oli at Circle Studio, he is a very passionate game designer with an eye for detail, and the players gameplay experience. Enthusiastic, with excellent communication skills at all levels, an asset to any team.” January 14, 2010 Richard Flower , Technical Manager , Circle Studio Ltd “Oli knows game design. If there is ever a design idea being discussed Oli has the extensive and deep knowledge to be able to tell you if, when and how it has been done before, but more importantly will suggest multiple ways in which the idea could be made better. His passion for gaming and the game profession is unsurpassed, and he takes this into every task he undertakes. His concept and documentation work is superb, and he always considers every angle when discussing and implementing game design. Oli is a very professional member of any game team and is very easy to work with.” October 27, 2009
Lee Heir , Assistant Producer , Rebellion
“Oli was an integral part of the design/ art process during my time working with him. He was able to answer any cross discipline queries quickly and concisely. In addition his in depth knowledge of games and passion for the projects he worked on has made it very easy for me to recommend him.” January 12, 2010 Daryl Clewlow , Lead Artist , Rebellion“Oli is talented game designer who takes great care and pride in his work. He is exceptionally well versed in the theory and practice of game design, and has an exhaustive critical knowledge of games. Working with him in my role of programmer I have found him easy to support as his communication skills, both verbal and written, are excellent.He also has a solid understanding of the technical aspects of game development. I have no hesitation in recommending Oli and I would look forward to having the opportunity to work with him again.” January 12, 2010 James Bulman , Programmer , Rebellion“Oli's passion and enthusiasm ensure that he will always be a pivotal part of any team in which he is placed. He has some brilliant ideas that are always well communicated and a solid understanding of game design. Oli is a fantastic guy who is a pleasure to work with. Hire him. :)” April 27, 2009 John Barnard , Artist , Rebellion, Derby“Oliver has been a good influence on me since I joined Rebellion. He is a seasoned designer, with a strong general knowledge of games design and a dedication to video games culture that is not often seen. Having worked directly with him, I can see that he has a passion for what he does, and that he is truly goal oriented. Oliver is a true asset to Rebellion and is a pleasure to work with.” March 12, 2008 Benjamin Gouldstone , Designer , Rebellion“Oli is a passionate and very hard working designer who strongly believes in making great games. He can be headstrong, but you know that it's because he knows what he is doing is for the good of the game and the industry as a whole.” September 6, 2007 Amanda Jeffrey , Level Designer , Swordfish Studios“Oli is an extremely passionate designer with an encyclopaedic knowledge of gaming. Always enthusiastic and communicates his ideas in a concise manner to all team members. His drive and ambition ensures that a project remains on track and he is always ready with multiple solutions to any problem during development. It was productive (and good fun) bouncing ideas and brainstorming with Oli to create proposals during our time together at Circle Studio. An essential addition to any team.” January 12, 2010 Aaron Jenkins , Lead Designer / Designer , Circle Studio Ltd“Oli is a fantastic designer with a deep understanding of games and a genuine passion for game development. He also has a strong grasp of the technical side of game development, and is able to innovate within strict technical, time or budgetary constraints, while also knowing where to push for new features in order to improve the overall product.” January 12, 2010 James Sutherland , Lead Programmer , Circle Studio Ltd |
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