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Greg Kramer

Sixteen-year computer and video game industry veteran skilled at writing strong dialogue and story lines and creating engaging narrative gameplay with a player-oriented sense of design.

Specialties

  • Writing authentic, minimalist dialogue.
  • Creating three-dimensional characters and stories.
  • Employing non-verbal techniques to convey story.
  • Crafting gameplay that rewards, but never requires, exploration.
  • Generating and maintaining design documentation.

Experience

Editor
Big Huge Games
April 2011-Present

  • Edit, polish, and tune quest dialogue and other in-game text.
  • Contribute original dialogue and remedy plot/character issues for existing quests.
  • Collaborate with Narrative Designers.
  • Playtest edited levels for narrative flow and player experience.
  • Edit text with in-house developed narrative design tools.

Game Designer, Owner
Grokgames
January 2009-Present

  • Write blog posts and essays about game industry news.
  • Deconstruct current and classic games to analyze their underlying systems with an eye towards what makes them "fun."
  • Develop original game design concepts and content for existing games.

Game Designer
itch, inc.
May 2010-April 2011

  • Analyze and develop gameplay systems for ambitious Flash-based massively multiplayer online space game.
  • Draft feature prototypes and design documents for core game systems, including faction relations, ship component valuation and balancing, and initial player experience.
  • Collaborate remotely with lead designer and international team.

Strategy Guide Author
Clients: Prima Games, BradyGames, GameGuides.com
1997-2009

  • Produce dynamic, organized, and detailed game strategy guides for elite franchises such as SimCity, The Sims, and Civilization.
  • Work onsite with major developers to understand and analyze each game's underlying structure, frequently contributing late design refinements and revealing overlooked playability issues.
  • Manage several elements of the publication process: drafting, generating and enhancing charts and illustrations; and coding manuscripts to aid editors and designers in creating accessible, interesting layouts.

Reviewer
Clients: Games for Windows Magazine/1UP.com, MacAddict Magazine, MacHome Journal Magazine, Next Generation Online, MacSense Magazine, Inside Mac Games Magazine
1995-2009

  • Review games for preeminent print and online computer game publications.

Writer, Editor, Correspondent, and Columnist Clients: Peachpit Press, Mars Publishing, MCV USA, Next Generation Online, Digital Diner Magazine, MacSense Magazine
1995-2004

  • Authored dozens of product reviews, news briefs, opinion columns, developer interviews, feature articles, and hint guides for influential print, online, and CD-based publications.
  • Co-authored user manual for Fly, a state-of-the-art flight simulator game, working closely with the design team during the mid-to-final stages of production and documenting complex and frequently changing features.
  • Created "Cerebreality," a humor and opinion column about internet culture for a monthly online and CD-based computer magazine.
  • Assumed editorial positions, supervising over twenty contributors and managing assets for publication.

Skills and Tools

  • Narrative Design Tools: Elder Scrolls Construction Set (Oblivion), Garden of Eden Creation Kit (Fallout 3)
  • Wiki: MediaWiki
  • Software Development: Perforce and DevTrack
  • Desktop Publishing: Adobe Photoshop Elements and Photoshop
  • Word Processing: Microsoft Word
  • Spreadsheet: Microsoft Excel
  • Operating Systems: Windows 7, Vista, XP, and 2000 and Macintosh OS X
  • Layout: Adobe InCopy

Education

  • Juris Doctor, University of Maryland School of Law, Baltimore, Maryland
  • Bachelor of Arts Degree in English, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Interests

  • Video and Board Games
  • Fencing
  • Very good—and very bad—movies
  • Cooking

References

Frank Simon
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Senior Producer

Richard Rouse III
Ubisoft Montreal
Narrative Director

Kevin Hogan
Electronic Arts (Sims Label)
Senior Development Director

Alaina Yee
Official Xbox Magazine
Managing Editor