Ethan Verrall Email & Phone Number

Remote

Derry / Worldwide, Gb

Irvine, Ca, Us

Joined initially as Editor Tools lead, later the team merged with Blizzard's shared tech team. I then took on the responsibility of leading the Asset System team. • Led the asset system team to address the high productivity concerns, enhancing speed, reliability, scalability, and trustworthiness. Implemented several core strategies, remote cache, compile on demand and sync on demand. • Contributed to the development of several different tools/features some examples: open-world tools, audio tooling, and integrating Houdini into the engine. • Engineered a new import pipeline from Digital Content Creation (DCC) tools to the game engine. To better support customer needs for renaming/moving/branching DCC source content. • Integrated telemetry events and data into workflows to gain insights into pain points and enhance efficiency. • Established basic telemetry dashboards to support data-driven decision-making. • Cultivated a data-focused culture, emphasizing the collection of data for bug reports and feature requests to prioritize high-impact work. • Built relationships and trust with different content disciplines within the studio. • Quickly adapted strategies to meet project yearly goals when pivots were needed. • Provided rapid troubleshooting support and guidance on identifying problems. Fostering a strong culture of support first. • Implemented various data signature systems to reduce support costs, including session logs, increased log culture across the engineering team, visibility of file paths instead of GUIDs, timing information, and content submission signatures. • Conducted cross-discipline interviews, with a focus on leadership skills, for several different teams.

Redmond, Wa, Us

Led a team with range of responsibilities for Core Tools, and Tools Automation. Priorities were to write architecture/tools that would empower/streamline other developers ability to make tools. In addition to handling any unplanned or surprise tool work needed. • Shipped Halo Infinite.• Prioritized building trust in the tools team and relationships within the studio, fostering collaboration and communication.• Addressed daily and weekly crashes, reducing incidents from highs of 300-500 to under 100.• Improved performance issues related to startup, loading, and searching.• Create new editor framework, streamlining the process for other teams to achieve their most common editor tasks (create new editors, buttons, toolbars, organize data) • Implemented generic telemetry to collect data on workflow tool usage and settings.• Restructured automation efforts, focusing on high impact efforts rather than simply increasing test coverage. Reduced monthly test support costs by half.• Introduced multi-branch tools to facilitate cross-branch communication for unmergeable content.Created New Tools (Open World Editor, Release Tracking, Content Validation)

Nicosia, Cy

• Lead a team of 5 engineers, covering maintenance, feature requests, and product development for client tools, digital content tools, build system, and other infrastructure work. (Editor Tools, Tech Art, and Infrastructure) • Oversaw studio migration from 3DSMax pipeline to new Maya pipeline with various new features (multi-user workflow, batch processing, Simplygon, link between Maya and client tools)• Helped evaluate and integrate various technologies (Oodle, PlasticSCM, Qt, Jenkins), • Lead studio migration from several older MFC based content tools to one unified Qt based editor. Worked with each content team (VFX, Audio, Animation, Design, UI, Environments, etc) to ensure all workflows were accounted for and not interrupted.• Added various improvements to build system (CI for code + resources, symbol server, multi-branch, task branches, source indexing, and storage maintenance)

Nicosia, Cy

• Integrated Umbra into proprietary game engine and content pipeline.• Researched and prototyped Enlighten middleware integration.• Improved/fixed/created various tools for Content Creators (Digital Content Tool plugins, scripts, Object Editors, Level Editors, Content Pipeline, etc).• Implemented various Engine optimizations for reduced CPU usage in object updating after investigating Telemetry captures.• Helped interview various candidates for Engineering and in addition Art/Design for culture fit.

• Shipped new version of the ZENworks Virtual Application Server.• Updated the Virtual Application Studio for its next release.

CrossStep is a full service creative agency made up of game industry entrepreneurs focused on strategic planning, product design, app development and asset production.

• Designed and implemented a large portion of the Jumala Game Engine and Logic Script System.• Extended our Content Pipeline to include new data such as collision meshes and bone data.• Fully integrated the open source physics library JigLibX along with new optimizations and features (added in collision islands, raycast accuracy and improved collision detection performance).• Worked with designers to create/design/implement just about all of the game-play items (teleporters, doors, enemies, switches, hazards, collectibles, and boosts).• Handled all character movement (ledge grab, ladder climb), abilities, and interactions with the world (pushable objects, pressure plates).• Touched almost every aspect of the entire product in order to know the system and fight fires, Jumala is unique in that it is a game of making games therefore everything needed to be editable in real-time.

• Created and extended new types of generic camera controllers for different game genres (1st/3rd person, top down RTS style, over the shoulder).• Ported over portions of the code to new componentized architecture. • Extended Particle and Decal Systems by adding in volumetric clouds and foot prints.• Added additional Logic Script for game-play usage such as spline controllers and collision pairs.• Developed the physics system to increase ease of use and customization.• Provided customer support over forums, email and phone for new and existing Blade3D users.• Created game demos to show off new Blade3D engine features.• Managed contractors in creating game demos.• Evangelized Blade3D at conferences to bring in new users.

• Expanded existing shaders to include animation support.• Created the underlying code for a Visual Shader Builder.• Spent time learning HLSL, C#, .Net, XNA, the Blade3D toolset and source code.

Chicago,, Il, Us

Chicago,, Il, Us