Meet Jason Chin, Senior Gameplay Programmer

30/03/2022

How did you start at London Studio?

One day out of the blue, an old friend of mine reached out to me about a role that he said suited me perfectly. It was a great opportunity and it coincided with me having to relocate back to London at the time, so the stars were aligned for me to join London Studio. Starting my career as a game developer in London, it was always a goal of mine to join them, and so I jumped at the chance. I’ve never looked back ever since! 

What does your role entail?

As a gameplay programmer, I work with the designers to create all the interactions for the player that make the game fun to play. While it’s the job of the designer to come up with all the great ideas that go into a game, it’s often the job of the gameplay programmer to take those ideas and turn them into reality. For example, we might implement the logic of a melee combat system, or the arc that the character takes when they jump, or what happens when a player grabs that mushroom power up. Sometimes it’s understanding what the designer intends but often it’s also figuring out exactly what the player needs too. 

What do you find most exciting about your work here, and what are things you’re passionate about getting the chance to do?

Working in a place like London Studio really provides me with the freedom to explore, innovate and improve. I love the opportunity it gives me to be part of something great, to create new worlds and bring fresh ideas to life.

I’m always encouraged to keep challenging myself and that’s in no small part thanks to the really talented people I work alongside. 

What has your career path looked like over the years?

After getting my degree in Computing, I started as a programmer in the games industry just as mobile games were starting to take off. I worked at various game studios around London for a number of years, until I got the opportunity to work and live in Japan. That was a great experience for me to immerse myself in a different culture, work ethic and way of thinking. Following on from that, I moved back to London to work here at London Studio. 

But really it feels like my career started when I was just a small kid, booting up my SNES for the first time. The years of playing games has been one of the most valuable things in my role as a gameplay programmer. 

Do you have any career advice or top tips for people that would love to work in your role?

Learn how to code and don’t just focus on how to use off the shelf engines. Play lots of games and try to think about what makes them tick. What works, what doesn’t and why. Think about the player. Sometimes game development is more about psychology than it is about technology. 

Working from home has become a big part of our lives recently, and hybrid working is here to stay. How have you found this has worked with your team at London Studio?

Moving from the offices to our homes was a big change for everyone and while there was a period of adjustment, it ended up being great for many of us as we found it more productive and efficient. It was amazing to see the studio understand that everyone’s situation is different and adapting to hybrid working has really given our team the best of both worlds. The flexibility that London Studio allows us is really aimed at getting the best out of everyone. 

If you could describe London Studio in a few words, what would they be?

A place full of amazingly talented people creating amazing new experiences. 

Want to join our team?

Check out our latest jobs here.

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