Paul Forest’s Portfolio

Featured Skills

VR and Mobile Game Developer

Shipped popular VR and mobile games

Software Architecture and Design

Architected many applications with an eye for performance and scalability

Rapid Prototyping

Created dozens of prototypes, game jams and hackathons. Always learning new technologies.

Featured Projects

Vegas Infinite - Senior Game Developer

As part of the Architecture team, created and improved on tools, processes, and migrated teams to new techniques.

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Game of Thrones Slots Casino - Senior Software Engineer

Developed major features including a versatile FTUE system

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Resume

Summary

Proven VR / Spatial Computing and mobile game developer, shipping twenty titles for VR, Mobile, Web and dozens of prototypes. Known for taking the initiative throughout the full software development life cycle and taking personal responsibility to see projects ship with minimal maintenance costs.

Collaborates well with others in all disciplines, inspiring each to bring the most of their skill set to bear on projects. Established processes and guidelines for several organizations. Communicates concisely with stakeholders with an appropriate level of complexity. Adapts quickly to changing requirements.

Comfortable wearing many hats and not afraid to try new things. Early adopter of new technologies from virtual reality, mobile games, and even physical games the size of a movie theater. Fast prototyping with over twenty-five weekend-long game jams and hackathons completed, in which developers create a new game in 48 hours.

Certified Unity developer.

Areas of Expertise:

• Unity 3D, C#
• VR / Spatial Computing, Mobile, and Web Games
• Web front-end and back-end

Honors and Awards

Winner: Best New Social Casino Game
Nominated: Most Innovative Social Slot Game

Game of Thrones Slots Casino

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My role: Senior Software Engineer

Issued by 2nd Annual Eilers & Krejcik Game Awards (2019) - Jul 2019

Awards Link

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Silver Medalist - 7th annual Serious Play Conference

TVO mPower

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My Role: Senior Web and Mobile Developer

TVO's leadership in digital learning has received international recognition with a 2017 International Serious Play Award for mPower, creative online games that teach fundamental K-6 math skills while enabling Ontario students to have fun and learn more about the world around them.

TVO mPower was announced as a Silver Medalist in the worldwide competition honouring outstanding games in advance of the 7th annual Serious Play Conference for international leaders who embrace the idea that games can revolutionize learning.

Awards Link

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Nomination: Gemini for Best Cross-Platform Project – Fiction (2011)

Lost Girl: The Interactive Motion Comic

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My role: Web Developer (Contract)

Gemini Awards, 2011, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Awards Link

The Lost Girl Interactive Motion Comic Videos

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Experience

Forest Games - Company Owner

August 2009 - Present Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Developing prototypes for Virtual Reality to make the next awesome game
• I’m also job hunting, so please reach out!

Lucky VR - Senior Game Developer

November 2022 - November 2023 (1 year 1 month) Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• As part of the Architecture team, created and improved internal tools and libraries
• Transitioned teams to switch to these new tools and techniques
• Implemented features, bugfixes, unit tests and documentation; profiled and optimized asset usage
• Cut short with a round of layoffs

Electronic Arts (EA)

1 year 8 months total

Software Engineer III

March 2022 - November 2022 (9 months) Greater Toronto Area, Canada

• Built tools and features for the HTML 5 games site Pogo.com.
• Created create custom internal tools for managing game content with Electron, JavaScript and Unity.

Senior Software Engineer

April 2021 - March 2022 (1 year) Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Developed features using Unity and C# for Table and Taste, a mobile game
• Debugged and maintained a live product
• Collaborated on a hackathon Virtual Reality version of our game

WGAMES - Senior Mobile Developer

September 2020 - October 2020 (2 months) Greater Toronto Area Metropolitan Area

• Implemented bug fixes, executed internal release processes, ramped up on code, created documentation
• Furloughed due to Covid-19

Zynga - Senior Software Engineer

November 2018 - May 2020 (1 year 7 months) Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Unity and full-stack game development.
• Developed and launched the award-winning Game of Thrones Slots Casino 3 months ahead of schedule
• Developed major features including a versatile First-Time User Experience (FTUE) system, used for all new features to the game; payments, platform-specific requirements, and numerous other features
• Game won industry award for innovation in Social Casino games

TVO - Senior Web and Mobile Developer

March 2015 - November 2018 (3 years 9 months) Toronto, Canada Area

• Full-stack web development on multiple projects and Unity prototyping
• Developed an API for game development, stat-gathering, reports and tools
• Prototyping of new games using Unity, C# and Leap Motion
• Enhanced workflow, tools and operations to improve efficiency and quality
• Created database designs, architectural designs that were used throughout the development cycle
• Trained staff, reviewed code, provided leadership
• Technologies used: PHP, JavaScript, TypeScript, Yii, Bootstrap, AngularJS, jQuery, MySQL/MariaDB, AS400, Unity, C#, Leap Motion

Projects:

• mPower: an educational game platform and educator portal using the Ontario curriculum used in classrooms all over Ontario
• Independent Learning Center (ILC): a portal to earn high school credits and a high school diploma
• Guest Conductor: an installation piece using Unity, C# and the Leap Motion to allow the user to conduct a virtual orchestra

WildBrain (formerly DHX Media) - Programmer

April 2012 - April 2014 (2 years 1 month) Toronto, Canada Area

• Designed and implemented architecture for children’s mobile games and two internal projects
• Credited with Lead Programmer title on three projects
• Designed and balanced gameplay and levels
• Mentored team members; helped set code and pipeline standards
• Improved internal processes by creating a Jenkins build server, Apple Enterprise deployment and creating unit tests
• Worked with major brands and organizations, including PBS & Caillou, the US Department of Education, Yo Gabba Gabba, Inspector Gadget, Umigo and The Jim Henson Company

CFC Media Lab - Programmer

July 2011 - August 2011 (2 months)

• Created a Blackberry Playbook application for an art installation for Nuit Blanche 2011 using Flash and Adobe AIR.
• Project was projected on the front of the Bata Museum in Toronto during this festival.

Organic - Web Contractor

March 2011 - April 2011 (2 months)

• Created ads, landing pages with pixel-perfect accuracy and other front-end tasks for various clients such as Hilton Hotels
• Technologies used: Flash, ActionScript, Photoshop, HTML, CSS

Bedlam Games Inc. - Web Developer (Contract)

September 2010 - December 2010 (4 months) Greater Toronto Area, Canada

• Updated and created new content for the promotional webpage of the television program Lost Girl
• Innovated by creating six “interactive motion comics,” which are Flash-based games that seamlessly combine video and mini-game elements
• Restructured code to enhance stability and add required features
• Updated designs to reflect requests from the client
• Increased traffic growth, increased search rank, recieved positive client and user feedback
• Utilized ActionScript 2 & 3, Flash 10, JSON, XML, Drupal, SQL, Tweening and other libraries
• Nominated for a Gemini for Best Cross-Platform Project – Fiction (2011)

Ganz - Game Developer

September 2007 - August 2009 (2 years)

• Programmed four popular children’s games, played by tens of millions of users
• Innovated new techniques and procedures to improve team efficiency
• Technologies used: Actionscript 1, 2 and 3 using Flash 8 and 9.

SwingTrack by Visual Sports - Contractor: Xbox 360 Tech Demo

July 2007 - August 2007 (2 months)

• Designed and implemented a complete demo program for the Xbox 360 using Torque X, C# and XNA

Sick Awesome Games - Game Developer

February 2007 - March 2007 (2 months) Greater Toronto Area, Canada

• Flash code, some architecture, some game design, some graphical elements

Angry Gamer Kids - Designer, Developer

September 2006 - November 2006 (3 months)

• Collaborated to create a game using Torque Game Builder
• Demonstrated the game at a live event for Festival Arcadia in Montreal

Arnold Worldwide (Arnold Interactive) - Web Developer

July 2006 - November 2006 (5 months) Greater Toronto Area, Canada

• Built an extensive webpage using ASP.Net, C# and Sitecore CMS, with pixel-perfect accuracy to designs
• Performed production tasks such as file uploads, automation and extensive documentation
• See http://www.fmc-law.com for examples of work

Forest Games - Company Owner

Unity Developer

January 2014 - August 2014 (8 months) Greater Toronto Area, Canada

• Prototyped several experimental titles for mobile and web
• Worked with a small group of talented individuals to make a funding pitch
• Created business plans and support materials

Web Developer Consulting

January 2011 - August 2013 (2 years 8 months) Greater Toronto Area, Canada

• Consulting for Various Companies
• Delivered high-quality results as a consultant on several projects, primarily as a Web and Flash Developer role, creating marketing landing pages, Flash ads and CMS customization

Project Lead

September 2011 - October 2011 (2 months) Greater Toronto Area, Canada

• Created “Grand Theft Artifact,” a physical gaming platform in which players navigate through a maze constructed of electroluminescent wire to steal an artifact. This real-world game used hardware sensors and software to track the state of the players and display the results on a projector and audio system.
• Utilized Arduino, Processing, Google Sketchup, electronics and construction of a large play environment inside a movie theatre
• This game was presented at the Digifest technology festival at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto as part of the Peripherals Initiative, a collaboration between game developers and hardware hackers.

Experimental Mixed Reality HMD Tracker

January 2009 - December 2009 (1 year) Greater Toronto Area, Canada

• Incorporated Forest Games to research and develop novel methods for 6-DOF tracking of virtual reality head-mounted displays in location-based entertainment and institutional usage
• Created supporting software SDK
• Created hardware and manufacturing designs
• Worked with academic researchers for cutting-edge innovations

Cryptologic Inc - Web Developer

December 2004 - May 2006 (1 year 6 months) Greater Toronto Area, Canada

• Saved the company an estimated 2 Million USD per year by migrating systems to Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) n-tier technology
• Learned SOA and J2EE in only one month
• Proactively provided automated documentation techniques, cost-saving initiatives, system administration, technical support and informal training

TW-Light Development Team - Developer, Designer, Community Leader

September 2002 - September 2005 (3 years 1 month) Greater Toronto Area, Canada

• Improved the software by contributing and maintaining C++ and Python code, Network code, GUI, Graphics (Allegro), Sound, maintaining multiple platforms
• Greatly improved group organization by switching to Sourceforge services and providing a forum
• Provided informal training; recruited new personnel to the project; committed patches from the community; wrote a manual

IBM Canada - Internship, The Eclipse.org Project

January 2001 - August 2001 (8 months)

• Significantly improved the functionality, content and design of a complex Intranet webpage using Perl
• Greatly enhanced team workflow and co-ordination with this webpage
• Completed scripting, debugging and translation tasks using Java, XML, Perl, shell scripting and a code management system

Education

Western University

B.Sc., Computer Science