Ernest Adams

Game Design Consultant and Trainer Adams Consulting Services UK

  • London

Frequent keynote speaker on video games and new media.

Contact

Social

Biography

Dr. Ernest Adams is a freelance game designer, writer, and teacher, with a Ph.D. in interactive storytelling from the University of Teesside, UK. He has been in the video game industry since 1989. Ernest was most recently employed as a lead designer at Bullfrog Productions on the Dungeon Keeper series, and for several years before that was the audio/video producer on the Madden NFL Football line for Electronic Arts. He has developed online, computer, and console games for everything from the IBM 360 mainframe to the Nintendo Wii. Nowadays he makes his living as a consultant and "freelance professor," teaching game design techniques at companies and universities. He is also a popular speaker at conferences and arts festivals around the world.

Ernest has written five books including the university-level textbook, "Fundamentals of Game Design," now in its second edition. He was also the founder and first chairman of the International Game Developers' Association. His professional web site is at http://www.designersnotebook.com.

Industry Expertise

Social Media
Media - Online
Computer Gaming

Areas of Expertise

Futures
Game Design
Philosophy

Accomplishments

Visiting Professor, University of Ulster Magee, 2006-2010

5-year Royal Academy of Engineering grant to teach integrated system design.

Founder and first Chairman, International Game Developers’ Association

With backing from CGDC, Inc. founded the IGDA (originally the CGDA), a non-profit professional society for the interactive entertainment industry. I served for 2½ years as chairman and part-time president. The Association enrolled nearly 1200 members in its first 15 months of operation.

Co-owner of the Game Developers' Conference, 1991-1994

Built CGDC from a small, undercapitalized company with previous financial losses into a profitable million-dollar business, in partnership with my fellow directors. Attendance in this period grew from 525 to 2387.

In October 1995, the assets of the CGDC were sold to Miller Freeman, Inc. (now CMP Media). I wrote portions of the prospectus, conducted initial discussions with potential bidders, and provided documentary evidence confirming the value of the company during the due diligence phase.

Education

Stanford University

BA

Philosophy

1984

Currently a PhD candidate at the University of Teesside, UK.

University of Teesside

Ph.D.

Interactive Storytelling

2013

My degree is from the School of Computing and Mathematics.

Affiliations

  • University of Gotland, Sweden
  • IGDA
  • Gamasutra

Links

Sample Talks

The Future of Computer Entertainment to 2050

Advances in computer entertainment will take place on three major fronts over the next half-century. These fronts are: technological advancement; demographic and market changes; and aesthetic development of the medium. This lecture examines each in turn, highlighting the key changes that we can expect to take place, and how they will affect the way we make and sell interactive entertainment.

Style

Availability

  • Keynote
  • Moderator
  • Panelist
  • Workshop Leader

Fees

$500 to $2000*Will consider certain engagements for no fee
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