• Alex Seropian

  Game Developer

Profession:

President, Wideload Games

Education

• S.B., University of Chicago, 1991

Alex Seropian is the man synonymous with the game Halo, which helped establish the Xbox for serious gamers. Seropian's roots in developing Halo go back decades before the Xbox to an Atari-like game console from Sears that he played with as a kid. Seropian started writing games in high school and majored in math at the University of Chicago where he learned the "real world formulas" that are important to game development.

The company Seropian co-founded as a college senior, Bungie Software Products Corporation, was acquired by Microsoft in 2000. Seropian founded another game company in 2004 called Wideload Games. The company launched Stubbs the Zombie and Hail to the Chimp.

Is there a class you had in high school or college that was most helpful to what you do today?

I took an assembly language class in college. It's the only time I've ever written assembly code, so it wasn't terribly useful from a skills perspective. But, I really liked getting a solid understanding of how the software I wrote actually worked, right down to the machine level. That class taught me the value of getting a great foundation, really knowing one's situation and judging the effects of decision making. That's always stuck with me.

What's the best way to get into video game development?

Young people today have so many opportunities to get involved in video game development. There are schools dedicated to game making and many major universities offer concentrations in video game development. That said though, I believe the best way to get exposure to game development and to get into the industry is to start on one's own. There are game engines available to download and websites dedicated to game creation. Kids nowadays have access to many tools to let them learn through practice, experimentation and creating their own games. There's no better way to develop skills and experience than by doing!

What's the most important quality in a game?

There are many factors that go into making a game fun to play. I get the most enjoyment out of games I learn something from. And I'm not talking academic learning, but games that are fun and challenging that also give me the chance to figure things out to get better at playing and receive rewards for playing well.

If you could only play one game for the rest of your life, what would it be?

What a sad question! If I could only play one, I'd pick Peggle. It's simple enough that I can play it into old age! And it never gets old itself.

Interview

Web Resources

• Wikipedia: Alex Seropian
• Wideload Games
• Bungie (History)
• Breaking In - Preparing for a Career in Games