Mike Hammond

A recent graduate of Software Engineering Technology at Conestoga College with a specialty in Game Development. I'm a high skilled Game Developer with 13+ years experience self teaching Game Development, looking for work in Game Development as a Gameplay/AI Programmer.

What I'm Doing Now

  • Programming: I'm starting a new 3D Medieval RPG in Unity using Game Creator 2.
  • Learning: I'm currently working through Zenva's Python Mini-Degree.
  • Playing: I'm currently playing Telltale's The Walking Dead Definitive Edition.

The Final WaveZ - Zombie Top Down Shooter

UnityC#MobileSolo

*In Development*

The Final WaveZ is a top down zombie shooter built for mobile and PC. The player must face off against growing waves of zombies to survive as long as possible while collecting resources for their camp to purchase upgrades and grow stronger.

  • Developed gameplay mechanics and implemented new features to enhance overall gameplay experience.
  • Implemented a custom event system to ensure clear separation between broadcasters and listeners.
  • Designed and mplemented a custom save system to record player progress, resources, and upgrades.
  • Developed an AI state machine for zombies and bosses to improve their behavior.
  • Optimized performance to maintain regular 60fps while still permitting higher graphics, lighting and particles.

VR Hospital Evacuation Simulation

UnityC#VRTeam

As part of the Augmented/Virtual Reality course at Conestoga College, participated in the creation of a VR hospital evacuation simulation. The client, Cambridge Memorial Hospital, commissioned us to develop a proof-of-concept VR simulation for fire evacuation scenarios.

  • Developed the tasks for the training simulation, including designing and implementing various scenarios and challenges to enhance user learning and engagement.
  • Developed a customized task tracker to efficiently record and monitor the progress of all tasks.
  • Setup the interactions between the user and the world by defining and implementing user controls, object interactions, and environment dynamics.
  • Created tutorial scene to provide users with a guided introduction to the simulation, ensuring a smooth onboarding experience and facilitating their understanding of key concepts.

VR Micro Projects

UnityC#VRSolo

A collection of small VR projects for Oculus Quest 2 I've worked on that are not full projects but more to practice and learn more in VR development.

  • Implemented gameplay mechanics and features.
  • Created all assets for the darts game.
  • Created particle effects within Unity.

C++ FPS

C++Solo

A C++ console project that creates a pseudo 3D world from a 2D vector (similar to Doom and Castle Wolfenstein). Calculating the players position and angle it determines how far walls are from the player, which character to render them with, and how large they should be shown. This is all rendered using only ASCII characters.

Metroidvania Player Controller

UnityC#Solo

For a Metroidvania themed gamejam, I was tasked with creating the player controller. This was inspired heavily by Metroid Fusion but also made use of important platformer mechanics such as cyote timing, jump buffering and more to make the controls for the player smooth and responsive.

Skills

Through my many years of education in College, online courses and my experiences making personal projects, I have gathered many skills targeted towards improving myself as a Gameplay Programmer. I am extremly passionate about game development and always looking for ways to improve my skills.

Programming

  • Game Development: C/C++, C#, Python, Java, JavaScript
  • Web Development: HTML, CSS, TypeScript, PHP, Ruby, Node.js
  • Other: SQL, Assembly, Matlab
  • Object Oriented Programming, Data Structures, Algorithms, Optimization, Testing, Debugging.

Software

  • Game Engines: Unity3D, Unreal Engine, GB Studio
  • IDEs: Visual Studio, VSCode, Android Studio, PyCHarm, Brackets
  • Art: Photoshop, Blender, Piskel, Clip Studio
  • Video/Sound: Sony Vegas Pro, Adobe Premire, Audacity

Game Development

13+ Years designing and implementing game systems, mechanics and features into games for PC, Mobile & VR.

Version control / Collaboration

Utilized Git, Jira, Trello, Confluence, Zoom, Teams, and Discord for various team projects throughout my time in college.

Math

Knowledge of vectors, trigonometry, linear algebra, matrices, quaternions, calculus, geometry, and physics for realistic gameplay elements.

Virtual / Augmented Reality

Practice developing experiences, simulations and games for the Meta Quest 2 using Unity's OpenXR plugin.

Soft Skills

Attention to Detail

In my time as a Gameplay Programmer, I have consistently demonstrated a meticulous and detail-oriented approach to game development. I believe that the difference between a good game and a great one lies in the fine details.

Promblem-Solving

A really rewarding part of programming is getting to face problems and overcome them through problem solving. We've all been there struggling with a problem for hours, but when you find the solution, it feels so great.

Creativity

I've always enjoyed creating stories, drawing and making stick figure comics when I was younger. Since I was young I've built up a collection of ideas and stories that I had thought about turning into games.

Eager to Learn

The best part of game development is there are so many different areas to it, meaning there is always something new to learn. In my off time I like to go down a youtube rabbit hole of tutorials to learn how to improve or implement new features into my projects!

Since graduating I have continued learning though Udemy, Zenva and FreeCodeCamp on YouTube. I'm always excited to find a new topic or language to learn.

Adaptability

Though my experience working at Loblaws and my time in college, I have learned the importance of adapting to changes. In my final term in college while I was working on the VR Hospital Evacuation Simulation (project above) two days before the code freeze we had received feedback from our client on changes they'd like to see.

This list was long enough that the professor had to remind the client of the upcoming due date, asking them to narrow down the list. In those two days I managed to implement every change the client had requested even overhauling entire tasks and added in several new features.

Teamwork

During my time as the Front End Department Manager for Loblaws I was the head of a department of over 50 colleagues. I learned a lot about teamwork during this time and the importance of working together. Over the years there, my team had faced many obstacles but through planning, communicating, and working together we always rose above.

Education

Conestoga College

Conestoga College

Software Engineering Technology

GPA: 3.66

Completed the Advanced Diploma in Software Engineering Technology from Conestoga College with a focus on Game Development in the final year. Key coursework included Game Design, Game Development, and AR/VR Development.

  • Developed Windows, Web, Android, and VR games.
  • Studied a wide range of programming languages including C, C++, C#, HTML, CSS, JS, Java, and Python.
  • Utilized Unity, Unreal Engine, Visual Studio / VS Code, GIT, Blender, and Android Studio.
  • Strong emphasis on Object-oriented Programming, data structures, and algorithms.
  • Formed a strong background in mathematics and statistics.
  • Implemented Agile and Scrum methodologies in collaborative team projects.

Online Courses / Certifications

Forage

Solo Learn

1 / 2
2 / 2

Zenva

Unity

1 / 14
2 / 14
3 / 14
4 / 14
5 / 14
6 / 14
7 / 14
8 / 14
9 / 14
10 / 14
11 / 14
12 / 14
13 / 14
14 / 14

Unreal Engine

1 / 4
2 / 4
3 / 4
4 / 4