Sean Davies
@berkbig.bsky.social
Technical Director at Rare working on Sea of Thieves | Bafta Member |
Previously Sackboy, LittleBigPlanet 3, Outrun 2006 and more at Sumo Digital
Previously Sackboy, LittleBigPlanet 3, Outrun 2006 and more at Sumo Digital
Blue sky invented the link because I sausage fingered a full stop I think - it was this game fwiw
October 29, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Blue sky invented the link because I sausage fingered a full stop I think - it was this game fwiw
My first PS1 game abused portals as a batching mechanism in a whole number of surprising ways to solve sorting problems that would otherwise be beyond the capabilities of the CPU. Amazing what you can do if nobody remembers to tell you it's not possible :)
October 29, 2025 at 6:39 PM
My first PS1 game abused portals as a batching mechanism in a whole number of surprising ways to solve sorting problems that would otherwise be beyond the capabilities of the CPU. Amazing what you can do if nobody remembers to tell you it's not possible :)
Different use case to your solution here, but one of my favourite early stage game prototypes was a wireframe engine with portal occlusion (essentially sorted wireframe but only at the room level). There is something deeply satisfying about super lo-fi graphics with just one surprising trick :)
the.room
October 29, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Different use case to your solution here, but one of my favourite early stage game prototypes was a wireframe engine with portal occlusion (essentially sorted wireframe but only at the room level). There is something deeply satisfying about super lo-fi graphics with just one surprising trick :)
Even my wife has never really understood what I do. She regularly describes me as "King of the nerds - you know with maths and that" which honestly is probably better than I can do given an hour :)
August 17, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Even my wife has never really understood what I do. She regularly describes me as "King of the nerds - you know with maths and that" which honestly is probably better than I can do given an hour :)
Context: one of my most memorable days out was when I accidentally walked into a pub where a wake was happening wearing a shirt that read "We are all going to die but I intend to deserve it". I had a load of lovely chats with people who started aggro but realised I was genuine and a little mortifed
August 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Context: one of my most memorable days out was when I accidentally walked into a pub where a wake was happening wearing a shirt that read "We are all going to die but I intend to deserve it". I had a load of lovely chats with people who started aggro but realised I was genuine and a little mortifed
I like to think he knows this and would love you to have called him on it.
August 10, 2025 at 3:58 PM
I like to think he knows this and would love you to have called him on it.
Can't like more than once but you've provided me a lot more dopamines than that so please accept this gift of 1000 dopamines. (979 of these dopamines are for phonogram season 2 tbh -it's still great)
July 22, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Can't like more than once but you've provided me a lot more dopamines than that so please accept this gift of 1000 dopamines. (979 of these dopamines are for phonogram season 2 tbh -it's still great)
I loved my degree and have absolutely used all the maths and theory over the years, but it didn't make me better than the self taught engineers, just different - which is what diversity is about after all.
July 17, 2025 at 10:52 AM
I loved my degree and have absolutely used all the maths and theory over the years, but it didn't make me better than the self taught engineers, just different - which is what diversity is about after all.
100% I learnt more practical knowledge in my first 6 months in industry than in my whole degree and all of my mentors were self taught. Arbitrary barriers for smart people to join the industry help no-one except possibly the universities.
July 17, 2025 at 10:51 AM
100% I learnt more practical knowledge in my first 6 months in industry than in my whole degree and all of my mentors were self taught. Arbitrary barriers for smart people to join the industry help no-one except possibly the universities.
I've been working on apprenticeships at Rare for exactly this reason. Economic diversity is visibly missing in AAA at least. If I can spare someone the 35k degree tax to get into the industry and pay them that can only help. I bet on my team turning a smart candidate into a good engineer in 2 years.
July 17, 2025 at 10:35 AM
I've been working on apprenticeships at Rare for exactly this reason. Economic diversity is visibly missing in AAA at least. If I can spare someone the 35k degree tax to get into the industry and pay them that can only help. I bet on my team turning a smart candidate into a good engineer in 2 years.
I think this started in the late 90s. Pretty sure I was part of the first intake at Gremlin that had a degree as a CV requirement for engineers. I remember Phil Rankin in particular being horrified at that as most of the existing staff didn't have degrees as experience had always been preferred.
July 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM
I think this started in the late 90s. Pretty sure I was part of the first intake at Gremlin that had a degree as a CV requirement for engineers. I remember Phil Rankin in particular being horrified at that as most of the existing staff didn't have degrees as experience had always been preferred.
Or to put it another way - even an infinite speedup in building a thing makes no material difference if it's the wrong thing...
July 16, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Or to put it another way - even an infinite speedup in building a thing makes no material difference if it's the wrong thing...
Amen. I am deeply suspicious of anyone who believes the amount of time spent inputting code is a limiting factor to how quickly a feature can be developed. They almost certainly haven't spent enough time thinking
July 16, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Amen. I am deeply suspicious of anyone who believes the amount of time spent inputting code is a limiting factor to how quickly a feature can be developed. They almost certainly haven't spent enough time thinking
No downside detected - let's go?
June 19, 2025 at 6:06 PM
No downside detected - let's go?
Zakalwe is the chairmaker
June 15, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Zakalwe is the chairmaker
This sounds great - where do I sign up :)
May 27, 2025 at 9:46 PM
This sounds great - where do I sign up :)
What really is "in scope" if not a provocation to do more...
May 27, 2025 at 9:43 PM
What really is "in scope" if not a provocation to do more...