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About Me
I’ve always loved games. I’m not sure really why, but maybe it comes from playing Dungeons and Dragons with my grandmother as a kid. Regardless, it has always been a passion. I find it hard to not purchase every new game, because I want to see what they have done. I am fascinated by the creation of interactivity, be it a video game or a tabletop RPG.
I have been fiddling with and designing games as long as I can remember because of this fascination. With any new RPG or board game I purchase, I almost immediately begin creating house rules to suit my style of play. With video games, I have fun figuring out the finer points of the design and try to understand the decisions the designer had to make.
I am often asked to discuss a game that is a failed design. I argue rarely is there a design that has truly failed. In some games, there is design that is bad, but rarely is there no redeeming aspect of a game’s design. Every game has something great. There is always that amazing design choice which redeems the game in my eyes. I may not enjoy the game, but there is almost always something valuable I can take away from a game.
What People Have Said About Me.
“Jonathan Breese is not just an inspired designer but a detailed and comprehensive strategist. He devises solutions and systems to fulfill requirements and then expands them to address the full breadth of the problem space. Numerous times I could assign him to design a feature with as little guidance as “we need bullet penetration.” He would take that feature, design the system to suit the gameplay and then oversee its implementation, working closely with other developers to ensure it came out “just right.” His thorough approach to design ensures a clear and complete picture for developers and safeguards against the scrutiny of the consumers. Combined with his adept interpersonal skills and ability to guide developers effectively, Jonathan is an excellent “fire and forget” designer. You are always sure he will accomplish the task to your fullest satisfaction.”
- Michael Bodé, Executive Producer , America’s Army
“Jonathan is dedicated professional with a strong and focused work ethic. A solid contributor to the team and the production. His passion for design and efforts to increase the quality of the production were noteworthy and evidence of his future potential. He is a positive team player and would no doubt bring the same enthusiasm and dedication to any production.”
- Phillip Bossant , Executive Producer/Art Director , America’s Army
“Hiring a designer is always a tricky proposition. Jonathan was a candidate who, because of his writing and design examples made it to the short list before we even brought him in for the interview. Once we had a chance to talk to him, we liked everything he brought to the table: his personality, the ability to discuss in depth his design philosophy and most importantly his ability to back it up with examples. Once on the team Jonathan showed initiative, a great capacity to learn new tools and software, the ability to produce excellent documentation and exactly the kind of creative talent that we were looking for. I would recommend Jonathan for a design position and would work with him again in the future without hesitation.”
- Erich Blattner , Producer , America’s Army
“Jonathan is an outstanding designer who possesses strong writing and story telling skills. Furthermore he shows great ability with implementing game rules and parameters that make sense within a fictitious world. At America’s Army he was brought on to help flush out the story, background, and demographics of the fictitious world. Jonathan and I worked closely together to develop the “Pride Moment” movies within the game. It was Jonathan’s idea to utilize one of these movies to provide a background story for the fictitious world, which helped to create a more robust experience for the gamer. I admire Jonathan’s skills, enthusiasm, and genuinely peaceful manner. Not only are we friends outside of work, but he is my “go to guy” when I need help with flushing out any story.”
- Eli Maffei , Concept Artist , America’s Army
“Jonathan is an extremely skilled and creative designer, in my experience with him he as always applied his passion and skills to add an enviable level of detail, continuity and flair to any project he is given. He is both flexible and critical, allowing him to radically alter his work to meet the needs of an evolving project while at the same time maintaining the perspective to consistently find ways to improve it. Working with Jonathan was a joy and an honor, he would be an asset to any team and I hope to work with him again soon.”
- Jordan Patz , Level Designer , America’s Army
“Well versed in multiple genres of video games, table top games, and literature, Jonathan is an ideal writer and designer to have on any team. Because of his excellent editorial skills, sense of narrative and storytelling, and ability to visualize and flesh out the sociocultural details of fictional worlds, Jonathan has acted as *the* story consultant for multiple projects at America’s Army. His professionalism and on-the-job work ethic are unmatched. I appreciate the countless insights Jonathan has provided me into both the world of America’s Army and the world of video game design.”
- Robertson Allen , Ph.D. Candidate , University of Washington