About Neil
Now
I'm currently the Executive Producer at Formation Games, the indie start-up behind CLUB, a new free-to-play football mobile game currently in development.
Then
I was previously the Production Manager at Media Molecule for PlayStation Studios, where I was responsible for implementing best-in-class production and development practices.
Prior to that, I led the incubation phase of Mm's next major unannounced project, which included concept, R&D and pre-production phases, as well as leading the production of Dreams VR, a massive expansion to Dreams that launched in July 2020.
Dreams won a BAFTA for Technical Achievement in 2021.
Between 2017-2019, I was the first Project Manager in Sony Interactive Entertainment's Global Technology Division for their central Game Analytics team and supported 1st, 2nd and 3rd party titles.
Once upon a time
But before all this, between 2003-2017, I spent more than 14 years at SEGA and Sports Interactive, where I led many initiatives, from helping build and grow the studios production and QA departments, to leading many projects, such as getting Football Manager onto handheld devices for the first time with the Sony PSP and PS Vita, to leading the Match Engine team that drives their products.
I led and directed the Match Engine effort for over half-a-decade, including the teams behind the AI simulation, graphics and animation engines, character and environmental art, and motion capture, talent and performance.
I was also the Motion Capture Director and built the studios motion capture operations and pipeline, blending my production experience and football coaching background to run highly efficient bespoke sessions.
I featured in a documentary called An Alternative Reality: The Football Manager Documentary, which aired in cinemas globally around the world in 2014, before later making its way onto BluRay, DVD and popular streaming services.
In 2003, I spent nearly a year in Cologne in Germany working for EA, leading QA on the Total Club Manager (FIFA Manager) series.
Prior to that, I spent between 2001-2003 at Bits Studios and started my professional career in games in 2000 with Pure Entertainment Games.
How it all began
In my childhood, I was an imaginative kid and played a game where I'd collect football stickers, but not put them in the sticker book.
I'd use them to create my own fictional football world on paper instead, and I'd build my own teams and formations, do my own transfers, and play out results using dice, a sponge ball and a little goal I made to physically shoot in to determine outcomes. The dice roll gave me the number of shots I was allowed!
I went as far as making my own newspaper back pages, complete with headlines, articles and even drawing the key photo. I did this from as early as 5 or 6 and shared my game with friends and at school.
I naively expected when the internet came around (showing my age) there would be lots of games like mine I could play with others, but there weren't, so I set about trying to make one in the hope someone who knew what they were doing would see it and make the game I wanted to play.
I was 14 when I started and created Soccer All Stars, which did well and grew in popularity over a number of years. Pure Entertainment Games were making some online football games, and saw mine, and liked it.
They were surprised I was just a kid when I turned up for my interview back in 2000, but I challenged them to give me a trial for a week, and told them if they didn't like me, I'd just go back to school.
Fortunately for me, they hired me at the end of the first day of that trial, and the rest, as they say, is history!
About Neil
Now
I'm currently the Executive Producer at Formation Games, the indie start-up behind CLUB, a new free-to-play football mobile game currently in development.
Then
I was previously the Production Manager at Media Molecule for PlayStation Studios, where I was responsible for implementing best-in-class production and development practices.
Prior to that, I led the incubation phase of Mm's next major unannounced project, which included concept, R&D and pre-production phases, as well as leading the production of Dreams VR, a massive expansion to Dreams that launched in July 2020.
Dreams won a BAFTA for Technical Achievement in 2021.
Between 2017-2019, I was the first Project Manager in Sony Interactive Entertainment's Global Technology Division for their central Game Analytics team and supported 1st, 2nd and 3rd party titles.
Once upon a time
But before all this, between 2003-2017, I spent more than 14 years at SEGA and Sports Interactive, where I led many initiatives, from helping build and grow the studios production and QA departments, to leading many projects, such as getting Football Manager onto handheld devices for the first time with the Sony PSP and PS Vita, to leading the Match Engine team that drives their products.
I led and directed the Match Engine effort for over half-a-decade, including the teams behind the AI simulation, graphics and animation engines, character and environmental art, and motion capture, talent and performance.
I was also the Motion Capture Director and built the studios motion capture operations and pipeline, blending my production experience and football coaching background to run highly efficient bespoke sessions.
I featured in a documentary called An Alternative Reality: The Football Manager Documentary, which aired in cinemas globally around the world in 2014, before later making its way onto BluRay, DVD and popular streaming services.
In 2003, I spent nearly a year in Cologne in Germany working for EA, leading QA on the Total Club Manager (FIFA Manager) series.
Prior to that, I spent between 2001-2003 at Bits Studios and started my professional career in games in 2000 with Pure Entertainment Games.
How it all began
In my childhood, I was an imaginative kid and played a game where I'd collect football stickers, but not put them in the sticker book.
I'd use them to create my own fictional football world on paper instead, and I'd build my own teams and formations, do my own transfers, and play out results using dice, a sponge ball and a little goal I made to physically shoot in to determine outcomes. The dice roll gave me the number of shots I was allowed!
I went as far as making my own newspaper back pages, complete with headlines, articles and even drawing the key photo. I did this from as early as 5 or 6 and shared my game with friends and at school.
I naively expected when the internet came around (showing my age) there would be lots of games like mine I could play with others, but there weren't, so I set about trying to make one in the hope someone who knew what they were doing would see it and make the game I wanted to play.
I was 14 when I started and created Soccer All Stars, which did well and grew in popularity over a number of years. Pure Entertainment Games were making some online football games, and saw mine, and liked it.
They were surprised I was just a kid when I turned up for my interview back in 2000, but I challenged them to give me a trial for a week, and told them if they didn't like me, I'd just go back to school.
Fortunately for me, they hired me at the end of the first day of that trial, and the rest, as they say, is history!
About Neil
Now
I'm currently the Executive Producer at Formation Games, the indie start-up behind CLUB, a new free-to-play football mobile game currently in development.
Then
I was previously the Production Manager at Media Molecule for PlayStation Studios, where I was responsible for implementing best-in-class production and development practices.
Prior to that, I led the incubation phase of Mm's next major unannounced project, which included concept, R&D and pre-production phases, as well as leading the production of Dreams VR, a massive expansion to Dreams that launched in July 2020.
Dreams won a BAFTA for Technical Achievement in 2021.
Between 2017-2019, I was the first Project Manager in Sony Interactive Entertainment's Global Technology Division for their central Game Analytics team and supported 1st, 2nd and 3rd party titles.
Once upon a time
But before all this, between 2003-2017, I spent more than 14 years at SEGA and Sports Interactive, where I led many initiatives, from helping build and grow the studios production and QA departments, to leading many projects, such as getting Football Manager onto handheld devices for the first time with the Sony PSP and PS Vita, to leading the Match Engine team that drives their products.
I led and directed the Match Engine effort for over half-a-decade, including the teams behind the AI simulation, graphics and animation engines, character and environmental art, and motion capture, talent and performance.
I was also the Motion Capture Director and built the studios motion capture operations and pipeline, blending my production experience and football coaching background to run highly efficient bespoke sessions.
I featured in a documentary called An Alternative Reality: The Football Manager Documentary, which aired in cinemas globally around the world in 2014, before later making its way onto BluRay, DVD and popular streaming services.
In 2003, I spent nearly a year in Cologne in Germany working for EA, leading QA on the Total Club Manager (FIFA Manager) series.
Prior to that, I spent between 2001-2003 at Bits Studios and started my professional career in games in 2000 with Pure Entertainment Games.
How it all began
In my childhood, I was an imaginative kid and played a game where I'd collect football stickers, but not put them in the sticker book.
I'd use them to create my own fictional football world on paper instead, and I'd build my own teams and formations, do my own transfers, and play out results using dice, a sponge ball and a little goal I made to physically shoot in to determine outcomes. The dice roll gave me the number of shots I was allowed!
I went as far as making my own newspaper back pages, complete with headlines, articles and even drawing the key photo. I did this from as early as 5 or 6 and shared my game with friends and at school.
I naively expected when the internet came around (showing my age) there would be lots of games like mine I could play with others, but there weren't, so I set about trying to make one in the hope someone who knew what they were doing would see it and make the game I wanted to play.
I was 14 when I started and created Soccer All Stars, which did well and grew in popularity over a number of years. Pure Entertainment Games were making some online football games, and saw mine, and liked it.
They were surprised I was just a kid when I turned up for my interview back in 2000, but I challenged them to give me a trial for a week, and told them if they didn't like me, I'd just go back to school.
Fortunately for me, they hired me at the end of the first day of that trial, and the rest, as they say, is history!