Tell us a little about yourself and your experience.

I started Rare in 1992, initially working on the NES (Battletoads DoubleDragon), then various consoles throughout the years, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Xbox, etc, etc, up to the present day. Standout games would be Donkey Kong Country, DKC2, Banjo Kazooie and Tooie. And let's not forget Grabbed by the Ghoulies, an oft-overlooked classic! Now I'm at Playtonic, a bunch of (mainly) Rare veterans who fancied making games for themselves! My job is character design, modelling, and animation.

What drove you to choose your career path?

I always loved playing games growing up, first on the ZX Spectrum, then later the Commodore Amiga. And I've always enjoyed art, so why not put the two together? Of course, when you start making art for games, you then have little time for playing games, and when you do you spend more time analysing the graphics than you do enjoying the game! 

 How did you go about getting your job? What kind of education and experience did you need?

Well, it was very different in my day back in the early 90's! There were no degree courses for game design/art in those days, so I went into the job straight from A-levels at 18. Rare was only 15 minutes down the road so I was lucky they were on my doorstep. For my interview, I had a portfolio of traditional artwork from my A-level course and a disk of my 'creations' using Deluxe Paint 3 for the Amiga.

What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?

Building characters in ZBrush and Maya, creating textures in Photoshop, animating if the need arises! In a smaller company it's good to be able to do a few different things, so if there is a shortfall in an area, you can help out.

 What misconceptions do people often have about your job?

Probably that I play games all day! 

What are your average work hours?

8 hours a day, but of course whatever extra you can do will help the project. During DKC and Banjo, I'd work 13 hour days, and weekends, for the duration of the whole project. It was so enjoyable, it really didn't feel like work! I'm too old to do that now, but I'll put in extra time if I think it is needed. These days it's possible to do a lot of work from home, instead of having to be in the office, so things are more flexible.

What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?

It's hard to pick any specific ones out, really, as the job is full of workarounds and shortcuts! There are often a few ways to achieve a similar end result, so choose the one you are most comfortable with. And just because a certain technique is new, it doesn't necessarily mean it is better! On every character you tend to learn something new, the trick is remembering what you learn when you get to my age, haha!

What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?

When I get the opportunity, I like to design, create and animate a character myself so I have complete ownership. Often, especially in larger studios, these tasks will be the work of three people, not one. 

Do you have any advice for people who need to enlist your services?

I'm fully enlisted on Yooka-Laylee right now! That's Yooka-Laylee, coming this October on all popular platforms!

What's the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?

There isn't really a 'worst' part as such, just stuff I'm not too keen on or find more difficult. I have to confess I don't really enjoy learning new programs! 

What's the most enjoyable part of the job?

Seeing a character in-game for the first time, working properly, animating, looking as you pictured it a month before you started work on it, that is always a high point. But the most enjoyable is surely seeing people get their hands on the game for the first time (assuming they enjoy it of course!) 

What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?

Roughly £30k -£50k, depending on skill and experience. The very best have the ability to earn much more though. 

How do you move up in your field?

Try to improve your art with each new character. Keep practicing! Embrace new techniques/programs (I'm not so good at this, maybe that's why I never hit the big time!) Be lucky enough to be part of a great team making great games!

What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession? 

Do what you enjoy the most, this is where you'll create your best work and go the extra mile to create something special. Use the thousands of free resources on the internet to improve. Post on forums, seek creative feedback. Keep observing, analyse stuff you like - what makes it good? And here's a nice cliché to finish on - never give up!