TOM SLOPER
12420 Woodgreen Street, #208
Los Angeles, California 90066 USA
Telephone: (310) 915-9945
Mobile: (310) 344-7873
E-mail: tom@sloperama.com
PROFILE
A versatile and prolific game producer who has developed electronic games on many platforms and in many
genres. A mentor to junior producers, with exemplary attention to detail in project planning. Outstanding project
management, communication, and design skills. Motto: "Making games fun and getting them done."
EXPERIENCE
Consulting Game Producer/Designer, Los Angeles, California
2002-present
Consulted for developers and publishers on production, design, submissions, and business matters.
Naked Sky Entertainment, Los Angeles, California
2007-present
Advised on business growth strategy, helped formulate personnel policies. Produced the multiplayer
portion of an Xbox 360 game for a major publisher. Created budgets, schedules, bids. HR duties.
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
2006-present
Taught ITP391, "Designing and Producing Video Games," as part-time faculty. Created curriculum,
brought in guest speakers.
Dynasty Gaming, Montreal, Quebec
2006
Consulted on user interface design aspects of their online game; advised on live tournaments and
potential television project; represented company to potential partner organization.
Yahoo! Games, Santa Monica, California
2005-2006
Produced five casual games for IPTV for AT&T Yahoo: "Chess" (multiplayer cross-platform),
"Sudoku," "Solitaire," "Mah-Jongg Tiles," "JT's Blocks." Hired developers; created design specs and
test cases; shepherded games through Yahoo's and AT&T's release processes.
Mastiff, LLC, San Francisco, California & Tokyo, Japan
2005
Produced "Top Gun" for Nintendo DS. Guided European developer in polishing design document;
hired and directed musical talent; created voice audio; coordinated manual and packaging with
external marketing firm; hired and oversaw independent Quality Assurance lab; secured approvals
from Paramount and music licensor; coordinated game's release through Nintendo.
Sennari Games, Culver City, California
2003, 2004
Design consultation for "PowerPuff Girls" GameCube; created concepts for mobile phone games.
Other clients during this period include but are not limited to (in alphabetical order):
Academy of Game Entertainmt. Tech. (teach, 2003-04)
Bonus Mobile (design consultation, 2004)
Flying Fishworks (submission consultation, 2005)
Global Star Software (design consultation, 2007)
Jailed Games (design consultation, 2003)
Quinn Emanuel (legal consultation, 2004)
Sincere Image (business consultation, 2004)
AtGames (business & design consultation, 2003)
Cal. State U., Dominguez Hills (teach, 2003-04)
Four Winds, Inc. (localization writer, 2003)
Goodsol Development (graphic art, 2002)
Phyware, LLC (business consultation, 2004)
RompMedia (business consultation, 2006)
TikGames (design consultation, 2004)
Independent Game Inventor/Entrepreneur, Los Angeles, California
2001-2002
Made an acquisition bid for Mah Jongg Maven, a Georgia vendor of game supplies. Wrote business plan,
made business loan applications. Applied for a patent for an original dice game; built prototypes; pitched
dice game concepts to American and Japanese game and toy manufacturers.
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Activision, Inc., Santa Monica, California
1988-2000
Creative Director (2000)
Executive Producer (1999)
Senior Producer (1992-1999)
Production Manager (1990, Japan)
Producer (1988-1992)

Produced 36 game titles that generated estimated $48.4 million in retail sales.

Designed 6 games that generated estimated $32.5 million in retail sales.

Significant participation in an additional 53 game projects (multiple platforms, OEM, licenses, and
international versions) that generated estimated $60.7 million in retail sales.

Aided in the acquisitions of games from Japan, and licensing of games into Japan.

Brand-managed the Shanghai series across international and domestic licenses. During this period,
Shanghai sold 1.9 million units with estimated $9.4 million profit.
Atari Corporation, Sunnyvale, California
1986-1987
Director of Product Development
Produced 20 games for the Atari 2600 and 7800 games systems. Created a developers' manual.
Participated in licensing of game properties.
Rudell Design, Los Angeles, California
1985-1986
Senior Project Engineer
Created working prototypes and mechanical drawings of game and toy concepts. Participated in the
development of board games.
Freelance Toy/Game Designer, Los Angeles, California
1985, 1986
Designed an original board game based on The People’s Court TV series for Hoyle Products. Made
mechanical designs for Rudell Design, Universal Innovations Inc., and McT Inc.
Sega Enterprises, Inc., Los Angeles, California
1984
Game Designer
Coordinated with external game developers in the conversion of arcade games for home entertainment
systems.
Datascan, Inc., Santa Monica, California
1983
Game Designer/Programmer
Programmed two original computer games in Z80 Assembly language. Assisted in the development of 3D
games for the Vectrex game system.
Western Technologies & Smith Engineering, Santa Monica, California
1979-1983
Design Director (1982-1983)
Designer (1979-1981)
Designed numerous games for various home entertainment systems, especially Vectrex and Atari 2600.
Pioneered games for watches and calculators (designed liquid crystal displays and games).
(Pre-1979 work experience available on request.)
TOM SLOPER
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AWARDS
Year's Best Classic Game 2000, "Shanghai Second Dynasty," Computer Games Magazine
Best Multi Player Game 1996, "Blast Chamber," Playstation, Videogame Advisor Magazine
The Family PC Recommended Seal 1996, "Shanghai: Great Moments," Family PC Magazine
Best Simulation Game 1993, "Mechwarrior," Super NES, Game Informer Magazine
Best Super NES Puzzle Game 1992, "Shanghai II: Dragon’s Eye," Game Players Magazine
Achievement Award 2003, Classic Gaming Expo
Contribution Award 2007, World Mahjong Organization
PRESENTATIONS
Korea Games Conference, 2003-2007
Serious Games Summit, 2006
SIGGRAPH, 2005
Game Developers Conference, 1989, 2003
Classic Gaming Expo, 1999, 2000, 2002
Game Initiative, Los Angeles, 2003
California State University, Los Angeles, 2003
Game Career Seminar, E For All, 2007
Smithsonian Institution, 2002
Montreal Game Summit, 2004
Idea Resource Systems, 2005
The Learning Annex, 2001-2002
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, 1998
Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena CA, 2002-2006
PUBLISHED WORKS
Game Design Perspectives. Chas. River Media, ISBN 1-58450-090-5 (2002). Two chapters.
Secrets of the Game Business. Chas. River Media, ISBN 1-58450-282-7.0 (2003). Two chapters.
Introduction to Game Development. Chas. River Media, ISBN 1-58450-377-7 (2005). Chapter on Production.
Serious Games: Games That Educate, Train... Course Tech. PTR, ISBN 1-59200-6221 (2005). Foreword.
The Game Production Handbook. Chas. River Media. ISBN 1-58450-416-1 (2006). Foreword.
Game Design Workshop. CMP Books, ISBN 1-57820-222-1 (2004). Sidebar.
Mah Jong, Anyone? Tuttle Publishing, ISBN-13: 978-0-8048-3761-3 (2006). Chapter on strategy.
The Red Dragon & The West Wind, Harper Collins, ISBN 978-0-06-123394-4 (2007). Author.
The Games Game, regular advice column on the IGDA website (2003-present)
Weekly Mah-Jongg, weekly mah-jongg column on Sloperama.com (2003-present)
Tom’s Terminal, quarterly column in the newsletter of the American Mah-Jongg Association (1999-2002)
"Freedom Through Constraints" -- Java Developers Journal (Sept. 2001)
"Producer: A Dirty Word?" -- Journal of Computer Game Design (1992)
"Financial Aspects of Game Development" -- idevgames (http://www.idevgames.com) (2001)
"How To Sell Your Idea For A Video Game" -- Discover Games (http://www.discovergames.com) (2002)
"Am I On The Right Track?" (working title) -- GameDev.net (to be published in 2008)
rec.games.mahjong newsgroup FAQs (1998-present)
comp.games.development.design newsgroup FAQs (2003-present)
ASSOCIATIONS
Producers Guild of America
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
International Playing-Card Society
National Mah Jongg League
American Mah-Jongg Association
International Game Developers Association
Japan America Society of Southern California
Hong Kong Association of Southern California
Planetary Society
Mahjong Players Association of America
EDUCATION
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio: Completed one year towards a Master of Arts in Theater
State University of New York, Fredonia, New York: B.A., Speech & Drama
Other: Courses in Supervision, Japanese, Screen Writing, Storytelling, Negotiating, Entertainment Law.
TOM SLOPER
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