Work History of RJ Mical

rj@mical.org
http://www.mical.org/



Google.  I have been given a most awesome opportunity.  Stay tuned for details.


I recently founded Arjinx to publish a varied collection of my creations and inventions.  Foremost, I created a cross-platform game for smartphones, and I've started developing a second game.  I've written several books including children's stories, recipe books and puzzle books which will be published through the company.  I have also invented a number of 3D puzzles that Arjinx will manufacture and sell.  Additionally, I'm developing a desktop version of my Profundicator, a text-display device for delivering laughs and witticisms to all (version 2.0 will connect to the Internet). 

I spend the other 50% of my time working on a secret project (with patentable technology). 


As senior manager of SCEA's centralized core technology team, I led development of low-level runtime system technology for the PS3, the PSP, and the new PS Vita.  Additionally, we created development and debugging software tools for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and architected an automated testing and diagnostics system that now is in use company-wide.  Some of our runtime components and tools have become part of the SDK distributed by Sony to all developers.  At the height of the PS3 effort I had a team of 15 employees and 20 contractors. 


GlobalVR has a brilliant idea: take a popular PC or console game and create an arcade version of the game.  We diced the game into 2-minute segments arcade-style, wrapped a thin UI layer around the game to take tokens and allow level selection and etc., and slapped in database and network code to allow identity and high-score database operations to be communicated with the mothership.  I was responsible for developing and supporting the tools and technology that went into the development and run-time of these games. I guided the development of most cabinet-side system software, the scripting language, a bevy of other support and development tools, device drivers, and, chief of all, the UI tool and underlying technology.  Plus the IT department and all the db and server and backup hardware, software and equipment acquisition was my responsibility. 


Helped out in several efforts, especially, happily, a number of start-ups that people once again are considering.  I worked with Motorola on a design of a new phone/entertainment device.  My most enjoyable client during this period was Barracuda Networks, where I was Anti-Spam Hero; my algorithms and implementations helped strike terror in the hearts of spammers everywhere. 


Fathammer develops mobile entertainment engine technology that allows game developers to bring console-quality 3D games to a wide range of mobile devices.  Fathammer provides a complete suite of tools and technologies to support mobile game development.  I was responsible for overseeing the design and architecture of the engine and toolset, and to help guide the future development of the technology.  Also, I acted as company spokesman, technology evangelist, and speechmaker (Milia, E3, GDC and GDCE, COMDEX, CTIA, Pocket PC Conference, HP Bazaar, and Assembly) when I had the time.  After I left Fathammer I stayed on as a member of the advisory board. 


Red Jade aimed at launching a new handheld entertainment device.  I was the Vice President of Software, responsible for all internal system software technology under development at Red Jade, including the architecture and implementation of the system software, the operating system itself, the suite of application programs that we would include with the retail system, our Internet distribution system, tools development and our development environment, the Red Jade user interface definition, and QA and MIS reported to me too.  My software group had three directors (one who managed the Sweden office) and a total of 20 employees plus several contractors.  The plan was to grow the software department to 250 employees over the following year. 


I undertook a number of very interesting design projects with various clients, including Gateway and Shell Oil of the Netherlands, and consulted with the development effort for some game designs.  Also I implemented a LAN based on a Linux server, which supported Macintosh and Windows machines as well. 

In my spare time I wrote works of fiction.  My first book was called "Building a House." I started work on a second book, "The Other Key."


In 1996 I became President of Prolific Publishing and founded a new company, Glassworks. 

Prolific is a company that creates entertainment software, with a particular aim at creating online multiplayer games.  I opened the North office for Prolific and hired 25 people to staff the development effort.  At the same time I founded a company named Glassworks with the charter of inventing an infrastructure that would support the creation of user-extensible multiplayer entertainment environments, which environments would be unified into a single space that includes games, living worlds, parks, schools, and any other area or activity that the consumers desire.  Glassworks grew to have 5 employees.  Prolific was creating the software that would utilize the Glassworks technology, to prove and help popularize the concept. 


In 1990 I co-founded NTG (New Technologies Group), a company formed to design a new game system which was destined to become the 3DO entertainment multiplayer.  NTG grew to 32 employees before we were merged into the 3DO company. 

At NTG I was co-inventor of the 3DO system, with my long-standing friend and partner Dave Needle and with our excellent boss of many years, Dave Morse.  I co-designed the 3DO hardware platform, and I architected Portfolio, the 3DO's true multi-tasking operating system.  I was one of the system software programmers when the team was still small.  I wrote the early drafts of the documentation, was one of the designers of the development tool suite we created for the 3DO developers, and I was "producer" of two game design efforts too.  Much of our work on 3DO and Portfolio has been patented. 

There were 11 people on the operating system team and 8 on my title development team.  Also, I utilized a number of contractors.  At my high-water mark I managed 21 people.  I'm most comfortable with 8 to 10 direct reports, though I have a broad capacity to handle a wide range of personnel needs and demands. 

When NTG merged with 3DO, I was made VP and Fellow of 3DO.  As Fellow I contributed to a broad range of efforts within 3DO, from the top-level strategy meetings to the design of 3DO's second generation system, M2. 


Under the auspices of a game company called Epyx I was co-inventor of the first color hand-held game system, the Lynx, which finally was acquired by Atari. 

I was co-designer of the Lynx hardware system, and I implemented an entire software development suite including a run-time library of hardware interface routines and a celebrated set of debugging, art and audio tools.  We received many patents for the Lynx. 

In addition, we developed 6 games to be available at the launch of the system.  I produced these 6 titles, was co-designer of several of them, and managed the programmers, artists and audio/music designers. 


The Amiga computer was, at its time, a state-of-the-art machine, the first full-color personal computer and the first PC with a full multi-tasking operating system. 

As software engineer, I created development tools and animation system software.  I then went on to invent Intuition, the Amiga user interface system software, which was a highly-renown full-featured windowing and menu interface for the Amiga.  I received my first patent for Intuition.  Also, I was a contributor to the design of the Amiga's hardware system. 

At the high point of my responsibilities at Amiga I was the Director of Software. 

After I left Commodore's employ I became an independent contractor, serving the Amiga community by creating development and support tools and games for a number of clients. 


Williams Electronics was, at the time, the premier developer of video arcade games.  I worked on several games while there, creating special effects, enemy intelligence, general game, graphics and interface logic.  I also contributed to documentation development, and I coordinated the Star Rider project. 


My first computer science job! Sciaky made this extremely cool electron-beam welding equipment.  I created a bunch of system and database code for them and contributed to the implementation of the real-time control software. 
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