Help me honor my friend Paul
Donation protected
My friend and former colleague Paul has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Paul left us on March 13th, 2019.
Paul was not only a friend, amazing new father, but a great game developer too. His contributions to our industry will be missed, and I hope he knows how much his hard work, dedication, and passion meant to all of us.
I meet Paul many, many years ago when we worked together at Humongous Entertainment. In those early days of our careers we cut our teeth creating games for kids. Mainly the backyard sports games on PC. Paul was the brains behind setting up render farms to composite the small 3D sprites used to create our backyard sports characters. Some of his same tech was used later for Total Annihilation:Kingdoms.
Some of the 3D models Paul rigged and rendered for Backyard Basketball.
We lost contact for a few years as he spun up his own company Spunray. While I went off to Nintendo. We later joined forces again at Zipper Interactive; and worked together creating the first 256player console game M.A.G., Paul was part of the rigging team that helped setup skeletons, rigs for vehicles and for characters/weapons. Later lending his talents on Socom titles and our first Vita game Unit 13. It was a sad day for all of us when Zipper closed. I remember Paul telling me to keep my chin up, and to not worry so much. These things happen and we’ll cross paths again.
M.A.G.
Unit 13:
The following year we did have an opportunity to work together. We both found ourselves between jobs and thought it was time to start our own game. We worked on our prototype for many months, and started getting our plans together for our Kickstarter. The early designs and test renders were looking great, and we were mere weeks from launching our Kickstarter for Iridium Soldiers when I was given a job opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Needing medical benefits for my family Paul understood it was a better situation for me and my family that I accept the job offer, and put our game on hold. I regret that decision sometimes as I always will wonder what we could of created had we moved forward with our project and his company Spunray. I’m sorry Paul.
A few few months later Paul got his own job working at WarGaming; working on World of Tanks. He enjoyed working there for a few years, and was disappointed in the decision for the Seattle studio closure, and layoffs that followed. That same year did see a ray of sunshine for Paul and his family as they were finally able to adopt their daughter. Having waited years to have a child they were blessed with a daughter, Paul and his family had never been happier.
Sadly shortly after the layoffs at War Gaming and adopting his daughter with his wife. Paul was given the devastating news about his condition. He had developed pancreatic cancer and was given news it was at stage 4. He’s spent the last few months spending time in hospitals, making as many memories with his wife and daughter between chemo treatments as he could. As well as trying to finish his first mobile game.
Paul is no longer with us, he’s moved on to create things in a different place. We will always have his work, his laugh, and kindness to remember him by. I’m crushed knowing his daughter will never know him like we did. Yet she will know his love for many years with the legacy he left behind.
Please help Paul’s family at this time as they have medical, funeral, and travel expenses that will be difficult for the family to resolve. Any leftover amount will be donated to cancer research, or used for his daughter’s college tuition.
Thank you.
God bless you my friend. Until we cross paths again.....
Paul was not only a friend, amazing new father, but a great game developer too. His contributions to our industry will be missed, and I hope he knows how much his hard work, dedication, and passion meant to all of us.
I meet Paul many, many years ago when we worked together at Humongous Entertainment. In those early days of our careers we cut our teeth creating games for kids. Mainly the backyard sports games on PC. Paul was the brains behind setting up render farms to composite the small 3D sprites used to create our backyard sports characters. Some of his same tech was used later for Total Annihilation:Kingdoms.
Some of the 3D models Paul rigged and rendered for Backyard Basketball.We lost contact for a few years as he spun up his own company Spunray. While I went off to Nintendo. We later joined forces again at Zipper Interactive; and worked together creating the first 256player console game M.A.G., Paul was part of the rigging team that helped setup skeletons, rigs for vehicles and for characters/weapons. Later lending his talents on Socom titles and our first Vita game Unit 13. It was a sad day for all of us when Zipper closed. I remember Paul telling me to keep my chin up, and to not worry so much. These things happen and we’ll cross paths again.
M.A.G. Unit 13:
The following year we did have an opportunity to work together. We both found ourselves between jobs and thought it was time to start our own game. We worked on our prototype for many months, and started getting our plans together for our Kickstarter. The early designs and test renders were looking great, and we were mere weeks from launching our Kickstarter for Iridium Soldiers when I was given a job opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Needing medical benefits for my family Paul understood it was a better situation for me and my family that I accept the job offer, and put our game on hold. I regret that decision sometimes as I always will wonder what we could of created had we moved forward with our project and his company Spunray. I’m sorry Paul.
A few few months later Paul got his own job working at WarGaming; working on World of Tanks. He enjoyed working there for a few years, and was disappointed in the decision for the Seattle studio closure, and layoffs that followed. That same year did see a ray of sunshine for Paul and his family as they were finally able to adopt their daughter. Having waited years to have a child they were blessed with a daughter, Paul and his family had never been happier.
Sadly shortly after the layoffs at War Gaming and adopting his daughter with his wife. Paul was given the devastating news about his condition. He had developed pancreatic cancer and was given news it was at stage 4. He’s spent the last few months spending time in hospitals, making as many memories with his wife and daughter between chemo treatments as he could. As well as trying to finish his first mobile game.
Paul is no longer with us, he’s moved on to create things in a different place. We will always have his work, his laugh, and kindness to remember him by. I’m crushed knowing his daughter will never know him like we did. Yet she will know his love for many years with the legacy he left behind.
Please help Paul’s family at this time as they have medical, funeral, and travel expenses that will be difficult for the family to resolve. Any leftover amount will be donated to cancer research, or used for his daughter’s college tuition.
Thank you.
God bless you my friend. Until we cross paths again.....
Organizer and beneficiary
Christopher Miller
Organizer
Everett, WA
Renee Wesberry
Beneficiary