Featured Employee: Shane Smith

Here’s why we think Shane is swell.

Emily Brinkert, Operations Director: Shane is fairly new, but out of the gates he is clearly a badass. He immediately took the lead in making sure our team has all of the technology and infrastructure that we need in order to make a groundbreaking game. He is upgrading left and right and using his Southern charm to get the job done. Most importantly, he has an amazing Donkey Kong painting in his office, which in and of itself has raised the class level of the operations department. Now, if we can just teach him how to drive in the snow, he’ll be golden.

Your title is IT Director. What does that mean?

Shane Smith: I help manage the process that keeps the bits flowing so the developers can focus on making great games. I help make sure just about everything with a plug or a battery is working. My role requires a love of technology and a desire to support creative people. Every now and then, I get a chance to script or design — and “pretend” to be a programmer too.

What games have you worked on?

SS: The entire Gears of War series, Unreal Tournament III, Bulletstorm, Shadow Complex and Infinity Blade 1 & 2.

Describe Life at Irrational in three words or less.

SS: Very passionate people… well, that, or “I’m on fire.”

What is your favorite game of all time?

SS: I’m hoping to not catch a bunch of grief from my new coworkers with this answer. Even though I’m not very good, I have a lot of good memories playing StarCraft in college. Not much has changed; I play SC2 now and I still suck.

Name a game everyone should play once in their life.

SS: I’m sure it’s cheating to say BioShock . It’s hard to say: I grew up with so many great games, it’s hard to choose the one that got me excited playing them. I’m going to say Pong. If you play that, you’ll have to appreciate all the amazing games out now and how far we’ve come.

What is your favorite movie?

SS: Again, at the risk of getting made fun of… Amélie.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

SS: Hiking, road biking, running, gaming, live music, attempting to play guitar and banjo, and tinkering.

What sort of tinkering have you done? Have you built anything you’re particularly proud of?

SS: I’ve made a lot of furniture. Most of it was old furniture that I’ve repaired and restored. I just like fixing and building things. I also fix old electronics, like classic arcade cabinets. Like a boss.

Tell me your favorite story about life at Irrational.

SS: I just got here a few weeks ago, so I can’t say that I have a favorite story. However, I can remember when I was in a meeting about BioShock Infinite. It was a pretty amazing feeling to realize I could give feedback and that it was valued. It’s a simple thing, but it’s nice to realize I was part of such a talented team.