Sean Middleditch is a student at the DigiPen Institute of Technology, studying in the RTIS (Real-Time Interactive Simulation) program. Before enrolling at DigiPen, Sean had worked in the professional software world for over a decade. He was born in Michigan in the summer of 1983.

His passion for games is based on one simple belief: that games are the highest art form mankind has yet to create. Every skill and every technique used in all other art forms is brought together when making games, from the painters’ brush strokes for creating textures, the sculptors’ artful hands for creating 3D meshes, the landscapers’ attention to detail for engaging level design, the authors’ wit for plot and dialog, the musicians’ riveting scores for oundtracks, the directors’ eye for cut-scenes and in-game movies, the actors’ performance for motion capture and voice acting, and a great deal of other arts that contribute to all the many parts of a modern game. Games also offer a new form art, derived from the ancient art of puzzle craft, which requires a game designer to build a system of rules and challenges that both intellectually stimulates the player and entertains him.

An important area of study for Sean is the design, development, and integration of software tools that enhance the game designers’ and game developers’ workflow, allowing for bigger and better games to be released in less time, at less cost, and with more fun. From the programming languages and toolkits used by the game programmers to the level editors and reports generators used by the designers, every aspect of the game development process can be made better through the improvement of the software used by game developers.

Sean’s favorite games are large role-playing epics, adventure games, and the occasional puzzle or party game. There’s always room for a little Left 4 Dead or Rockband in his schedule, too.