My name is David McDonough, and I am a game designer. I work at Firaxis Games in Hunt Valley, Maryland, makers of the world-famous Civilization series. I’ve been there since December 2008 on various projects, but the moment my role is Producer for Civilization Network, the upcoming version of Civilization designed for online social play. Follow us on Facebook here.

Before moving to Firaxis, I completed my Master of Fine Arts degree at the Savannah College of Art and Design in the Interactive Design and Game Development program, on track to graduate in 2008. I got my BA in Art (Illustration) from Trinity University in 2002.

Initially focused on art creation, specifically environmental modeling and texturing, I attended GDC in 2007 as a recipient of the IGDA Student Scholarship on a visual arts track. But, in the months that followed, I found my tastes had matured. I am now hell-bent on game design, and damn the torpedos. Shallow, flashy games are not the future. Summer blockbusters do not win Oscars. I want my contribution, and my career, to be about deep, thoughtful, meaningful, immersive games. Photorealism is overrated. Simplicity is underrated. Next-Gen is not in the Uncanny Valley. Albert Einstein once said, “I am not particularly talented. What I am is passionately curious.” That says it all.