Kevin Mack is a co-founder of Manic Machine, a Los Angeles-based development studio specializing in VR and virtual production development using Unreal Engine. Manic Machine designs and builds games in VR and provides development services to clients and partners in the film and visual effects industries. Prior to this, he co-founded WhiteMoon Dreams, which developed traditional and VR games and experiences. Earlier work includes design on the Medal of Honor series for EA, Fear Effect series for Kronos Digital Entertainment, and several titles for Disney Interactive. Kevin holds a BFA in film production from New York University and an MFA in film directing from the American Film Institute.
I am deeply grateful to Lorrie for her endless patience and understanding as I spent numerous days and evenings glued to a screen or inside a VR headset. I would like to thank my parents as well for encouraging me always to do what I love and supporting the journey. And for that TRS-80 Color Computer that started it all. Finally, thank you Rob for joining me on this bizarre adventure and being such a fantastic partner through it.
Robert Ruud is a co-founder of Manic Machine, where he focuses primarily on the design and development of Manic Machine's proprietary tech and gameplay experiences. Prior to this, he spent six years at Whitemoon Dreams, where he designed and engineered gameplay for the successfully kickstarted game, Warmachine: Tactics, which was one of the first games to be released to market using Unreal Engine 4, and where he also led the design exploration for the company's location-based VR experiences. Robert holds a BA in philosophy from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where his studies focused on cognitive science and philosophy of the mind.
I would like to thank my beautiful, intelligent, and caring girlfriend Hannah for being so incredibly supportive throughout this entire process and life in general. My parents for always believing in me and helping me however they could. My friends for everything they have taught me and the adventures they have joined me in. Finally, I would like to thank Kevin for being an astounding business partner as we explore this new and wonderful medium.
Deepak Jadhav is a game developer based in Pune, India. Deepak holds a bachelor's degree in computer technology and a master's degree in game programming and project management. Currently, he is working as a game developer at a leading game development company in India. He has been involved in developing games on multiple platforms, such as PC, macOS, and mobile. With years of experience in game development, he has a strong background in C# and C++, and has also refined his skills in platforms including Unity, Unreal Engine, Augmented and Virtual Reality.
I would like to thank the authors, as well as the Packt Publishing team, for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
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