Faculty: Business, Computing and Law

School: School of Computing

Subject Area: Computer Games Development

Adam has recently taken on the role of Studio Manager for the University's new internal Games Studio, which employs Derby game development students to work on real-world computer game development projects for external clients. This new role builds on his recent return from the front-lines of commercial games development to take up a teaching position within Derby's School of Computing, joining a teaching team who have since been nominated for a Develop Magazine Industry Excellence Award for their efforts in games education.

This move followed two years at Eurocom Entertainment in Derby, where Adam was lead AI programmer on an unannounced next-generation project. Prior to that he spent three years working at Lionhead Studios down in Surrey, where he played a pivotal role in the AI design for Microsoft's critically acclaimed and best-selling XBox RPG Fable. He continues to maintain active contact with the UK games industry, has spoken at a variety of industry events, published multiple articles in the AI Game Programming Wisdom book series, and occasionally blogs on http://www.ai-blog.net/ along with several other industry figures.

Teaching responsibilities

• Games Design (4CC047)
• Ludology (4CC048)
• Console Development* (5CC086)
• AI Techniques for Games Programming* (6CC038)
  
  * = Module leader

Professional interests

Computer games education, game developer community, small-scale independent game development, regional development of games production, virtual worlds, serious games

Research interests

• Interactive 3D simulations of urban and domestic life
• Complex layered animation systems
• Expressive AI and player experience
• Interactive drama/narrative intelligence
• Design tools for choreography of AI characters

Membership of professional bodies and advisory committees

• Member, AI Game Programmers' Guild (AIGPG)
• Member, Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (SSAISB)
• Member, International Game Developers Association (IGDA)

Recent Publications

Russell, A. (2008) Ecological Balance in AI Design, AI Game Programming Wisdom 4, Charles River Media.
Russell, A. (2008) Situationist Game AI, AI Game Programming Wisdom 4, Charles River Media.
Russell, A. (2008) Turning Spaces into Places, AI Game Programming Wisdom 4, Charles River Media.
Russell, A. (2006) Opinion Systems, AI Game Programming Wisdom 3, Charles River Media.

Recent Conferences

Russell, A. (2008) NPC Opinion modelling in Fable, AI/Games Research Network event, Colchester.
Russell, A. (2007) Situationist game AI, Sense of Play '07, London Games Festival.
Russell, A. (2007) Game AI: the arc of hope, Skillset Masterclass, Nottingham.
Russell, A. (2006) A situationist perspective on game AI, SAND 2006, Swansea.
Russell, A. (2005) Handcrafting vs. simulation in next-gen game AI, Mundos Digitales 2005, Spain.

Undergraduate qualifications

• BA (Hons) Philosophy, Psychology and Physiology, Oxford University

Postgraduate qualifications

• MSc Evolutionary and Adaptive Systems, University of Sussex

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