Michael Cheng
Age: 27
Title: Level Designer, Lucas Arts
Current Favorite game: NBA Street 2
AW: What else do you do besides play video games?
Cheng: Music. It gives me a good break and also keeps me in tune with the rest of the creativity aspect. I’m DJing, doing the turntablism side of things and working with composers who integrate scratches into songs. I’m also doing club gigs and live performances.
“I was playing a lot of video games as a kid. Our parents’ generation didn’t grow up with video games, and [to them] it’s this thing that doesn’t make a lot of sense. What turned [my parents] around was when I got them a Gamecube, and now they play it all the time. So now when I go home, my dad says ‘I’ve got this cool game idea for you!’ and he’s giving me ideas on how to design games,” says 27-year-old Michael Cheng, level designer for Lucas Arts.
Cheng’s responsibilities as a level designer vary depending on the project assigned. “The lead director will mock out a game engine, and the level designer starts building the micro-dynamics of what is to happen,” explains Cheng. So what exactly does he do to help build the micro-dynamics? “It’s a combination of level modeling, A.I. [artificial intelligence] development and NPC [non-player characting] scripting, which is creating the interactions of non-main characters by scripting what they do. I help design the game mechanics – the setup and rules of how the game operates – which creates the user experience. I also work with environmental artists to model worlds to fit into the [overall] game design.”
Low, that’s some tough stuff. Do they have schools that teach level design?
“I grew up in Chicago. Even though it’s a metropolitan area it’s still the Midwest and has a suburban composition in terms of culture and ethnicity. There were Asians, but they were definitely in the minority,” says Taiwanese Japanese American Cheng, who has run the gamut on career choices before landing a spot at Lucas Arts. “My parents wanted me to be a doctor, lawyer or businessman.” In college, Cheng started off pre-med, ultimately majoring in economics, but also dabbling in activism and graphic design, during which time he discovered 3D modeling.
“I was at Cornell, and wanted to switch majors … but the closest thing they had were some classes in architecture that work with 3D modeling programs. Of course it’s not the same, but I took some [architecture] classes anyway. Luckily I was able to make some friends who were going in that [gaming] route, and we started making connections,” says Cheng.
“I caught my first break with my old boss at 3DO. I went to the interview and the guy was trying to figure out more about my thought process and analytical process [than my technical skills],” recalls Cheng. “A lot of the industry is about getting your foot in the door. But it’s like the chicken and egg theory – how do you make a game if you can’t get into the industry and vice versa. Once you get a title under your belt though, you’re in.”
One of the foremost people driving Cheng’s inspirations is Mom. “Even though she would antagonize me, she was very supportive,” says Cheng. “She supported me in what she thought would be the better for me. My parents have been my inspiration – they really help to drive me, to help me prove to myself and to figure out what I needed to accomplish in my life. I didn’t necessarily do it in the way they wanted. I always wanted to prove them wrong, and this resistance, in the end, pushed me towards the right path – it’s some twisted inspiration!”
Cheng draws a lot of his creative inspiration from his friends. “Most of them are into music, which has helped to gain a fresh perspective on my video games. It’s a similar process in terms of creativity; it’s just your medium [that’s different]. They gave me a commercially creative reference. I like working with them, being in the same mindset of creativity instead of just producing it.” So when Cheng isn’t designing levels, the DJ extraordinaire is leveling out designs on the turntables with his crew, Dhamaal.