Game Software Design and Production

Dr. John Michael Quick

Assistant Professor

Dr. John Quick is a learning experience expert who earned his Ph.D. in Educational Technology at Arizona State University. He researched motivation and enjoyment in games. John previously obtained his bachelor’s degree in finance and information technology and master’s degree in educational technology from Michigan State University.

John’s main research interests lie in using games and multimedia to enhance learning and professional development. This includes assessing the impact of an individual’s personal characteristics, enjoyment, and motivation with regard to learning. Additionally, he is passionate about advancing the philosophy of game design and its influence on life and the community.

Throughout his career, John has worked with various organizations to create evidence-based multimedia learning experiences to improve learning and training outcomes, design and develop independent serious games for multiple platforms, and author books that apply engaging storytelling techniques to help readers learn practical computer programming, game development, and statistics skills.

John has over six years of teaching experience at the higher education level in the United States and Southeast Asia. At DigiPen (Singapore), he teaches game design, game development, and supports the project courses. John most enjoys inspiring his students to reach their highest potential and working with them to achieve it.

Tomas Arce-Gil

Senior Lecturer

Tomas Arce-Gil holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from New York Institute of Technology.

Tomas is a 19-year veteran of the game industry. He has created technology platforms, led R&D, QE, and production teams, and managed pipelines for a broad range of game developers. The technology he helped advance is used in the creation of games such as the All-Star Baseball series, NFL Quarterback Club series, Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000, South Park: Chef’s Luv Shack, Tribes Aerial Assault, The Hobbit, Area-51, and Hannah Montana Spotlight World Tour. He also assisted in the production of the Saints Row and Red Faction series and helped direct Sid Meier’s Pirates for Wii and Monster Jam, among others.

Tomas has worked at several large companies such as EA, THQ, Disney, and Acclaim, as well as other studios such as Inevitable Entertainment and Iguana Entertainment. He has served in a variety of roles throughout his illustrious career from programmer to manager. His positions have included CEO, CTO, lead programmer, technical director, and senior technical director, during which time 130 programmers worked under him.

As an entrepreneur, Tomas has co-founded Tenacious, which helped Disney complete one of their products, and LIONant, a game developer and outsourcer.

Holger Liebnitz

Senior Lecturer

Holger Liebnitz spent most of his life art directing AAA games such as Transformers, Men in Black, and a series of racing games including the F1 and Le Mans franchises. To date, Holger has worked on 29 published titles for clients such as Electronic Arts and LucasArts.

Prior to going into teaching, Holger started his career at Melbourne House, one of the first western developers creating games for the Nintendo console. Following that, he joined Atari for eight years, before spending the next 14 years working for multiple Singaporean start-ups and developing a wide range of games, as well as offering freelancing and consulting services.

At DigiPen (Singapore), Holger teaches modules relating to game design and cinematics, while also supporting the project courses. He believes that teaching is a two-way conversation and enjoys engaging, challenging, and laughing with his students. Ultimately, he hopes to help them develop strong technical and soft skills to be industry-ready upon graduation.

Jonathan Kwek Shie Sien

Lecturer

Jonathan Kwek graduated from the National University of Singapore with a bachelor’s degree in architecture in 2003.

He began work in the architecture industry and pursued a career in digital world creation and interactive applications over a span of 15 years, transitioning from game companies to virtual reality solution providers. Prior to joining DigiPen (Singapore), Jonathan worked mainly for international companies such as Koei and RealU, primarily in positions as the 3D art lead or producer. He entered the education industry in 2017 to help build up the next generation of game developers using his experience.

Jonathan’s expertise lies mainly in the creation of 3D environments for real-time interactive applications and massive online worlds, but he also has great interest in technology that has great market potential, such as mobile applications, augmented/virtual reality, and motion capture. He enjoys developing indie games and building arcade machines as a hobby, and has high hopes for the future of Singapore’s game development industry.

Jonathan is currently a lecturer in the Game Software Design and Production department, and supports the project courses with a focus on game art production. He enjoys developing indie games and building arcade machines as a hobby, and has high hopes for the future of Singapore’s game development industry.

Danielle Fong

Lecturer

Danielle Fong holds a bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication from Middlesex University London where she majored in graphic design.

Danielle joined DigiPen (Singapore) in 2022 and was formerly an adjunct lecturer at LASALLE College of the Arts and Raffles College of Higher Education where she taught modules on digital visualization, digital illustration, and digital image processing. In particular, Danielle enjoys teaching subjects on typography, identity systems, and user interface. She is also an ITE-certified trainer and has conducted short, elective modules for secondary school students who will be transitioning to the Institute of Technical Education.

Prior to becoming an educator, Danielle had been living and working in Hong Kong for 18 years. She started her career as a web and graphic designer and eventually took on project management roles in design agencies where she helped to execute diverse projects across web design, mobile applications, advertising, branding, and exhibitions. Some of the major clients that she has worked with include Singtel, HSBC Bank, Swarovski, Sony Pictures, Hongkong Land, Starbucks, and Swire Properties.