David Doak (/ˈdk/) is a Northern Irish video game designer. Originally from Belfast,[1][2] he later moved to England, where he studied at Oxford University on biochemistry specialty[3] and worked as a research scientist.[4]

Doak began his video game career working with Rare where he provided network support for Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and helped develop the critically acclaimed GoldenEye 007[5] and Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64. His facial likeness and name were used for a non-player character in GoldenEye 007, a scientist named Dr. Doak. Several of the guards also bear his likeness.[6]

Doak and video game composer Graeme Norgate left Rare in 1998[7] to start Free Radical Design. From there he worked on the video game series TimeSplitters[8] and two other video games called Haze[9] and Second Sight.[10]

Doak left Free Radical - now known as Deep Silver Dambuster Studios - in 2009 and set up his own Nottingham-based studio, Zinkyzonk, which would develop games for Facebook.[11] The company evolved from his defunct studio Pumpkin Beach.[12] Zinkyzonk released its first game, Gangsta Zombies, on 11 July 2010 in partnership with Jolt Online Gaming. The company was dissolved in April 2013.[13]

Since 2016, Doak lectures at Norwich University of the Arts.[3]

On 19 May 2021, Deep Silver announced the reformation of Free Radical Design with David Doak and Steve Ellis as studio heads to make a new TimeSplitters game.[14] On 11 December 2023, the reformed Free Radical Design was closed down, and the new TimeSplitters game has been cancelled as a result.

References

  1. "David Doak talks Haze - Page 2, 11 June 2007". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  2. "David Doak (Person)". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 "David Doak's profile". Linkedin.com. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  4. "Free Radical Splits GameCube". IGN. 11 October 2002. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  5. Matt Martin (2 October 2008). "Doak to deliver GoldenEye Director's Commentary at GameCity". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  6. Robinson, Andy (4 February 2021). "GoldenEye's Xbox remaster axes Dr. Doak – but fans are modding him back in". Video Games Chronicle.
  7. "Welcome platform-online.net - Justhost.com". Platform-online.net. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  8. David Becker (23 September 2004). "Game publishers sweat console change". CNET.com. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  9. "David Doak talks Haze". Eurogamer. 11 June 2007. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
  10. "Free Radical vs. The Monsters". Eurogamer.net. 4 May 2012.
  11. Reynolds, Matthew (12 August 2009). "Free Radical founder opens Facebook studio". Digitalspy.com. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  12. David Doak gets 50,000 £ for Facebook project. Develop-online.net, 1 April 2010.
  13. "Dellam Corporate Information Limited, England". Dellam.com. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  14. Romano, Sal (20 May 2021). "Deep Silver announces reformation of Free Radical Design to develop next TimeSplitters game". Gematsu.com. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
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