Brian Mitsoda
Encyclopedia
Brian Mitsoda is an American
video game designer best known for his writing work on the 2004 PC title Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines.
in 1997, moving out to Los Angeles to pursue a career writing for television and film. After playing the game Fallout, he was inspired enough to look up the developer and apply for a job. This resulted in him entering the game industry as a quality assurance tester at Interplay in 1999. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to designer/writer at Black Isle Studios
, and took on the role of lead writer for TORN
, a PC RPG that used Monolith
's Lithtech
engine, and a modified version of Fallouts SPECIAL system. However, the title was canceled in July 2001.
, where he designed and wrote the story for Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, which went on to disappointing sales, but gained a very positive reception for its memorable characters, excellent writing, and quality voice work (of which Mitsoda himself provided multiple uncredited performances). After the collapse of Troika, Mitsoda moved on to work at Obsidian Entertainment
, where he worked on a canceled RPG project (codenamed New Jersey), provided feedback on several expansions for Neverwinter Nights 2
, and worked as a creative lead on a version of Alpha Protocol
.
. Their first project is Dead State
, a turn-based RPG set during a zombie apocalypse developed with the aid of fellow indie game company Iron Tower Studio.
Mitsoda has said that an aim of the game is to be a "[s]erious examination of a national crisis or natural disaster"
and that the game is "designed around" the "stress and survival aspects" of "a world in crisis".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
video game designer best known for his writing work on the 2004 PC title Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines.
Early career and Black Isle Studios
Brian Mitsoda earned a B.A. in English at Florida State UniversityFlorida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
in 1997, moving out to Los Angeles to pursue a career writing for television and film. After playing the game Fallout, he was inspired enough to look up the developer and apply for a job. This resulted in him entering the game industry as a quality assurance tester at Interplay in 1999. Shortly thereafter, he was promoted to designer/writer at Black Isle Studios
Black Isle Studios
Black Isle Studios was a division of the computer and video game developer and publisher Interplay Entertainment. Black Isle Studios was a division that developed computer role-playing games, and also published several games from other developers. It was based in Orange County, California, USA. The...
, and took on the role of lead writer for TORN
Black Isle's Torn
Black Isle's Torn was a role-playing video game developed for Windows by Black Isle Studios, announced on March 22, 2001 and cancelled in July of that year. The game was to use a modified version of the SPECIAL role-playing system, which had been implemented in the Fallout series...
, a PC RPG that used Monolith
Monolith Productions
Monolith Productions is a Kirkland, Washington-based computer game developer. Monolith is also known for the development of the graphical game engine Lithtech, which has been used for most of their games...
's Lithtech
Lithtech
Lithtech is a game engine which was initially developed by Monolith Productions in collaboration with Microsoft. Monolith later formed a separate company, LithTech Inc., to deal with further advancements of the engine technology and currently, after a change of its corporate identity, LithTech Inc...
engine, and a modified version of Fallouts SPECIAL system. However, the title was canceled in July 2001.
Troika and Obsidian
Around mid-to-late 2002, Mitsoda joined Troika GamesTroika Games
Troika Games was a video game developer created by the key people behind the first of the critically acclaimed Fallout series of games. The company was focused on role-playing video games between 1998 and 2005, best known for Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and Vampire: The Masquerade –...
, where he designed and wrote the story for Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, which went on to disappointing sales, but gained a very positive reception for its memorable characters, excellent writing, and quality voice work (of which Mitsoda himself provided multiple uncredited performances). After the collapse of Troika, Mitsoda moved on to work at Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment
Obsidian Entertainment is an American video game developer founded in 2003 after the disestablishment of Interplay Productions' Black Isle Studios, for PC and console systems...
, where he worked on a canceled RPG project (codenamed New Jersey), provided feedback on several expansions for Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Atari. It is the sequel to BioWare's Neverwinter Nights, based on the Dungeons & Dragons pencil and paper fantasy role-playing game...
, and worked as a creative lead on a version of Alpha Protocol
Alpha Protocol
Alpha Protocol is a third-person espionage role-playing video game, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, their first title for an original IP, and published by Sega. The game revolves around the adventures of field agent Michael Thorton...
.
Current projects
Mitsoda is currently living and working in Seattle. In June 2009, he opened a new development studio, DoubleBear ProductionsDoubleBear Productions
DoubleBear Productions is an indie game studio founded in June 2009 by writer and game designer Brian Mitsoda. The studio intends to specialize in PC role playing games. Its first and current project is Dead State, a turn-based PC RPG set in a zombie apocalypse scenario...
. Their first project is Dead State
Dead State
Dead State is an upcoming turn-based role-playing video game set in a zombie apocalypse scenario. The player will be in charge of a local school sheltering survivors, and is tasked with defending the shelter from the zombie hordes and other enemies. Designer Brian Mitsoda stated that the game is...
, a turn-based RPG set during a zombie apocalypse developed with the aid of fellow indie game company Iron Tower Studio.
Mitsoda has said that an aim of the game is to be a "[s]erious examination of a national crisis or natural disaster"
and that the game is "designed around" the "stress and survival aspects" of "a world in crisis".
Trivia and quotes
- Mitsoda used to keep a MySpace page which he updated with humorous "One Sentence Stories." The format would follow that would give the title of the story, list his name as the author, and give the entirety of the work in a single sentence. The last one posted was as follows:
- In Fall 2008, Mitsoda took the stories down, hinting that he had "started the ball rolling on the publication process" and was working on turning them into a book.
- There exists some controversy regarding Mitsoda's role on the action/RPG Alpha ProtocolAlpha ProtocolAlpha Protocol is a third-person espionage role-playing video game, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, their first title for an original IP, and published by Sega. The game revolves around the adventures of field agent Michael Thorton...
: while he has been credited with the development of the game's dialogue system (known in the shorthand as "DSS"), characters (along with designer Annie CarlsonAnnie CarlsonAnnie VanderMeer Mitsoda is an American video game designer best known for her writing work on the 2008 PC title Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir....
), and an earlier complete draft of the script, he has since stated that all of his work has since been removed from the game. He has publicly stated:
- Among the characters that Brian Mitsoda has both written and provided dialogue for in Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines are the ghoul Romero, the elderly hit man Ji Wen Ja, and multiple voices on the in-game radio (including one in the infamous "Frickin' Chicken" commercial).
External links
- Brian Mitsoda at the Internet Movie Database
- Developer Profile at Troikapedia
- Torn Developer Diary #5
- Dialogue Interview at RPG Codex
- Designing worlds with Brian Mitsoda interview at Iron Tower Studios
- Interview Without a Vampire: Bloodlines' B Mitsoda at Rock, Paper, Shotgun
- Narrative Design discussion between Brian and Tom Jubert