Google has hired a “Chief Game Designer,” and he’s worked on everything from arcade games, such as Sinistar, to recent hits, including Alan Wake. TechCrunch spotted that gaming industry veteran Noah Falstein had listed beginning the position in April on his LinkedIn profile, and The Verge has confirmed that the designer has taken a role at Google. Though Google released the augmented reality game Ingress last year, the company’s need for a leading game designer is a curious one. Notably, TechCrunch reports that Falstein previously listed his position as “Chief Game Designer at Android Play Studio,” though the title has since been changed.
Google hires a ‘Chief Game Designer,’ possibly for work on Android
is The Verge’s executive editor. He has covered tech, policy, and online creators for over a decade.
Android has been rumored to see multiplayer gaming features in a coming update, but we haven’t seen any games on the Play Store from the company itself. Falstein has most recently worked as a freelance design consultant, at times assisting major studios. But the designer has also shown an interest in what he calls games being used for “a purpose other than pure entertainment,” such as educating children, improving health, or training employees. What Google might do with nontraditional games is unclear, but it would be a bit less surprising if we were to hear that some type of Android gaming initiative is underway at the company.
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