David Doak (/ˈdoʊk/) 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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