David Doak 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.[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.[14]
References
- ^ "David Doak talks Haze - Page 2, 11 June 2007". Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
- ^ Doak's profile at Giant Bomb.
- ^ David Doak's profile at LinkedIn.
- ^ "Free Radical Splits GameCube". IGN. 11 October 2002. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
- ^ Matt Martin (2 October 2008). "Doak to deliver GoldenEye Director's Commentary at GameCity". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ^ PPCite web |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/goldeneyes-xbox-remaster-axes-dr-doak-but-fans-are-modding-him-back-in/ |title=GoldenEye's Xbox remaster axes Dr. Doak – but fans are modding him back in |first=Andy |last=Robinson |date=4 February 2021 |website=Video Games Chronicle}}
- ^ http://platform-online.net/2009/11/interview-martin-hollis-david-doak/
- ^ David Becker (23 September 2004). "Game publishers sweat console change". CNET.com. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ^ "David Doak talks Haze". Eurogamer. 11 June 2007. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2010.
- ^ https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-05-04-free-radical-vs-the-monsters
- ^ Free Radical founder opens Facebook studio, 12 August 2009.
- ^ David Doak gets 50,000 £ for Facebook project. 1 April 2010.
- ^ http://www.dellam.com/06776775-ZINKYZONK%20LIMITED
- ^ https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-doak-9069283/