Head Count: Jake Labeots

Jake Labeots is a gameplay programmer at Human Head Studios. Once a music major, Jake switched paths to computer science halfway through his undergraduate career and never looked back. Many of Jake’s duties go beyond gameplay; he is also one of the office’s Perforce admins, a build engineer, and he does tech support when needed. Jake enjoys the games industry because he is constantly solving problems and developing his skills, but he says the best part of his job is being able to impress his friends and coworkers on a daily basis. Another aspect of the industry that Jake appreciates is the ability to create new worlds for players to explore. Jake recalls playing games like Spyro and feeling immersed in the environments and sounds - a feeling he hopes to help recreate in our games. When he isn’t writing code, Jake likes to play guitar and add to his hours in Destiny (he’s currently over 4,000).

Advice for Aspiring Programmers:
“Don’t be afraid to wear different hats, being a specialist is really useful, but spreading out can help you become a well-rounded developer with insights into the entire development process.”

Three Games that Everyone Should Play:
1. Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!
2. Metroid Prime
3. Destiny