Kim Swift
{{short description|American video game designer}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Kim Swift
|image = Kim Swift - Game Developers Conference 2010 - Panel Day 4 (1).jpg
|caption = Swift at the 2010 Game Developers Conference
|birth_name = Kimberly Swift{{cite web |url=https://www.digipen.edu/showcase/student-games/narbacular-drop |title=Narbacular Drop |website=DigiPen |date=18 May 2018 |access-date=5 October 2019 |archive-date=26 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926042608/https://www.digipen.edu/showcase/student-games/narbacular-drop |url-status=live }}
|birth_date = {{Birth based on age as of date|24|2007|10|13}}{{cite web| title=By Design - Half-Life 2: Orange Box| url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/by-design-half-life-2-orange-box/1100-6180884/| last1=Dodson| first1=Joe| date=October 13, 2007| work=GameSpot| access-date=December 16, 2014| archive-date=April 13, 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413235123/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/by-design-half-life-2-orange-box/1100-6180884/| url-status=live}}
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|nationality = American
|other_names =
|known_for =
|occupation = Video game designer
}}
Kimberly Swift (born {{Birth based on age as of date|24|2007|10|13|noage=yes}}) is an American video game designer best known for her work at Valve with games such as Portal and Left 4 Dead. Swift was featured by Fortune as one of "30 Under 30" influential figures in the video game industry.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2013/11/most-wired-games/|magazine=Wired|author=Wired taff|title=Games That Changed Everything: The Most Wired Games of the Generation|date=November 21, 2013|access-date=October 26, 2015|archive-date=November 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117021649/http://www.wired.com/2013/11/most-wired-games/|url-status=live}} She was described in Mental Floss as one of the most recognized women in the industry and by Wired as "an artist that will push the medium forward".
Career
A graduate of DigiPen, Kim Swift and a group of her fellow graduates developed Narbacular Drop, a portal-based game that was later presented to Valve, which led to Gabe Newell personally offering to hire them so that they could create the critically acclaimed game Portal.{{cite web |url=http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,228051/ |title=Kim Swift |website=MobyGames |date=December 20, 2009 |access-date=July 20, 2012 |archive-date=March 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130305023428/http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,228051 |url-status=live }} Kim Swift was the leader of the Portal team as well as a level designer. She was credited along with writer Erik Wolpaw in Portal's Game Developers Choice Awards for design, innovation, and game of the year.{{cite web|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/53175/kim-swift-woman-behind-portal|last=Erbland|first=Kate|work=Mental Floss|title=Kim Swift, the Woman Behind Portal|date=October 14, 2013|access-date=October 26, 2015|archive-date=August 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820074859/http://mentalfloss.com/article/53175/kim-swift-woman-behind-portal|url-status=live}}
Besides Portal, Swift has been involved in other Valve projects, most notably Left 4 Dead and its sequel, Left 4 Dead 2, where she also played a leading role in development.{{cite web|title=Left 4 Dead 2 Interview with Kim Swift|website=Left 4 Dead 2 Website|date=November 13, 2009|accessdate=March 9, 2014|url=http://left4dead2.org/left-4-dead-2-interview-with-valves-kim-swift|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140310101704/http://left4dead2.org/left-4-dead-2-interview-with-valves-kim-swift |archive-date=March 10, 2014}}
In December 2009, Swift left Valve to join Airtight Games. There, in cooperation with Square Enix, she led the team that developed Quantum Conundrum, which released in 2012. In a 2012, in an interview with Wired, Swift expressed the opinion that the most important impact of video games is that they are "a socially acceptable way for adults to imagine".{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2012/06/kim-swift-interview/|title=Portal Designer Kim Swift Won't Let You Take Her Toys Away|magazine=Wired|last1=Rigney|first1=Ryan|date=June 21, 2012|accessdate=March 2, 2021|archive-date=January 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121130237/https://www.wired.com/2012/06/kim-swift-interview/|url-status=live}}
Amazon announced in April 2014 that they had brought Swift in to help build games in their internal studio.{{Cite web | url = http://kotaku.com/amazon-hires-portals-kim-swift-far-cry-2s-clint-hock-1557091175 | title = Amazon Hires Portal's Kim Swift, Far Cry 2's Clint Hocking | first = Chris | last = Shrieier | date = April 2, 2014 | access-date = April 2, 2014 | work = Kotaku | archive-date = April 3, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140403045313/http://kotaku.com/amazon-hires-portals-kim-swift-far-cry-2s-clint-hock-1557091175 | url-status = live }} Swift described her role as senior designer for as yet undisclosed projects.{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/4/2/5575354/amazon-game-studios-portal-kim-swift-splinter-cell-clint-hocking|last=McWhertor|first=Michael|work=Polygon|title=Amazon Game Studios hires Portal designer Kim Swift, Splinter Cell designer Clint Hocking|date=April 2, 2014|access-date=October 26, 2015|archive-date=October 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151027094251/http://www.polygon.com/2014/4/2/5575354/amazon-game-studios-portal-kim-swift-splinter-cell-clint-hocking|url-status=live}} In January 2017, Electronic Arts announced they have hired Swift as a design director within their Motive Studios, who developed Star Wars Battlefront II.{{Cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/portal-left-4-dead-developer-kim-swift-joins-ea/1100-6447075/ | title = Portal, Left 4 Dead Developer Kim Swift Joins EA | first = Eddie | last = Makuch | date = January 19, 2017 | access-date = January 19, 2017 | work = GameSpot | archive-date = January 27, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170127050428/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/portal-left-4-dead-developer-kim-swift-joins-ea/1100-6447075/ | url-status = live }}
Swift had been part of the Google Stadia internal development studio, Stadia Games & Entertainment, as a game design director, until Google closed down the studio in February 2021. By June 2021, Swift had been hired by Xbox Game Studios Publishing as the senior director of cloud gaming.{{cite web | url = https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/383870/Xbox_Game_Studios_Publishing_has_hired_Portal_lead_designer_Kim_Swift.php | title = Xbox Game Studios Publishing has hired Portal lead designer Kim Swift | first = Chris | last = Kerr | date = June 21, 2021 | access-date = June 21, 2021 | work = Gamasutra | archive-date = June 21, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210621175348/https://gamasutra.com/view/news/383870/Xbox_Game_Studios_Publishing_has_hired_Portal_lead_designer_Kim_Swift.php | url-status = dead }}
Swift hosted the 20th Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony on March 18, 2020.{{cite web | author = Staff | url = https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/356378/Death_Stranding_leads_the_pack_of_2020_Game_Developers_Choice_Awards_nominees.php | title = Death Stranding leads the pack of 2020 Game Developers Choice Awards nominees | date = January 8, 2020 | access-date = January 8, 2020 | work = Gamasutra | archive-date = January 8, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200108192505/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/356378/Death_Stranding_leads_the_pack_of_2020_Game_Developers_Choice_Awards_nominees.php | url-status = dead }}
Games
- Narbacular Drop (2005)
- Half-Life 2: Episode One (2006)
- Portal (2007)
- Half-Life 2: Episode Two (2007)
- Portal: Still Alive (2008)
- Left 4 Dead (2008)
- Left 4 Dead 2 (2009)
- Quantum Conundrum (2012)
- PIXLD (2012) {{cite web |url=http://www.pixldgame.com/ |date=October 25, 2012 |title=PIXLD |work=Airtight Mobile |access-date=June 20, 2013 |archive-date=May 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522170301/http://www.pixldgame.com/ |url-status=live }}
- Soul Fjord (2014) {{cite web |url=http://soulfjord.com/ |title=Soul Fjord |work=Airtight Mobile |access-date=January 28, 2014 |archive-date=February 2, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202093741/http://soulfjord.com/ |url-status=live }}
- Star Wars Battlefront II{{cite web|url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/xbox-one/star-wars-battlefront-ii_/credits|title=Star Wars: Battlefront II Credits|website=Moby Games|access-date=2019-01-25|archive-date=2019-01-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125130842/https://www.mobygames.com/game/xbox-one/star-wars-battlefront-ii_/credits|url-status=live}} (2017)
{{Commons category|Kim Swift}}
References
{{Valve}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Kim}}
Category:Amazon (company) people
Category:American video game designers
Category:Electronic Arts employees
Category:Valve Corporation people