Dan Goldberg

About

Who is Dan?

I was literally raised on video games. Some of my earliest memories include playing Super Mario Brothers on the NES with my dad - I was 2 years old. When the Sega Genesis made its debut, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and film spinoffs of Batman and Jurassic Park were second only to Barney the Dinosaur in my preschool world. On one hand, I was a typical preschooler who loved to sing the "I Love You" song with mommy dearest; but, on the other, I spent time with my father in virtual worlds, beating up bad guys and killing things. By the age of 4, I was already drawing new levels for my favorite games; and, at 5, I announced, "I'm going to make video games when I grow up."

My education has been, in a word, non-traditional. I was home schooled all the way through twelfth grade. That means that I had a customized curriculum that allowed me to progress at my own pace and develop my creativity. It was a curriculum devoid of pointless busy-work and less-than-inspiring writing prompts. In fact, some of my best creative writing assignments were actually story-lines for the video games I wanted to design some day. It also means that I had more time to play video games such as The Journeyman Project II: Buried in Time and the King's Quest series since I didn't have homework, per se. I completed my secondary education at the age of 15 and proceeded to enroll in college. In addition to courses in traditional design and color theory, my coursework included digital imaging, modeling and animation, multimedia, and interactive design. In May 2007, I graduated with high honors from Harford Community College, receiving my A.A.S. in Visual Communications/Digital Media at the age of 17. Afterward, I enrolled in the University of Baltimore's Simulation and Digital Entertainment (SDE) program to continue my education. Before I knew it, time was flying by at an alarming rate, and soon enough, I earned my B.S. degree, graduating from the SDE program Summa Cum Laude.

Currently, I enjoy all types of games, save for sports games. I like both new school and old school games, everything from Assassin's Creed to The Legend of Zelda. I can't name any one game in particular as my favorite, but there are several that stand out from the rest.

-	Bioshock's gorgeous graphics and unexpected plot twists make it an excellent addition to any gamer's collection.
-	Chrono Trigger is probably the best time-travel game ever made. The storyline is brought to life by its memorable cast, and, while the graphics may seem outdated by today's standards, they were advanced for their time.
-	The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has excellent voice acting, and its AI makes it feel like a living, breathing world.
-	World of Warcraft's open-ended gameplay, nigh-infinite replayability, and intricately-developed lore earn it, too, a place on my list of favorites.
It might be a bit of an understatement to say that I am an avid gamer. I pre-ordered the Legendary Edition of Halo 3 the moment it became available, waited in line all night for the release of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade just to get the Collector's Edition, and was thrilled to participate in the open beta-test of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. Most recently, I have been granted the opportunity to beta test StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. My entire life has been an investment in my future as I've fostered my love of gaming, art, creative writing, and music, and I'd like the opportunity to put that investment to good use. I've grown up, now I just need to "make" those video games.