Jess Lebow

EXPERIENCE

Current Ubisoft Shanghai, China

Game Designer/Sr. Script Writer

02/2009- Riot Games Los Angeles, CA

11/2009 Consultant/Writer

03/2008- Carbine Studios/NcSoft Orange County, CA

02/2009 Lead Quest Designer/Lead Writer

Managed creative design team for unannounced multiplayer online game.
Created schedules and budgets spanning out over five years of production.
Developed and executed on creative direction for missions and ongoing storyline.
Outlined and wrote in-game story and text.
Led design meetings.

2006- Flying Lab Seattle, WA

02/2008 Content Director/Producer

Managed content team for Pirates of the Burning Sea.
Set creative direction for missions and ongoing storyline.
Pitched game and company to business and publishing partners.
Produced print and web-based creative materials for marketing and PR.
Key company spokesman for mainstream and game media outlets, including Newsweek, MTV, Playboy, AOL, G4 TV, IGN, Zam Network, and CNN.com.
Oversaw business development for all licensed media, including strategy guides, fiction publishing, and toys.

2005- Arena Net Bellevue, WA

02/2006 Producer

Produced all in-game voiceover, including managing casting, budgets, voice direction, and recording sessions.
Managed team of four writers and cut-scene director.
Wrote and produced all high-resolution game trailers.
Produced all printed materials, including strategy guides, game manuals, marketing documentation, art books, and manga.
Pitched stories to all major gaming magazines.
Acted as spokesperson for Guild Wars and Arena Net in interviews with major game media: CBS, G4 Tech TV, IGN, Gamespy, Play Magazine, Computer Games Magazine, Computer Gaming World.
Gave interviews to international news media outlets in Korea, Taiwan, Germany, France, and Japan.
Helped develop print media business: manga, novels, and printed games.

2003- Arena Net Bellevue, WA

2005 World Designer/Story Creator

Led story creation and creative direction for Guild Wars, a AAA PC game with over 1.5 million sales in its first year.
Authored story outlines for Guild Wars Core Campaign and Guild Wars Factions.
Designed game and mission mechanics.
Wrote all mission and cut-scene scripts, along with high-resolution marketing cinematics.
Wrote and directed all in-game voiceover.
Wrote monthly short fiction for Guildwars.com.
Responsible for creation of large online fan fiction community.

1998- Wizards of the Coast Book Publishing Renton, WA

2002 Editor

Wrote, edited, and created story for fantasy / Sci-Fi publishing house.
Created and adjudicated Wizards Publishing style guide.
Edited two book lines, three fantasy fiction anthologies, and over thirty novels.
Created story for Magic: The Gathering novels, periodicals, web team, graphic novels, and card game.
Developed story and content for Dungeons & Dragons novel line.
Edited licensed products, including Harry Potter and Pokémon card game guides.
Discovered and groomed new authors for continuing fiction lines.
Co-authored multiple movie treatments for Magic: The Gathering.

Published Works & Periodicals:

Published May 2010: The Beer Devotional, a daily read about good brew.
Published March 2010: Family Games: The 100 Best, essay on Risk, the board game.
Published April 2008: Obsidian Ridge, a Forgotten Realms novel.
Published September 2005: Master of Chains, a Forgotten Realms novel. (Nominated for an Origins award).
Published January 2004: The Darksteel Eye, a Magic: The Gathering novel. (Localized into German, Italian, and French).
Published October 2003: Return of the Damned, a Dungeons and Dragons novel.
Published December 2002: Wind of War, a Legend of the Five Rings novel. (Nominated for both the Endeavor and Origins awards).
Bozzi Bear's Birthday Adventure, an illustrated children's book.
Television pilot for World Chef, a travel/cooking show.
Hell in Freeport, a D20 adventure. (Nominated for an Origins award).
Short stories in: Dragons of Magic, Neverwinter Nights, Realms of Shadow, Monsters of Magic, Realms of Dragons, Best of the Realms Volume 1, Realms of War, and Mark of the Raven.
Game-related articles and fiction in: Duelist, TopDeck, Dragon, Inquest, Play, and CGW.
Reporting, non-fiction articles, and fiction in: Gerrard's Quest (graphic novel), Prophecy (graphic novel), Long Neck Quarterly, Caprice, Equinox, Benecia Bay Review, The AS Review, and Black Flag Quarterly.
Over 200 game-related web articles for: Wizards.com, MTGnews.com, Phyrexia.com, IGN.com, Gamespot.com, Guildwars.com, and Gamespy.com.

Speaking Engagements:

LOGIN 2009 – Create Your Own Happy Ending: Managing an Original IP for Success and Impact
AGDC 2008 – More Interactivity: A Storytelling Workshop
ION 2008 – Content: Not Just For Fun Anymore
AGDC 2007 – MMO Story Hour: Instancing, Epic Tales, Mistakes, and Too Much Text
OGDC 2007 – The Writer's Role in Online Games

Awards:

Top 20 Most Influential People in MMOs, as selected by Beckett Massive Online Gamer, May 2008
Short story, Assassin’s Shadow, selected by readers for inclusion in the Best of the Realms Vol. 1.
Novel, Master of Chains, reached number two on the Locus Magazine Game-Related Fiction Bestseller List.
Play Magazine: Best PC Game of 2005 and Best Action Role-Playing Game (Guild Wars).
IGN: Editor’s and Reader’s Choice, Best PC Persistent World Game and Best PC Role-Playing game (Guild Wars).
Gamespy: PC MMORPG of the Year 2005 and Top 10 PC Games of 2005 (Guild Wars).
Computer Gaming World: Editor’s Choice Award (Guild Wars).
Computer Games Magazine: Editor’s Choice Award (Guild Wars).
NPD: 4th highest selling PC game of 2005 (Guild Wars).

EDUCATION

Western Washington University Bellingham, WA

BA, English

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