Game Faces: Cliff Bleszinski

Cliffy B. Dude Huge. Or just Cliff Bleszinski. Whatever you call him, he's one of the closest things there is to a celebrity video game designer.

Bleszinski says he intentionally cultivated that image, noting that in a celebrity-obsessed culture turning yourself into a brand seemed a logical way to increase publicity for himself and his games.

And his stature is well deserved. Bleszinski has been making shooting games for over twenty years now, and worked on both the Unreal series and Gears of War. His games are influential, popular, and a lot of fun. He says he spends a lot of time working on the 'feel' of a game; adjusting the weight and speed of a character, how responsive the controls are to the player. Even the smaller details can make a big difference, like the way Marcus Fenix slams into cover when escaping from enemy fire in Gears of War.

Bleszinski is currently taking a break from developing games, but says he's on the lookout for a new opportunity. And he says whatever he does next, he has a feeling it might involve making another shooting game.