Behind the scenes, Joyride Games has some impressive talent. We'd like to introduce to you our Head of Blockchain, Chance Santana-Wees. As no stranger to game development, Chance started his journey creating multiple indy games from 2007 - 2012. He was also a key skilled employee which allowed Comsys Manpower to secure a multi-decade billion dollar contract with Microsoft/XBOX for creating a game test office in the Portland Area. He has also worked on Hex TCG as a core team developer as the lead developer of Tournament systems and Marketplaces for player owned digital goods and was the lead developer on an a Niantec project, the developers of Pokemon Go. Furthermore, Chance is heavily involved in the development of the web3 space. He was involved in the discussions surrounding the definition of ERC721 and was a key member of the working group that defined the v2 Flow NFT standard.
Employee Spotlight: 12 Questions with Chance Santana-Wees
1. How long have you worked at Joyride Games?
I’ve worked at Joyride for 2 years.
2. What brought you to the company?
My previous studio, Tonk Tonk Games, was acquired by Joyride.
3. What do you love most about this industry, web3 gaming?
The prospect of true ownership of digital goods is incredible. I have been an avid collector for most of my life and the ability to have true provenance of a digital asset is game changing.
4. What does your job entail? Can you take us through a day in the life at Joyride Games?
I am responsible for steering the companies blockchain endeavors. I work on project planning with others in senior leadership; architect blockchain solutions; design token economies, protocols and NFT projects; and ensure that our game designs do not conflict with the limitations of blockchain technologies. I am responsible for coding all of our smart contracts, I dabble in world building and am involved in creating the lore for the Champs metaverse.
5. What do you like most about being the Head of Blockchain?
I have a degree of creative control over our blockchain projects and get to implement cutting edge technological solutions for a wide range of web3 challenges. I also get to do constant research on the evolving trends of the NFT space. Part of my job is to be a Degen; what more could you ask for?
6. What advice would you give to someone who wants to enter your field?
Start small and build. If you want to make games the best thing to do is just start making them. If you want to code smart contracts, just start coding them. Just always be realistic with your goals, finish your projects and put the results in front of real users. The more stuff you create the easier it gets and the longer you create the more you learn.
Now for some fun ones!
1. What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time I tend to work on side projects. I am the creator of The Impossible Game, AudioGenesis and 9999 Luftballons. I am a member of gmDAO and a curator for gmStudio. I also provide advice and contract auditing for projects I find interesting. Also, I watch A LOT of Anime with my wife.
2. Tell us something most people would be surprised to learn about you.
I have been playing Magic the Gathering for 27 years and have literally hundreds of thousands on cards in my garage.
3. What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?
Buy real estate. Probably an apartment complex for passive income and a nice house to live in.
4. What’s your favorite place in the world?
Barcelona is my favorite place I have been. Tokyo is my favorite that I have not.
5. What would it be if you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life?
Sushi. Hands down. No contest.
6. Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Always question your preconceptions.
And there you have it! We hope you enjoyed this month’s Employee Spotlight! Stay tuned for our October spotlight.
If you'd like to learn more about Chance, check out his LinkedIn profile.
