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Rafael Brown

CEO and Founder at Symbol Zero, game design and XR expert.

Rafael Brown is a veteran game developer and creative technologist with over 27 years of experience in the video game industry.2 He is currently the CEO and Founder of Symbol Zero, a company he established in June 2020.2

Professional Background

Rafael's career in game development spans across multiple renowned studios and publishers:

  • He started his career at Looking Glass Studios in the late 1990s, working on games like Thief Gold and Thief 2.2
  • He has worked with major studios such as id Software, BioWare, Black Box, Neversoft, and Luxoflux.1
  • His game credits include popular franchises like Tony Hawk, Need for Speed, Mafia, Mass Effect, Doom, and Wolfenstein.1

Symbol Zero

As the CEO and Founder of Symbol Zero, Rafael leads a company that specializes in:

  • Interactive software development across Games, XR (Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality/Mixed Reality), Virtual Worlds, and Virtual Concerts.2
  • Creating virtual concert experiences for platforms like Roblox, including events for artists such as Lil Nas X, Twenty One Pilots, and David Guetta.12
  • Developing open-world games and cloud platforms.2

Other Ventures and Roles

  • Founder and Creative Director of Digital Leaf Design since 2002, focusing on game design consulting.2
  • Co-founder and former CEO of Rust Nebula (January 2021 - September 2021).2
  • Former CEO and Design Co-Founder of Digital Myths, a games and VR tech company (2015-2020).2
  • Microsoft Regional Director since July 2020, recognized for his contributions to the tech/games/XR communities.2

Education and Expertise

Rafael studied Psychology & Africana Studies at Brown University.2 He is known for his expertise in:

  • Game design and development
  • Virtual reality and virtual worlds
  • Artificial intelligence in gaming
  • The metaverse and 3D internet
  • Technology history of computers, consoles, and networks1

Rafael Brown is a frequent speaker at game and tech conferences, and he also consults and teaches at colleges and universities on various topics related to gaming and technology.1

Highlights

Apr 26 · youtube.com
Gaming in the Metaverse: Rafael Brown Shares Vision for the Future
Gaming in the Metaverse: Rafael Brown Shares Vision for the Future

Related Questions

What inspired Rafael Brown to start Symbol Zero?
What are some of Rafael Brown's most notable projects at Symbol Zero?
How did Rafael Brown's experience at id Software influence his career?
What is Rafael Brown's role at Microsoft's RD network?
How did Rafael Brown's background in psychology and Africana studies impact his game design approach?
Rafael Brown
Rafael Brown, photo 1
Rafael Brown, photo 2
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Experience

CEO & Founder at Symbol Zero, June 2020 - Present
Founder & Creative Director at Digital Leaf Design, January 2002 - Present; CEO & Co-Founder at Rust Nebula, January 2021 - September 2021; CEO, Co-Founder at ConductXR, 2017 - 2020; CEO, Design Co-Founder, & Creative Director at Digital Myths, 2015 - 2020; Senior World Designer at 2K, 2014 - 2015; Creative Director at LIONant, September 2012 - 2014

Education

Brown University, Psychology & Africana Studies

Location

San Francisco Bay Area