Connie Yu leaves 343 for Naughty Dog

[Absolute Dog]

 

It has been recently noted that Corrinne Yu's Linkedin profile that she has left 343 Idustries to join game developer Naughty Dog. Connie was the principle engine programmer at Microsoft's 343 Industries and while there she developed new lighting technology for Halo 4 using dynamic radiosity algorithms which Microsoft patented.Though unable to be currently confirmed due to deletion, a tweet by Connie is said to have read: "I am loving PS4 graphics coding. No more Windows 8 for me. So happy!" Connie hired onto 343 Industries as Principal Engine Architect in 2008 whereYu programmed lighting, facial animation, and developed various new technologies for use in Halo 4.

 

Naughty Dog, which has developed of the popular Uncharted series, is sure to have acquired her services for working on their newest installment Uncharted 4 which was announced on Spike TV's All Access earlier this month. According to spokespeople from Naughty Dog, the installment will see "a big jump" in graphical quality.

 

Before joining Microsoft, Yu was also a lead technology programmer at 3D Realms, and a director of technology at Gearbox Software where she worked on titles Brothers in Arms and Borderlands.  She was a founding member of Microsoft’s Direct 3D advisory board, and participated in CUDA and GPU simulation at Nvidia.

 

Connie Yu's Accomplishments

 

She is an experienced Studio Wide Director of Technology on Xbox 360, PS3, PC.

 

She is coding graphics on PS4. You can contact her on non PS4 business at [email protected].

 

She is one of the 10 Most Influential in Gaming in the Last Decade [source: Kotaku]

 

She is coding/coded at big and seminal companies like Microsoft, Apple, Sony, Intel, IBM, Apogee, 3D Realms, Learning Company, Sierra Oakhurst as Studio Wide Director of Technology and Lead Programmer.

 

She is SIGGRAPH Game Development Committee Member

 

She is Microsoft Graphics Advisory Board member.

 

She is Founding Member of Microsoft's First Graphics Advisory Board.

 

She is GDC WiG Best Programmer award winner. 

 

She programmed Borderlands and Brothers In Arms for Xbox 360, PS3, PC.

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[Zelda]

 

"I am loving PS4 graphics coding. No more Windows 8 for me. So happy!" 

 

 

 

Something seem's to be a bit fishy about that line.

 

Most game developers dont usually hint nor outright talk bad about their previous used tech's. 

Edited November 25, 2013 by Zelda

[Caboose The Ace]

Something seem's to be a bit fishy about that line.

 

Most game developers dont usually hint nor outright talk bad about their previous used tech's. 

 

Well then I have a theory about that the relates to the Xbone

 

The xbone is when it comes down to it a pc so add to the rumour the xbone was rushed to market and if it is true maybe sometimes the xbone can be hard to program and so when she switches she finds the PS4 much more user friendly to program for.

 

This topic is very interesting I admit.

[Buns]

Well then I have a theory about that the relates to the Xbone

 

The xbone is when it comes down to it a pc so add to the rumour the xbone was rushed to market and if it is true maybe sometimes the xbone can be hard to program and so when she switches she finds the PS4 much more user friendly to program for.

 

This topic is very interesting I admit.

No Zelda is right. That is very fishy for someone to say that.  Someone like Yu wouldn't talk bad about a company she previously worked for. It seems unprofessional.

Regardless I have heard 0 complaints about coding for Windows 8 if anything the 360 was easier to develop games for then the PS3(Which is why PS4 made such a big focus on being user friendly for developers) 

Still it doesn't really matter besides that fishy line if she is happy with her new job then good for her! 

[VinWarrior]

Wow, talk about a huge switch, she went from MS to Sony/ND. Kind of like that Gears dev who left for Irrational Games. I can't wait to see how connie fits on the PS.

[Buns]

Wow, talk about a huge switch, she went from MS to Sony/ND. Kind of like that Gears dev who left for Irrational Games. I can't wait to see how connie fits on the PS.

Im sure she will do just fine I mean game development is game development regardless if you're working with MS or Sony. The only thing that is really different is the game you're working on and tools you're using. Uncharted was always a good looking game but I cannot wait to see how it looks now with her on the team. The lighting in Halo 4 was phenomenal 

[Caboose The Ace]

No Zelda is right. That is very fishy for someone to say that.  Someone like Yu wouldn't talk bad about a company she previously worked for. It seems unprofessional.

Regardless I have heard 0 complaints about coding for Windows 8 if anything the 360 was easier to develop games for then the PS3(Which is why PS4 made such a big focus on being user friendly for developers) 

Still it doesn't really matter besides that fishy line if she is happy with her new job then good for her! 

 

I posted at the end it was interesting / fishy

 

Now lets do a rewrite maybe she hadn't got around to coding for halo 5 and because making halo 4 on Xbox 360 had so many limitations she is so happy to work on the next gen PS4 because it is so easy

 

but yes this still seems not to likely but who knows they is so many probabilities one day we may know but I doubt it.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Caboose the Ace

[deepio]

She also mentioned this via twitter:

 

"PS4 Graphics Programming does not sit on top of heavy layers of WinOS or GPU drivers I'm excite about as pedal to metal coder".

 

If she is referring to Xbox One having heavy layers of WinOS/GPU Drivers (and PS4 not having this issue) then perhaps this is the reason developers are finding it easier to optimize code on the PS4 rather than the Xbox One? Or at least an added reason alongside the differences in hardware. It would seem that Sony went out of their way to make the PS4 as easy as possible to develop for whereas MS (with their "Entertainment Box" vision) failed in that area.

 

As someone who spent more time on Halo games than other other in this generation, I hope MS sort themselves out.

[Absolute Dog]

She also mentioned this via twitter:

 

"PS4 Graphics Programming does not sit on top of heavy layers of WinOS or GPU drivers I'm excite about as pedal to metal coder".

 

If she is referring to Xbox One having heavy layers of WinOS/GPU Drivers (and PS4 not having this issue) then perhaps this is the reason developers are finding it easier to optimize code on the PS4 rather than the Xbox One? Or at least an added reason alongside the differences in hardware. It would seem that Sony went out of their way to make the PS4 as easy as possible to develop for whereas MS (with their "Entertainment Box" vision) failed in that area.

 

As someone who spent more time on Halo games than other other in this generation, I hope MS sort themselves out.

You make very insightful observations. These people are artists, in their own rights, and need a pallet to work with that frees them to pull more from their creative juices than delve too deeply into extraneous layers. There is also points being made about the CPU usage and how much is dedicated to what a developer can actual take advantage of versus what the console needs to use for its own functions.

 

Both comments were from a personal Twitter, as opposed to a professional one, and it is not surprising that she, or anyone else, would make these comments. Connie is an extremely talented individual and finding a format that she more in tuned to or finds easier to work with would definitely come as a serious relief. She is not some mid level tech, she is at the top of the heap in her field.

[D-38 Boss]

Well, I love me some Uncharted, so either way I'm happy.

 

I must've logged at least 100 hours on 2 alone.

[Is not JL]

Yay

 

 

wish her luck with naughty dog~

[The Stig]

No Zelda is right. That is very fishy for someone to say that.  Someone like Yu wouldn't talk bad about a company she previously worked for. It seems unprofessional.

Regardless I have heard 0 complaints about coding for Windows 8 if anything the 360 was easier to develop games for then the PS3(Which is why PS4 made such a big focus on being user friendly for developers) 

Still it doesn't really matter besides that fishy line if she is happy with her new job then good for her! 

The only reason she hinted that she is glad to be rid of the Xbox and Windows 8 is because M$ obviously must have done something to pisss her off... pisss her off enough for her to leave for the competition! I Believe it has nothing to do with the Tech and software its self, but more with how she was required to use it, and under who's supervision, how much slack she had to do things her way, and how much pressure she was under to complete things... Or maybe it has to do with the fact that Microsoft patented her algorithms and arithmetic used to calibrate and engineer the Lighting and animation engine. Did M$ get her permission? I'd leave them too if I was in her shoes...

[Flippant Sol]

I just don't understand, Uncharted's atmosphere will never satisfy the scale she was on, it's like giving 3V's to a 12V PC...

[Twinreaper]

THe only credible valid entry ionto the "easier to develop for" section, cannoit be defined or discussed right now.  The switch from base 64 bit to 32 bit coding architecture is still being worked out.  Neither platform has an edge over the other in terms of toolsets.  It will take about 3 years before any developer outside UDK or Crytek can take full advantage or even half advantage of what both systems are actually capable of, and customize their own developing tools to suit the needs of the artists using them.

 

For Corrinne to criticize MS going out the door only shows that they treated her poorly, or did not allow her to fully execuite her skills to improve or branch out the possible directions surrounding the Blam! engine and their variants.  Now before we get ahead of ourselves, lets be honest.  The lighting in Halo 4 was not great.  There were a myriad of issues regarding the radiosity and lightmaps.  Far ber it from me to post up data to support it, but this time I'll just let folks go with their own opinion on it.  We can al;l play through the games again and see that the lighting was not superior.  In fact very little of the actual lighting was superior to other Halo titles.

 

For that matter, Xbox One does hide it's utilization of GPU resources under a heavily moddified OS, but that is where it stops.  Once the game gets going, the Xbox, just like it's PS4 counterpart, taps intoi the APU defined resources directly similar to how the Linux OS utlizes hardware.  Yes it still uses drivers, just as PS4, but it is not as bad as people seem to think.  Drivers do more than give the layer of OS a resource to use.  It alsoi helps to keep hardware to be utilized within it's operational specs from the manufacturer.  It's like overclocking in a way.  But I'm rambling...I'm tired.