Google Creates 'Developer Advocate' Position for Games

Google revealed today that Mark DeLoura will be the new "Developer Advocate" for gaming. He will help proselytize for the company's initiatives that tie into gaming, like Android, the open source 3D API called O3D API, Chrome and Chrome OS.

“I personally feel that Google hiring someone specifically to focus on games is a signal from the company that they recognize the growing importance of games as a medium," said DeLoura to Gamasutra. "Now how do we make it easier for developers to express themselves and share the experiences they create?"

DeLoura has an eclectic career that includes time as a lead engineer at Nintendo of America and editor-in-chief for Game Developer magazine. He later was manager of developer relations at Sony Computer Entertainment America, VP of technology at publisher GreenScreen Interactive and technical director at Ubisoft San Francisco. For the past few years, DeLoura has been performing CTO-level game technology consulting for various companies and has written about game engines and middleware.

"I’m excited to be joining Google since I am very philosophically aligned with them -- my work has always been focused around making game development simpler and more accessible, and Google is incredibly developer friendly, committed to open source, and constantly striving to lower barriers to entry for developers," said DeLoura. "They seek to build platforms by working interactively with their partners, providing a big tent so everyone can get involved.”

“In this time of great disruption in the game industry, there are a huge number of opportunities for developers,” he continued. “It can be difficult for traditional games companies to navigate the new possibilities provided by mobile platforms, social networks, and alternative business models. I’m looking forward to working with both traditional games companies and new game developers to talk about how Google can help, and the platforms and projects Google is working on."