{{short description|English video game programmer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Giles Goddard | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|03|30|df=y}} | occupation = [[Video game programmer]], CEO of Vitei and Chuhai Labs }} '''Giles Goddard''' (born 30 March 1971) is an English [[video game programmer]]. He was one of the first Western employees at [[Nintendo]],<ref name="Source Gaming 1">{{cite web|url=https://sourcegaming.info/2017/07/02/gilesinterview/|title=Straight from the Source: Giles Goddard (Former Nintendo Employee, Vitei Games CEO)|publisher=Source Gaming|date=July 2, 2017|accessdate=May 30, 2020|author=PushDustin}}</ref> programming the [[Mario]] face in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', and working on titles such as ''[[Star Fox (1993 video game)|Star Fox]]'', ''[[1080° Snowboarding]]'', and ''[[Steel Diver]]''. In 2002, he founded Vitei, a video game developer based in [[Kyoto]], Japan, and is [[Chief executive officer|CEO]].
==Career== ===Argonaut Games=== Giles Goddard's interest in computers began when he was a teenager, when he used his [[ZX Spectrum]], and later [[Amiga]], to create [[demoscene]] works in his spare time.<ref name="1080 to GC">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/02/10/from-1080-snowboarding-to-gamecube|title=From 1080 Snowboarding to GameCube|publisher=[[IGN]]|author=IGN Staff|date=February 9, 2001|accessdate=May 30, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Eurogamer 2">{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-04-27-meet-the-man-who-smuggled-the-demoscene-into-super-mario-64|title=Tales from inside 90s Nintendo - from the man who made Mario's face|publisher=[[Eurogamer]]|author=Martin Robinson|date=April 27, 2018|accessdate=May 30, 2020}}</ref> In his Amiga demos, he experimented with [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[Wire-frame model|wireframe]] graphics with filled [[polygons]]. During this time, [[Argonaut Software]] released ''[[Starglider 2]]'', one of the first computer games to use filled polygons.<ref name="NL 1">{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2011/05/feature_lads_of_the_rising_sun|title=Feature: Lads of the Rising Sun|publisher=[[Nintendo Life]]|author=Damien McFerran|date=May 4, 2011|accessdate=May 30, 2020}}</ref> Goddard soon left school before finishing his [[A-level]]s and joined Argonaut Games, where his first task was porting ''Starglider 2'' to the [[Macintosh SE]]. Argonaut would develop a reputation for creating cutting-edge, 3D games. They produced a 3D graphics demo for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] and collaborated with [[Nintendo]] to produce the [[Game Boy]] title ''[[X (1992 video game)|X]]'', one of the few Game Boy games with 3D graphics.<ref name="NL 1"></ref><ref name="Eurogamer 2"></ref>
===Nintendo=== When Goddard was 18<ref name="Iwata Asks">{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Asks/Iwata-Asks-Steel-Diver/Iwata-Asks-Steel-Diver/1-Ever-Since-the-Original-Star-Fox/1-Ever-Since-the-Original-Star-Fox-215293.html|title=1. Ever Since the Original Star Fox|publisher=Nintendo}}</ref> or 19,<ref name="Eurogamer 2"></ref> he moved to [[Kyoto]] to work for Nintendo, where he, alongside fellow Argonaut employee [[Dylan Cuthbert]], helped develop ''[[Star Fox (1993 video game)|Star Fox]]''<ref name="GlitterBerri">{{cite web|url=https://www.glitterberri.com/star-fox/message-from-god/|title=Message From God – Developer Interview|publisher=GlitterBerri's Game Translations|date=March 17, 2013|accessdate=May 30, 2020}}</ref> and ''[[Stunt Race FX]]''. Goddard remained with Nintendo during the [[Nintendo 64]] era. He assisted with the demo of [[Link (The Legend of Zelda)|Link]] fighting an enemy, which would be shown at the [[Nintendo Space World#Shoshinkai 1995|Shoshinkai 1995]] trade show.<ref name="NL 1"></ref> To show off [[Skeletal animation|skinning]], he programmed the interactive Mario face in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' by attaching painted ping-pong balls to his face and using an [[SGI Indy|Indy]] camera to track movement.<ref name="SM64 interview">{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Mark |date=September 13, 2010 |title=The Making Of Super Mario 64 – full Giles Goddard interview (NGC) |url=https://pixelatron.com/blog/the-making-of-super-mario-64-full-giles-goddard-interview-ngc/ |access-date=October 6, 2022 |website=Pixelatron |language=en-US}}</ref> His next project, ''[[1080° Snowboarding]]'', saw him as one of the two lead programmers, alongside fellow Argonaut colleague Collin Reed. This game used [[frame interpolation]] and [[inverse kinematics]] to make character movement feel more realistic.<ref name="IGN 2">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/03/20/1080-snowboarding-interview|title=1080 Snowboarding Interview|author=IGN Staff|date=March 19, 1998|accessdate=May 30, 2020}}</ref>
=== <span class="anchor" id="Chuhai Labs"></span><span class="anchor" id="Vitei"></span> VITEI BACKROOM, Inc / Chuhai Labs === Afterwards, Goddard left Nintendo and became a freelancer, porting ''[[Doshin the Giant]]'' from the [[Nintendo 64DD]] to the [[GameCube]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sourcegaming.info/2017/07/02/gilesinterview/4/|title=Page 4 — N64DD, Doshin and Prototypes}}</ref> In 2002, Goddard founded the Japanese video game developer Vitei, Inc. as a Nintendo second party studio.<ref name="Iwata Asks"></ref> Vitei produced its first game, the Japan-exclusive [[Nintendo DS]] title ''Theta'', in 2007,<ref name="NL 1"></ref> and the [[WiiWare]] title ''[[Rock N' Roll Climber]]'' in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sourcegaming.info/2017/07/02/gilesinterview/5/|title=Page 5 — Rock n' Roll Wii and VR}}</ref> He was the head programmer for ''[[Steel Diver]]'', and Vitei would also develop its sequel, ''[[Steel Diver: Sub Wars]]'',<ref name="NL 2">{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/04/interview_a_look_through_the_periscope_at_steel_diver_sub_wars|title=Interview: A Look Through the Periscope at Steel Diver: Sub Wars|author=Thomas Whitehead|date=April 25, 2014|accessdate=May 30, 2020|publisher=[[Nintendo Life]]}}</ref> as well as ''[[Tank Troopers]].''<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 21, 2016|title=3D戦車アクションゲーム『Tank Troopers（タンクトゥルーパーズ）』配信開始、最大6人で戦車バトルを楽しもう！|url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/201612/21123568.html}}</ref> In 2020, Vitei Backroom was rebranded as Chuhai Labs to expand into micro-publishing and to position the company to be more forward facing.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 9, 2020|title=Vitei Backroom branches into publishing as Chuhai Labs|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-10-13-vitei-backroom-branches-into-publishing-with-chuhai-labs}}</ref> Chuhai Labs developed ''Carve Snowboarding'', which launched on 27 May 2021. ''Carve Snowboarding'' is a [[virtual reality]]-focused spiritual successor to ''1080° Snowboarding'' for [[Oculus Quest]].<ref name="Eurogamer 1">{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-04-19-the-man-behind-1080-snowboarding-is-working-on-a-successor|title=The man behind 1080° Snowboarding is working on a spiritual successor|author=Martin Robinson|date=April 19, 2019|accessdate=May 30, 2020|publisher=[[Eurogamer]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|user=giles|number=1385021771426930691|url=https://twitter.com/giles/status/1385021771426930691|title=So happy to finally announce our latest game, Carve Snowboarding.. on the Oculus Gaming Showcase no less! #CarveSnowboarding #ChuhaiLabs|date=April 21, 2021|access-date=May 23, 2021}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://twitter.com/giles Twitter profile] *[http://www.vitei.com/ Vitei official website] *[https://www.chuhailabs.com/ Chuhai Labs official website] *[https://www.reddit.com/r/nintendo/comments/ni55it/i_am_giles_goddard_i_made_star_fox_with_shigeru/ Reddit AMA] *[https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,29509/ Entry] at [[MobyGames]] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20051226014923/http://www.n-sider.com/personnelview.php?personnelid=27 N-Sider profile]
{{Argonaut Games}} {{Star Fox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goddard, Giles}} [[Category:1971 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:British video game programmers]] [[Category:Amiga people]] [[Category:Nintendo people]]