Shahid Kamal Ahmad
Connection
Twitter: @shahidkamal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shahidkamal
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shahidahmad
Skype: shahid.k.ahmad
Google+: Google+
PlayStation®Network: Muslim
Apple Game Center: Muslim
Steam: shahid.k.ahmad
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shahidkamal/
You can also reach me by email.
Philosophy
I believe in peace and I believe in my fellow human beings. I believe in putting yourself first, so that you can help your family, so that you can help your community, so that you can help your city, your nation and your planet. I believe it’s possible to do all of these things without only focussing on putting yourself first.
I like simplicity, organisation, design, refinement, minimalism and music. I am unashamedly an Apple fan of the highest order for all of the reasons listed, but I also a fan of Moleskine and the Palomino Blackwing 602 pencil.
I believe in putting everything you have into the now. There is no other time in which to be your very best. I don’t always succeed at this. I never stop trying and for this reason, I believe in kaizen.
I am a Muslim.
Video Games
I work in the video games business and have done since 1982; Having just enjoyed an amazing decade at PlayStation where I was an integral part of the success of the PS4 and commission over a hundred titles, including the groundbreaking No Man’s Sky, I rejoined the independent development community in December 2015. I write here purely in my own capacity. For the odd games-related post, feel free to visit my retrospective at chimera2010.com, where in 2012 I made PC and Mac versions of Chimera, mostly on the top deck of a 98 bus, which are free to download and play for everyone and especially for fans of the original.
I’m known mostly for my engagement with the independent development community, of which I’m proud to consider myself a member. Links to some of my interviews can be found below.
I’ve also had the privilege of representing my company on stage at various events, including recently at Eurogamer and at the PlayStation press event at Gamescom in August 2013.
Named as one of the top 10 “Persons of the Year” for 2013 by Games Industry International.
Named as one of the “25 people that changed games in 2013” by Develop Online.
Beyond the Final Boss
Set up by Shahid Ahmad, Byron Atkinson-Jones and Mike Bithell, Beyond the Final Boss encourages people from the games industry who were bullied when they were young talk about how they’ve achieved success, respect, peace and more. Through these examples, we want to give youngsters who are being bullied hope that it can and does get better, sometimes much, much better. I had the privilege of speaking about this initiative at GDC 2013.
My Message
Peace be upon you, all of you.