Patrick Bellanca

Lead Game Designer


Patrick Bellanca

pbellanca@gmail.com  |  407.721.2211 | Boulder, CO

Executive Summary

Veteran game development leader with 17 years of experience shipping games, from cutting-edge IP-branded content on UGC platforms like Fortnite and Roblox to blockbuster mobile games like Monopoly GO! to AAA console hits like Madden NFL Football.

Deep understanding of game development, game design, and rapid production methodologies. Firm believer that game dev magic comes from flexible tools, rapid prototyping, and planned iteration. Looking to build, grow, and lead a design team to create amazing experiences.

Professional Experience

Sony Immersive Music Studios – Creative Lead / Lead Game Designer

06/2021 – 04/2024

Sony Immersive Music Studios is a subsidiary of Sony Music with around 40 employees where I led a small dev team to develop immersive, interactive music-based licensed IP experiences.

  • Drove creative vision and direction, product definition, roadmap, and delivery.
  • Coordinated multidisciplinary resources to rapidly prototype and prove out dynamic and innovative interactive experiences on short timelines and with tight budgets.
  • Released 5 products in 2 years, including a live-operated platform on Roblox.
  • Drove record discovery and consumption of new artists’ music by engaging and activating 100k+ players.
  • Delivered world-class brand fidelity across design, development, and execution.
  • Check my portfolio breakdowns on Fortnite Islands and AVNU: Where Music Meets.

Scopely – Lead Game Designer – Monopoly GO!

01/2020 – 06/2021

Scopely is a mobile gaming titan with 2000+ employees where I was a Product Owner for one of the four core development pods within Monopoly GO!, the fastest mobile title to earn $3B USD.

  • Worked directly with studio GM, creative director, and production to define, scope, deliver, and polish tentpole features.
  • Drove development within a multidisciplinary team, delivering reliably on timeline and quality targets.
  • Stood up content pipelines and processes for map development against a world-class, beloved IP.
  • Owned all aspects of feature experience, from ideation to UX to implementation, testing, feedback, and validation.
  • Check my portfolio breakdown on Monopoly GO!.

Backflip Studios – Senior Game Designer

01/2019 – 01/2020

Collaborated with a small dev team using Unity to develop a licensed free-to-play mobile game.

  • Owned content design, planning, and execution, and established documentation best practices until the unforeseen closure of the studio.
  • Part of the team that was acqui-hired for Monopoly GO!.

EA Sports – Game Designer – Madden NFL Franchise

2007 – 2019

Spearheaded the development of tentpole Madden NFL Football features and product updates as Designer and Product Owner for 13 shipped annual titles.

Game Designer – Madden NFL 20, Madden NFL 19

2017 – 2019

  • Conceptualized and produced significant live service platform features, playing a pivotal role in EA’s digital transformation and the establishment of EA’s competitive gaming division.
  • Oversaw and fostered strategic relationships between game design and partner teams, including leadership, production, art, marketing, legal, and community.
  • Check my portfolio breakdowns on Madden 20 and Madden 19.

Game Designer – Madden NFL 18, Madden NFL 17, Madden NFL 16

2014 – 2017

  • Designed a new online mode called MUT Squads that became the marketing focus after overwhelmingly positive reception from fans at EA Play.
  • Designed an innovative program for EA’s Competitive Gaming Division called The Gameday Program that put Madden Esports players into Madden Ultimate Team.
  • Represented Madden NFL at annual EA Sports PR and community events.
  • Check my portfolio breakdowns on Madden 18, Madden 17, and Madden 16.

Assistant Game Designer – Madden NFL 15, Madden NFL 14

2012 – 2014

  • Worked directly with the creative director to design and implement a revolutionary new vision for the Madden broadcast presentation.
  • Owned the design and implementation of a critical marketing feature called The Living World that harnessed new consoles’ power to push the limits of visual fidelity.
  • Represented Madden NFL at annual EA Sports PR and community events.
  • Check my portfolio breakdowns on Madden 15 and Madden 14.

Associate Game Designer – Madden NFL 13, Madden NFL 12

2010 – 2012

  • Designed and implemented complex logic trees and visual presentation sequences that tell nuanced and contextually accurate stories inspired by NFL broadcasts.
  • Built and released popular weekly content based on current events in the NFL season.
  • Check my portfolio breakdowns on Madden 13 and Madden 12.

Senior QA – Madden NFL 11 Wii, Madden NFL Arcade

2009 – 2010

  • Redefined the Madden Franchise experience with a completely new user experience.
  • Designed and implemented a clever audio solution that reduced dev time by half.
  • Check my portfolio breakdowns on Madden 11 Wii and Madden Arcade.

Automation Analyst – Madden NFL 10 Wii

2008 – 2009

  • Designed a revolutionary and naturally intuitive gameplay feature called Call Your Shot utilizing the Wii’s motion controls.
  • Check my portfolio breakdowns on Madden 10 Wii.

Development Tester – Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 Wii

2007 – 2008

  • Designed 5 innovative mini-games that showcased the Wii’s new motion controls.
  • Check my portfolio breakdowns on Tiger Woods 09 Wii.

Education

Rochester Institute of Technology – Rochester, New York

Master of Science – Information Technology

References available upon request