Home | Mikesimpson

Games Industry Veteran & Consultant

Who I am

I've been making games for more than 40 years. I've worked on over 80 titles in a wide variety of roles and disciplines, starting in an era where one person could do it all. In recent decades it has primarily been a blend of design, production and leadership, building teams and helping them to make great games.

Most recently I founded and ran the Total War franchise. 27 titles in 27 years, plenty of commercial success and a host of awards including 3 BAFTAs. I helped grow Creative Assembly from 5 people when I joined to around 800, learning a huge amount along the way.

I'm multidisciplinary, take a lot of joy from carving order from chaos, and am a great believer in the power of a growth mindset, in the science of design, in the power of data to predict dev outcomes, and that it is possible to produce high quality games and be date reliable at the same time. And for everyone to have fun doing it.

I am utterly inspired by the possibilities generative AI is opening up.

What I'm Doing

Consultancy

I'm helping both Indies and established studios get started and grow, helping to get the culture, values, structure and processes matched to the studio's objectives and set up for long term sucess. I'm also happy to use my design, production and leadership expertise to give feedback on new proposals and plot escape routes from difficult sitiations. For Indies and startups my advice is free.

New Game Concepts

I'm working on a number of concepts that use generative AI not just in the dev pipelines but at the core of the game. The objective is to get something that would be interesting to work on, interesting to play, and could be the foundation of a new franchise.

Charitable Trust

As a side project I'm setting up a small charitable trust. It's objectives will be to fund AI related research in to personalised health and medicine, particularly related to cancer, long covid and age related conditions, and to directly act to help reduce NHS waiting lists.

My Games

Game 86 Pharoah is the latest Total War game and my last game at CA. It was made in the CA Sofia Studio by the excellent team there.	85
83	84
82	81
76	80
79	78
77	75
74	71
73	72
69	70
68	67
66	65
64	63
62	61
57	59
60	58
55	56
53	54
48	52
51	50
49	47
43	46
45	44
42	41
39	40
37	38
35	36
34	33
30	31
32	29
28	27
26	25
22#	23
24	20
21	19
18	17
15	13
16	12
14	10
11	6
9	8
7	5
4	2
3	1

Game 86 Pharoah is the latest Total War game and my last game at CA. It was made in the CA Sofia Studio by the excellent team there.	85
83	84
82	81
76	80
79	78
77	75
74	71
73	72
69	70
68	67
66	65
64	63
62	61
57	59
60	58
55	56
53	54
48	52
51	50
49	47
43	46
45	44
42	41
39	40
37	38
35	36
34	33
30	31
32	29
28	27
26	25
22#	23
24	20
21	19
18	17
15	13
16	12
14	10
11	6
9	8
7	5
4	2
3	1

Game 86 Pharoah is the latest Total War game and my last game at CA. It was made in the CA Sofia Studio by the excellent team there.	85
83	84
82	81
76	80
79	78
77	75
74	71
73	72
69	70
68	67
66	65
64	63
62	61
57	59
60	58
55	56
53	54
48	52
51	50
49	47
43	46
45	44
42	41
39	40
37	38
35	36
34	33
30	31
32	29
28	27
26	25
22#	23
24	20
21	19
18	17
15	13
16	12
14	10
11	6
9	8
7	5
4	2
3	1

MikeSimpson.Org

Games Industry Veteran & Consultant

Who I am

What I'm Doing

My Games

Game 86

Pharoah is the latest Total War game and my last game at CA. It was made in the CA Sofia Studio by the excellent team there.

85

83

84

82

81

76

80

79

78

77

75

74

71

73

72

69

70

68

67

66

65

64

63

62

61

57

59

60

58

55

56

53

54

48

52

51

50

49

47

43

46

45

44

42

41

39

40

37

38

35

36

34

33

30

31

32

29

28

27

26

25

22#

23

24

20

21

19

18

17

15

13

16

12

Game 86 Pharoah is the latest Total War game and my last game at CA. It was made in the CA Sofia Studio by the excellent team there.	85
83	84
82	81
76	80
79	78
77	75
74	71
73	72
69	70
68	67
66	65
64	63
62	61
57	59
60	58
55	56
53	54
48	52
51	50
49	47
43	46
45	44
42	41
39	40
37	38
35	36
34	33
30	31
32	29
28	27
26	25
22#	23
24	20
21	19
18	17
15	13
16	12
14	10
11	6
9	8
7	5
4	2
3	1