February 7, 2008 – Thursday
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM

20 Questions


Corporate VP,
Microsoft Game Studios

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As the corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, Shane Kim oversees a team of more than 1,100 programmers, designers, artists and producers developing a broad range of first-party Xbox 360 and Microsoft Games for Windows titles from Microsoft Game Studios.

In this role, Kim oversees the production of the highly anticipated first-party Xbox 360 titles “Halo 3,” “Fable 2,” “Forza Motorsport 2,” “Viva Piñata,” “Gears of War,” “Alan Wake,” “Mass Effect,” “Too Human,” “Shadowrun” and “Crackdown.” He also oversees the production of upcoming Games for Windows titles such as “Halo 2” for Windows Vista, “Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs,” “Shadowrun” and “Flight Simulator X.” Kim also manages the development of casual gaming content from the Microsoft Casual Games group, which spans MSN Games, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Mobile and Xbox Live Arcade. In 2005 he led the production of the award-winning “Age of Empires III,” which has become the fastest-selling title in the franchise’s history, as well as landmark Xbox 360 launch titles “Project Gotham Racing 3,” “Perfect Dark Zero” and “Kameo: Elements of Power.” Under his direction, Microsoft Game Studios has been ranked in the top three on the list of top 20 publishers in the industry by Game Developer magazine for 2004 and 2005.

Before joining Microsoft full time in 1990, Kim was an intern for Microsoft’s Workgroup Applications team in 1989. He then continued as a product manager in Workgroup Applications for another three years. He went on to manage the international marketing group for the emerging Consumer Division for two years before making the move to Microsoft Game Studios in 1995. Kim joined Microsoft Game Studios as the director of business development and in 1999 became the studio manager credited with the development of “Zoo Tycoon,” the breakthrough broad-appeal titles for Windows from Microsoft Game Studios. Before he took overall responsibility for Microsoft Game Studios in 2004, Kim was its general manager and chief operating officer, overseeing the management of several in-house groups and studios, including Bungie Studios.

Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations from Stanford University, where he also played intercollegiate volleyball. He went on to receive a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School. Kim is married and is the father of two children.