About Me

I'm Nick, short for Nicholas Dylan Klose (he/they). I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. I've been passionate about computers for as long as I can remember. I didn't want to just learn how to use them, I wanted to really understand how they worked at a fundamental level.

I also remember getting into video games at a young age. I loved immersive narrative games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and Warcraft III. I'd frequently have friends over after school to have an old-school LAN party and play the original Halo trilogy.

I love games that come with map editors. I used to spend a lot of time making custom maps in the Warcraft III editor. I'd watch my younger siblings play against each other on those maps while taking notes on how to improve the balance and make them more fun. A couple of them ended up gaining popularity on the online arcade mode, which motivated me to keep improving them to make them as good as they could be. I realized that I loved the process of creating experiences that entertained people. I also learned that I have a particular passion for UX; my favourite part of the game development cycle is collecting user feedback and deciding what to do with it. I love thinking about the subconscous flows that users follow as they interact with games and software. I wanted to understand it better, how to get into the minds of users and figure out how to create flows that were seamless and intuitive. I also wanted to see how creative and innovative I could get away with being without adding friction.

When I was a teenager, I started looking up websites for game studios to see what kinds of qualifications you needed to become a game developer. I was particularly interested in BioWare, since I loved their games and their HQ just happened to be in my city of Edmonton. I decided I wanted to go to university to study computers, and during the summers of my degree I taught summer camps about game development and 3D modeling. I ended up graduating with a BSc in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Alberta. After graduating, I worked at the University for two years doing software development and IT support.

In 2017, I joined BioWare as a Technical UX Designer for the 2019 title Anthem. I participated in the entire UX pipeline, from pen-and-paper concepts through to prototyping, implementation, UX research sessions, and eventually release. I worked with a ton of very talented people and learned a lot about all aspects of game development.

After Anthem shipped, I joined a startup called Improbable, where I've since been working as a programmer on an unnanounced multiplayer RPG. I'm in charge of the UI system from an implementation and architecture standpoint, and I work on a few gameplay systems. I work closely with UMG, Blueprints, and Slate.

I feel very lucky to be able to work on something I'm passionate about every day. I think games can be an incredible tool for sharing emotions, making statements, and inspiring people to live their best lives.