I am Kyle Mansfield, a software engineer at NASA JPL creating kids games and websites that communicate NASA science. I attended the University of Southern California, graduating in 2012 with a BS in Computer Science (games). My passion is making games and interactive experiences that get people excited about stuff.
At JPL, I develop games and other interactive web features for NASA Space Place’s suite of kids websites, including NASA Space Place, NASA Climate Kids and NOAA SciJinks. I have also developed iOS and Android apps for these properties. I wear many hats on the team, so sometimes I find myself animating/editing videos or sound editing as well.
Previously, I was a developer at Arsonal Design, LLC where I created branded content for the web. I made websites, games, and apps for many films and television shows. This is where I first honed my web development skills and began exploring the possibilities of HTML5 and other web technologies.
Before that, I worked as a game development intern at Grab Games in Beverly Hills. In my time at Grab, I gained great experience working in a game studio on a large team with a large codebase. I dramatically increased my knowledge of collaboration tools and Flash. I worked primarily on Facebook games (Brad Paisley World, Bad Meets Evil, Survivor World).
Before Grab, I interned at Marvel Studios in Manhattan Beach. I was a Licensed Games intern, which meant I helped my managers review and approve scripts, builds, and concepts for all Marvel games. My favorite part of the internship, other than working at my favorite comic company, was reviewing and writing game scripts. I feel like I contributed a lot in this department and have heard lines in Marvel games that I wrote, which is great!
At USC, I studied computer science with an emphasis in game development. My courses were a split between programming and game design. It was a great program that taught me how to collaborate in a team environment with producers, artists, and programmers. Fight on!
When I got to USC, I also joined KXSC, the college radio station. I became the Webmaster and managed all things web related for the station. I also hosted a radio show called Let’s Get Real with DJ c++.
My technical career started in high school when I began working at the Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach. After moving to USC, I transferred to the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. I was an Audio Visual technician, so I set up and ran large scale events for big money clients. Working at the Montage dramatically improved my people skills, as I frequently had to deal with guests and clients. I also was able to meet the Dalai Lama, which was pretty cool.
For much of my young life, I was a grill master on weekends at a softball field snack bar where my family coached a team of kids with special needs, so if you ever need someone to grill on a large scale… I’m your guy!
Nowadays in my spare time, I find myself working on personal game projects, playing games, painting with watercolors, and reading comics.
How about my basic likes? Check out my favorites:
Currently Playing (console): Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Currently Playing (mobile): MARVEL SNAP
Video Game (single player): Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Video Game (multiplayer): Super Smash Bros Melee
Video Game Nobody Knows About: Cubivore
Video Game Company: Nintendo
Comic Book (currently): Moon Knight, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Comic Book Of All Time: Warren Ellis’ run on Thunderbolts starting at issue 110, The Watchmen, or The Sandman
Super Hero: Captain America
Super Hero Group: Power Rangers
Artist: Scott C
Musical Act: Coheed and Cambria
