Getting to Knowmade: Ahmed El-Badawi
Ahmed El-Badawi
Associate Producer
Ahmed is part of our illustrious production crew, steering the Glowmade ship toward goals and great game moments! Where would we be without his unbelievable organisation skills and powerfully patterned shirts? Who would dare move forward without his analytical eye and astonishingly good taste in tea? Much to think about… and much to read about too! So let’s not waste any more time and get to know him!
Ahmed, welcome in! What is it you do at Glowmade?
Associate Producer, aka another ASS PROD. In my own words, cat herder/Process Goblin for keeping all our devs on the right track for getting our game out when we say it’s out!
(Thank you, Beth, for making that catch on…)
Now how would your parent describe your job?
Not a doctor.
How did you get to this point in your career?
A whole lot of luck. Mostly trying to find a place where I feel I can grow and develop my skills in a direction that, in however many years time, I can look back and be proud of. So far? I think I’m doing okay :)
What made you want to pursue games?
It was the lack of career mobility and stagnation I faced in "Corporate Science." And with how corpo it was, it was pretty rough. After sitting down with a friend of mine - a game jam fiend - he made me realise a lot of the work of managing projects that I did as part of my role in my current job was adjacent to a general producer role in game development. And then the rest is history!
Share something you love doing outside of everything video games.
Reading books in a warm cosy space, collecting shiny things, playing board games, drinking tea and coffee, and trying to endlessly pursue one of the thousand different hobbies I've started but never gave it the due time and effort because ADHD sucks.
(He’s also quite the connoisseur of a good boba! Honey oolong, anyone?)
Who or what inspires you?
My faith, the people I surround myself with, animals, cool art, the natural world and science.
What game do you wish you could’ve developed?
Skies of Arcadia Legends, Baten Kaitos or Spyro 2.
“This is fine.”
What's the best thing about working at Glowmade?
The people. There’s no way to expand that properly to do them justice, they’re all literally just amazing. The best!
Who on the team inspires you the most? What do they do that's so great?
Shout out to Dec - truly an unsung hero.
What do you want from your career? What goals are you looking forward to vaulting past?
Making a game I'm proud of, where everyone feels valued and came out better for it.
What are your top tips for someone looking to get into games?
Not to dissuade anyone, but the last few years haven’t been particularly kind on the industry, so you need to ask yourself honestly why you're getting into games. It’s not all perfect, even if we love what we do. It’s possible that your position may move around a lot, so you might be working in all kinds of environments. My advice would be to hone your skills, and see where you can grow in a multi-disciplinary sense. Even just softer skills like communication, management or organisation can take you really unexpected places.
In your opinion, who is the cutest Glowmade pet?
It’s a tie between Tuna and the poltergeist that lives on the first floor.
(Poltergeist? I’ve been noticed at last!!!)
If you had to pick one game to play for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Final Fantasy XIV, because it never ends. Otherwise probably Golden Sun.
What's your guilty pleasure?
Crime.
(Nice.)
There's one biscuit left in the tin and it's your favourite... what is it?
Trick question, there are no biscuits left and its all my mum's random tat. Otherwise a custard cream.
