Wilfried Schmidt
About Wilfried Schmidt
Wilfried Schmidt is a Technical Director and Principal Programmer at Relic Entertainment / Sega, where he has worked since 2009. He has a background in computer science and has made significant contributions to the development of Age of Empires IV.
Work at Relic Entertainment
Wilfried Schmidt has served as Technical Director and Principal Programmer at Relic Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sega, since 2009. In this role, he has been instrumental in leading technical initiatives and overseeing programming teams. Schmidt has contributed significantly to the development of major projects, including Age of Empires IV, where he played a pivotal role in technical vetting and performance profiling.
Previous Experience at Riptown Media
Before joining Relic Entertainment, Wilfried Schmidt worked at Riptown Media and Fiver Media from 2004 to 2009. He held the position of Lead Software Developer and Technical Team Lead during his five-year tenure. His responsibilities included managing software development projects and leading technical teams, which laid the foundation for his future roles in game development.
Education and Expertise
Wilfried Schmidt studied Computer Science at Simon Fraser University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from 1997 to 2002. Prior to that, he attended Douglas College, studying Computer Science from 1995 to 1997. His educational background has equipped him with the technical skills necessary for his roles in software development and game programming.
Contributions to Age of Empires IV
In his role at Relic Entertainment, Wilfried Schmidt led the technical vetting of early high-level features for Age of Empires IV. He built a programming leadership team to manage various domain areas, including AI, Gameplay, Navigation, Rendering, Systems, and Tools. Schmidt also developed a performance profiling framework that was essential for performance vetting during the final stages of the game's development.
Role in Team Development
Wilfried Schmidt has played a key role in hiring decisions and programming staffing plans for the Age of Empires IV team. He worked collaboratively with Executive Producers to refine project programming staffing plans throughout all project phases. Additionally, he contributed to critical bug fixes in areas such as Navigation, AI, Gameplay, and Performance, ensuring the game's quality and performance.