akira3d

is the virtual alter-ego of Eric Akira Iwasaki, a creative / technical artist with an insatiable desire to push the boundaries of real-time computer graphics. Though primarily self-taught, Eric has a USC film school nurtured eye for visual storytelling and decades of production proven expertise with a range of software applications including game industry staples Autodesk Maya and Adobe Photoshop. Working in the interactive entertainment industry since 1990, he has shipped titles spanning five generations of video game consoles with total worldwide sales exceeding 40 million units.

 

While kenneled at Naughty Dog, Eric flourished as a "Jak" of all trades, master of many...creating art, techniques, and tools key to the success of acclaimed hit video game franchises Crash Bandicoot (Sony PlayStation), Jak and Daxter (PS2), and Uncharted (PS3). He joined the team as employee number 10 and helped it grow into one of most respected and honored developers in the industry. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3), his last credited title with the Dogs, became the studio's first to win D.I.C.E.'s coveted Game of the Year Award.

 

Eric has since helped launch Big Red Button Entertainment, a studio founded by his former Naughty Dog art director Bob Rafei. Our most recent projects have focused on augmented and virtual realities ranging from mobile games to room-scale experiences powered by high-end PCs.

 

A photography / cinematography enthusiast for much of his life, Eric picked up his first DSLR in 2003 and never went back to shooting film. That said, he has spent very little time pursuing the artistic possibilities of the medium, opting to use his skills to chronicle his adventures and share his many passions. His current gear includes Canon's 5D Mark II and 30D and GoPro's HD Hero 3 Black Edition.

 

Eric resides, runs, and works within the South Bay of Los Angeles, California...the region where he was born and raised. He has been happily married since 1996, recently adopted two furry bundles of joy, but deeply misses his boys and his father.