The Vancouver Film School and Relic Entertainment have announced a new game design internship they plan to offer in memory of the late Brian Wood, who was Relic's Company of Heroes Online lead designer.
Wood was tragically killed in a car accident late in 2010, leaving behind his pregnant wife and a community of grieving colleagues and fans. Now, Relic aims to offer three VFS grads per year a four-month internship "to honor and continue Brian's contribution to the international game community, as well as in memory of his passions in life."
The first of these will be awarded in February 2011, and the graduate who receives the internship will go directly to work with one of Relic's teams in Vancouver.
The school and Relic have long had a close working relationship, and many of Relic's developers have taught classes in VFS' game design curriculum. Both parties say that the Brian Wood Memorial Game Design Internship is a logical and meaningful extension of their working partnership.
"We are honored and humbled to be a part of carrying on Brian's legacy with this memorial," says VFS game design head Dave Warfield. "Not only does it represent the values of game design and supporting new designers that were such a big part of his passion, but it allows us to share that with the community that was so affected by his tragic death."
After Wood's passing, his colleagues, friends and communities set up a memorial trust in support of his widow, Erin, and unborn baby. Erin Wood was in the car with her husband when it was struck by a vehicle that crossed the center line, and she reported he swerved so that his driver's side would take the impact of the crash, saving her life and that of their child.
