There was a void−less than a void; an eternity of absolute nothingness. And then, in a glorious instant, the universe exploded into existence. Fifteen to twenty billion years later and Paul Gardner's working as an architect somewhere in England. The transition into the gaming industry happened over time, beginning as Paul's architectural practice moved from physical model-making to CG visualization. Around 1998 Paul joined Virtual State, a small, start-up company that combined architectural theory with videogame technology. There, Paul worked as an artist, gaining experience with environments, characters, animation, and technical art. Paul worked from inception to completion on two projects at Traveller's Tales in Oxford, England, eventually earning the position of creative director.
In early 2006, Paul joined the AFRO SAMURAI team at its inception as lead designer, establishing−with a small team−the overall direction for the project. He later worked as game director, writing the narrative, the script, and directing the story cinematics.
