Spotlight: Hong Wai Lo, Senior Software Engineer, hwlo.ca

Customer since: July 2017

Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are located.

Hi, my name is Hong Wai (Henry) Lo. I am a Senior Software Engineer based in the City of Vancouver in beautiful British Columbia of Canada.

Tell us about your professional background and your favourite experience(s).

I have over 8 years of experience working on digital media products in cross-functional teams, of which 5 years of experience is in Unreal Engine. Previously, I have worked with a variety of mediums like Web apps, Android and iOS apps and VR applications.

My expertise lies in Unreal Engine PC and console gaming, with a depth of knowledge in the web and mobile space. I find joy in developing consumer-facing products and consider it a privilege to contribute to creating memorable user experiences.

MobyGame Credits: https://www.mobygames.com/person/1172143/henry-lo/

Examples of projects I was involved with:

Personal Site: https://hwlo.ca

FIFA 19 Companion App: https://www.easports.com/fifa/ultimate-team/fut-app

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1233590/Warhammer_Age_of_Sigmar_Storm_Ground/

In my upcoming journey, I have recently joined Sinn Studio (https://www.sinnstudio.com/) working on exciting innovative XR combat experience.

How and why did you choose to specifically get into programming for games?

I started my software development journey from my high school days. I had the opportunity to join an afterschool hobby club where a teacher taught us how to create our own flash games. I fell in love instantly and continued to channel my creativity into hobby projects ever since.

What’s the best thing about it?

I think of it akin to a storyteller with their pens, a carpenter with their saw, an artist with their brush and canvas. To me, software development is my artistic expression. When I have an idea I want to experiment, I plan and execute the tasks. I am always hungry for more knowledge to do more tinkering.

Of course, it will be a lie if I say financial compensation isn’t a perk. For the most part, software development jobs do pay better. It is also an indoor office job that is not physically taxing (I am never good at physical activities).

What does it take to be great/successful at what you do?

I have experience in both start-up and large studio environments, and I believe that collaboration through teamwork is the key to creating something exceptional. Regardless of the project or the company you work for, the pillars of success will be similar.

Clear and effective communications – Successful video games are rarely developed by a single person, while it is possible it usually requires a lot of effort and deep expertise the lone developer already possesses. More than likely, you will be working in a cross-disciplinary team, clear and effective communication will be vital in such setting. Especially if it is a fully remote workplace.

Attention to details – Modern video games are complicated software with numerous systems working in tandem. A single typo and oversight can cause crashes and other abrupt interruptions to great player experience. My advice would be to take it slow during the planning phase, consider all possible scenarios and edge cases before writing actual code. Go careful and slow to go fast later.

Never stop learning – Technology evolves at a mind-boggling pace in our time. No developers know every thing there is to know in the world, it is important to thrive to gain more knowledge and not afraid to step out of comfort zone and experiment in latest technologies. There are always room for improvement.

How does CanSpace solve the objectives you have for your website?

CanSpace provides reliable web hosting solution for my own personal website. I never experienced service outages and the customer service responds to my requests on a timely manner.

I also purchased and managed domains for personal website and clients’ websites through CanSpace’s easy to use interface.