He’s a husband and father of three, Architect at xMatters, a member of the expert committee that designed the swagger specification for web APIs, an occasional conference presenter, leader of the local Java Users Group, an open source software contributor, and he occasionally builds things like “Glitch” in his “spare” time. Paul Hill keeps himself very busy and there’s no slowing him down. That’s why he’s our Tectorian of the Week!

Paul is a very proud Canadian, originally from New Zealand. He’s travelled the globe and lived and worked in London where he met his wife. I wouldn’t say they’ve “settled down” in Victoria, but they have chosen this city to live their very busy lives in.

Paul blames his addiction for streaming games on KIXEYE Canada where he was an Architect. Today, he helps a very talented team of engineers design systems that provide feature-rich emergency notification to much of the fortune 500.

Paul has built healthcare claim processing systems, ACH cheque transaction warehousing systems, and most recently, an interactive game streaming system called Glitch.

Glitch is a place where you can go to watch live player broadcasts and mess with their game as you watch. It’s a platform where gamers can connect to an interactive audience, providing a unique level of audience participation.

In other words, it’s a stage for players to entertain viewers.

Viewers who can reach into the game and effect the player. The audience is now part of the game, and the possibilities for unique experiences are endless.

Glitch started with the idea that watching players broadcast could be more than a passive experience.

“After all, it’s a video game, it’s all ones and zeros, so why can’t I change the game? Why can’t I tie the quarterback’s shoelaces before the big play? Why can’t I help her find the resources she needs to survive the night? Why can’t I turn his plasma rifle into a banana and his armor into a ball gown?” questioned Paul.

“The idea bounced around my head for a while, and I bugged a lot of friends about it, before I decided I needed to just go ahead and build it,” commented Paul. “I believe that a great idea and $2.45 will buy you a coffee at Starbucks. I needed to put in the effort to make it a real thing. So I did.”

You can view the demo here, and Glitch itself here. It’s all powered by an API that lives here.

Paul is running a Kickstarter campaign to get a little financial boost to start the engine and then allow Glitch to grow organically. The goal is $48,000

“If I can build something that perpetually improves the lives of others then I get that warm fuzzy feeling like I’ve done something worthwhile with my skills.”

To get involved, you can visit the Kickstarter page and back the project for as little as $1.

Paul is also looking for someone to spice up the kickstarter pitch video, and local hackers who can create mods for host-your-own server games. Contact tbousfield@viatec.ca if you’d like to get connected with him.

“Folks come to Victoria on vacation just to see the place. I can work in the tech sector on leading edge technologies and jump a short flight down to head office in Silicon Valley anytime. What’s not to love?”