JPJani Penttinen
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Games

From Utopos to Guntech 2

Retro arcade DNA, modern platforms, and a long-running love for game feel.

History

Demoscene to Westwood

A 30-year path through Finnish game development, Remedy, Housemarque, and Las Vegas.

Tech

Gaussian splatting for games

Photoreal 3D from photos and video — the promise, the open problems, and what it unlocks for game creation.

GAME DEVELOPER. PROGRAMMER. ENTREPRENEUR.

Jani Penttinen

My background is in the Finnish "demo scene". That's how I learned how to code. In the early 90s, I was one of Finland's first professional game developers. It's now over 30 years since my first game was released so I guess I can be considered a veteran game maker. Click here to read my full history as a game developer.

I was born in Finland. During my life, I have lived in the USA, China, Switzerland, and for a while even in Singapore. The longest time I've lived in one place as an adult has been in my favorite city - Las Vegas, Nevada. Currently, I live in Austin, Texas with my wife and kids.

I am CEO and co-founder of Bitmagic. We're building a platform that allows anyone to create games by just saying what kind of game they'd like to play! It's the most advanced generative AI system in the world, and by far the most excitng project I've ever worked on!

My previous startup was called Utopos Games, an indie studio focused on retro-style games based on learning AI. While Utopos is currently not actively developing its original IP, it pioneered the use of AI learning in games and maybe we'll find a way to bring it back one day...

My latest indie game Guntech 2 was released in 2022 for Nintendo Switch (previously for PC, Xbox and Atari VCS).

Gallery

Moments

Wen and JaniPhoto booth portrait with comic-book propsNelli and JaniJani and Michael MonroeJani and TomiIn front of a Utopos Games muralAt a Transfluent eventIn traditional Chinese ceremonial dressGame artworkIn front of a Game Changers backdropOn a red carpet in black tieAt a graduation ceremony
Profile

Contact me

For promotional and business collaborations please reach out to me in LinkedIn. If we are already connected, WhatsApp is the best way to contact.

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