Transporting the animated world of The Simpsons to the latest crop of game consoles might seem like a daunting challenge, but Jameson Durall wouldn’t have had it any other way. Working as a level designer at Electronic Arts, this Full Sail Game Development graduate happily spent the past two years prepping The Simpsons Game, the latest title to feature TV’s favorite dysfunctional family.

“I’ve always been a huge Simpsons fan – I even used to watch them back when it was just a segment on the Tracey Ullman Show,” he explains. “My mom didn’t want me to watch it, but I went ahead and watched anyway! So this was the project I wanted to work on at EA, and I’m really glad I got the opportunity!”

Working at the company for nearly three years, with credits on such games as Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath and The Godfather, Jameson’s love of the show was bolstered by his past experience bringing high profile titles to life. Speaking with him on the day of the game’s release, he explained the careful attention to detail the team at EA took during production to stay true to the spirit of the series.

“The show’s writers had the initial concept that the Simpsons become self-aware and realize they are in yet another video game,” he explains. “Then our development team worked with the writers to craft the full story. This is the first time that [the show’s writers have] been totally involved in a game from day one, and it’s been a collaborative process making sure that we got as close to the look and feel of the Simpsons as possible. As a result the game looks just like the show, but it definitely took a lot of work to get it there!”

His role as Springfield Level Designer gave Jameson the challenge of building a virtual version of the Simpsons’ hometown. With over 400 episodes to draw from, he knew he had to nail the layout of the town’s most iconic imagery in order to satisfy longtime fans, so Jameson found himself recreating such hallmarks as the Simpson family’s house, the Springfield nuclear power plant, and the immortal Kwik-E-Mart.

“Every fan knows what the Simpsons’ house or the Kwik-e-Mart should look like, he explains. “But based on feedback we’ve seen on the final version, fans have said ‘It is a faithful Springfield’ and seem to enjoy all of the characters and content there. Our starting goal for the game was to create a playable season of The Simpsons, and I’m proud that we achieved it. Each of the 16 episodes [levels] has its own story and details, but they all tie together for a larger story line so by the end, it really feels like you’ve played through a full season. Capturing the feel of the show is what sets us apart from previous games.”

With The Simpsons Game now on shelves, Jameson is excited for fans to finally get their hands on the project that’s taken up the last two years of his career in the gaming industry. Being a devoted fan of the series himself, he knew he wanted to deliver the kind of experience that he’d always wanted in a Simpsons title.

“I’m extremely proud of it,” he says smiling. “Living up to 20 years of expectations was always in our minds, but we’re thrilled with our finished game and glad to be a part of The Simpsons family now.

“We put a lot of hard work into making this game true to The Simpsons’ epic universe, [and] we hope the series’ fans, as well as gamers, love all the references buried throughout the game. It’s great to finally have it ready for stores, and I can’t wait to give copies to my friends and family …. It’s a great game to watch and play together.”