New Year, New Decade

It’s hard to believe we’re already starting on the next decade. I find myself taking stock of where I’ve been these past ten years.

Ten years ago I was in the middle of the second-year at Confederation College in the Multimedia Production program. I was having a blast with many good friends in that program making some cool experiences. I was working at Staples as a Computer Sales Associate part-time to pay my way through college. I was still of course living at home with my parents in Thunder Bay. A lot was about to change in the year 2000.

2000

I took out a loan early 2000 to finance a trip to San Jose to attend the Game Developers Conference. It was bloody expensive but worth every penny. I shared a hotel room with Fred Doughty, a good online friend whom I’d been casually working with on “game development”. I got to see Bill Gates unveil the Xbox. I got to see Peter Molyeux talk at length about his upcoming Black & White game. I attended the Everquest post-mortem lecture. 3dfx, Sega and Gravis all held the most memorable parties of the event. GDC 2000 blew me away and I knew my future would be in the games industry.

On Mother’s Day I moved out. I accepted a summer job at a dot-com in Vancouver doing Flash games. I promised my mom that I’d be back that Fall to finish college. To this day she hasn’t let me forget how I let her down by breaking that promise. The summer gig turned full-time and I was starting to build a life in Vancouver.

2001

Perhaps starting work at a dot-com in the middle of the dot-com crash was not such a hot idea. In February 2001 our dot-com went dot-gone and I was unemployed for the first time since I was 10. It was brutal trying to make rent in Vancouver on an EI pay cheque. Thankfully unemployment wouldn’t last long as I was able to get my foot in the door at Electronic Arts. Too bad my starting salary was only $20 more per week than I was making on EI. I started as a contract Localization Tester in June 2001 working on NHL 2002. My contract became full-time that summer and I was promoted to Senior Localization Tester.

2002

Living on a tester salary took its toll and I was forced to give up my apartment and move in with my college friends in 2002. 2002 also began a very dark and stressful period in my life so I was thankful for the friendships I had in Chris, Nathan, Claudia, and others. I also met Nicole in late 2002. Nicole was and continues to be one of the most important people in my life.

2003 – 2004

Let’s just call these the dark years. Maybe I’ll write about them in an autobiography some time. Probably the most positive thing I did these years was join the Vancouver Dyke March board. I helped make the first and second Vancouver Dyke March possible and met some great people in the process.

2005

Melinda and I started forming a relationship during the last few months of 2005. She continues to be the most important person in my life. Work also started getting a lot better this year as my salary was lifting me above the poverty line.

2006 – 2008

My career started taking off nicely. Melinda and I moved in together in 2006, then bought our condo in 2008. These were good years.

2009

A switch flipped and I decided to start doing my own creative stuff in my spare time. I bought a new MacBook Pro and started re-learning Flash. I started on a few projects that I’d like to finish in the future. I discovered Ludum Dare and made a few 48 hour games. I successfully ran my first marathon, and failed to finish my second. In 2009 I feel like I’ve hit the accelerator on my life. I’ve become more conscious of what I’m doing and am focusing on accomplishing things that I find important.

Looking forward to the next year….

In 2010 I plan to return to the Game Developers Conference exactly 10 years after my first and only trip. I will attend as a professional in the industry with 9 years experience at EA. I will also attend as a fledgling indie developer trying to make small experiences in my spare time. While in San Francisco I plan to spend a lot of time with Nicole because it’s been far too long since we’ve hung out.

In 2010 I plan to finish another marathon, improve my diet and overall health and fitness levels. I turn 30 in 2010.

The next decade…

I want to build a strong identity for myself outside of my day-job. I want to release powerful, memorable gaming experiences and I want to speak at important industry events. I don’t have any plans to leave my current employer. I enjoy my job and the people I work with. But I do want to have an identity separate to my job.

I’m looking forward to another 10 years with Melinda if she’ll have me.

Whatever comes my way in the 2010s I plan to make my 30s an adventure.