So, who are you and what do you do?

[Gladguy]

Hey gang,
Been lurking here for a while and I have been enjoying the thoughtful and insightful posts.

I'm curious as to your (obvious?) connection to the gaming industry. Are you a Developer? Publisher? Gaming Journalist? Innocent Gamer? Jaded son-of-a-bitch?

Myself, I'm a Product Manager at DreamCatcher working on some of the upcoming "non-adventure" titles like Iron Storm, Hegemonia and Harbinger.

[Anonymous]

I just sorta drift around. Did a lot of writing as the PC Editor/Senior Editor at Gaming Age until I burned out. Now I do some work for the Xbox Mag in Australia, but I don't do much.

I figured out a while back that I would rather play games than write about them.

Oh, and MechWarrior 4 is awesome, just had a great match online.

[Stroker Ace]

University of Alabama student, gamer, programmer, fanboy.

[Xaroc]

Gamer. Database Architect. Annapolis, Maryland.

Been gaming since Pong and the Atari 2600 and remember the golden era of Arcade gaming.

First "computer" was the TI99/4A.

First real computer was an IBM PC XT @ 8Mhz with 640k of RAM and a 10MB hard disk (I will never fill that up ...).

Favorite genres: FPS, RPG, Action, Sports, Driving
Least favorite genres: Sims of most kinds, most RTSs

I am married with one son who is 14 and one dog who is almost 3.

-- Xaroc

Edit: I am 34.

[Tom Chick]

Nice thread. Hope you guys keep this going.

35 year old guy who makes a living, if you can call it a living, writing about games. Started out into flight sims and wargames.

Lives in Los Angeles. Swinging bachelor lifestyle, sans swinging.

Seriously into movies.

-Tom

[Anonymous]

39 year old game fanboy.

Do some work for Gamespy on the side.

Spend most of my time doing research in the health sciences.

Live in sunny and warm Gainesville, Florida where we await the "Zook" era now that Mr. Spurrier is coaching in DC.

Married, two daughters - Daughter #1 (13 years old) is into the Xbox and arcade racers while daughter #2 (three years old) enjoys driving the PC version of F1 2002.

Chris

[Anonymous]

I wish I could edit my post and add more stuff. You guys are making me look like that guy that lived with OJ Simpson!

[AlexxKay]

I'll be 35 tomorrow. Recently (very happily!) married.

I do contract Game Design/QA/Miscellaneous in the Boston area. Currently working at Irrational Games doing gameplay design on The Lost (PS2 survival-horror). Proudest industry accomplishment was writing the bulk of the Strategy Guide for System Shock 2. Favorite gig so far was QA on the original Thief. You know a game is good when QA keeps playing it after the gold masters ship :-)

[Jason McCullough]

Microsoft contractor, no intersections with gaming journalism. Unless you count lots of post to USENET (before it went downhill), that is.

'Proudest industry accomplishment was writing the bulk of the Strategy Guide for System Shock 2.'

You luck-y bastard.

[Dave Long]

I'm a 30 year old database administrator in Reading, PA (yes, like the railroad). I work with something called Essbase and IBM's DB2 OLAP Server which you've probably never heard of and probably never will again on these boards. It's cool technology, though.

I'm also a freelance writer on the side though freelance at this point in time basically means I've written a lot of articles for Computer Games Magazine and Online. I'd like to parlay that into console game work (if anyone's got any!).

I love games of almost all genres and probably obsess over games history and the business of games. I'm probably evenly split into consoles and PC games though right now I'm definitely leaning to the console side (as I always do when consoles are new).

I've got three boys ages four, two and almost one. We will be the best family gaming team the world has ever seen. My kids will take on Jeff Green's kids anytime, anywhere! :D

As a good friend of mine noted... you're not having kids, you're cultivating life long gaming partners or competitors.

--Dave

[Jim F.]

26 years old, live in Omaha, Nebraska (it's not as bad as you think). Married for almost 8 months now, working on our first kid.

No connections to the game industry, unless you count me spending more on games in my lifetime than the GNP of Zaire.

I'm a systems programmer for First Data Corporation. They're a credit card processing company that also owns Western Union. You know those little swipe machines that they use to scan your credit cards at EB, Best Buy, etc? I write the software to process those transactions and send you a bill

[Anonymous]

Lol,I thought you were younger than that,Tom.

36 years old,live in the heartland(err,Columbus,Ohio),grew up a wargaming dweeb,and I still play 'em.The 'We the People' style of board wargames that are currently the rage are streets ahead of any of the SPI games of the 'good ol' days',as far as actual over the board gaming enjoyment goes.

I remember the heyday of the arcades too,and dropped a lot of money into Food Fight,Dig Dug,Spy Hunter,and the like,back when $20 seemed like a lot of dough.I remember scraping up quarters to play 'Pong' when I was a little kid,and I remember the hysteria when Space Invaders first appeared in the arcades.

I'm more involved in music now,and I feel guilty when I spend too much time on computer games,since it seems a waste of time that could be used productively.Not that there's anything wrong with that,but it's one of the reasons that I generally prefer simpler games nowadays.

Mike

[Martinez]

30 years old. IT Tech for Arizona Superior Courts

It's a a state job, comfy and slow.

No relation to the gaming industry except that I like computer games, and buy a lot of them. All types of computer games. I started out in Flight-sims and CRPG.

My first computer was an Apple ][+ in mid 80's. Fond memories of Ultimas, Bards Tales, etc.

EDIT: Oh, was TonyM on the old boards, as if anyone would have noticed. I think I post there five times. Mostly a lurker. *lurk mode on* 8)

[Chris Floyd]

Good idea for a thread. I'm 26 years old, married, with a 16 month old son (even more fun than computer games).

I'm currently in QA at VR1 Entertainment in Boulder, CO. In the past I was a Production Assistant and Designer on a couple of MMORPGs (that haven't really seen the light of day).

[rdarnese]

Let's see...

30 (in a few months) year old Unix Systems Admin living in Lancaster, Ohio. Also second in command at shrapnelgames.com, which I do part time.

Started out as a USENET poster (1993), moved on to doing review for gameworlds.com, then on to reviews, news editor, pr, marketing, and whipping boy at wargamer.com. Met Tim Brooks when I was working for wargamer.com and joined him to start Shrapnel Games.

[rdarnese]

Oh and in the middle I did a lot of beta testing for SSI, I-Magic, Activision, etc. Still have a semi-operational copy of Road to Moscow at home.

[Stroker Ace]

p.s. I'm 21 - I didn't realize that age was going to be one of the topics of discussion.

As for genres... I've spent more time on Counter-Strike than any 3 other games, ever. Thing is, I don't generally dig FPS games too much. Strategy, RPG, that sort of thing turns me on. Diablo2 still turns me on now and then, I'm currently enjoying NWN, Civilization (1, 2, and especially 3) is the best, but somehow none of these ever have the eternal staying power of Counter-Strike. I just get bored. I don't even love Counter-Strike all that much, it's the scene. Teamwork and chat are what bring me back. Maybe I should invest in a MMORPG.

[Doug Erickson]

28-year-old Microsoft shill. Erstwhile programmer and writer. Married for five years, kids in the far future. Wife is a Diablo 2 addict.

I've written for all the ZD console mags, notably EGM and OPM. I also did the DKC strategy guide for Pocket Games.

I prefer PC gaming, but I'm always up for a good console fighting game or round of Halo or the latest Zelda title. I've never liked Nintendo fanboys much, mostly because nostalgiacs irritate me. There's too many good games in the present to live in the past.

[DavidCPA]

I am a 32 year-old accountant living in Cabot, Arkansas. I work for a large utility company in the call center department.

No connection whatsoever to the gaming industry other than a keen interest in games and computers in general.

I have been married for 10 years to my high school sweetheart. We have a 4 year-old daughter who will start kindergarten in August (I am getting old :( ).

My favorite game is Diablo 2 LOD though I also like FPS.

-DavidCPA

[Ben Sones]

31 year old (as of last Sunday) freelance writer, currently living in a new (new to me, built in 1910) house with my wife in Rochester, NY. Formerly the reviews editor for CGM, now off on my own (although still writing for them, among other (non-game related) publications.

I like all sorts of games--in fact, I'll try nearly anything. I prefer PC games in general. All time favorites? Uhm... Fallout, Thief, and Battle Bugs.

I also like skiing, art (actually my major), board and role-playing games (the kind you play with dice and pencils), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, beer, cats, and cats that drink beer.

[James Gutierrez]

31 years old. Live in LA and write telemedicine and clinical management software.

My hobbies include gaming, dropping out of graduate schools, drinking Guinness, and looking forward to drinking Guinness.

My 2 most prized possessions are my Continental frequent flyer card and an AC/DC dollar bill I got from the video shoot for "Money Talks"

I once poured a quart of salsa down my pants for a dollar. I guess that about sums it up.

[Sean Tudor]

In my real life I am a 35 year old technical engineer working here in Sydney, AussieLand. I get to play with things like digital cameras, printers, scanners, copiers, and fax machines.

Im my other life I am a 35 year old gaming fanboy who likes to blow things up. I like to spend weekends going to the movies, watching porn, and taking my wife to craft shows. I also spent 8 years in the Australian Army as an armoured recon crew commander blowing things up for real.

I also like to spend my time hanging out at QT3 waiting for Shoot Club installments, Wumpus comments, and trying to find out if Bruce Geryk is gay.

I have owned the following computers - Commodore PET 2001, Apple ][, Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, IBM PS/2, 286, 386, 486, Pentium I, Pentium II, Pentium III, Athlon XP.

I like to buy the biggest and baddest video cards. My current video card is a GeForce4 Ti4600. My computer system generates enough heat to power a small brothel for 30 minutes.

[James Galimo]

Hi, I'm James. I'm a gameaholic.

I'm 27, and I sell computers for a living (shoot me). I'm sure I'll get married someday, but I'm having trouble finding a woman who is into games. I suppose eventually I'll have to settle for one who isn't, and hope she can tolerate my habit.

[Anonymous]

I'm the youngest here after Stroker Ace. Born in Moscow, U.S.S.R., lived and living in the San Francisco Bay Area for most of my life. Played games pretty much that whole time and that's my story. I'm executive editor of GameSpot, where I've worked for more than six years now, starting as an intern hired on by Mr.Ron Dulin, who also posts here and fortunately still writes for us. I finished a degree in English from Berkeley while I was working here. I've always intended to actually make games, though I do really enjoy writing about them. I guess my real intentions were simply to become very involved in the gaming industry.

[Dirt]

I'm a Finance Analyst working on whatever my boss decides he wants me to do, which usually involves something that has absolutely nothing to do with Finance, at the largest mortgage lender in the U.S.A.

I have no connection whatsoever to the gaming industry except for it being one of my major hobbies.

Oh yeah, I'm 29 (today, dammit! please let this year never end).

[nife2o4]

27 year old Technical Services Engineer (fancy title for Software Tester and Customer Support) for a Louisville, CO company that makes geophysical survey design software. Married, Home owner with 3 cats and 2 dogs.

I'm just a gamer, my closest tie to the gaming industry is that I sent a resume to VR1 for a QA position like 2.5 years ago. Chris Floyd stole my industry job :wink:

I've been learning C++ programming through CU's Continuing Education program in hopes of someday becoming a programmer at my current company, and possibly a games programmer. If I ever manage to stop playing video games at night, I'm hoping to learn enough Win32 programming to do a Tetris clone sometime soon.

-Trevor

[Brandon Clements]

I'm the RMA Manager at a small computer store in Sherwood, AR. Basically, I test parts that are brought back, and return the ones that are defective to whomever the store bought them from. I'm 24, married, no kids, and due to graduate in a year with a degree in Mgmt Info Systems. I don't have any real connection to the gaming industry, other than buying their games.

BTW, do the Latin phrases below our names change with our postcount, or just randomly?

[Jason McCullough]

'I'm a 30 year old database administrator in Reading, PA (yes, like the railroad). I work with something called Essbase and IBM's DB2 OLAP Server which you've probably never heard of and probably never will again on these boards. It's cool technology, though.'

Are they rolling Informix's Redbrick into DB2 or what? God, Redbrick was sexy.

[copeknight]

I teach 7th grade here in Wichita, am 29, and wish I could turn back the clock to 1987 and the glory days of the Atari ST ;-). On the side, I am pursuing master's degrees in history and gifted education. I did a little freelance work in the past for CGM and ST Informer.

Carl

[sellthekids]

married

32 yrs old

native Houstonian (TX)

software engineer for Fortune 300 firm (we do auto dealership software)

spent 5 years as a bike messenger in mid 90s

graduated from Baylor University at 29

own two Atari 2600s, an Atari 800, a NES and an original IBM PC

played D&D until age 15; skateboarded until 16

committed to staying child-free (so is my wife!)

have been deep into music scene since age 14

stopped gaming at age 16; restarted at age 29

was addicted to Counter-Strike; now i call it Cheater-Strike and don't play

own one current console: Xbox; need to own a PS2 (it's a "need" i tell you)

own a PC i built; used mainly for surfing/gaming. i only "work" at work

enjoyed single player/multiplayer Dungeon Seige; enjoying Morrowind on the Xbox

drink like a fish, preferrably good bourbon or Guinness

avid baseball fan, esp Astros (at least until the next strike, at which point i quit)

glad Tom is updating the site with new content

:-)