Trip is really fun so far. I’ve been really busy though, and it’s hard to squeeze time in for everyone in such a short trip, especially with it being the holidays! It’s been great seeing my family again after so long. I really missed them. And seeing old friends is always great! When I hopefully get fulltime I’ll get paid vacation, and better pay, and can hopefully visit more often than once a year.
Some pix of my Winnipeg visit so far:
I knew this trip was going to be different. But I still wasn’t prepared.
I’ve been here a little over a day, and I’m already overwhelmed with conflicting feelings. It’s so great to see my family again, I’ve seen a few of my friends and it’s been great seeing them as well! But things are different too…
When I first got in it was like nothing had changed and I felt like I’d never left. It was really surreal, like the last year was just a dream. But now I’m beginning to see that first impression was an illusion. Nothing is the same when you look closer.
It’s like I’m seeing my life without me. This was my life once. Last time I visited I’d only been gone a few months, so it was still my life. But this visit is quite different. Everyone has moved on. They’ve drifted apart and are doing different things. I guess in some naive way, I always felt like my life in Winnipeg would be there, waiting for me. But I come back now, and nothing’s where I left it. Everyone’s changed, and so have I.
I suppose I’m mourning. I realize now, that life is gone. Those days are never coming back. Life continued without me. You can’t visit a place for 2 weeks out of a year and expect to fit just like you did when you left.
I love my life in Edmonton now. But for the first time, I think it’s time I truly recognize what I left behind. I had a good life here. And I will miss it. Because I’ll never be back, not truly…
As Andi helped me realize: no matter where we all end up, we’ll always have the memories…
So the morning after the Christmas party I got called in to work. I was pretty hung over, to be honest. Thankfully we only had to go in for a few hours to verify a fix. James was there too, also pretty hung over. After we were done we went to Nathan’s for a videogame party. It was good times. While I was there everyone was making plans for what they’d do during their Christmas break. They were all trying to convince me not to go to Winnipeg and stay to hang out with them. I’ll admit I was pretty sad to be missing out on what sounded like a great time. It was a weird turnaround from last year. Kind of nice to know I’ve made a life that I’ll miss and will miss me here in Edmonton.
Don’t get me wrong though, I’m psyched for Winnipeg! I leave tonight, 24 hour train ride. Gunna be boring as hell. Especially since there are no plugs in economy class, so my iphone won’t last long if I watch movies, listen to music, etc. I might be able to find plugs, or get an attendant to charge it for me. I hope. I picked up a battery extender from Best Buy, adds a 75% charge, so that will help a bit. Worst case scenario though, my iphone could die a few hours into the trip, and most of my time on the train will be in the dark. So I’ll sit there in silence, with nothing to look at. I might be a little loopy by the time I get to Winnipeg.
So this was easily one of the best nights of my life. Enjoy some pix and vids of a great night:
Ok. I am drunk. Drunker than I’ve been in a looong time. I haven’t been this drunk since New Year’s last year. I had such an amazing night. It really blows my mind to think when I moved out here a year ago I knew no one, and now I have such a great group of friends. Goddamn I had such a fun night. Reid is back in town, so it was great to get smashed with him, and I finally got to meet Drunk James, who is fantastic. Sober James is great too, but Drunk James takes it to another level. Pics and videos will come soon.
Also, Bioware is awesome. Free food, free drinks, free oxygen bar, free taxi ride home. Best. Job. Ever.
Dragon Age Avatar gear was released a few nights ago. I bought the Dragon Age shirt that I own in real life. Check it out!
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It’s Friday! Last day before Xmas break! Tonight is the BioWare Christmas party! Open bar! I’m gunna be a mess… But I’m dressed up all nice!
So I leave on a train for Winnipeg Monday night. And it’s about a 24 hour train ride, so I will be bored as sin, and a little loopy by the time I reach Winnipeg the next day, Tuesday. Can’t wait to see everyone, see the old city, etc. Gunna be good times. I won’t have as much spending money as I hoped because I’m buying a Pontiac Sunfire from Reid for 3000$. So a lot of the overtime money I’ve earned the past few weeks will go to that. But I’ll have enough spending money to have a good time!
So excited! Haven’t been home in a year!!!!
Dragon Age did well at the Spike TV Video Game Awards. Won Best PC Game and Best RPG! Go team! And now a pic of Mark accepting the award from Snoop D-O-Double-G.
According to the Edmonton Sun, Edmonton was the coldest place on earth today.
Also, the “More Stories” section sure is cheery isn’t it?
Oh yea. Trust me, this game is gunna rock. Full length trailer coming Dec 22, and it is AWESOME.
The project I’m working on is getting close to final. So lots of overtime. Which is good because it means lots of money. I’m paying rent ahead of time. As of today I’m paid up until the end of January. If I can save enough money to set aside for the 3 months I’ll have to take off when my contract ends I’ll be in a much better place. I’m also making enough money to have some spending money in Winnipeg. I just got paid today and it was over a grand. Love it. The hours are long, but I love the job so I don’t mind. I’m still at work right now, waiting on a verification, and it’s 11:00. 14 hours today so far. Not sure when the day will end. In a weird way, I love my job even more when the pressure is on. The team really comes together.
Nothing like Google Street View to make you incredibly nostalgic. I can literally drive around Winnipeg from my desk.
I miss when I was 19 and I could eat junk food non-stop and still be skinny. But my metabolism is catching up to me. I work an office job, take the elevator, and still eat like crap. Not to mention all the Coke I drink… So I’ve started to put on a bit of weight. Not good. I decided to start working out and change my diet. I’m not going to go hardcore like some people do, just not my thing. But I have done my research and I will be starting a 3 day a week routine and change my diet a fair amount. Less Coke, more water! Bill bought a Bow-Flex not too long ago and it’s in the basement, near my computer. I can use it while listening to music. I started today, working on my arms. Went for about half an hour, and will sleep really well tonight! I bet I’ll be sore tomorrow though. I’m doing it for more reasons than just wanting to look good though. I want it to be somewhat of a lifestyle change. I’ve been pretty lazy lately, and I want to snap out of that funk. And as happy as I am right now with my life, I think being more active, having a more regular sleeping pattern, eating healthier and being in better shape will make me even happier. Especially because it will be me taking control. Wish me luck!
Apparently CBS has a commercial on tv for How I Met Your Mother which has clips of Frosty The Snowman set to audio from the show, with Frosty being voiced by NPH. It’s caused a big controversy because it’s, wait for it, inappropriate! I just think it’s fucking hilarious!
I picked up my camera tonight. My REAL camera. Haven’t done any photography in over a year now, so it felt good, though I was a little rusty and honestly took a few minutes to remember how to use some of the more in depth stuff on my camera. But it’s like riding a bike. I took some self-portraits cause it’s freezing out, so no nature photography tonight. Plus, you know, I’m a narcissist.
Blondes are generally not my type. I like Brunette’s, Redheads and even un-natural dyed colours like purple. But blonde has never really been my thing. But there are definite exceptions:
She may be the utter example of what pop culture can do to a legitimate genre (RIP punk) but I’ll be damned if she isn’t hot. Granted she wasn’t always blonde, but I think she actually looks better blonde!
Yes, please.
So not my normal type at all, but gotta mix it up once and a while!
She’s hot and classy. She was cute when she was younger and now she’s just plain sexy.
Another classy woman. She comes across as really intelligent too, which is quite the turn-on.
As much as I HATED her character in 24, I never minded looking at her.
Granted it was seeing her as a brunette in Watchmen that made me like her…
Ok, this is the trippiest thing ever. 3D is the new big thing in film. But this is audio in 3D. I REALLY suggest you give this a go. Put on a decent set of headphones (MUST be headphones), turn it up a little louder than you normally would (to get the full effect of the auditory illusion), sit back and close your eyes, but keep your head facing forward the whole time (aka, don’t look around, keep your head stationary). Keep your eyes closed throughout the entire track. By the end I bet you’ll be convinced you’re in a barber shop. Sooo cool! Do it! Get some headphones and push play:
P.S. I promise this isn’t some trick to scare you, like those mazes with the scary face that jumps up. Just trust me, put the headphones on, close your eyes and push play.
Winter finally decided to show up, and with force. We had a major blizzard.
I had volunteered to work over the weekend and lucky Bill was going in too so he could give me a ride. His car has all-wheel drive so it wasn’t an issue for him, but my car never would have made it. I woke up at 8:00 and helped him shovel the back lane to let Tia out and then we headed to the office. I like working on weekends. It’s always neat when the office is almost empty, plus we get free food when we work overtime. Today it was pizza.
I had a friend back in Winnipeg by the name of Dar Friesen, aka DJ SW@T. She’s been making a big splash on the DnB scene in Canada, doing a lot of touring and live shows. In fact, if you frequent the clubs in Winnipeg you have probably already heard her stuff. Figured I’d give her some free advertising on the blog! Check her out!
I’ve been listening to her home-recorded mixes a lot at work lately. Good stuff! And here’s her website!
There are so many types of gaming we hear talk of but rarely actually see. Casual games. Games as art. Alternative narratives. Etc. These words are constantly used in the industry, but always in reference to some future concept, just around the corner but never quite reached. But there are such games. When Braid hit the scene, it really opened a lot of people’s eyes to what small games could accomplish. For me personally, it was one of the most artistic games I’d played in years. It used some truly genius narrative mechanics and when I beat it, it left me in wonder and awe the way a rare great movie or book does. It was art, through no stretch of the word.
And so it’s great to see others make it their own personal goal to see these things realized in gaming. Kotaku today, pointed me to a small free browser game called Small Worlds by David Shute. It’s a small game that emerged from a contest to create a short game based on exploration.
I gave it a shot and beat it in 10 minutes. And I really enjoyed it. It’s the very definition of casual, the entire game can be played while leaning back in your chair, with only your middle and index finger. But it’s also ambitious in vision. I won’t spoil anything (the fact that a 10 minute free browser game has anything to spoil is in itself a testament to what this game manages to accomplish within it's limitation), but it’s a game that depends entirely on the player’s sense of wonder and exploration. To learn more about the world around them. To quite literally expand the scope of their understanding (executed perfectly with a ‘fog of war’ mechanic). And there is a story to be extracted through your exploration, but I will leave that to you. It is open to a fair amount of interpretation, but I have my own strong theory. All this set to a somber soundtrack and nostalgic pixel graphics makes for a surreal, enjoyable and surprisingly reflective experience.
As someone with a strong interest in game design, I found this game really showed what a few smart design decisions can do for a game with such limited resources. A pixelated game that lasts 10 minutes, and yet managed to accomplish something rare in gaming.
After all this talk I may be hyping it too far, as much of its charm comes from its subtlety. If you have 15 minutes to spare for a casual game and want to see what a game can manage to do with a few pixels and said 15 minutes, click this link.
What about that title does NOT make you curious enough to click play?
So in the entry about my road-trip I had a video that was a slideshow of all the pix taken during my road-trip. Today I finally made a video of all the actual videos I took on the road-trip. It’s something I’d been meaning to do since I got back from the road-trip a year and a half ago, and I’ve just been majorly procrastinating. So check it out!
So I’ve been out here for about a year now, and even though there have been some tough times, moving out here and finding the career of my dreams has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I’m so thankful for it. Sometimes I stop and think how lucky I am to have had so many random things come together to lead me here, both good and bad. Being in debt which made me need to look for a better job, having a cousin who lived in Edmonton who I knew I could ask to stay with while I worked a job in Edmonton that paid better, finding out he could get me a term position at Bioware, and then finding it was more than just a cool job, but a career I could be passionate about. But looking even further back: getting my license because I wanted more independence, then a year and a half later, feeling completely lost and deciding to take a road-trip to try to “find myself”.
Of all the many random things that came together to bring me to where I am now, the road-trip has always stood out in my mind as the real moment I took control of my path, and directed it somewhere better. Before the road-trip I never quite felt truly independent in mind. I lived with a subtle fear that motivated all my actions. I always had someone to fall back on, and rarely had to deal with things on my own. At some point in my formative years, I’d made some subconscious decision to succumb to fear, and it had informed all subsequent decisions in my life.
But the shelter it provided started to get pretty confining. And because my actions were all limited by that fear, the person I presented myself as never quite felt like me, but instead I felt defined by those fears; no one understood who I was behind them all. And then I realized they were right. It’s not who you are behind all your fears that defines you. You are what you do, not what you wish you could do. No one has any right to demand respect for intentions or dreams alone. It’s your actions that define you.
So I decided to go on the road-trip. I made some sort of internal mental commitment to it, and refused to back down, even though everyone who said they’d come backed out, which in the end was for the best. Then there was car troubles, work issues, and many attempts to talk me out of it from concerned friends and family who were not used to seeing me take risks like this.
Yes, I was still scared as hell, but I knew this was it. This was a defining moment, if for no other reason than I’d made it one. This moment would set the precedent. If I backed out now, my life would continue to be a series of missed opportunities, compromises, and the justifications that follow. But if I broke that pattern by taking this risk and living the adventure that would follow, it’d be the beginning of a life of pursuing my true ambitions and taking chances on the things I believed in.
So June came and I packed my car and hit the road. It was the best thing I ever did in my life. For just under 3 weeks I lived an adventure that, to this day, not a single other soul truly knows. I was the only constant, and it was fueled by my willpower alone. For 3 weeks I trained myself to follow a dream and to power through those feelings of self doubt and fear. And I learned that it’s always worth it in the end. You only get one life, and it goes by a lot faster than you plan. I want so much more out of that life than just comfort.
When I returned home, I returned to a life that no longer reflected who I was. I’d changed. I was ready to follow my dreams, overcome fears and enjoy the adventure. But this was a life I’d created while paralyzed by fear. It just didn’t reflect the drive I now had. In the 3 weeks I had been gone I’d learned so much: There was always going to be reasons not to follow your dreams, routine would always be easier than change, and talk and action are 2 very different things. Sometimes you need to break your own patterns, and take irrational risks, because your dreams should weigh in on your decisions.
The true changes I’d gone through didn’t become apparent to me until I was back home, and it just didn’t quite feel like home anymore. I ended up getting a tattoo to commemorate that lesson. Sometimes, despite all reasons not to, you gotta follow your dreams and just run the red.
I broke a pattern that summer 2 years ago, and began a new one. Ever since, I’ve followed my dreams and taken chances. No doubt it has made life harder, but it’s also made it worth it. Every dark day I have here has a sense of purpose. I used to have such a propensity for long deep depressions, because when I felt low, that was all there was. The risks I’ve taken have led me to a life where even the dark days are just a step on the path to my dreams.
For a decade my life had been pretty stagnant, not much changed year to year. But in the 18 months since that road-trip I now live 2 provinces away, have an entire new group of friends, have found the career of my dreams and have my next steps planned out for that career. I make twice as much money doing something I love, have dated some really nice girls, learned how to weather the dark times and truly enjoy the good ones, and have changed as a person more than I thought possible. Or maybe I’ve just learned how to be myself. I can honestly say I didn’t truly grow up until a year ago. My teenage life lasted well into my 20’s. But better late then never.
And everything I have now, I can trace back to that road-trip. It’s the one common denominator that let me become capable of all this. It was that first decision, to go on the road-trip no matter what, that then spawned all subsequent decisions that led me here. It sparked a commitment to truly better my life, no matter the cost, no matter the fear or doubts. That was when my life truly began, because it’s when I finally learned how to actually live.
Got my plaque today! Something to remember my work on Dragon Age by. So proud!
Found a cool free program called Rainmeter that lets you customize your desktop to have all sorts of functionality, but you can “click-through” it so it’s just like it’s an informative wallpaper. Also, very little memory usage. Here’s my current desktop! Pretty! Click pic for bigger sizes.
Bioware released its first small-game today. A flash game for Facebook called Gift Of The Yeti. I gotta say, it’s super addictive, and I normally don’t like these types of small games. It takes a few plays to get the hang of it, but it’s great arcade-style, high-score earning fun. Give it a shot, click the pic!
P.S. Some of Nathan’s friends were visiting and the team needed some voice-work done for the yeti. Caleb, a friend of Nathan’s who I’ve hung out with a few times, ended up doing the “Yeti, Set, Goooo!” at the beginning, and some of the Yeti grunts. Now we tease him about it :P
This is hilarious. The band ‘The Swell Season’ was at a bar while on tour and were bought drinks by 2 celebrities, who turned out to be Jason Segel and Paul Rudd. They became buddies and Jason agreed to be a surprise guest on their tour and sing a song. This is the song he came up with.
Last night was Nathan’s last day at BioWare. His year contract was up and he had to take the 3 mandatory months off. Hopefully he’ll be back as soon as those 3 months are up, and from the sounds of things it’s quite likely, which is good. So for his last day a group of us took him to OPM and treated him. Ironic, because a year ago to the day was our first day and BioWare treated all of US to OPM.
That evening, after work, we all met in the BioWare audio room and hooked up the 360 and Wii and played videogames (on a $40,000 audio system and really nice TV), drank beer and ordered pizza. It was a really fun night, and the last of us didn’t leave till about 1:00 AM. A great way to send Nathan off.
I’ve had some songs I’ve been meaning to use in a playlist and just never got around to it. I’ve also found some great new music lately as well. So this time around, the playlist will be mixed with some brand new tunes and some old one’s I’ve been hoarding. But if you haven’t heard it, it’s new to you! As always, playlist is to the right -->
For those of you who are not familiar with Yahtzee, he is a game critic who does reviews called “Zero Punctuation” because it’s just one long rant with hardly a breath taken. He tends to be extremely critical, and it’s honestly an honor to have a review by him. And if you’ve seen his other reviews, you’ll be able to tell he actually liked this game!
Bunker down for a long read.
So Dragon Age is out. It’s getting stellar reviews, and outselling our wildest expectations. We’ve broken several EA records. It’s so rewarding to see people loving what I sunk so many hours in to. Though PRC is where I was put into a more important role with more creative input, so it’s the PRC that is my real baby, and I can’t wait for people to see what Bioware has planned. The initial DLC has already sold over a $1,000,000, so I think it’s safe to say people are liking it so far.
My contract was supposed to end today. I started at Bioware on November 20th last year, and the longest you can have a contract by EA rules is a year. But because I’m on the PRC team and they need me for at least a while longer, my contract was extended to the end of January. I’ve watched a lot of my friends leave Bioware now that their contract is up, and it was hard to see. Some day my contract will be up too, even if I did manage to squeeze an extra 2 months out of it. There was a time when the PRC team planned on getting me fulltime, but then the harsh realities of the economy forced Bioware to change their plans as far as hiring new people go.
Now I watch my contract end date get closer and closer. Dragon Age main game is out, and it’s no secret Mass Effect 2 is coming out soon (January 26, 2010). QA as a department will be shrinking severely due to these projects ending. Dragon Age as a franchise still has a lot coming, and Mass Effect is a trilogy, but QA terms aren’t generally needed until the second half of a project. A QA Design Analyst however, is invaluable to the first half of the project, and that’s the job I’ve been fighting for, and more or less the job I do now, even though I’m only technically a QA term by title (and pay).
I had some friends, Chad and Colin, who worked as QA Terms for the main game and they were sorta the superstars of QA at the time. Their contracts ran out, and they were forced to take their 3 months off. Well it’s been almost 5 months and they’re not back yet, though not for lack of trying. Like I said, the QA pool is shrinking, so getting into a shrinking department is not easy.
Needless to say I’m concerned. Everyone I’ve worked with at Bioware seems to be very happy with my work. My old boss from when I was on the main game, Zac, was impressed by my work, as were the PRC lead I work for now, Jason, and the QA leads, Vanessa and Ferret. They all tried to get me fulltime. But the economy is bad, and the industry is feeling it more than ever before. EA just laid off 1500 people, and while it was no one from Bioware, it still reflects the times we live in.
Sadly, the reality of the situation seemed to be that whether or not I get full-time has less to do with my work ethic/quality and more to do with budgets and fiscal year projections. So I really started to get realistic about things, and even started planning for the worst.
The possibility of leaving at the end of my contract and then waiting months to get back into Bioware, either in a fulltime position or even just another year long term, and not getting it month after month started to scare me. I pictured being in Edmonton for 6 months after my contract ended, but just working some entry level job. I moved out here for Bioware, and Bioware was my chance to get into the industry. If Bioware was no longer available to me, what would I be in Edmonton for?
The idea of eventually moving back to Winnipeg started to seem like a possibility… Even though it would only be temporary, because I know I’ll never give up on getting into the industry. But if I’d just be biding my time while applying at studios, I might as well consider doing it from Winnipeg where cost of living is cheap and my oldest friends and my family live. But I like Edmonton and have made friends here too, and do have connections in Bioware here… Either way, It was time to make a backup plan.
So today I had a meeting with my boss, and I told him about my concerns and subsequent plan, and he sounded quite a bit more optimistic than I had been. He told me several things which raised my spirits:
While Winnipeg remains a possible backup plan, fortunately it looks like I have a lot more options to pursue before it comes to that.
I just applied to the small Bioware studio that opened in Montreal for a fulltime QA Design Analyst position. It’s a much-vied for spot though, so I’m not kidding myself about my chances on that one.
I’m at Bioware until the end of January. After my visit to Winnipeg I’ll have about 3 weeks left. My bosses have said they’re still looking for ways to get me fulltime by then, but that it’s sadly unlikely due to budget restraints. But I can still hope, and it’s not entirely impossible.
If nothing happens by the time I get back from Winnipeg, which is the likely scenario, then I will have 3 weeks to start applying at every other studio I can think of, across Canada and the U.S. The references I get from the people I’ve worked with at Bioware will go a long way. I’ll get an entry level crap job once my contract ends, and keep applying at studios the whole time.
If I don’t hear anything back from any other studios, which is actually kind of unlikely, I will stay in Edmonton for my 3 months off, working that crappy entry level job to make rent and keep myself from going insane. For those 3 months, the PRC team will still be looking for fulltime positions for me. But if nothing comes up, then after the 3 months are over I’ll email Zac about getting another year long term, which is relatively likely since Zac was always impressed by me. Then I can try again for fulltime over the length of that contract. By the end of it I’ll have 2 years experience in the industry, and hopefully the economy will start looking up, and my chances at Bioware and/or other studios will go up even higher.
Not to mention the biggest and most likely opportunity which I sadly cannot describe in this blog, as I said.
But in the unlikely worst case scenario in which that opportunity doesn’t pan out, I don’t get the Montreal position, 5 months go by after my current contract ends and Bioware still isn’t in a position to hire me, even just for another term contract, and no other studios have expressed an interest in me, I’ll have to start asking myself why I’m still in Edmonton… I love my life here, have made some fantastic friends and had some great times. But if all I’m doing is working an entry level job to pay the bills, it might make more sense to be somewhere those bills are cheaper and I can see my family and oldest friends more than once a year. So at that point, if nothing was on the horizon from Bioware or any other studio, I’d probably at least consider the idea of moving back to Winnipeg. Not permanently, I’m never going to give up on this industry; whatever it takes, this is the industry I will form a career in. My dedication alone seems to be a major factor that has started to set me out from others in my ambition to get into the industry, no matter how long it takes. And that dedication is unwavering. But if I’m just biding my time, applying at studios every few months, I’d at least consider doing it from Winnipeg. Though I’d definitely then miss my friends and life here.
If Bioware isn’t the studio I end up working at, then chances are I’ll end up moving to either Vancouver or Montreal in the end; those are the 2 major gaming hubs in Canada. Winnipeg is conveniently right in the middle, and it would be nice (and help deal with the inevitable depression) to spend the time between real jobs with close friends and family. On the other hand, just living in a city where I have contacts through Bioware and my cousin could go a long way, not to mention I really like the friends and life I’ve made here… Lots to think about.
The industry is in a tight spot. I’m trying to break into the industry at the worst time. But I’ve proven myself with my knowledge and ability, the right people are aware of me, and I have several ways available to me to deal with this. The absolute last one being my backup plan, which is the temporary move back to Winnipeg / biding my time in Edmonton. But as I look at all my options, and take in all the info I got at my meeting today, I don’t think that’s something I need to worry about after all. WHAT happens is very up in the air right now, no question about it. But I do think chances are actually pretty high that SOMETHING will happen, something that does not involve taking more than 3-4 months off or moving back to Winnipeg.
So while it’s definitely stressful, it’s also exciting. I’ve gotten pretty comfortable in my new life here, and change is now on the horizon once again. One way or another, change is coming. And while it’s pretty likely it’ll get worse before it gets better (contract ending), all signs are pointing to it getting better in the end. All the things I listed here, and the few I couldn’t write about lead me to believe I have a bright not-so-distant future ahead of me. I feel good about my prospects right now, despite the stress and uneasiness that comes with the uncertainty.
I’ve gone through many ups and downs in the last year: From wondering why I moved to Edmonton and thinking it might have been a mistake at first to then realizing I’d found the career and passion I’d been missing my whole life, then finding out the real impact the economy was having on the industry and seeing the hiring cap and contract limitations get introduced, to then being told by the PRC team that they were going to find me a fulltime position, only to then hear that it wasn’t likely to happen due to the unexpected implications of the prolonged recession, then getting my contract extended beyond the normal limit at the last second, to thinking I might have to move back to Winnipeg, to THEN finding out my prospects weren’t quite as bleak as that.
But through it all, I can’t help but be thankful. I remember what my life was like when I had no true goal or passion. And even though it’s been stressful at times, and a real rollercoaster, I can’t imagine life without this goal.
A short clip from the Dragon Age release party. This was taken while they were setting up for the presentation (aka before the drinking!). It was a good time, and very cool to see the team celebrate such an immense (and successful) undertaking!
Funny comic about Dragon Age DLC (the stuff I work on) and it’s pros and cons. Love it. Click pic to get bigger version.
Mark today as a very significant day in my life. Dragon Age hit shelves today. A year of working hard with a great team has paid off. There is now a fantastic product with my name on it. I’ve never had this sort of professional pride before. The reviews have started coming in, and they’re overwhelmingly positive! Some highlights:
Re-reading what I've written here, I honestly feel like I've barely scratched the surface of what Dragon Age: Origins has to offer, and in a way, I'm glad I'm not able to give too much away. Dragon Age is a spectacular experience from beginning to end, and with an enormous amount of choices to make, cities to visit, dungeons to crawl, NPCs to interact with, treasure to find, quests to complete and crafts to master, I feel pretty confident in saying that Dragon Age: Origins is, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable and immersive RPG experiences I've had since my Infinity Engine days. BioWare has crafted a spectacular journey with Dragon Age, and an unforgettable fantasy realm that's sure to resonate with fantasy and adventure fans the world over.
This is definitely not the game for those frightened of the idea of micromanaging a game to the point where a large portion of it will be spent in a pause screen. However, as the sort of guy that has lovingly played an Infinity Engine game at least once every year for the past decade, I can think of no higher praise for this throwback than to say that Dragon Age: Origins leaves me feeling fairly confident I won't need to dig out the classics for this ritual next year.
It's the best RPG of the year -- and maybe the best of the HD era.
RPG fans in search of a meaty game with plenty of depth and replayability won't be disappointed with Dragon Age: Origins, a masterfully crafted adventure that offers a lot of bang for your buck.
But for the true RPG gamer, this game is of a level that has never been seen before. It is the new benchmark. The story is rich and engaging, the characters are memorable, and the journey is one that pulls you in, captivates you and compels you to move forward toward the conclusion.
Bioware has managed to update and evolve the formula that made Baldur's Gate 2 a classic, creating an engaging, rich, and solidly fantastic universe that feels consistently coherent and credible. Dragon Age is a triumph that shows, among other things, how the core values of the traditional roleplaying genre are still valid, managing to include a complete and versatile combat system that welcomes new players and will challenge veterans, with difficult encounters where tactics are the key to victory. Overall, it's a really special RPG, which truly deserves to be called "epic".
Incredible storytelling, great characters, and exciting battles are just a few of the things that make this fantasy role-playing game so extraordinary. Possibly the best authentic RPG of the decade.
This is the most enormously detailed game world I've experienced, its history stretching back thousands of years, its cultures vivid, beautiful and flawed, the battles enormous, the humour superb. Roleplaying games now have a great deal to live up to.
Dragon Age: Origins is a brave and brutal return to form for PC fantasy roleplaying - bettering nearest rival The Witcher through both its combat and the innate lovability of so many of its characters...With Dragon Age: Origins BioWare have secured their position as masters of the RPG art. [Christmas 2009, p.68]
Dragon Age: Origins is much more than a game – it’s the glorious revisiting of Bioware’s past and a look at where they are going in the future.
Without any doubt, Dragon Age accomplishes the mission… To deliver the best story-driven RPGs in the world.
Bioware’s achievements in all this are incredible. It cannot be stressed enough at the depth of the universe they have conjured. Every corner you look, there is a sense of age, of something old. Entire mythologies for multiple cultures have been brewed up, entire religions mapped out in their own belief systems, history that stretches back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Cities look lived in, worn – majestic and squalid places that spill with times gone by and a sense of place. The castles look like they have been there for centuries, and truly, there is an uncertain sense that they have been. That Ferelden and its inhabitants were waiting patiently in the wings for all this time, waiting for their chance to shine. Well, like the Grey Wardens, their time has come. Let us unite then, and in the words of an old friend: We shall show those cursed Darkspawn our hearts – and then show them theirs.
You don’t need a thousand words to make you fall in love with Dragon Age: Origins. It has everything that is sought by the most jaded fans of the genre: at least 60 hours of adventuring, colorful, lively characters, flexible combat system, complex situations and quests, dialogues that are pleasant to read and even more pleasant to listen to… Dragon Age, like a good storyteller, captivates within minutes. It doesn’t rush the story, relishes in small details, goes into ornate lyrical digressions, and maintains the intrigue, keeping you at the edge of your seat.
After logging over a hundred hours on Dragon Age: Origins, I still want to continue playing. I want to unearth more of its secrets, to better know its characters, to see how the decisions I make can impact its world, and yes, to see more of its endings. I can't think of a better recommendation than that.
In addition to capturing the joy of battle, Dragon Age also provides an engrossing backdrop for the action. Even more than Mass Effect, the nation of Ferelden feels like a fully realized setting with its own history, conflicts, and power groups. This is one of the main reasons the game is so addicting; completing quests isn’t just about grinding experience and amassing loot – it actually feels like you have an impact on the world.
Incredibly deep and expansive, Dragon Age: Origins is one of those titles that can easily swallow up dozens of hours of play and keep you coming back for more. The fact that BioWare chose to include downloadable content, including a new character and side quest, on launch day proves that they have an extensive plan for supporting the game. Couple that with the fact that each character can be developed in radically different ways, and you have an adventure that earns its own place among BioWare's expansive RPG collection. This is the kind of adventure that fantasy RPG fans have been hoping that BioWare would deliver – a game with a ton of re-playability and an incredibly vivid world that is the start of an impressive franchise.
And for good measure, a video review:
And here’s a few excerpts from some written reviews that had no concrete rating system (so no %):
It satisfied on the basic level of simple pleasures, like slurping a spaghetti noodle.
Perhaps the biggest testament to Dragon Age: Origins is the fact that after more than 40 hours of play time, I found myself contemplating my next character as the credits rolled, working out in my head what I would do differently the next time around. During the busy fall video game release season, when my response to completing even the most enjoyable games is "next," it takes an extremely compelling title for me to want to go again. Dragon Age: Origins is exactly that sort of title.
So clearly the game is being well-received! And now I can finally show people a screenshot of my name in the credits! Along with the amazing QA team I worked with, many of whom have become good friends over the past year. Click the pic to see a fullscreen version!
It’s been a surreal experience, and I’m honored to have been a part of it. Hopefully this isn’t the last game from Bioware with my name in the credits, because this team is truly amazing. Today was the release party, which was great. I’ll post more about that later though. Go out and buy yourselves a copy of Dragon Age: Origins today!!! (And if I find out you pirated it, we’re no longer friends!)
I leave you with the newly released trailer announcing 30 Seconds To Mars’ exclusive song released with Dragon Age!
