Guild Wars 2 Interview
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[NMP] So, how about work today? You are a full-time designer for ArenaNet, how did you find yourself working on Guild Wars 2? (And. when is the game going to be released? [wink wink]
I do work full time, and I've been here for four wondrous years as of today. Before ArenaNet, I was working at Microsoft Game Studios (MGS) as a project manager. I'd interviewed at ArenaNet a couple times, been wined and dined by their previous writing lead, and had met the owners, but it wasn't the right time. I had several friends at ArenaNet already, and I was a huge Guild Wars fan, but I just wasn't ready to leave MGS. Finally, at the end of 2007, Bobby Stein, the new writing lead, approached me about applying again. So, I did.
Bobby likes to remind me often about how I blew off the first interview, and he had to call me and ask if I was coming. I'd had a total brain fart and lost track of time. Despite that, and despite the fact that I admitted to disliking Tolkien in the group interview with James Phinney, Jeff Grubb, and Ree Soesbee, I was hired. And I was ready. To my delight, the timing was perfect. I moved right into working on Guild Wars 2, and I've been crazy happy ever since.
That last question is the big one, eh? And, I cannot answer it because I don't know the answer. What I can tell you is that we're currently in Closed Beta and planning has begun for an Open Beta. It's all extremely exciting, and the game is coming along smashingly. It really is like magic when it all starts coming together and you see what an enormous accomplishment you've contributed to.
