365 days in the life
one year ago today was my first day at Zenimax. one year ago today i was trying to put eight great years of Mythic behind me, and come to terms with how complete a fresh start this was, and the magnitude of the opportunity that lay before me.
i was reconnecting with peers i’d worked with off and on for more than a decade. i was sitting in a bare office, looking at a fresh windows install with no audio software or hardware whatsoever. i was trying to remember where the bathroom was.
twelve short months from then ’til now. and here i am, sitting in front of a game-in-progress that has interactive music, voiceover, and combat & ambient sound effects integrated to a suprisingly complete degree. and we’re just getting started, folks.
one year later, and my initial optimism and enthusiasm has not been abated by months of actual work. quite the opposite – the past year of rubber-hitting-the-road has *raised* my expectations, not lowered them. that’s a nice change from the kind of situation where the reality on the ground forces you to make compromises, sacrifices, and deals with the devil until that high bar you had once set for yourself is nothing more than a wistful recollection.
a long time ago, the Professional Objective on my resume arrogantly proclaimed i was out to “realize the unrealized potential of game audio”. after a few years and a few games that fell short of that lofty boast, i struck that from my resume and replaced it with something more sensible. but the past year has got me thinking about that turn of phrase again…and that this is the best chance i’ve had yet to actually back up the bluster with substance.
so i blow out the single imaginary candle on my imaginary cupcake (chocolate), and make a wish to finally fulfill that original Professional Objective. :)
