Skip to Content
 

Doing the Happy Dance (I got a job!)...

26 replies [Last post]
InvisibleJon
InvisibleJon's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/27/2008

Hi All,

As the subject says, I'm doing the happy dance because I got a job. My first day was Tuesday of this week (4 days ago). Now that in and of itself is nifty, but perhaps not nifty enough to merit sharing with y'all on the BGDF. Yeah, I post here fairly regularly and I've gotten to know many of you from your forum presences (and a few of you in person). Even so, just saying, "Hey, I got a job!" doesn't really merit a post in the Off Topic forum. There really needs to be something more to it.

...And there is.

My new job is at Steve Jackson Games. Although I'm uncertain of my exact official title, my job roughly boils down to being a non-Munchkin board game development lead. If it's a board game, and it's not part of the Munchkin universe, I'm responsible for shepherding it along from concept/submission to production. I'm also adopting most (if not all) of the play test coordination duties.

So, in a tremendously ironic twist, after months and months of contacting (or trying to contact) the game submissions person at various game companies, I've become that person.

That said: Please refrain from sending me unsolicited submissions for games you'd like SJG to consider for publication. The board game queue at SJG is already full for the forseeable future. In fact, I was hired to get the queue moving. Once the queue is open again and SJG is able to accept unsolicited submissions, I sincerely promise that y'all will be among the first to know.

Woo hoo!

oicu12b12
oicu12b12's picture
Offline
Joined: 10/02/2009
Congrats!

Dude, that is awesome! Congratulations! We're all slightly envious ;) Best of luck as you get started.

Peace,
Matt

Redcap
Redcap's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/26/2008
That is great news, thanks

That is great news, thanks for sharing!!!

Dralius
Dralius's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/26/2008
That is fantastic news.

That is fantastic news.

Maybe that means you’ll be able to come to Protospiel after all.

Either way congratulations. That sounds like a dream job to me.

Brykovian
Brykovian's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/21/2008
Awesome, Jon -- congrats! So

Awesome, Jon -- congrats!

So ... what does that mean for ICP?

-Matt

TsunamiBomb
Offline
Joined: 03/10/2010
That is beyond phenomenal

That is beyond phenomenal news.

rpghost
rpghost's picture
Offline
Joined: 03/03/2009
Congrats and good luck... it

Congrats and good luck... it is a LOT of work to oversea all that stuff! We just sent 4 games off to China this month so I know!

You going to be at GTS (Gama Trade Show http://www.game.org ) this month? If so stop by our booth!

James Mathe
http://www.MinionGames.com

P.S. Say HI to Phil Reed for me... he knows who I am.

sedjtroll
sedjtroll's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/21/2008
Sweet! Congrats!

That's great Jon, I'm really happy for you! I hope you'll be able to let us know a little about what your job entails now and then so we can learn more about the process of bringing a game from concept to publication!

- Seth

Yort
Offline
Joined: 11/24/2009
Congratulations

Dude, that is awesome. I guess that cant hurt getting your own designs through, ha ha.

CloudBuster
Offline
Joined: 04/14/2009
Excellent news!

Wow!

This is fantastic news! I'm really happy for you and look forward to more interesting posts (if you can) about what your job entails.

Kudos!

-CB-

Willi B
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
great news!

Congrats!

This is really good news for SJG as well... it has been a long while since they have been respected amongst the gamer gamers... they started making that turn with Revolution and it looks like they are headed back into the favor of those missing their once applauded efforts.

bluesea
bluesea's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
Dance of Joy news worthy for

Dance of Joy news worthy for sure!!
Yet another feather in your cap!

Congrats!

tomi71
Offline
Joined: 07/28/2008
Congrats to you! I remember

Congrats to you! I remember that you once complimented on my game so maybe we could do business in the future when the time is right :)

Evolution Earth Board Game
http://picasaweb.google.com/tomi71

and the new card game about the same game family and theme
Evolution Earth: Cataclysm
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/63216/evolution-earth-cataclysm

Of course you can also contact me when your situation at there is better (queue is shortened or something :D )

Greetings!

tomi71@gmail.com

InvisibleJon
InvisibleJon's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/27/2008
Thanks, everyone! (And some replies...)

Dralius wrote:
That is fantastic news. Maybe that means you’ll be able to come to Protospiel after all.
In fact, I *will* be at Protospiel. Isn't that nice? I'm quite happy about that. However, I'll be there as an SJG rep, so I won't be showing off my own stuff. I'm just glad to get to be there.

Dralius wrote:
Either way congratulations. That sounds like a dream job to me.
Every now and then I have these surreal, "Am I really here?" moments: Standing in Warehouse 23, signing an email with my "@sjgames" email address, holding a binder full of digital masters for previously published games...

Yeah. It's pretty freakin' awesome. I consider myself very fortunate.

Brykovian wrote:
So ... what does that mean for ICP?
Invisible City (http://www.invisible-city.com/) is pretty much on indefinite hiatus. It'd pretty much entered that state at the start of 2010 when I posted my 120th Game of the Month. Also, the book I'm writing on applied philosophy of game design is on the back burner. However, I'm still 100% behind Protospiel South (http://protospielsouth.com/) and Inevitable (http://inevitablethegame.com/). Those are going to launch on time and in terrific shape.

rpghost wrote:
Congrats and good luck... it is a LOT of work to oversea all that stuff! We just sent 4 games off to China this month so I know!
Good luck on that. I'm sure it's exciting!

rpghost wrote:
You going to be at GTS (Gama Trade Show http://www.game.org ) this month? If so stop by our booth!
Nope. Wish I were. There are many, many people I wanted to touch base with. Still, that's the way it goes.

rpghost wrote:
P.S. Say HI to Phil Reed for me... he knows who I am.
Will do. He's the primary force behind deciding to hire me, and he's my direct manager now.

CloudBuster wrote:
I'm really happy for you and look forward to more interesting posts (if you can) about what your job entails.
...and...

sedjtroll wrote:
I hope you'll be able to let us know a little about what your job entails now and then so we can learn more about the process of bringing a game from concept to publication!
Every day I learn more and more. I think it'd be a real hoot to keep a blog or somesuch. I should check and see what it's okay (and not okay) for me to talk about.

Also: Just received a copy of Terra Prime for my birthday. I really, really like it!

Yort wrote:
I guess that cant hurt getting your own designs through, ha ha.
Amusingly, I have to play by the same rules as everyone else. No new submissions until the queue is clear. It's yet another carrot to motivate me to clear the queue.

tomi71 wrote:
Congrats to you! I remember that you once complimented on my game so maybe we could do business in the future when the time is right :)
I can't promise that I'll remember to contact you specifically, but I do stand by my promise that when SJG is ready to accept unsolicited submissions, I will ab-so-lute-ly let the BGDF know ASAP. In the meantime, keep working on Evolution Earth and submit it to every appropriate publisher you can! Regardless of who picks it up, I'll be happy for you.

Thanks again for all your congratulations and questions, everyone. I'm a very happy designer. =)

truekid games
truekid games's picture
Offline
Joined: 10/29/2008
congrats, glad to hear about

congrats, glad to hear about your new job! (and also glad to hear that it doesn't nix protospiel south ;) )

InvisibleJon
InvisibleJon's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/27/2008
SJG is a primary sponsor...

truekid games wrote:
congrats, glad to hear about your new job! (and also glad to hear that it doesn't nix protospiel south ;) )
Actually, SJG is a primary sponsor of Protospiel South. They really *want* Protospiel South to stay on track. A bunch of people from SJG will be there on Saturday (I can't promise a specific person will be there, but it's very likely.), so there'll be a lot of accumulated industry knowledge available for informal questioning and learning.

sedjtroll
sedjtroll's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/21/2008
InvisibleJon wrote:Also:

InvisibleJon wrote:
Also: Just received a copy of Terra Prime for my birthday. I really, really like it!

Aww... you're just sayin' that to be nice ;)

I'm glad you liked Terra Prime, and congrats again on the new gig!

Will you be at GAMA again this year? If so, come say "hi" to Mike and I at the PSI booth!

dnjkirk
dnjkirk's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/22/2008
I'm late to the party, but...

AWESOME! Absolutely wonderful! Now all of a sudden SJG is back on my radar again ;)

By the by, one of our Artisans has something in the pipe there. Good to know you're piloting that ship to safe harbour. You're the best man for a job like this with the amount of experience you've given yourself in your years with invisible city. Couldn't have happened to a better guy.

Congrats are in order! Come to Shanghai and I'll buy you a beer or ten!

Taavet
Taavet's picture
Offline
Joined: 08/15/2008
Nice, for sure!

Glad to hear!

It's good to see the community growing in terms of designers getting published, publishers being represented, and members building relationships.

Your advice and contributions in the forums over the years have been much appreciated and SJG did well in getting the right man for the job.

Kirioni
Offline
Joined: 09/20/2009
Hardy Congrats

"and there was MUCH rejoicing" Way to go!!!

onihero
Offline
Joined: 01/24/2010
congrats!

Congratulations! I know how difficult things are in this economy and to get a job doing something that Im sure you are going to love. Lucky guy :)

ilta
ilta's picture
Offline
Joined: 12/05/2008
Fantastic news! Hope to see

Fantastic news! Hope to see that blog, rules permitting.

abeja_reina_1989 (not verified)
Good job!! I love that

Good job!! I love that exciting feeling :):)
_________________
[URL=http://www.bgames.com][I]free online games[I][URL]

simons
simons's picture
Offline
Joined: 12/28/2008
Wow, congratulations!

Wow, congratulations!

SiddGames
SiddGames's picture
Offline
Joined: 08/02/2008
Grats!

Wow, that's just awesome. It's really cool seeing someone who's "paid his dues" and stuck with it over the years "making" it. Enjoy your new job -- you've earned it!

red hare
red hare's picture
Offline
Joined: 11/09/2009
fantastic job.... you deserve

fantastic job.... you deserve it!!!!

InvisibleJon
InvisibleJon's picture
Offline
Joined: 07/27/2008
I'll be blogging it.

InvisibleJon wrote:
CloudBuster wrote:
I'm really happy for you and look forward to more interesting posts (if you can) about what your job entails.
...and...

sedjtroll wrote:
I hope you'll be able to let us know a little about what your job entails now and then so we can learn more about the process of bringing a game from concept to publication!
Every day I learn more and more. I think it'd be a real hoot to keep a blog or somesuch. I should check and see what it's okay (and not okay) for me to talk about.
[/quote]I got permission to keep a blog. Obviously there are things I can not discuss, like unannounced product, but there are many things that I can discuss. I plan to use the Invisible City website / blog for this. I think I'll start with one post a week, probably on Friday or the weekend as a review of the past week's events and my thoughts in general.

I think I'll have plenty to write about, but if you have any specific questions you'd like me to address, please let me know and I'll do my best to address them.

Syndicate content


forum | by Dr. Radut