Next Big Thing
by Ben Garney · 05/30/2008 (4:47 pm) · 37 comments
My five years at GarageGames have been a blast. It's time to hit the big red button and reboot the ol' career.
Obligatory retrospective: I first came to GarageGames as a fresh-faced eighteen year old intern. I lived in a spare bedroom, and wrote docs and code. I came back to work full time six months later. (One of the scariest and most rewarding decisions I ever made was leaving college to work at GG.) I lived in Jeff's garage for a while before I got an apartment. There were about ten of us - it felt a lot like a family. We had a wild and crazy community full of talented people. In the subsequent five years that family grew to include a ton of new faces. We shipped engines, made games, dealt with good times and bad times, and changed the games industry, at least a little bit.
A guy couldn't ask for a better introduction to the games industry!
Now it's time to move on. GG is an awesome company, and it's going to keep going places. InstantAction has huge potential, and Torque is getting some needed engineering love.
But the things I want to do don't match up anymore. I'm ready for a change of pace. And the company has plenty of smart and talented people - I don't need to be there for GG to do well. That's a very liberating feeling.
There's some great potential in Flash and in the mobile space; things are finally getting good enough to make cool products. It would be fun to make some small-scale games on my own terms. I'm excited to immerse myself in some new environments and technologies.
I'll still be around. I'll be speaking at the Austin GDC on networking, and also on Flash technology. I'm starting work on a book; we'll see if it makes it or not. And when the Next Big Thing rolls around... you'll probably hear from me then, too. :)
If you see me around, say hi! You can also track my personal blog or my twitter feed. My e-mail is ben.garney AT gmail (you know the rest).
Thanks for everything, and I wish you the best. It's been a pleasure to be a part of this community and work with a unique group of people.
Image courtesy of Flickr user Pulpolux!!!
#22
05/31/2008 (7:20 am)
Good luck Ben. Sometimes change is good, sometimes it's not, but know where you are coming from. I've been in the same boat. It takes a brave man to make a decission like this which will be a tough road, but with all of your experience and knowledge gained over the years - I can see a great big plan ahead with whoever you may end up working with again.
#23
05/31/2008 (8:00 am)
Go get 'em, Ben! You've done some really great work for GG and it's customers over the years. I'd code with you any day. --Andy
#24
I can't help but join the others who have 'bad feelings about this', though.
I know that GG has probably more talent-per-square-foot than most companies, but you and Jeff (among others) have been the 'face' of GG for so many years, it feels like the company is losing its pure, garage-like quality. You have lived in Jeff's garage yourself, I don't think a more potent example could be found for the garage games mentality. :)
Now that the indie games movement is alive and well, I guess GG's role has shifted a bit.
Instantaction is amazing, GGE is really sweet, and the TGE(A) is lightyears beyond what it was years ago, still.
On a good note, we still have Matt Fairfax, Pat Wilson, Matt Langley, and a gazillion of talented others, I sincerely hope they start being a bit more 'visible'.
It's just not going to be the same without you :)
Best of luck with your projects!
05/31/2008 (10:27 am)
Glad to hear that you are pursuing new challenges!I can't help but join the others who have 'bad feelings about this', though.
I know that GG has probably more talent-per-square-foot than most companies, but you and Jeff (among others) have been the 'face' of GG for so many years, it feels like the company is losing its pure, garage-like quality. You have lived in Jeff's garage yourself, I don't think a more potent example could be found for the garage games mentality. :)
Now that the indie games movement is alive and well, I guess GG's role has shifted a bit.
Instantaction is amazing, GGE is really sweet, and the TGE(A) is lightyears beyond what it was years ago, still.
On a good note, we still have Matt Fairfax, Pat Wilson, Matt Langley, and a gazillion of talented others, I sincerely hope they start being a bit more 'visible'.
It's just not going to be the same without you :)
Best of luck with your projects!
#25
One of the best parts of being at GG was the community - you guys kept us honest, and it was always a treat to see what you were working on. For me, personally, it was a privilege to be able to help so many people pursue their dreams.
As for where GG is going and what it'll be like in the future - who can say? The world of indie games has changed hugely since GG started. InstantAction has a lot of potential. And there's tons of talented people at GG. If GG doesn't keep growing and doing cool stuff, I'd be very surprised. Think of this as a changing of the guard. :)
05/31/2008 (12:10 pm)
Thanks for the kind words. :)One of the best parts of being at GG was the community - you guys kept us honest, and it was always a treat to see what you were working on. For me, personally, it was a privilege to be able to help so many people pursue their dreams.
As for where GG is going and what it'll be like in the future - who can say? The world of indie games has changed hugely since GG started. InstantAction has a lot of potential. And there's tons of talented people at GG. If GG doesn't keep growing and doing cool stuff, I'd be very surprised. Think of this as a changing of the guard. :)
#26
05/31/2008 (12:31 pm)
Good wishes for the future Ben, I'm sure you'll do well in future your endeavors. I do have to agree with the concerns though because the same things crossed my mind prior to reading the others comments, it's just starting to feel a little like when the gamespot incident happened (but without the controversy) and all the key people / faces start leaving one after another, perhaps it's just sentimentalism maybe, anyhow best wishes man! :) 
#27
You have a great future ahead of you.
05/31/2008 (1:15 pm)
Very Gald we had a chance to work together Ben. You have a great future ahead of you.
#28
See you around!
05/31/2008 (1:43 pm)
I will look forward to whatever cool new things you come up with Ben, and would wish you luck if I felt like you needed any :DSee you around!
#29
The best for you on your new endeavours Ben! You will be missed.
05/31/2008 (3:49 pm)
Im realizing now, that after only two years of be around here, I am starting to feel like I know who is who here, and when guys like you go, it feels like leaves a hole. Well, at least we will have you present through your "-- BJG" comments :DThe best for you on your new endeavours Ben! You will be missed.
#30
Nick
06/01/2008 (3:31 am)
Thank you for all the help you've been in the past Ben. Good luck with your new career path!Nick
#33
06/01/2008 (12:13 pm)
Thanks for everything Ben. Good luck with your future projects. I wish you were the last to leave, but it looks like the transition contracts are getting fullfilled. Hope IAC keeps the existing GG constomers in mind in contrast to the usual MBA-fueled madness that oozes from acquisitions.
#35
06/02/2008 (9:12 am)
Well, dang! I can understand, though - the longest I've ever worked for one company was seven years, right about five years I started to feel stale.. so the timing is about right to "move on". Best of luck, and I'm sure we'll be hearing about you in the future! :-) 
#36
06/02/2008 (12:34 pm)
Inspired by your interest in AS3 and Tamarin at IGC, I've been playing with it as well lately. It'll be strange to see you go, but I'm betting that you've got some sweet schemes to work out! I can't wait to see 'em!
#37
This is something I definately wanted to read. Looking forward...
06/19/2008 (10:03 am)
Besides the good luck wishes, Quote:Torque is getting some needed engineering love.
This is something I definately wanted to read. Looking forward...
Torque Owner Jeff Leigh
YucaTech Studios
Thanks for all your help over the years.