It's been an incredible ride.
07/29/2006 (2:17 am) by Jay Moore
It is with mixed emotions that I'm announcing my departure from the Garage to pursue new opportunities.
I will always consider the last four years of my life a great legacy, pulling off the first IGC in 5 weeks, a few weeks later launching the first Torque games, first GG booth to GDC 2003... Now what seems like a moment later, we have a Torque community of over 70,000, new logos for GG and Torque, new website look, two additional engines, a bunch of content packs, MB on millions of Macs, more great games - even on console, more great IGCs and way too many conferences later, I feel like I've seen the most amazing years of GG even though I know there is much more to come.
Getting any company through the startup phase or as I like to call it for GG the starve-up phase takes a fierce entrepreneurial commitment and vision for how things can be different. It has been my privilege to be the Evangelist out spreading the word and connecting with our community and partners. Today, I find what we started out proclaiming as a vision for the future is now an anthem shared by the many in the industry including Microsoft. There is always more to do, but the question of if we could realize our vision, build this enterprise or build a vibrant sustainable Independent Game Dev. segment of the industry are all visions that seem inevitable if not already realized.
I count the relationships I've built with many of you to be my most important accomplishment. Seeing you succeed, as I'm confident that many of you will, is what will make this endeavor all worthwhile. I hope many of these relationships grow over time.
It is with a great sense of accomplishment I pass the Wrench off to my partners to take this enterprise on to be a mature well managed organization. I know that more great innovation is still to come out of the Garage and I'm glad to have been a part of Changing the way games are made and played.
I will always consider the last four years of my life a great legacy, pulling off the first IGC in 5 weeks, a few weeks later launching the first Torque games, first GG booth to GDC 2003... Now what seems like a moment later, we have a Torque community of over 70,000, new logos for GG and Torque, new website look, two additional engines, a bunch of content packs, MB on millions of Macs, more great games - even on console, more great IGCs and way too many conferences later, I feel like I've seen the most amazing years of GG even though I know there is much more to come.
Getting any company through the startup phase or as I like to call it for GG the starve-up phase takes a fierce entrepreneurial commitment and vision for how things can be different. It has been my privilege to be the Evangelist out spreading the word and connecting with our community and partners. Today, I find what we started out proclaiming as a vision for the future is now an anthem shared by the many in the industry including Microsoft. There is always more to do, but the question of if we could realize our vision, build this enterprise or build a vibrant sustainable Independent Game Dev. segment of the industry are all visions that seem inevitable if not already realized.
I count the relationships I've built with many of you to be my most important accomplishment. Seeing you succeed, as I'm confident that many of you will, is what will make this endeavor all worthwhile. I hope many of these relationships grow over time.
It is with a great sense of accomplishment I pass the Wrench off to my partners to take this enterprise on to be a mature well managed organization. I know that more great innovation is still to come out of the Garage and I'm glad to have been a part of Changing the way games are made and played.
About the author
I cut my teeth as the Marketing Director (glorified ad sales guy) for a small magazine publisher called Oakley Publishing which nurtured the well loved bi-monthly [b][i]Programmer\\\'s Journal[/b][/i] into a monthly publication and we aquired the quarterly, [b][i]C Gazzette[/b][/i] and launched [b][i]Windows Tech Journal[/b][/i]. This was when Borland developer tools ruled, object oriented programming was novel, BBSs were the norm, the web hadn\\\'t been launched yet, Windows 3.0 was slowly being adopted and Bill Gates still keynoted the Software Developers Conference. I then worked on the distribution side in the k-12 educational software channel as Sales & Marketing Director for Learning Services. Then 15 years ago I started a design firm with my wife called Thin Air Design and I took on some contract work for Dynamix taking [b]The Even More Incredible Machine[/b] into the educational channel. Our firm developed a number of web sites for Dynamix including [b]Hunter Hunted, Golf, Ski Racing, Outpost 2, Minigolf,[/b] and the early development sites for [b]Starsiege & Tribes [/b] team, before the web development process was taken in-house. Additionally, I helped bring all the Sierra educational games into the educational channel assisting with channel relations, curriculum development and packaging. Then came the opportunity to work with Jeff to evangelize [b]Driver Education \\\'98 & \\\'99[/b] where we taught teens to drive using a simulator rather than a motorized killing machine. Along the way I\\\'ve started and done a DPO for a healthy fast food restaurant - everything from franchise marketing to location analysis. I\\\'ve helped found 2 non-profits and acted as board membeor or president on three of them. I currently am on the Casual Games Association Advisory Board and contribute to the steering committee of the IGDA Online SIG as well as the Casual Games SIG whitepaper. view profile »
#2
Good Luck and Best Wishes with your new endeavor! We all wish you well and really appreaciate everything you have done for us.
Sincerely,
John K.
07/29/2006 (3:31 am)
Jay,Good Luck and Best Wishes with your new endeavor! We all wish you well and really appreaciate everything you have done for us.
Sincerely,
John K.
#3
07/29/2006 (3:36 am)
It was nice meeting you, and talking to you the few times we met up (E3 and IGC):) Good luck in your future endeavors!
#4
07/29/2006 (3:38 am)
It seems we just met and now you are leaving me. Good luck in what ever you do. Don't be a stranger to the community.
#5
07/29/2006 (3:55 am)
It is quite heart wrenching to hear of your departure from GG, but I wish you luck in what ever you do in the future, I will never forget the great way you sat down with a bunch of collage students in an empty class room and shared not only your time, but your well of knowledge and expereince, you in turned listened to us and what we had to say, Thanks so much for that, it meant alot to us all that where there, and hope to still hear from you in the future, :)
#6
It's been an honor and a privilege to work with you these past three years. The level of energy you've brought to GarageGames is incredible - we would not be where we are today without you! I'm glad you're leaving us under good terms, and I look forward to running into you again in the future.
I'm confident that your next opportunity is going to be an exciting one - you seem to have made a habit out of working at interesting companies at interesting times. :)
Warm regards, and best wishes for the future,
Ben Garney
07/29/2006 (3:59 am)
Jay,It's been an honor and a privilege to work with you these past three years. The level of energy you've brought to GarageGames is incredible - we would not be where we are today without you! I'm glad you're leaving us under good terms, and I look forward to running into you again in the future.
I'm confident that your next opportunity is going to be an exciting one - you seem to have made a habit out of working at interesting companies at interesting times. :)
Warm regards, and best wishes for the future,
Ben Garney
#7
The entertaining evenings spending time with you during GDC made for some of the memoral moments that I will always remember from my first GDC. I will also never forget how you helped encourage us to turn TubeTwist into what it is today (hence your immortality within its plot). You've helped 21-6 and myself in ways that saying "thank you" will never be enough. I wish the best and beyond for you, your family, and your future.
-Dave C.
07/29/2006 (4:02 am)
Jay,The entertaining evenings spending time with you during GDC made for some of the memoral moments that I will always remember from my first GDC. I will also never forget how you helped encourage us to turn TubeTwist into what it is today (hence your immortality within its plot). You've helped 21-6 and myself in ways that saying "thank you" will never be enough. I wish the best and beyond for you, your family, and your future.
-Dave C.
#8
Good luck. Thanks. Please let us know what cool stuff you are up to every once in a while.
I'm sorry I never got a chance to Intern for you. It would have been a kick ass time. I hope the next opportunity makes you rich. You deserve it.
07/29/2006 (5:21 am)
Jay Moore,Good luck. Thanks. Please let us know what cool stuff you are up to every once in a while.
I'm sorry I never got a chance to Intern for you. It would have been a kick ass time. I hope the next opportunity makes you rich. You deserve it.
#9
Wow. You've been the "face" of GG for me, so it'll be hard getting used to you being elsewhere. But I'm sure you are leaving it in good hands. Good luck with your new endeavors!
07/29/2006 (5:25 am)
Jay - Wow. You've been the "face" of GG for me, so it'll be hard getting used to you being elsewhere. But I'm sure you are leaving it in good hands. Good luck with your new endeavors!
#10
Regards,
Peter Kojesta
Exis Inc
07/29/2006 (6:49 am)
I walked away from GDC all those years ago and said "this man can sell a ketchup popsicle to a man in a white suit". It was always fun Jay, Hope we run into each other again.Regards,
Peter Kojesta
Exis Inc
#11
And thank you about all those years of dedication to the indie scene!
Christophe
07/29/2006 (7:19 am)
Good luck Jay!And thank you about all those years of dedication to the indie scene!
Christophe
#12
Thanks. Good Luck and Best Wishes.
-kefan xu
07/29/2006 (7:28 am)
After finish my game trailer ( took me a whole day to do it ), and saw this news, ...Thanks. Good Luck and Best Wishes.
-kefan xu
#13
You're a giant. A nuclear reactor of drive, and life. I'm sure whatever new venture you tackle will light up like a rocket in the very near future.
You've been an inspiration, a model of attitude and work ethic. I wish you the best of luck.
-Weston
07/29/2006 (8:42 am)
Jay,You're a giant. A nuclear reactor of drive, and life. I'm sure whatever new venture you tackle will light up like a rocket in the very near future.
You've been an inspiration, a model of attitude and work ethic. I wish you the best of luck.
-Weston
#14
I have a feeling GarageGames marketing won't quite be the same without you. But then again, marketing on your new venture won't quite be the same with you on board :)
07/29/2006 (8:49 am)
Good luck on your new venture's, Jay!I have a feeling GarageGames marketing won't quite be the same without you. But then again, marketing on your new venture won't quite be the same with you on board :)
#15
07/29/2006 (8:55 am)
Holy shock and awe! Wow! Jay ... I only got to know you a little bit at IGC last year but you surprised me with your level of energy and commitment. You actually reminded me of a good friend of mine quite a bit which is a good thing. Anyway, let us know what adventure you're off to next and best of luck!
#16
07/29/2006 (9:13 am)
I'm still stunned. Best of everything for you and Julie.
#17
Take care out there,
Stefan Lundmark
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07/29/2006 (9:13 am)
Thanks for everything Jay, and good luck. I sure will be missing our chats, and your blog posts. I always find myself excited when you've posted a new blog.Take care out there,
Stefan Lundmark
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#18
For the past many years, your energy and enthusiasm for the "little guy" and indie game development in general has been utterly motivational. I hold many of our discussions over drinks over most of the past 6 years (or whatever it's been) at GDC's as some of the most encouraging and interesting chats each year. I've always sought you out at the conference (since I can't get my butt up to Eugene, despite your continued invitations) and it's wholly because you have helped pull many of us through the muck of the corporate side of game development. You and GG have inspired many people and helped me personally to see light in the game development community during times when it seemed everything was falling apart.
I find myself digging deeper than may be appropriate in this forum, but I feel it's important to add some of my story here. You have been an incredible part of the exciting, positive image of Garage Games. For many years, during our long-running monthly Colorado Game Developers meetings, I've found my self becoming somewhat of a mini-evangelist for Garage Games and the Indie "movement" that I honestly feel GG is largely responsible for burgeoning. Maybe our group is sick of me suggestion that they try Torque for this or Torque for that... I'd say you've done your job very, very well.
Thanks again for many years of incredibly hard work, and thank you for inspiring me and a slew of other indie developers. You'll be missed from this community and greatly appreciated in whatever you do next.
Best Regards,
Paul Hoza
MassMOG.com
07/29/2006 (9:13 am)
Jay,For the past many years, your energy and enthusiasm for the "little guy" and indie game development in general has been utterly motivational. I hold many of our discussions over drinks over most of the past 6 years (or whatever it's been) at GDC's as some of the most encouraging and interesting chats each year. I've always sought you out at the conference (since I can't get my butt up to Eugene, despite your continued invitations) and it's wholly because you have helped pull many of us through the muck of the corporate side of game development. You and GG have inspired many people and helped me personally to see light in the game development community during times when it seemed everything was falling apart.
I find myself digging deeper than may be appropriate in this forum, but I feel it's important to add some of my story here. You have been an incredible part of the exciting, positive image of Garage Games. For many years, during our long-running monthly Colorado Game Developers meetings, I've found my self becoming somewhat of a mini-evangelist for Garage Games and the Indie "movement" that I honestly feel GG is largely responsible for burgeoning. Maybe our group is sick of me suggestion that they try Torque for this or Torque for that... I'd say you've done your job very, very well.
Thanks again for many years of incredibly hard work, and thank you for inspiring me and a slew of other indie developers. You'll be missed from this community and greatly appreciated in whatever you do next.
Best Regards,
Paul Hoza
MassMOG.com
#19
I have invested every once/kilogram(for those outside of North America) of energy into the indie dream so that this opportunity would be open to everyone who could bring the talent and inspiration to making games. I just want you to know if anyone of you step forward and create a fun game I'll know I put my life energy in the right place.
If you want to stay connected you can LinkIn to me at: http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=282314
You can email me at jd.moore @ gmail.com
07/29/2006 (9:48 am)
For all of you I'll not be far off... I will haunt you until you find your full potential and succeed at what you set out to create. I insist that you create great games that I have fun playing. You think I'm going away, you can't get off that easy... like Spider Man knows, "with great technology comes great responsiblity." I will let you know what I'm up to along life's journey, but I will expect twice as much from this group of talented game devs, the technology you have now, the community you have to support you, what you can accomplish is a unique point in time, in your life and mine.I have invested every once/kilogram(for those outside of North America) of energy into the indie dream so that this opportunity would be open to everyone who could bring the talent and inspiration to making games. I just want you to know if anyone of you step forward and create a fun game I'll know I put my life energy in the right place.
If you want to stay connected you can LinkIn to me at: http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=282314
You can email me at jd.moore @ gmail.com
#20
07/29/2006 (9:52 am)
Uhh, really sad to hear this news. I remember you always as driving force here at GG. All the best for your future!
Torque Owner Edward F. Maurina III
I'm glad to have known you and hope that we continue to run into each other in the future.
I'm sorry to hear that you are leaving, but I am also glad if this is what you want to do. I certainly wish you well in your future endeavors.
I thank you for being a part of the miracle that is GarageGames. Without your effort and the efforts of the GG staff, where would we Indies be?
I only hope that someone of equivalent 'vigor and verve' is found to fill your spot, however hard that is to imagine and consider right now.
Truly, I say, "Take Care and Best Of Luck In All Things Jay!"
EdM|GPGT
Corrected phrase.