When we first thought of doing a blog, I hadn’t imagined that I’d be a part of it. To be honest I was a little nervous – especially when Chris suggested the title! For those of you expecting a kiss-and-tell column to rival the most sordid of Mail on Sunday headlines, I apologise. What can I say? And yet it had seemed so promising with the number of industry parties in the weeks running up to Christmas! Note to self: must try harder.
Chris is right; Introversion has come a long way in five years. I’ve had a wonderful time this year, doing things that I never thought possible, travelling to places all over the world and meeting a variety of wonderful and at times, outrageous, people. Not many people know, but I was there pretty much right from the beginning. Shortly after setting up Introversion, Tom and Mark decided to try their hand at a bit of mountain-biking – in Peru of all places. Anxious to retain some professionalism, they thought that no-one could fail to be impressed by the dulcet tones of a female company secretary and as their impending departure beckoned, went in search of one. Dulcet tones were sadly hard to come by, not to say, expensive. Cue Tom’s little sister, stage left, who dutifully steps in to man the phones. In reality my job was a bit of a cover-up, we didn’t think it looked too good if everyone knew that two-thirds of the company were at that present moment wearing padded underwear and feasting on guinea-pig burgers, so soon after Introversion’s inauguration into the games world. In reflection everyone must have thought we were the most enterprising of start-ups; all of the directors were ‘extremely busy’, frequently ‘in meetings’, and would ‘have to call back later’!
To be honest, even though I’ve been here to witness a lot of the goings on within Introversion and the ups and downs of the past five years (how sorry I am not to have witnessed at first-hand the debaucheries of San Francisco and IGF!) it wasn’t really until I joined full time in May that I began to get a bit more of a feeling for this exciting, frequently manic, and sometimes rather daunting industry. One of the first things you can’t help but notice in my position is the sheer ratio of men to women and the fact that as a female your presence in this industry is often the subject of some controversy, and not a few wry smiles. I’ve lost count of the number of times an introduction has led to the inevitable question of how an earth I found myself in this industry, working for the company I do. Call me mischievous, I always rather fancied telling them I’m a programmer, or that I am in fact Christine Delay, creative director at Introversion (I can’t deny, or excuse, the perverse pleasure I felt in seeing myself introduced in one conference programme as Vicky Arundel – creator of the Darwinia). But for some reason I always chicken out at the last minute; I’m here because my brother is one of the directors, and yes you’ve guessed it, like most of the other women working in the industry, I work in PR and Marketing. A look of comprehension swiftly casts over the interrogator’s troubled brow - I think we’re both relieved, the pretence is over.
Like Chris has said, I see this blog as a place where you can get to see a bit more about what really goes on behind the scenes here, including some insights into what we’re working on and where we’re going in the future – not just from the development point of view, but for all those entrepreneurs out there, from the perspective of trying to run your own business. Many people are astonished when they learn that with 7 people full time, 4 of us have nothing to do with game development but are involved in some way in making sure that at the end of the day Introversion makes some money. So although my Bentley is yet to arrive from IV profits (and they all assure me it is only a matter of time) who knows, maybe 2007 will be our best year yet? In the meantime, keep the comments coming, and from all of us here at Introversion, we wish you a great Christmas and an extremely happy New Year!
Vic x
Sex in the sim city
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NeoThermic
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Re: Sex in the sim city
vic wrote:how sorry I am not to have witnessed at first-hand the debaucheries of San Francisco and IGF!
Oh how I wish I had of gone as well.
vic wrote:Call me mischievous, I always rather fancied telling them I’m a programmer, or that I am in fact Christine Delay, creative director at Introversion (I can’t deny, or excuse, the perverse pleasure I felt in seeing myself introduced in one conference programme as Vicky Arundel – creator of the Darwinia). But for some reason I always chicken out at the last minute
One should find the courage to not only say you're the programmer or something, but film it so we can see the reaction
NeoThermic
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ScareyedHawk
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ScareyedHawk
- level5
- Posts: 1156
- Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2003 10:14 pm
- Location: Västerås, Sweden
Montyphy wrote:Unless you did a DNA test how do you know (s)he isn't just a guy in a red dress?
Yep, it was DNA tests on entry. I mean, it was the Cabinet War Rooms after all! It's not like we could have just walked in off the street and gone in! Pfft!
We dont stop playing cos we get old... We get old cos we stop playing.
Montyphy wrote:elDiablo wrote:People in this community have met her, fool
Unless you did a DNA test how do you know (s)he isn't just a guy in a red dress?
Actually, that doesn't necessarily prove it!
EDIT: Although I admit I feel a bit unconfortable arguing the sex of such a pretty and influent lady
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