On October 1st, 2002, I started work at Red Storm. It’s been an awesome ride, starting as an Assistant Designer and working my way up to Creative Director, and shipping I can’t remember how many Ghost Recon games (I think it is 7 now, depending on how you count SKU’s). However, all things must come to an end, and I’ve decided to move away from the heat and humidity of North Carolina to the rain and snow of Washington. To that end, I’ve accepted a Design Lead position at Bungie, where I’ll be working on something a bit different than Ghost Recon. August 10th was my last day as a Sr Designer/Creative Director at RSE and Ubisoft.
It dawned on me on my last day at RSE that I had worked there longer than any one place in my adult life, even longer than I was in the Marines. Surreal to be moving on to somewhere different, but I am excited about the chance to face new challenges as a Designer.
So now I’m just getting ready to move, packing, sorting out movers, scouting for new houses in the area (and having fun checking housing prices in Seattle!). I like the area though, it’s much closer to Alaska than NC is, and I’m looking forward to getting some camping done (I could never bring myself to camp in NC, either to hot or too freaked out by ticks and lyme disease…there should be a law that anything that can kill you should be big enough to shoot).
To all my friends at Red Storm and Ubisoft, it’s been great working with you, keep making kick ass games!
I have to say thank you for the service to the Ghost Recon Universe. You will be missed from those games and hope you the best at Bungie. I will continue to love play your games online for a long time and for that I am debited to you. I just can't wait to see what is next for this great Designer!!
Posted by: Jason Clifford | August 15, 2007 at 09:21 AM
Good luck with the transition!
I can't tell you how much Rainbox Six, Rogue Spear and Ghost Recon have inspired me to want to work in this industry. From the intense single player moments where the slightest noise in my house would make me jump out of my chair, to the crazy clan matches we were into.
R6 and Ghost Recon are a couple of my favorite games of all time.
Posted by: Rob | August 15, 2007 at 11:43 AM
Best of luck Christian.
I really enjoyed chatting with you in Paris last year at the GRAW 2 press gathering and I look forward to speaking to you again in the future. I'm sure whatever it is you'll be working on it will be something special.
Posted by: Jon | August 16, 2007 at 01:54 AM
It will be interesting seeing what you come up with at Bungie, Christian. I'll definitely have to keep an eye out on the press release blasts and when I head up to visit Bungie later this year :)
Posted by: Brendon | August 16, 2007 at 03:37 AM
All the best with your new direction Christian, you've been a massive part of the GR universe and I'm sure we'll be seeing your name on more blockbuster games from Bungie.
Posted by: Rocky | August 16, 2007 at 05:44 AM
Hey man. Why move to Washington permanently? Where do you really want to live? What game is it that you really want to make? Why don't you just start designing it and put out notice to companies/publishers to see which ones want it. Then you can live where you want (even if you have to make some remote trips for a few months now and then over the course of development).
You are the star, man. Not Game Company X. A game company can't design a game - only a game designer can. All a game company can do is have an office, own stuff and write paychecks. They need you far more than you need them. Remember that joke Richard Garriott (or whomever) told about EA buying his company five or six times? Every time they bought it, the core staff would leave it and go back to Garriot where they'd form a new one that EA would then buy. And it happened over and over because EA doesn't realize you can't own talent.
Take control of your destiny. You could be working with a different company every year, producing whatever game design strikes you next, because you have the power. Not them.
Get an agent.
Yes, I know this is unconventional. So? Everything has to change. It changed in the movie business. At one time the stars were employees of the studios. Then, slowly, guys like Mike Ovitz realized it was the stars who had the power - not the studios.
Notice that Gamasutra did a story on you.
Think about it.
Posted by: Grassroots Gamemaster | August 16, 2007 at 09:48 AM
Well congratulations !
Seattle has some great camping spots of its own (when it’s not raining . . . so three days a year it does). Vancouver is nice too !
Wish you all the best in your move and good luck with finding a new house !
Posted by: DXEndar | August 16, 2007 at 01:57 PM
Congrats, man!
Posted by: Mājas lapu izstrāde un grafiskais dizains | September 11, 2009 at 09:40 AM