About GreyPawn
*sung to the tune of “Modern Major General” by Gilbert & Sullivan*
Oh he is the very model of a modern community manager
From polls to forum metrics - web stats measured by nearest integer
He knows the latest trends and helps set brand tonality-
In Gamespot, Gamespy; Gametab Pre-Announce to Gold finality.
Oh he can dissolve a hostile thread with unparalleled efficiency
Bring praise to devs, and placate plebs with access to a beta key
He can write a press release with unnatural speed, you will agree
And post a dozen times pre-lunch for release to the community.
He knows exactly what is meant by obscure terms like “RMT”
Challenges broad player assertions clarifying past commen-tary
Makes players swoon, by saying “Soon,”
And fosters fansite camaraderie
With a current iteration and a modern adaptation of his very public station
He takes a very active part,
In a cause near and dear to his heart,
The International Game Developers Association
For his game industry knowledge, though he’s tactful and bohemian
Has only been brought up in matters furtive and academian
In short in matters forum-based, up online and now-in-print
He champions the very model of modern community management.
You suffered through that. I’m surprised you lasted. Rightyo, on to the actual nitty gritty. My name is Inigo Montoya. You kill’d my father. Pre-pare to die.
Actually, it’s Joe Pishgar. I’m a Community Manager for Sulake working with Disney on Virtual Magic Kingdom. I have a long and storied history as an MMO gamer, live events type person and guild leader. You name it, I’ve played it. As for industry cred, I’m still a bit of a newblar, hailing most recently from Sony Online Entertainment (working with Star Wars Galaxies) and Big Huge Games and the RTS communities of Rise of Nations and Rise of Legends as Community Manager. I’ve done some freelance design and production work on homebrew MMOs (I know, I know), particularly the Shadowrun Online and Rifts Online projects.
After I have truly mastered the art of Community (which I believe now involves eating the brain of Sanya Weathers to absorb her power), it is a goal of mine to use this sacred and arcane knowledge to jump into the design of a persistent-state world. “*gasp* Community to Design? Surely you jest!” I hear you say. Nay nay, friend. A Community Manager tends to be at the crossroads of a game and learns a great many dark and terrible (and also useful) secrets that could quite possibly lead to bold new innovation in design. But I digress.
I am the eldest son of a psychotic former NASA secretarial temp and an Iranian pizza restauranteer. Raised by a tug-boat Captain, I was taught important life lessons through Sega CD’s “Third World War” and all the Final Fantasys up to the point where the main character started to get a little froofy. I’m a big guy (A fat gamer? Again, you jest!), and I hate to fly. I have only two mild phobias, arachnophobia and to a lesser extent megalopolisophobia.
I’m militantly liberal, made this way by Dubya in much the same way the Joker made the Batman. The man said “internets”. Plural. He meant it. I have no choice in the matter.
All the opinions and rantings and psychotic episodes expressed on this site are the direct opinions of it’s creator, me, and in no way reflect or represent the opinions of my employer, psychiatrist or deity.