How To Become: Tim Clark

Seems our protesting worked, or maybe it was our cookie stealing. Whatever it was, we managed to secure Tim Clark, Editor in Chief of Official Playstation Magazine UK and apparent cheeseburger connoisseur, in the process. I’m not sure how he got this title but I bet he goes for more than just a plain one.

Name: Tim Clark
Age: 33
Birthplace: Wimbledon, London
University: University of East Anglia to study English Literature and Philosophy
Background information: Tim is someone who we at TheSixthAxis admire quite a lot. We would each kill for his job and love his work for the Official Playstation Magazine. So what do we have to do to avoid killing?

Q: I believe you haven’t always been in the gaming industry, but what was your very first job?

A: Working at a pub called the Rambler’s Rest in Surrey, which was very young and lively at the time, but has sadly devolved into a miserably generic gastro place. After graduating I ended up at the now defunct L!VE TV, home of the News Bunny and Topless Darts, where I naturally wound up on the late night desk booking strippers for The Sex Show and editing cheesy softcore US erotica. When that went bang (fiscally) I wound up at Playboy TV UK, which was actually dull (it was based in Hayes, near Slough – oh the glamour) before joining the Network Of The World. That was a multi-channel Broadband portal, paid for using tens of millions of pounds from an investor in Hong Kong, which not entirely unsurprisingly is also now defunct. Initially we had a holding page warning only broadband users should enter. Given that this was the late ’90s, no-one had broadband.

Q: So how did you start in the industry?

A: I joined the gaming channel, the web editor had just quit, and as I had written in the past and didn’t much like the TV side of things I was nominated. From there I built a proper editorial team, and although no-one heard of us (the TV side was only being broadcast in Asia) I learned an incredible amount about newsgathering, review writing and managing contributors. I also learned that no man should drink eight cans of Pepsi in a single shift. (The fizzy pop was free. Good old dotcom madness.)

Q: You are currently Editor-in-Chief of Official Playstation Magazine, which is a great achievement in itself. How are things in the office and do you have any big plans for the magazine?

A: Things in the office are fine thanks for asking. (Why, what have the others been saying?) The magazine is actually run on a day-to-day basis by new Editor Ben Wilson, who’s doing a cracking job. Wait, I now realise this sounds ominously like I’ve been shifted upstairs into the cursed director of football role. Most of my energy is focused on a digital launch we’re doing this year, focused on PS3 and delivered via PSN. We should be able to reveal all on that very soon.

Q: With the internet taking such a big role these days, at least in terms of news distribution, do you think the focus of printed media has shifted towards more feature-based content?

A: Yes, absolutely, and I embrace that. The magazines which I love reading all revel in doing deep, well-researched features that utilise the strengths of the printed page rather than apologising for them. By which I mean clever boxouts, stylish page design (our art editors are absolutely outstanding) and the kind of access magazines are still able to leverage. Clearly it’s a different world to the one I started out in, but I think there’s a huge hunger from gamers for all kinds of content.

Q: And besides the magazine, do you have any other projects within our glorious industry?

A: Well, see my previous answers. But let’s just say I’m balls-deep in HD video right now. Although reading that back it sounds all sorts of wrong.

Q: Obviously you write for a PS3 magazine but that doesn’t mean you can’t support the other side. Do you have both and if yes, which do you prefer?

A: I own both the competing consoles, and always have done in previous generations. Largely because I hate to miss out on playing games that other people are talking about. That said, I honestly haven’t switched the Wii on since the fortnight after I bought it (at launch). The games on it just aren’t for me, which is a shame as I was a massive fan of Pikmin, Killer7 and Resident Evil 4 on GameCube. As for 360, obviously there’s a huge amount of crossover, but the one game I genuinely regret isn’t on PS3 is the Mass Effect series. Just stunning stuff from Bioware. (Although that said I couldn’t stand Dragon Age.)

Q: Do you have any weird habits or tricks? Everyone does.

A: Always kick rather than roll the ball out from the keeper. Never get drawn into arguments online. Always order a Gin & Tonic as your first drink when abroad. Never let the team see you panic. Remember that if you get it wrong no-one dies.

Q: And lastly, anything to add?

A: Do your best to follow Orwell’s rules of writing and you won’t go far wrong.

Thanks again to Tim. A great insight into the journalism surrounding gaming and some interesting points on HD video. Could Tim be the next Veronica? (I mean a UK Qore, not gender) All will be revealed soon apparently, and I think this site might have something to do with it. And, since he never did it, give him a follow on Twitter and remember to grab the latest issue of OPM. There’s some great features in there.

 

How To Become: Stewart Gilray

On to our third How To Become now and the celebrities are just queuing up to take part. Just Add Water’s Stewart Gilray (of Gravity Crash fame), being the Scot that he is, has battered and beaten through the competition though and demanded that we question him first.

Everyone else will just have to wait.

Name: Stewart Gilray
Age: 39.9
Birthplace: Paisley, Scotland
University attended: Haha, I went to “The College of Commerce” in Aberdeen, but it was useless so I ended up bunking off most of the time and writing games on ST/Amiga.
Background information: Having worked with big names, such as EA, and now head of JAW, Stewart has been in the industry for quite a while (longer than I’ve been on this rock anyway). But what’s he up to now and wheredid he get that hat?

Q: You’ve been in the gaming industry for quite a long time now, almost 20 years I believe, but before all the magic begun what was your very first job?

A: Actually, I started when I was almost 19, so that’s 21 years. First job, I delivered newspapers in my village, 7 days a week. Usually at 5pm Mon-Sat, then 8:30am on a Sunday, that was at 14ish.

Q: And in this amazing industry of ours, what was your first job?

A: I was a programmer, so the first published title was an adventure game on the Atari ST called “Lost Soul”. Just after that my small team of 4 wrote the intro sequence for PowerMonger on the ST/Amiga.

Q: Gravity Crash did very well on the PS3 and a PSP version is in development. Can you tell us how things are going on behind-the-scenes?

A: On Gravity Crash? We’ve just finished a patch for the PS3 version to tidy up some bits and eliminate a couple of bugs that have been hanging around, PSP wise we’re very near the end, but not as near as I would like. So we’re pretty busy on it still.

Q: Obviously you are doing very well for yourself as CEO of JAW but do you have any other projects lined up or is everything JAW (Just Add Water) -based?

A: Games projects, no it’s all JAW. I set JAW up as a channel for that side of my creativity.

Q: And what is your weapon of choice; PS3 or Xbox 360?

A: PS3.

Q: If you could be any gaming character, which would you choose and why?

A: Altair or Ezio from the Assassins Creed titles, not just to live and experience those times, but to be able to climb up and job off buildings in a Base Jumping kinda way. Cool!

Q: No gamer is ever normal, so what is your weird thing?

A: Interesting question, most of the people know me know that my pet weird outlet is my love for the Canadian band Rush, to the point I used to run a fanzine with a friend, I used to run the biggest Rush fan convention in the world, and I used to play guitar in a Rush tribute band. So yeah, pretty weird.

Q: Finally, do you have anything to add?

A: Nothing other than, that was relatively painless, I was expecting more probing questions, like how much is a pint of milk, which is 56 pence by the way.

Who needs Uni, eh? Seeing as Stewart didn’t sell himself (I gave him the chance) I’ll do it for him. Keep an eye onJAW’s site for any news about the PSP Gravity Crash and maybe give him a follow on Twitter. We love his work here at TheSixthAxis and can’t wait to see what else he will create.

 

How To Become: Robert Bowling

After giving the stars of the industry a break over the festive period, How To Become is back with one of the biggest names in the industry, Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling. We have some plans for a few more editions of HTB but we’re always looking for ideas. If you have anyone you would like to see me track down and question then leave a comment below and we’ll do our best to capture them and feed them to the HTB machine. Enjoy.

Name: Robert Bowling
Age: 24
Birthplace: Ft. Thomas, Kentucky
College attended: None
Background information: Working for Infinity Ward will definitely have its perks but it’s not an easy job to get. Robert Bowling has worked hard all his life to get where he is and it seems the only way is up but where did his success begin? And what makes him human? His GamerScore is 63,591, by the way. That’s impressive.

Q: Your role as Creative Strategist at IW is clearly a very important one but we all have to start somewhere, so what was your first ever job?

A: My first real job was when I was 14 years old. It was a record label / artist management company that I created and ran out of my bed room at my parent’s — at least when it first started — and eventually developed into a much larger and broader company, eventually focusing much more on the development of artists and entertainment properties than the record label aspect. I got a computer for my 14th birthday that first year, along with a business license I got at the local court house, and a website I learned to create from books at the county library; I was able to build a business that eventually lead to me going on tour, traveling across the US with bands (clients) and ultimately starting my own music & entertainment magazine with an ex-client turned best friend of mine that we secured nationwide distribution for. Everything after that, as they say, is history.

Q: And what was your first job in the industry?

A: In the Games Industry, my first job on the development side was as Community Manager for Infinity Ward. At the time, we were developing DLC (the first map packs) for Call of Duty 2 on Xbox 360 and PC.

Q: The Modern Warfare series is obviously a massive success on every platform. How are things going behind-the-scenes and do you have any little teasers for us?

A: Everyone at Infinity Ward is still soaking in all the reactions, success, and feedback of Modern Warfare 2 now that everyone has it in their hands and can experience it for themselves. The team’s main focus at the moment is on the first round of DLC for the game, and continual community support in the meantime including updates that respond to user feedback as well as Playlist updates like the Mosh Pit and Hardcore Headquarters Ricochet playlists we’ve added a little while back.

Q: So do you have any other projects within the industry just now or is everything contained within IW?

A: Nope. Modern Warfare 2 is the main focus for everyone on the Infinity Ward team at the moment, including myself. With a game this big, it doesn’t really afford for a lot of free time or side projects.

Q: No fanboys here, so what are you; PS3 or Xbox?

A: I actually own and play on both regularly; Recently though, the majority of my gaming time has been spent on Xbox 360 because my main Modern Warfare 2 save is on there. I’m lvl 70 and haven’t yet convinced myself to prestige yet, so I’m thinking I’ll get my PS3 MW2 account up to 70 as well and then decide.

Q: If you could be any gaming character, which would you love to be and why?

A: The random EDF soldier from Earth Defense Force 2017 that enthusiastically chants “EDF! EDF! EDF!” as he charges into battle. I choose this because, despite the fact that your “defense” includes completely demolishing entire cities, and half of your forces are being ripped apart by giant ant jizz and poison; you refuse to bend in your unyielding patriotism and relentless excitement for battle with giant alien insect/robots from space. Plus, you know, he’s just a normal guy, doing his thing, against unthinkable scenarios.

Q: Everyone has something weird going on, so what’s your thing?

A: I don’t have any weird talent, that I know of. Although I’m sure I do something that’s completely strange to an outsider that I totally believe is normal. I do however, have countless weird behaviors, like the fact that my wife and I will regularly get into spontaneous karate matches — despite the fact that neither of us know any sort of karate — it typically just consists of us kicking each other in the shin and/or butt, until one of us tires out, while our daughter stares confusingly at us from her bouncer.

Q: Anything else to add?

A: Sure! Give me a follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fourzerotwo if you’re interested in Modern Warfare 2 or random other personal insights into what it’s like to work in the industry and the random places it ends up taking me.

Bowling is one of the hardest working people in the industry and knows where he wants to go. I mean, a record label when he was 14. I was out chasing the ladies at that age… to no avail. But he still knows how to kick back and relax with some casual karate with his wife. Maybe that’s his secret? Anyway, don’t forget to head on over to his blog and check out some of his frequent updates.

 

How To Become: Veronica Belmont

“How To Become,” is a new feature to TheSixthAxis consisting of a very informal interview in which I ask high-profile people in gaming what helped them achieve such greatness, how their current projects are doing and something rather odd about themselves. I plan on this being a fortnightly event but, due to the busy schedules of our Kings and Queens, this may be altered slightly. Enjoy.

Name: Veronica Belmont
Age: 27
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut
College: Studied Audio Production and New Media Studies at Emerson College, Boston
Background information:
Born July 21st, Veronica has certainly had some life. With numerous appearances at Gaming Shows and plenty of sites grabbing at her for podcasts (we’d love her) and video content, she is one of the more well known faces of gaming and technology. But what made Veronica, voted one of the sexiest geeks, what she is now?

Q: Obviously now you have plenty of different jobs/projects but what was your very first job, perhaps when you were a teenager? (And I mean your very first job e.g. paper round)
A: My very first job was at Lindt Chocolate, at one of their retail stores. I stood around and ate truffles all day. Not bad!

Q: And what was your very first job in the gaming industry?
A: I worked on some gaming stuff at CNET, but my first big gaming-specific gig was covering GDC for Joystiq. We shot a bunch of videos and interviews, but it was a bit overkill. The commenters were pretty sick of my mug by the end of the week!

Q: Among the PS3 community, you are most known for presenting Qore. How do you think this project is progressing?
A: It’s been great! The upcoming January episode is one of our favorites yet. We’ve been working with the formula and trying out new things, so it’s kept it interesting for us. We were really excited to offer the ModNation Racers beta for subscribers last month too.

Q: Do you have any other projects planned within the gaming industry?
A: Not at the moment. I’m exclusive to Qore and the PS3, so that’s my #1 focus when it comes to gaming projects. I’m just trying to find time to play all the games we cover! It’s kind of impossible.

Q: Are you a PS3er or Xboxer?
A: I do own both (which seems to anger people, for some reason…) but I’ve been spending a lot more time on the PS3 lately, playing Borderlands and Uncharted 2. I did finish Dragon Age on the PC, though.

Q: Could you tell us one weird fact about yourself? Such as, you can lick you elbow etc.
A: Hmm… well, I can’t lick my elbow (I just tried). I can make my stomach gurgle really loudly, though. Like an alien baby is about to explode from it. It’s totally gross sounding, but it always makes me crack up.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?
A: If you’re a Qore subscriber, thank you!! Also, check out my other show Tekzilla on Revision3 if you want, it’s my tech show with Patrick Norton.

So there we have it, the key to success in the gaming industry is eating lots of truffles as a kid and having alien babies. A big thanks to Veronica for agreeing to my questions and being the very first interviewee. Shame she has a boyfriend, Ryan Block of Engadget, eh? Don’t forget to head on over to her website for a look and remember to check out Qore next month, if you can. Let’s see who I can corner next.