40 Years
BIG SWINGS
On May 3rd I turned 40 years old and since that day, I’ve been in an unstoppable spiral of self-reflection. It has felt like I got the math wrong. I still play video games every single day. I listen to most of the same records I loved when I was a teenager. I start conversations with “Yo!” and to the dismay of my youngest daughter I still proudly refer to my favorite things as “Rad!” “Killer.” and “Awesome.”
For those who have known me for most of the duration of those 40 years, they’ll probably tell you I haven’t changed much. The ones who are no longer in my life, will probably tell you I’ve changed too much. I think they’re both right.
This birthday has felt like a transition period in my life for so many reasons. First, FORTY never felt possible to me. I was convinced for the majority of my life that I’d never make it to 35. I’ve always been a “candle at both ends” kind of person. Whatever it is I’m doing, I do it fully and I do it with reckless abandon in the pursuit of greatness.
Yet, I survived.
Now, I’m reflecting on what I want to do with my bonus years. If I considered 35 the end, then what does NEW GAME+ look like?
If you’ve received a text or DM from me in the last month (I’m sorry) but it probably included the words “big swing” somewhere in it. It’s the only thing I’m interested in. If I’m going to spend any amount of our bonus time on a project, lets do something thats worth talking about!
I’ve been creating things my entire life. If you’ve visited the front page of my site, you’ll scroll through a timeline of creations of music, and movies, and tv shows, and magazines, and products that have been experienced by millions of people across every type of medium. I love to create and I’ve done it, a lot.
When I’m not creating something myself, I’m helping someone else create it or provide the means for them to create it.
I’ll be spending the near future talking to all my friends - the benefit of surviving 40 years on this planet is you accumulate a large network of incredibly talented, intelligent, and motivated friends who have skills that make you believe in magic. I’m going to be spending time examing whats working, why it’s working, and looking for ways to create something that reminds me of the joys of life.
I’m interested in the resurgence of BIG single-player experiences!
I’m interested in storytelling and ambition.
I’m interested in creating something my kids will love and laugh at.
I’m interested in solving the problems our industry is about to face (due the perfect storm of layoffs + tech innovations).
I’m interested in supporting young artists, musicians, and creators who are redefining the future of expression.
10 MORE YEARS
I’ll give you one more decade and then you’ll never have to see me again. I’ll spend the next 10 years in service of creation. Helping craft experiences that will hype you up, help you relax, and give you motivation. I’ll spend the next 10 years creating something special. Free of drama and negativity. I want to leave this world filled with games and moments of laughter. I want to create intense experiences that are both interactive and passive. I want to give as much back to the world that has given me 40 glorious years as possible.
So in conclusion, thank you for this journey. Thank you for constantly showing up and pushing me a little further.
If you’re building something cool, lets talk about it. If you’re looking to experience something cool, stay tuned. I’ve got so much fun stuff coming.
