Things have been crazy. The week I spent in Norway was an extreme example of this, but its not THAT abnormal for the way things have been moving since I last wrote a life update. Frankly it would be almost impossible to summarise everything that has happened in that time. I’ve been privileged to do some truly amazing things this year.

The really big ones are:

• In April I was elected to be the new Chair of the IGDA Foundation, which is the charitable sister organisation of the IGDA. It has a slightly different aim, and a slightly different structure, but this has given me a whole new set of challenges to tackle as I try to make the industry better.
• In July I interviewed the “father” of the Xbox, Ed Fries at an event in Dundee that we’d arranged for IGDA Scotland. A true honour to sit next to a living legend of our industry and get to ask him questions.
• I completed my PhD thesis in October which has been an extensive uphill struggle.
• Next week I will be starting my first grown-up job at Zynga Inc in San Francisco California. I should be packing the last of my things now instead of writing this.

It’s taken a lot to get to a place where I can leave the UK. The interview process after being approached for this position was rigorous, but the timing was just about right, and it was the motivation I needed to get my thesis finished. The visa process was pretty rigorous but in the end the US Government has decided that I am an “Individual with Extraordinary Ability in the Sciences“. Unfortunately it has meant having to close up Robot Overlord Games, but it’s a good trade.

And with the thesis gone, the major thing I was supposed to write is out of the way and I can hopefully get back to blogging a bit more regularly.

It’s going to take a lot of work to settle in to life in San Francisco, but I can’t begin to describe how much I’m looking forward to it! It’s time for me to go West!