Why Did The Genius Behind Dark Age of Camelot Leave Mythic?

To fans of Dark Age of Camelot, Mythic Entertainment‘s Matt Firor is a living legend. Producer of DAoC and Executive Producer for Mythic at large, the man had everything: a much-loved MMORPG, power, respect, position, and (one assumes) money and security.

A few weeks ago, not long after the takeover by EA was announced, Firor stepped down abruptly. Given the fact of EA’s takeover of the company, the rumor mill has been running overtime. Although Firor had to suffer through a daily 120-mile commute though the Washington DC Beltway, his explanation of this being his reason for leaving hasn’t been sitting well with skeptics.

The commute was indeed part of the reason, Firor insists. As for the buyout, it did play into his decision – but not for the reason people think. “I left because, as a minor shareholder in Mythic, I got enough money to stop working for a while, and this coincided with my wife and I adopting two kids from Russia,” he says. “This way, I get to spend time at home – and teach my kids English! – and take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to relax and figure out what my next project is going to be.“

During his tenure at Mythic, Firor was a do-everything guy, dealing with everything from game design to employee benefits administration to customer support (and probably wound up making a few pots of coffee, as well). He says there are many people he’ll miss working with, adding “…I was there for 10 years, and you get really close to co-workers in that time, especially the ones that were in the early pre-Camelot days with me.“

Of course, the burning question on everyone’s mind is: what does he really think of the EA/Mythic deal? Acknowledging that people want him to “dish some dirt” on the subject, his response was: “Really, I think it’s a good thing. We all know EA has had some problems in the past with absorbing acquired companies, but the new management there is committed to making the EA / Mythic relationship work, and I have no reason to doubt their sincerity. They need Mythic just as much as Mythic needs them – EA knows that online games are the future of this industry, and they are setting Mythic up to lead their online MMO efforts. The last thing they want to do is jeopardize their investment in the studio.“

Being someone for whom driving an automobile has long since lost its lustre, and admiring anyone who’s willing and able to set aside a high-powered career for family, this writer wishes Mr. Firor the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Via MMORPG.com

To fans of Dark Age of Camelot, Mythic Entertainment‘s Matt Firor is a living legend. Producer of DAoC and Executive Producer for Mythic at large, the man had everything: a much-loved MMORPG, power, respect, position, and (one assumes) money and security.

A few weeks ago, not long after the takeover by EA was announced, Firor stepped down abruptly. Given the fact of EA’s takeover of the company, the rumor mill has been running overtime. Although Firor had to suffer through a daily 120-mile commute though the Washington DC Beltway, his explanation of this being his reason for leaving hasn’t been sitting well with skeptics.

The commute was indeed part of the reason, Firor insists. As for the buyout, it did play into his decision – but not for the reason people think. “I left because, as a minor shareholder in Mythic, I got enough money to stop working for a while, and this coincided with my wife and I adopting two kids from Russia,” he says. “This way, I get to spend time at home – and teach my kids English! – and take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to relax and figure out what my next project is going to be.“

During his tenure at Mythic, Firor was a do-everything guy, dealing with everything from game design to employee benefits administration to customer support (and probably wound up making a few pots of coffee, as well). He says there are many people he’ll miss working with, adding “…I was there for 10 years, and you get really close to co-workers in that time, especially the ones that were in the early pre-Camelot days with me.“

Of course, the burning question on everyone’s mind is: what does he really think of the EA/Mythic deal? Acknowledging that people want him to “dish some dirt” on the subject, his response was: “Really, I think it’s a good thing. We all know EA has had some problems in the past with absorbing acquired companies, but the new management there is committed to making the EA / Mythic relationship work, and I have no reason to doubt their sincerity. They need Mythic just as much as Mythic needs them – EA knows that online games are the future of this industry, and they are setting Mythic up to lead their online MMO efforts. The last thing they want to do is jeopardize their investment in the studio.“

Being someone for whom driving an automobile has long since lost its lustre, and admiring anyone who’s willing and able to set aside a high-powered career for family, this writer wishes Mr. Firor the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Via MMORPG.com