As the first part of a new Meet a Game Developer series here at IMG, I setup an email interview with Andrew Brazell, the Director of Support Services at Aspyr Media. Read on to learn more about one of the fine people who help make Mac gaming possible!

Jon Carr: What is your gaming history? 

Andrew Brazell: Like most enthusiasts my history with games started as a consumer back in the TSR 80 and Atari 2600 days. I remember vividly when those first computers and initial games came out. It was a crazy time and very exciting for a young guy that loved to rip things apart just to see what was inside. Me and my nerd buddy could never get the electronics we ripped apart to work again but wow what a ride! IT, Computers, Hardware and Networking were always a passion so the Gaming Industry was a perfect fit for my career. 

JC: How did you end up working for Aspyr Media?

AB: I sent a random email off of a Google search for gaming companies in Austin. I was looking for a career change from system administration and Aspyr happened to be working on their first PC games. I was the first PC oriented employee of Aspyr. I am now very happy to announce I am 110% converted to the Mac :-)

JC: What do you find most challenging and rewarding about your position as Director of Support Services?

AB: The most challenging part of my job is keeping up the gaming industry news and events while keeping the majority of my time focused on the products we are currently working on. We are in a quickly evolving industry, there are always new games, new hardware, new distribution methods, etc. to keep up on as eventually they will impact the kind of games we touch.  
The most rewarding part of the job is seeing our products being well received by the Mac Gamer. As part of my role I oversee Customer Support as well as QA, meaning we focus entirely on the customer experience and take it very seriously. Getting the occasional thumbs up from a fan is one of the most satisfying pieces of my job. At the end of the day, we at Aspyr are Gamers making games for Gamers and being able to do that is the ultimate reward!

JC: What do you like most about working at Aspyr Media?

AB: The People. Going on close to a decade with the company I can say without a doubt that the co-workers I have here are the best part about my job. The people are caring, passionate and all dedicated to bringing the best Games to the Mac.  We enjoy our jobs and work well as a team. You could say it's a dream job! 

JC: Do you have a favorite game of all time, and if so, why? 

Rune – because of the great multiplayer experience and small community. Plus chopping off your opponents head and throwing it back at them when they respawn is always a plus.

JC: What are you currently Playing? 

AB: I live in the country so I focus my home gaming on single player campaigns as high speed internet does not reach me in the sticks. Currently I am going back through several retro titles to replay the campaigns. Doom 3, Bioshock 1 & 2, DeadSpace etc. 

JC: What do you like to do in your spare time? (Outside of gaming.)  

AB: I love to kayak, hunt and hike. My family and I try to spend as much time outside as possible. Even with 110 degree weather in Texas this year we still stayed outside as much as we could. And I play a lot of games :D

JC: Thanks Andrew!

Aspyr recently published Duke Nukem Forever on the Mac and they have some exciting (but unknown to us) news in store this winter for Mac gamers. The latest and greatest from Aspyr can also be found on their blog, Facebook or Twitter pages, as well as their newly revamped website.

Jon Carr is an IMG writer who also hosts the podcast and enjoys conducting interviews, previews and writing all the features he can think of. When not reviewing games or scheming world domination, he's probably playing a new game in Bootcamp or keeping up on all the latest game and tech news. He builds websites for a living but spends all the time he can furthering the Mac community.

Related Links

Aspyr Media