So, hey! Wilkommen und hallo. I am Zachary Snader, Game Designer at Retora Game Studios. Such a fancy title! I feel fancy. I also feel tired, because I am jet-lagged as all hell from my trip, beginning in the desert metropolis of Phoenix, AZ and ending in the small German town of Schwäbish Gmünd.
I still don't know what this means and I'm not going to look it up because I am a child and this amuses me.
Upon arriving, I almost immediately began drinking with my fellow international students. My experience so far can more or less be summed up in the amount of hops-based beverages consumed and foosball matches played (I currently sit at two wins and two losses). Foosball might as well be a national sport here. I like it.
About "here:" It's nice, a bit cold...but nice. Schwäbish Gmünd, or Gmünd as it's more aptly referred to, is a village of around 60,000 people and 44 square miles that was founded in the year 1268. As in, 745 years ago. It still looks that way in most of the town, which is cool and all, it just kind of sucks that its grey and raining and [dreary] and willbesnowinginaweek at all times. But, you know, it's pretty awesome that I am in Germany on my own accord.
Also, the coat of arms is amazing. I mean, just look at this thing:
HAHAHA OH MY GOD!
It looks like a tentacle monster wrestling a horse. This is supposedly a unicorn. I assume that is a depiction of the last unicorn on Earth in its final moments as it is being viciously devoured by suction-cupped hell beasts.
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Anyways, I'm getting settled into my flat, aka House Tabula, named after the cabaret that is (literally) two doors down the road. You can see a strip club from our garden! Now that's living.
Location, location, location!
As much I'd like to be, I'm not here to just make games and hang out in random European towns. I've also got to study interaction design. Good stuff, really. I'm learning about this stuff at Hochschule für Gestaltung, one of the better schools for design in this region of Europe. I started classes this week and will be doing a few projects while continuing my role with Retora.
While the semester rolls along I'll post updates regarding what I'm doing, including entries specifically about design, games, our projects (non-NDA, of course), and how they all mesh together. I will have more pictures as well.
I'm going to finish Breaking Bad now, because seriously...[wow].
Bis bald!
- Zach | Senior Creative Director of Business and Game Management Operations, Vertical Integration and Synergy Division, Retora Sunrise (Deutschland Office)
*Retora Sunrise is not a real subsidy of Retora Game Studios, LLC. All references to Retora Sunrise should be taken jokingly.
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SUPER IMPORTANT UPDATE: I finished Breaking Bad because I haven't slept yet. Dude. It's...yeah. Yeah.
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