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Mark Jacobs, President

What is your involvement in the game? For WAR, I wrote the initial game design and vision document, and I'm currently serving as Lead Game Designer for the project. I review all content that is being designed for the game as well as work with the system designers. How did you get into the games industry? After graduating from Syracuse University, I received my JD from Georgetown University Law Center. I then founded Adventures Unlimited Software Inc. making text-based games, including one of the earlier MUDs, back in the early 80's. In 1995, we merged with Interesting Systems Inc. to form Interworld Productions, later renamed Mythic Entertainment. What other titles have you worked on in the past? In what capacity? I've worked on every title that AUSI or Mythic has created starting with Galaxy and going through Dragon's Gate, Magestorm, Splatterball, Aliens Online, and Dark Age of Camelot - all the way up to WAR . Early in my career, I'd do everything from conceptualize, design and program an entire game (Galaxy). Nowadays, I focus on creating the initial concept and design for a game, and then work with the team which handles the actual game creation. This leaves me with time to do my job as CEO but still do interesting side projects, like writing a screenplay based on a game idea (Imperator). What was your "welcome to the game industry" moment when it hit you that you were really making games for a living? The first time somebody actually paid me for playing one of my games. What excites you about the Warhammer property? What makes it perfect for an MMO? What cool things in the Warhammer universe do you hope to bring to life? Just about everything actually. It's one of the longest running and most detailed properties on the market today, as well as being the coolest. For Mythic, having an IP where groups of beings truly hate each other and are hell-bent on trying to bring about each other's destruction is the best jumping off point for an MMORPG that we could ever hope to have. One of my favorite things about the Games Workshop's IP is that it can be viewed at so many different levels and its use of humor, homage, and at times, down right madness fits in nicely with my world view. Do you collect Warhammer figures? No, sadly I'm not much of a collector of anything. Now, I enjoy playing toy soldiers. It's just the collecting part that I do not do. Well, that and painting. I paint about as well as I draw and if Mythic ever had to rely on my artistic skills we would be in deep, deep trouble. What are your hopes/goals for the game? We plan to make the best Realm vs. Realm-based MMORPG in the history of the industry while at the same time creating the greatest Warhammer-based game of all time. We want to create a game that is fun, challenging (in a good, non-grinding way) and always exciting. What are your key influences when making the game? Anything besides Warhammer? Hehe, I've got almost 25 years of influences - both taken in and given out - to look at as WAR moves along. What is the biggest problem with current MMO's you hope to fix with WAR? That I can't order my favorite food (Roast Halfling) while playing any of the current MMOs. We are currently trying to work out a deal with a major chain or two to ensure that isn't the case with WAR! Once we work that out, if we find the time we hope to address other minor issues such as downtime, repetitive and lackluster content, and item/gold farming. What are your favorite video/computer games of all time? What games are you playing right now? What game should the reader be playing if he's not? In terms of my favorites, Civilization II, Aliens Online, Pirates and Warcraft II. Right now I'm currently page Age of Empires III. As far as the reader, well, if he's an MMO player, WoW, DAoC or CoH are fine choices. What music you are listening to right now? None, I took off my headphones to write this thing. Is there a recent movie you've seen or book/comic you read that you'd recommend to others? I loved Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and heartily recommend it. Favorite quote? "The war's not over till the fat Hobbits sing!" - Sauron addressing the troops before the gates of Mordor.

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