[![head](/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/head.png)](/posts/goodbye-playdemic/attachment/head-8/)

Wow doesn't time fly.



Over 8 years ago I was a short nerdy student trying desperately to find a way into the games industry for my industrial placement year at university. I was about ready to give up hope when a certain "Starboy" (probably) fed up of my winging offered me a position at his company Rockpool Games.

> Cannyshammy - feel free to drop me an email, my company is based in Manchester and there is a strong possibility of us taking on an intern.
>
> alex.rigby@rockpoolgames.com
>
> EDIT: Just seen you're looking to go abroad, guess Manchester is a little too close then eh?
> (source: [https://www.gamedev.net/topic/297068-breaking-into-the-games-industry-is-impossible/page-2#entry2882806](https://www.gamedev.net/topic/297068-breaking-into-the-games-industry-is-impossible/page-2#entry2882806))

Little did either of us know the long winding path that would unfold from that moment.

Fast forward 5 years. After their success with Rockpool Paul and Alex approached me with a new cunning plan. They were going to start a games company to make these new-fangled social games that Zynga were redefining the games industry with.

Join an exciting new company making cutting edge games with Starboy? [How could I refuse](/posts/playdemic-my-fist-day/)...

Needless to to say the next 3 years were quite a journey. There were ups, there were downs, there were laughs, there were cry's there was even the occasional thigh-rub (still not sure how I didn't get fired for those).

Like all journeys however, they must some day come to an end. I decided that the majority of the world has yet to experience the emotional cocktail of disgust, fear and slight arousal induced by the thigh-rub. So before I reach "that age" I was going to take some time and bring this unique joy to the wider world.

So whats next? Well I have two months of preparation before I embark on an epic 7 month journey through Central and South America, but ill save the details on that for a separate post.