GDC 2007: Matt Firor and Ultra Mega Games

Matt Firor made a name for himself as the Executive Producer of Dark Age of Camelot, but last year surprised some by leaving it all to go start his own consulting company.

Now, after a few months to get on his feet on the ground, he's loving it even though he's not doing anything he expected to be.

Originally, with his production background, Matt figured he'd be helping MMOs with design and production advice. It turns out, he's mostly found himself working with venture capitalists and people seeking to enter the MMO industry. His role is to look the games over and help three investors make an informed decision about potential products.

He admits that he will likely eventually find his way back into the production end, but for now, the unique challenges he faces and the freedom of being his own boss are keeping him happy.

We also spoke about his non-traditional views on innovation in the MMORPG genre.

"How many movies have you seen that are innovative and how many movies have you seen?" He asked.

It's a valid point. Movies are not often innovative and those that make money even less so. Innovation for its own sake does not impress him. The key is to make something familiar, something fun and something that innovates where necessary to provide a unique experience to the end user. Ultimately though, familiarity is also very important.